Latest news with #FeliciaLaBoy
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Historic suburban church damaged in overnight storms
ELGIN, Ill. — A round of powerful overnight storms left behind a trail of damage in the west and northwest suburbs. Some of the heaviest damage could be seen in northwest suburban Elgin, where fire officials say emergency calls started flooding in at around midnight Friday as the storm system moved in. For the most part, the damage was mostly contained to the east side of the suburb. One of the buildings damaged was the historic First United Methodist Church in the 200 block of East Highland Avenue. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The intense winds ripped the roof off of the 100-year-old church, leaving a large section of the building exposed to the elements. Water ended up getting inside the church, but the extent of the damage is unclear. At the time the storm swept through, church officials said some people were sleeping in the basement but were not injured. The damage sparked some road closures in the area as the roof was thrown onto the nearby roadway. Currently, a portion of Center Street is closed, though it is unclear how long the closure will last. First United Methodist is 180 years old and has occupied the building for the last 100 years. Its previous church was damaged by a tornado in the spring of 1920. 'A good majority of my church is here. So that gives me hope and confidence. So I believe that we are just so very grateful for our team here at the church and so, you know, this is shocking, to say the least, but I give God thanks and praise that, you know, that this building, that we're still here,' Pastor Felicia LaBoy said. Public works crews began cleaning up the damage early Saturday morning and made good progress by 7 a.m. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland In addition to the church damage, the storms also brought down several power lines in Elgin, including some that fell on railroad tracks. Fire crews said they received at least 30 calls about fallen power lines. Friday started off unseasonably warm and conditions stayed comfortable throughout the day before severe weather threats ramped up around 11 p.m., sparking several watches and warnings in the area, including several Tornado warnings. For the most part, the storms brought damaging winds and some hail, with some areas seeing gusts as strong as 68 mph. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
30-01-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: Library event to focus on Black women's activism post-Civil War; Elgin funeral home collecting Valentine's cards for vets
Library event to focus on Black women post-Civil War Elgin pastor, scholar and author Felicia LaBoy will speak about significant Black women during the reconstruction after the Civil War and beyond at a program to be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the Gail Borden Public Library in downtown Elgin. LaBoy, lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Elgin, will discuss the history of Black women and their activism starting with the years after the Civil War through today, according to the library's website. The program will focus on women who worked to change their circumstances and better their communities. To register, go to Elgin funeral home collecting Valentine's cards for vets Symonds-Madison Funeral Home in Elgin is collecting signed Valentine's Day cards, both homemade and store-bought, to give to veterans in the Elgin area. Cards can be dropped off during business hours or left in the mail slot after hours at the funeral home, 305 Park St. The deadline Thursday, Feb. 6 Volunteers also being sought to deliver the cards the week of Monday, Feb. 10. To sign up, go to For more information, call 847-741-1128. Nominations sought for Elgin historic preservation awards Nominations for Elgin's 2025 Mayor's Awards for Historic Preservation are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. In addition to honoring Elgin citizens for preserving the city's heritage, the annual awards put a focus on Elgin's architecture, neighborhoods and history, according to a news release. They also advance the Elgin Heritage Commission's goal of revitalizing city neighborhoods and the downtown district. The awards are given to people, groups and organizations that lead a preservation project, save one or more historical properties, educate and promote awareness of Elgin's heritage, conduct creative historic projects relating to archival or object collections, or maintain a cultural or historical organization for 50 years or more. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at The Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. For more information or to obtain a nomination form, go to or call Christen Sundquist at 847-931-6004. Countywide New Year's Eve anti-DUI effort nets six arrests A New Year's Eve no-refusal operation involving the Kane County State's Attorney's Office and 13 law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of six allegedly intoxicated drivers. Agencies participating included Aurora, Batavia, Carpentersville, East Dundee, Elburn, Elgin, Geneva, Montgomery, Pingree Grove, St. Charles and West Dundee as well as Illinois State Police Troop 3 and the Kane County Sheriff's Office, according to a news release. The operation took place from 11 p.m. Dec. 31 to 3 a.m. Jan. 1. Drivers suspected to be intoxicated were arrested, taken to their local police station and asked to submit to a Breathalyzer or other chemical testing, the release said. If they refused, an assistant state's attorney would obtain a court order making them comply.
