Latest news with #ElginFireDepartment
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Boat capsizes on Fox River near Elgin, 2 rescued
The Brief A boat overturned on the Fox River north of I-90 Sunday morning. Swift action from Elgin fire crews led to the safe rescue of two people. Fire officials credit life jackets for preventing injuries. CHICAGO - Two people were rescued after a boat capsized in the Fox River near Elgin on Sunday morning. What we know Emergency crews responded around 8:11 a.m. to a call for a water rescue in the Fox River just north of Interstate 90, according to a statement from the Elgin Fire Department. A rescue diver was deployed within two minutes of arriving on the scene, and a rescue boat stationed near the library was on the water heading north less than seven minutes after dispatch, the statement said. Two people wearing personal flotation devices were found clinging to the overturned boat. With help from others on the riverbank, the diver brought both individuals to shore within 10 minutes of entering the water. Neither person required hospital care, officials said. What they're saying Elgin Fire Chief Robert Cagann used the incident to highlight the importance of water safety. He urged anyone canoeing, kayaking or rafting to wear a personal flotation device, as these types of watercraft are prone to capsizing. He also reminded the public that children under 13 are required to wear a life jacket at all times while on the water. The Source Details of this story were provided by the Elgin Fire Department in a press release.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Karen Schepers: Remains in submerged car confirmed as Illinois woman missing since 1983
The Brief The Kane County Coroner's Office confirmed the remains found in a vehicle pulled from the Fox River belong to Karen Schepers. Schepers vanished in 1983 after leaving a Carpentersville bar. Authorities acknowledge a missed opportunity in 2022 when the vehicle was first detected but not investigated further. ELGIN, Ill. - More than 40 years after Karen Schepers vanished without a trace, authorities have confirmed that skeletal remains found in her submerged car in the Fox River belong to the missing woman. What we know The Kane County Coroner's Office officially notified police on Thursday that forensic odontologists matched the remains to Schepers using dental records provided by her family. Schepers, who was 23 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen leaving PM Bentley's bar in Carpentersville on April 16, 1983. Her yellow 1980 Toyota Celica, which also went missing, was recovered from the Fox River earlier this week by Chaos Divers, an independent search and rescue team assisting the Elgin Police Department's Cold Case Unit. The discovery marks a major break in the decades-old case, offering closure to Schepers' family while raising new questions about how her vehicle ended up in the river. Authorities also revealed that Schepers' vehicle was unknowingly detected nearly three years ago. In 2022, a fisherman using sonar equipment near the Slade Avenue boat launch spotted an unusual object in the river and reported it to the Elgin Fire Department. A dive team investigated and located what appeared to be a small vehicle but mistakenly identified it as an all-terrain or utility-task vehicle. No further search was conducted. Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann acknowledged the mistake, stating, "Upon careful review, I concluded that more should have been done in 2022, including a comprehensive underwater examination of the vehicle." Since then, the fire department has updated its dive team leadership and protocols to prevent similar oversights. What's next While the positive identification provides long-awaited answers, many questions remain. Investigators are still determining how Schepers' car ended up in the river and whether foul play was involved. The Elgin Police Department continues to treat the case as an active investigation. The Source The information in this article was provided by the Kane County Coroner's Office, Elgin Police Department, and Elgin Fire Department. FOX 32's Kasey Chronis also reported on this story.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Kane coroner confirms remains found in car are those of missing Elgin woman Karen Schepers
The Kane County Coroner's Office announced Thursday night that the skeletal remains found inside a car removed this week from the Fox River belong to Karen Schepers, the 23-year-old Elgin woman who went missing in April 1983. Dental records provided by the family led to the positive confirmation by a forensic odontologist, according to Coroner Dr. Monica Silva, who issued a news release on the findings shortly after 8 p.m. Elgin police have said it was likely Schepers had been found but there would be no official confirmation until after the coroner's review using either dental records or DNA. Had the latter been necessary, the process could have taken several weeks. The mystery of what happened to Karen Schepers made it one of the oldest cold cases in the Elgin Police Department's files. It prompted two detectives to produce a podcast, 'Somebody Knows Something,' and to launch a search of the river, which is not believed to have been done at the time of her disappearance. And, in fact, the case could have been solved three years ago had an Elgin Fire Department diver not mistaken her car, found in the murky, brush-filled water, for an ATV when he went in to investigate. The search was done after a resident told the fire department that he'd seen something that looked like a car northwest of the Slade Avenue Park boat launch. The error was announced Thursday morning by the Elgin police and fire departments, with Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann acknowledging that a better inspection of the vehicle — which had landed on its roof — should have been done. The department's protocol and policies in regards to such searches have been improved since then, he said. Schepers was last seen on April 16, 1983, when she left a Carpentersville bar where she'd been having drinks with coworkers. She was believed to be headed home to her Elgin apartment when she and her 1980 yellow Toyota Celica vanished. The podcast looked at several possible scenarios, including that she could have accidentally driven into a body of water because it was dark, the temperatures below freezings and the roadways slick. Had she followed the common route home, she would been following a path that was very close to the river, which was abnormally high at the time due to recent storms. Schepers' family was notified Tuesday of the car's recovery and the discovery of human remains found inside. Her brother, Gary, expressed relief that they might finally have the closure they've sought for more than four decades. Schepers' father, a pilot, tried to do his own search using a chartered plane but ultimately died without know what had happened to his daughter. The two cold case detective and Chaos Divers, a nonprofit organization that searches bodies of water for missing people, searched several areas long the river using specialized sonar equipment. Police have not offered any thoughts as to how the car ended up where it did and if they believe it could have been moved by the current in the last 41 years.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Yellow Banana gets six more months to complete city-funded grocery project
