Category: News
Interim COPA chief nominated as permanent agency leader
The city agency in charge of the Chicago Police Department’s oversight bodies announced Thursday that the interim leader of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability would be nominated to oversee the office permanently.
LaKenya White has led COPA since March 2025, following the resignation of former chief administrator Andrea Kersten. At Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, commissioners moved to nominate her to be approved by the full City Council.
“This work is deeply personal to me—I’ve spent over 25 years working in police oversight and I’m proud to do that work in the city where I’m from and the city that shaped me to be who I am,” White said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful for the dedicated staff at COPA and their continued support, and I look forward to building on the progress we’ve made together to strengthen our integrity, transparency, and accountability, while standing alongside our community to continue building public trust.
White’s selection from more than two dozen applicants followed a series of citywide listening sessions and meetings with vested groups, including COPA staff and members of the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing rank-and-file CPD officers, commissioners said.
“COPA’s work requires leadership that understands both the technical demands of complex investigations and the human impact those investigations have on families, officers, and communities,” CCPSA president Remel Terry said in a statement Thursday. “LaKenya has spent her career inside Chicago’s police accountability system, and she understands how this agency operates at every level. That depth of experience is exactly what COPA needs in the next Chief Administrator.”
In 2000, White joined the Office of Professional Standards, one of COPA’s predecessors, as an intake aide, according to the mayor’s office. Seven years later she worked as an investigator for the Independent Police Review Authority, where she was later promoted to shooting specialist.
In 2017, White became a major case specialist at COPA and, later, a supervising investigator.
The relationship between CPD and COPA can often be adversarial, but speaking last month, CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said one of CPD’s goals for 2026 was to bolster the public’s understanding of police accountability and discipline systems.
“If we need accountability, if we have officers amongst us who are not here faithfully, then we need to do what we have to do to ensure that we maintain a reputation of our hardworking officers who are out there every day doing the work faithfully,” Snelling said. “And I will work closely with COPA and any other investigative body to make sure that we do that.”
Resentment among COPA staff was a main driver in Kersten’s departure last year, and CCPSA planned to issue a no-confidence vote in her leadership prior to her resignation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/copa-chief-permanent-leader/
Dulce Hernandez comes from a big family. For her, Mundelein’s success is ‘more rewarding’ than hers.
To be successful, teams need players like Mundelein senior forward Dulce Hernandez.
One of seven siblings ranging in age from 13 to 26, Hernandez is used to putting others first.
“When it came to things I wanted or even sometimes needed, I learned that sacrifice for the ones I love was more important and even more rewarding,” she said. “Having a big family taught me to be more of a team player and help everyone around me.”
In Hernandez’s first season as a varsity starter, she has helped the Mustangs (17-10, 7-4) record their most North Suburban Conference wins in more than a decade. Among her contributions, the 5-foot-6 Hernandez goes toe-to-toe with opponents down low.
“I grew up playing against older cousins and brothers, so I’m used to playing against people bigger than me,” she said.
That reflects Hernandez’s willingness to do whatever is needed, according to Mundelein coach Sarah Teipel.
“She shows constant toughness and does all the little things,” Teipel said. “She always gives her best, whether it’s rebounding, screening hard, deflecting passes, diving after loose balls or constantly cheering on her teammates.”
Hernandez has emerged as a leader for the Mustangs too.
“It has been special watching her develop as a leader,” Teipel said. “She is someone who everyone wants to be around, is always positive and pushes those around her to be better. She works hard and pushes her teammates to work hard.”
Senior guard Casey Vyverman, a Western Michigan recruit who holds Mundelein’s all-time scoring record, agrees that Hernandez is essential to the team’s success.
“Dulce brings us energy, no matter if we are up or down in a game, and she is always looking to set up her teammates,” Vyverman said. “Leadership-wise, she holds everyone accountable and brings the team back together every time we are struggling.”
Mundelein junior guard Grace Dunigan echoed Vyverman.
“Dulce pushes us to talk, raises our energy, and whether on the bench or on the floor, she’s always the loudest and most hardworking,” Dunigan said. “Those might not show in stats, like how many steals she got or blocks, but how she treats her teammates and how much effort she gives will always show.”
