Elgin Public Museum reopens Sunday with new exhibits

After a month’s closure for cleaning, rearranging exhibits and creating new ones, Elgin Public Museum will reopen to the public on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Museum officials say there will be long-unseen items from its collection put on display in new glass cases purchased with a grant from the Seigle Foundation, according to a social media post.

New exhibits on Native American basketry, Elgin’s Jewish community and items seized at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will open, the children’s discovery room has been refreshed, and a new scavenger hunt for kids is available, the post said.

The museum, located at 225 Grand Blvd. in Lords Park, is open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children ages 3 to 12 and adults over 65, and free for children younger than 3 and anyone with an Elgin Township Senior Pass.

Kevin Stankowitz has been appointed the new chief of the Carpentersville Police Department. He’s been with the department for more than 20 years. (Carpentersville Police Department)

Carpentersville promotes Kevin Stankowitz to police chief

Kevin Stankowitz, a longtime veteran of the Carpentersville Police Department, will succeed Todd Shaver as its new chief.

Stankowitz began joined the department in 2003 as a community service officer and was sworn in as a police officer in 2004, according to the village. After starting in patrol, he went on to serve in the gang and drug units and was promoted to sergeant in 2016, commander in 2021 and deputy chief in 2023.

When Shaver retired in December, Stankowitz was named interim chief.

Stankowitz has received multiple honors, including Kane County Officer of the Year in 2019. He has a master’s degree in public safety from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy.

LWV holding primary candidate forums on Feb. 5 and 11

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County is conducting public forums for county, state and federal candidates running in the March 17 primary.

Candidates for Kane County Sheriff and Kane County Board seats in districts 2, 11 and 13 have been invited to an event at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5. A second forum for those running for Illinois Senate District 33 and U.S. House District 11 will be at at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Both will be held at Batavia City Hall, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia.

A trained member of the League of Women Voters will lead the forums, a news release said. Questions can be submitted in writing before and during the event, with LWV members selecting those that will be asked.

The forums will be streamed live at www.youtube.com/user/BATV1017, where the recordings will remain available through the election season. They can also be viewed at lwvckcil.com/candidate-issue-forum.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/elgin-museum-carpentersville-chief-lwv-candidate/