Good afternoon, Chicago. Chicago-area residents might feel like it's been a really long winter after enduring stretches of below-normal temperatures in January and February and a couple snowfalls in March. But the lingering cold snaps actually contributed to a proper winter — unlike the record highs and bitter but brief Arctic blasts of recent years. 'You look at the numbers — whether it be for Chicago, for Illinois, for the Great Lakes — and it was sort of an unremarkable winter,' said Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist. 'But it felt like it was intense because we're getting these types of winters, as far as temperatures are concerned, so much less frequently.' Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The Elgin Fire Department found Karen Schepers' car in the Fox River three years ago, but believed it was an ATV and did not recover it, according to a statement released by city officials. Read more here. More top news stories: DOJ reviewing 'ComEd Four' bribery case, defense reveals in asking for sentencing delay Chicago Public Schools and teachers union close to contract deal after year of tough negotiations Nearly three years after the city first announced it would hand out $13.5 million in public dollars to grocery operator Yellow Banana, the company says it will soon drag the delay-beset grocery store rehab project across the finish line. Read more here. More top business stories: Europe lashes out over President Donald Trump auto tariffs and the economic threat to both continents FAA acknowledges it must do better after deadly DC air collision The White Sox open the season this afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field, but barring an eleventh-hour breakthrough, a million Chicago-area Comcast subscribers may not be able to see the game. Read more here. More top sports stories: Chicago Blackhawks takeaways: Landon Slaggert defends Connor Bedard – but Anders Sorensen doesn't defend him Column: Ashton Jeanty to the Chicago Bears? It's fun to imagine — even if it's only a possibility. The Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash Festival has announced its musical lineup for summer 2025. Headliners include Young Thug, Don Toliver, Yeat and Future, with Chance the Rapper also performing Sunday night. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Column: Clint Eastwood made a movie about soldier Ira Hayes, and the propaganda machine Lyric Opera receives $25 million, among its largest donations FBI Director Kash Patel was not part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans, but that didn't spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation's premier law enforcement agency would investigate. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Department of Health and Human Services will cut 10,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring plan US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visits Colombia to discuss immigration and crime
Chicago Tribune
27-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Yellow Banana gets six more months to complete city-funded grocery project
Good afternoon, Chicago. Chicago-area residents might feel like it's been a really long winter after enduring stretches of below-normal temperatures in January and February and a couple snowfalls in March. But the lingering cold snaps actually contributed to a proper winter — unlike the record highs and bitter but brief Arctic blasts of recent years. 'You look at the numbers — whether it be for Chicago, for Illinois, for the Great Lakes — and it was sort of an unremarkable winter,' said Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist. 'But it felt like it was intense because we're getting these types of winters, as far as temperatures are concerned, so much less frequently.' Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Elgin Fire Department found missing woman's car three years ago, but didn't recover it The Elgin Fire Department found Karen Schepers' car in the Fox River three years ago, but believed it was an ATV and did not recover it, according to a statement released by city officials. Read more here. Yellow Banana gets six more months to complete city-funded grocery project Nearly three years after the city first announced it would hand out $13.5 million in public dollars to grocery operator Yellow Banana, the company says it will soon drag the delay-beset grocery store rehab project across the finish line. Read more here. More top business stories: Europe lashes out over President Donald Trump auto tariffs and the economic threat to both continents FAA acknowledges it must do better after deadly DC air collision Chicago White Sox remain blacked out on Comcast for opening day The White Sox open the season this afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field, but barring an eleventh-hour breakthrough, a million Chicago-area Comcast subscribers may not be able to see the game. Read more here. Column: Ashton Jeanty to the Chicago Bears? It's fun to imagine — even if it's only a possibility. Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash 2025: Young Thug, Don Toliver, Yeat, Future and Chance The Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash Festival has announced its musical lineup for summer 2025. Headliners include Young Thug, Don Toliver, Yeat and Future, with Chance the Rapper also performing Sunday night. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: President Donald Trump says Signal chat isn't 'really an FBI thing.' The FBI has a long history of such inquiries FBI Director Kash Patel was not part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans, but that didn't spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation's premier law enforcement agency would investigate. Read more here.