Mundelein’s Dulce Hernandez passes the ball during a nonconference game against Cary-Grove in Mundelein on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Brian O’Mahoney / News-Sun)
Hernandez, who also plays flag football and runs sprints in track, has steadily climbed the ladder in the girls basketball program from the freshman/sophomore team to the junior varsity team to the varsity team.
“She has improved so much because of all the time she has put into her game,” Teipel said. “She has a constant desire to keep getting better.”
Hernandez, who said some of her relatives have played sports at Mundelein, Stevenson and Buffalo Grove, is proud of her improvement since last season.
“I feel like my junior year I was just looking to prepare myself for my senior year,” she said. “This year, I’m excited to put all of that on display and show my craft all year. I’m excited to help the team. I’m putting it all out on the floor.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/mundelein-high-school-basketball-dulce-hernandez/
At least 2 reported dead in Oswego house explosion
At least two people were reported dead Thursday evening in a house explosion in southwest suburban Oswego, officials said.
Shortly after 5 p.m., the Oswego Fire Protection District was called out to the 200 block of Fox Chase North for a report of a house explosion with people trapped. When crews arrived they found a two-story framed residence collapsed and fully engulfed, officials said.
Firefighters began extinguishing the flames, and immediately conducted searches for victims. NICOR also was called to the scene to cut off gas lines, officials said. After an extensive search, two victims were found in the debris, officials said.
Officials are investigating the cause of the explosion.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/oswego-house-explosion/
Australian Open: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will play for the title after epic 5-set semifinals
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic finally beat one of the two men who have been blocking his path to an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title when he edged Jannik Sinner in five sets Friday to reach the Australian Open final.
Next, he’ll have to beat the other one: top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.
They’re both chasing history in Sunday’s championship match, with the 22-year-old Alcaraz striving to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz also had to come through a grueling five-setter. He fended off No. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5 in a match that started in the warmth of the afternoon Friday and — 5 hours, 27 minutes later — became the longest Australian Open semifinal.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in their semifinal match at the Australian Open on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
That pushed the start of Djokovic’s match against Sinner back a couple of hours, and the 38-year-old Djokovic finally finished off a 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win just after 1:30 a.m.
He fended off a staggering 16 of the 18 break points he faced against Sinner, the two-time defending Australian Open champion. It ended runs of five straight losses to Sinner and four straight semifinal exits for Djokovic at the majors.
Alcaraz and Sinner have split the last eight Grand Slam titles since Djokovic won his last at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Nobody knows how to win more at Melbourne Park, though. Djokovic has won all 10 times he has contested the Australian Open final.
“It feels surreal,” Djokovic said of his comeback semifinal win, a 4-hour, 9-minute classic. “Honestly, it feels like winning already tonight. I know I have to come back … and fight the No. 1 of the world. I just hope that I’ll have enough gas to stay toe to toe with him.
“That’s my desire. Let the God decide the winner.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/australian-open-mens-semifinals/
Juez se niega a liberar a hombre acusado de colocar bombas caseras antes de asalto a Capitolio
Por MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Un juez federal se ha negado a ordenar la liberación previa al juicio de un hombre acusado de colocar dos bombas de tubo cerca de las sedes nacionales de los partidos Demócrata y Republicano en vísperas del ataque al Capitolio el 6 de enero de 2021.
El juez Amir Ali dictaminó el jueves que Brian J. Cole Jr. debe permanecer en la cárcel mientras espera el juicio. Ali confirmó una decisión del juez Matthew Sharbaugh, quien dictaminó el 2 de enero que no hay condiciones que puedan proteger razonablemente al público del peligro que Cole supuestamente representa.
Cole, de 30 años, se declaró inocente de fabricar y colocar dos bombas fuera de las sedes del Comité Nacional Republicano y del Comité Nacional Demócrata en Washington, D.C., la noche del 5 de enero de 2021.
Cole, quien vivía con sus padres en Woodbridge, Virginia, ha sido diagnosticado con autismo y trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo. Sus abogados dicen que no tiene antecedentes penales.
Cole ha permanecido encarcelado desde su arresto el 4 de diciembre. Las autoridades dijeron que usaron registros telefónicos y otras pruebas para identificarlo como sospechoso en un crimen que desconcertó al FBI durante más de cuatro años.
Los fiscales determinaron que Cole confesó haber intentado llevar a cabo “un acto extraordinario de violencia política”. Cole dijo a los investigadores que estaba descontento con cómo los líderes de ambos partidos políticos respondieron a “preguntas” sobre las elecciones presidenciales de 2020, y “algo simplemente estalló”, según los fiscales.
“Si bien el acusado pudo haber llegado a un punto de quiebre psicológico, sus crímenes no fueron en absoluto impulsivos”, escribieron. “De hecho, las bombas de tubo del acusado, y el miedo y terror que infundieron en el público en general, fueron el producto de semanas de premeditación y planificación”.
Los abogados defensores solicitaron que Cole fuera liberado y puesto en detención domiciliaria con monitoreo electrónico. Dicen que un experto de la defensa concluyó que los dispositivos encontrados no eran viables.
“De hecho, no había posibilidad de muerte, lesión o destrucción ya que los dispositivos eran inofensivos”, escribieron.
Si es condenado por ambos cargos en su contra, Cole enfrenta hasta 10 años de prisión por un cargo y hasta 20 años de prisión por un segundo cargo que también conlleva una sentencia mínima obligatoria de cinco años de prisión.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
The Market Is Responding To Warsh’s Nomination, But Nothing Has Changed
The Market Is Responding To Warsh’s Nomination, But Nothing Has Changed
By Bas van Geffen, Senior Market Strategist at Rabobank
When the Fed decided to hold rates unchanged last Wednesday, Waller was one of the two dissenters in favour of another rate cut. Waller’s dissenting vote may have kept him on President Trump’s list of potential Fed chairs, but it now seems that it did not get him to the top of that list. Reportedly, Trump is ready to announce Kevin Warsh as his nominee (ZH: Trump officially nominated him this morning)..
The dollar has regained some strength. Perhaps that’s thanks to Warsh’ credentials as a former monetary policy hawk – prioritizing inflation control and favouring a smaller Fed balance sheet. However, let’s not forget that President Trump’s first selection criterion is whether the candidates are willing to pursue lower interest rates. So, if he does nominate Warsh later today, he is unlikely to be as hawkish as he once was – unless he has hidden that very well in his interviews with the president. Indeed, Warsh has recently also called for rate cuts.
Nonetheless, compared to the other candidates, Warsh is certainly more on the hawkish side of the spectrum. And so, most asset classes wavered. Treasury yields opened the day higher, and equities slid, with Chinese markets down 1% on the day. The record-breaking streaks in gold and silver have also ended – at least for now. The precious metals are currently down about 8% and 12% from their peaks, respectively. And that is despite concerns over a potential escalation in the Persian Gulf.
The retracements are notable, but we wouldn’t say that the debasement trade or diversification from the US have now stopped. The market may respond optimistically to the prospect of Warsh’ nomination, but broader US policy uncertainty is still not doing the dollar any favours.
Likewise, the US’ attitude towards other countries, is even starting to drive traditional allies away from the US. The European Union has accelerated trade deals with various other economies, and the signing of an accord with India earlier this week is a key step in the EU’s effort to diversify away its economic and geopolitical dependencies.
With a 99.5% reduction of tariffs on imports from India, it creates significant opportunities for India’s (labor) intensive export sectors. That may also help Europe, as it is facing a major acceleration in ageing in the coming decades. But it will also create more opportunities for European businesses to diversify their operations out of China and into India. That is the strategic value in that deal.
And the United Kingdom is pursuing closer ties with China. This week, Starmer became the first prime minister to visit China in eight years, where he met with president Xi. The visit thawed some of the relations between the two countries. China agreed to waive visa requirements for UK visitors. Amongst the results is a “services partnership” that should give the UK better access to the Chinese market. It’s a first step towards a potential bilateral trade deal on services, which both sides have agreed to explore.
The UK’s rapprochement to China drew criticism from Trump. The US president said it is “very dangerous” that the UK government is trying to get closer to China. The UK could therefore come into Trump’s crosshairs again, just like the US president threatened new tariffs on Canada over its recent trade deal with China. However, as we noted above, its precisely these kinds of threats that have encouraged the UK and Canada to seek alternatives to the US.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/30/2026 – 10:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/market-responding-warshs-nomination-nothing-has-changed
Naperville News Digest: NCC theater department presenting ‘Everybody Thrashing’; Naperville Education Foundation plans breakfast fundraiser
NCC theater department presenting ‘Everybody Thrashing’
North Central College’s Department of Theatre will open its spring season with “Everybody Thrashing,” a new play inspired by true events in 1518 Strasbourg during which hundreds of people danced frantically in the streets for weeks.
The production will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 19-22, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21-22, at the Madden Theatre, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville.
Co-developed and co-directed by Jeremy Ohringer and Amelia Hefferon, original music was written by Ethan Korvne and Emily Hayman, and assistant directed by Aidan McGuire, a senior directing and dramaturgy major.
Cast members include Isabella Creech, Josette Falzone, Marcus Fawer, Marina Jòkanović, Noora Kassem, Andrew Rascop, Hope Shawley and Sophie Thill.
“Everybody Thrashing” explores a historical moment of group hysteria and how it connects with contemporary moments of group fervor, madness and exaltation, a college news release said. It incorporates music, original text and Medieval writings.
Tickets are $14 and can be purchased at www.northcentralcollege.edu/show.
Naperville Education Foundation plans breakfast fundraiser
Naperville Education Foundation, which raises funds to support Naperville School District 203, will hold its 33rd annual breakfast benefit from 7 to 9 a.m. Thursday, April 16, at the Matrix Club, 808 Illinois 59.
The “Where Potential Takes Flight” benefit will be emceed by Kaylin Risvold, president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Guests will hear about the work the foundation does to support district students and its upcoming projects, a news release said.
More than 400 business and education leaders, parents and community members are expected to attend. The event includes a breakfast program, networking, and student art and entertainment.
Individual reservations are $100 and sponsorships are available for $500 to $5,000, the release said.
For more information, go to www.nef203.org.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/naperville-ncc-play-thrashing-203-fundraiser/
Lindsey Vonn is left limping after a crash in her final downhill race before the Olympics
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn crashed in her final downhill race before the Winter Olympics on Friday and was airlifted from the course for medical checks, a troubling turn for the 41-year-old U.S. skiing star just a week before the Milan Cortina Games.
Vonn — the third skier to crash in the World Cup race in Crans-Montana — lost control when landing a jump and ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.
She got up after receiving medical attention for about five minutes, seemingly in pain and using her poles to steady herself. Vonn then skied slowly to the finish line, stopping a couple of times on the way down and clutching her left knee.
The race, which was held in difficult conditions with low visibility, was canceled after Vonn’s crash.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the crash would affect Vonn’s Olympic preparations. The American, who was expected to be one of the biggest stars of the games, limped into a tent for medical attention before being airlifted away by helicopter, dangling from a hoist cable with two people attending her.
The U.S. Ski Team said on social media that she was being evaluated.
Before she entered the tent, Vonn had an anxious expression on her face and her eyes were closed during a long embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was leading the race when it was canceled.
“I know she hurt her knee, I talked to her,” International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters in the finish area. “I don’t know if it’s really heavy and (if) she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”
Vonn made a stunning comeback last season at age 40 after nearly six years away from ski racing. Skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, she has been the circuit’s leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes in the five races.
Including super-G, Vonn had completed eight World Cup races this season and finished on the podium in seven of them. Her worst finish was fourth.
The crash occurred exactly a week before the Milan Cortina opening ceremony.
Vonn’s first Olympic race is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She also was planning to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.
Women’s skiing at the Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where Vonn holds the record with 12 World Cup wins.
Vonn also was planning on racing a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday in what would have been her final race before the Olympics.
Difficult race conditions
Vonn was the sixth racer in Friday’s downhill and had registered the fastest time at the first checkpoint before landing a jump off balance. She lifted her left arm and pole high into the air in an attempt to regain her balance. As she tried to brake, she got spun around and ended up in the nets.
Two other skiers had crashed before her: Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway.
Ortlieb crashed on top in the same area as Vonn, and Monsen hit the nets just before the finish area and had to be taken away in a sled. The race was delayed after both of those crashes. But then two racers — Wiles and Corinne Suter, the Olympic champion — completed their runs.
Wiles barely could make the tight final left-hand turn that had tricked Monsen.
Romane Miradoli of France, who did complete her run as the second to start, said visibility was an issue with snow falling.
“You can’t see,” Miradoli said, “and it’s bumpy everywhere.”
Asked if it was dangerous, Miradoli added, “We just couldn’t see well.”
Vonn has had numerous crashes in her career. One of her worst was at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, during a super-G that also was held in difficult conditions. She had to be airlifted off the course and tore apart her right knee. She returned the following season, got hurt again and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Crans-Montana tributes
The race started Friday in a subdued mood in Crans-Montana, which is coping with the trauma of a devastating fire in a bar in the early hours of New Year’s Day that killed 40 people and injured more than 100. A minute’s silence was observed before racing.
The finish area was stripped of color and the usual sponsor advertisements. Instead it was dressed with white and black banners featuring a ribbon with the words “Our thoughts are with you” written in French, German, Italian and English.
AP’s Andrew Dampf contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/30/lindsey-vonn-crash-olympics/
Iran Ready To Resume Nuclear Talks With US, Prepared For ‘War Or Diplomacy’
Iran Ready To Resume Nuclear Talks With US, Prepared For ‘War Or Diplomacy’
At the Thursday night world premier for “Melania,” President Trump told reporters on the red carpet in response to an Iran question: “We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now. And it would be great if we didn’t have to use them. I told them two things; Number one no nuclear. And number two stop killing protesters. … They’re going to have to do something.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has on Friday while in Turkey said that his country is ready to engage in negotiations on the nuclear front, as long as they are fair and good-faith. “The United States has repeatedly requested negotiations with us through various intermediaries and continues to renew these requests. We have no problem with engaging in negotiations,” he said.
He then emphasized, “However, negotiations cannot begin with threats. They must set aside their threats.” He noted too that the “US has never been loyal… it hasn’t shown good intentions, but despite this, Iran remains ready for all diplomatic processes.”
This is no doubt a reference to the US unilaterally pulling out of the first JCPOA nuclear deal in 2018; and much more recently the US-Iran dialogue that took place right up to the eve of Washington secretly greenlighting the June Israeli attack on Tehran. Iran thought it was holding good faith talks, but was duped.
A main serious obstacle which stands in the way of potential fresh negotiations is that President Trump has also been talking about Iran reducing or getting rid of its ballistic missile arsenal.
According to the latest on Iran’s expressed position:
Araghchi said he discussed with Fidan the possible venue and agenda for talks with the Trump administration. “I hope we can soon reach a clear framework that can guarantee dignified negotiations,” Araghchi said.
“We need to see the conditions and the agenda first,” Araghchi said, adding that any negotiations need to be “fair and equitable.”
He stressed that Iran will not negotiate over its ballistic missile program and said Iran is ready for both scenarios — war or diplomacy.
Currently, Trump officials are reportedly insisting that Iran be stripped of any missile range capable of striking Israel. Israel, meanwhile, would retain its full missile arsenal – including the undeclared nuclear weapons that everyone in the world knows about – capable of hitting Iran. According to CNN:
The biggest sticking point, sources said, has been the US demand that Iran agree to put limits on the range of its ballistic missiles — an acute concern for Israel, which expended much of its missile interceptor stockpile shooting down Iranian ballistic missiles during last June’s 12-day war. Iran has balked at that and told the US it would only discuss its nuclear program. The US has not replied, leaving both sides at a dead end, the sources said.
Which leaves the so-called “sticking point” glaringly obvious: Washington is demanding that Tehran agree to unilateral disarmament, rendering itself defenseless against Israeli air and missile strikes. In other words, total capitulation – or else.
How dare Iran place their country so close to our military bases https://t.co/I3UBrcToqW
— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) January 29, 2026
And about that supposedly “obliterated” Iranian nuclear program?
It’s not clear why Trump has since shifted his focus back to Iran’s nuclear program, which he said last summer had been “obliterated” by US strikes. But Iran has been trying to rebuild its nuclear sites even deeper underground, according to a person familiar with recent US intelligence on the issue, and has long resisted US pressure to halt its uranium enrichment. The regime has also barred the UN’s nuclear watchdog from inspecting its nuclear sites.
Like with Venezuela before – or even hearkening all the way back to Bush’s Iraq invasion – the justifications for war will keep on shifting, until something sticks in a thinly veiled effort to manufacture consent.
On these negotiation demands, offers, and counter-offers – we’ve all seen this movie before. It’s been a rinse and repeat kind of thing, and Iranian leaders know this better than anyone.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/30/2026 – 10:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-ready-resume-nuclear-talks-us-prepared-war-or-diplomacy
Maple Sugaring Days set at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County will hold its Maple Sugaring Days celebration from noon to 3 p.m. March 7 and 8 at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles.
Participants can watch Forest Preserve District naturalists demonstrate how to tap a maple tree, then try drilling and setting their own tap, according to a press release. They can then see sap simmer over an open fire, as it thickens to syrup, and learn about the history of maple sugaring.
A variety of treats, including maple doughnuts, maple-drizzled frozen custard and hot beverages will be available during the event, organizers said.
Riverlands Brewing Company will return to the fest with an exclusive brown ale, Maple River, brewed in collaboration with the Kane Forest Preserve Foundation. The craft brew features locally-sourced maple syrup from Driftless Gold, located just across the Wisconsin border, officials said.
The beer honors the centuries-old tradition of maple sugaring, and will be available for purchase inside the tent at Maple Sugaring Days, the release. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer will benefit nature education and other initiatives supported by the Kane Forest Preserve Foundation.
Within the heated tent, visitors can also enjoy live acoustic music by local musician Jamey Darnold.
No registration is required for Maple Sugaring Days and admission is free. LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve is at 37W700 Dean St. in St. Charles.
For more information on Maple Sugaring Days, call 630-444-3190, go to www.kaneforest.com or find the Forest Preserve District of Kane County on social media by searching @forestpreserve.
Comptroller candidate forum set for Feb. 11
The four candidates running in the Democratic primary for state comptroller will take part in a public forum in Naperville on Wednesday, Feb. 11, being held by Indivisible Naperville.
Candidates state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, of Oswego; state Sen. Karina Villa, of West Chicago; state Rep. Margaret Croke, of Chicago; and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim will also meet with voters at the event being held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Drive.
The comptroller is the state’s top fiscal officer. Incumbent Comptroller Susana Mendoza is not seeking reelection in the March 17 primary.
Event co-sponsors are Indivisible Illinois, Indivisible DuPage, Indivisible Evanston, Indivisible West Suburban Chicago, Indivisible Wheaton, Indivisible NWSOFA, Fox Valley Rising and We Can Lead Change Fox Valley, organizers said.
Candidates will make an opening statement and take turns answering questions on such topics as the Illinois budget, the state’s bonded indebtedness and rainy day fund, bill prioritization and the impact of the Trump program cuts on state payments.
Candidates will have a chance to speak directly with guests and pass out campaign literature.
In addition to being held live, it will be live-streamed on Indivisible Illinois’ YouTube channel.
Blood drive scheduled in St. Charles
State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, along with the Versiti Blood Center of Illinois, will host a blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, at the St. Charles Park District Pottawatomie Community Center at 8 North Ave. in St. Charles.
Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins will be accepted, according to a press release about the blood drive. For appointments, go to the Versiti Blood Center website and locate Ugaste’s blood drive.
Ugaste serves Illinois House District 65, which includes parts of Kane and DuPage counties. For more information, contact Ugaste’s office at 630-797-5530 or go to repugaste.com.
Antique apple trees in the spotlight
Participants can learn how to grow antique apple trees during an event on Sunday, March 1, at Garfield Farm Museum, located approximately five miles west of Geneva off Route 38 on Garfield Road..
The seminar, which will begin at 1:30 p.m., costs $40. Those attending will learn traditional apple grafting techniques and take home three grafts of heirloom varieties to plant in the spring, organizers said.
Reservations are required for the event and can be made by calling 630-584-8485 or e-mailing info@garfieldfarm.org.
Senior Services in Aurora to offer free tax help
AARP will host free income tax preparation services at Senior Services Associates at 2111 Plum St. in Aurora.
Appointments will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Tuesday from Feb. 10 to April 7, according to a press release.
Seniors can drop by the Aurora center to pick up a tax information packet and schedule an appointment during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, call 630-897-4035.
