Latest news with #Oswego
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Illinois woman with flying saucer tattooed on her forehead commits unhinged crime
An Illinois woman with a flying saucer tattooed on her forehead was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for murdering her girlfriend. Alexia Telles, 28, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder last week in connection to the tragic death of Annissa Ellen-Williams, 25, the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office announced Monday. Telles, who has several other face tattoos, was charged in connection with the February 2023 slaying after Ellen-Williams died of a traumatic head injury at a home in Oswego - about an hour outside of Chicago. Life-saving attempts were made on Ellen-Williams, but she died at the scene, according to prosecutors. After her death, authorities discovered the couple, who appeared to be in a long-term relationship, had gotten into some sort of disagreement while Ellen-Williams was driving just before they arrived at the home. Forensic and digital evidence, along with statements made to police, soon revealed Telles 'intentionally killed' her partner and made it look like Ellen-Williams had committed suicide, investigators concluded. Investigators did not specify what sparked the argument and how the killing was carried out. 'These cases can be difficult to prosecute because only two people know exactly what occurred that fateful night,' Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis said. 'However, the investigative work done by law enforcement and the Coroner's Office led to the successful prosecution of Telles for the murder of Ms. Ellen-Williams.' Telles, who has remained in custody since her arrest, was ordered to serve her entire 30-year prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, prosecutors said. 'This sentence ensures that justice is served, and the victim's family does not have to endure the pain of a trial,' Weis stated. 'Telles has accepted responsibility for the heartless act she committed against someone she professed to care so much for.' Daily Mail contacted Weis and Telles' attorneys, Josh Adams and Alana De Leon, for comment. The couple appeared to be in a relationship for years, as their first ever post on Telles' Facebook was from 2016. In a post from 2019, Telles wrote: 'Love you fo [sic] ever,' alongside an image of her and Ellen-Williams. This story comes months after a 22-year-old woman was found naked and discarded in the grass after getting into a domestic dispute with her abusive boyfriend. Nahomi Citttadini, of Miami Beach, Florida was found abandoned on the side of the highway in early December. Lorent Pion, a 29-year-old convicted felon, was charged with his girlfriend's murder murder, despite initially telling officers that she had been struck by another car during an argument, CBS News reported. Disturbing video footage from August captured Pion violently beating Cittadini along a street in Miami Beach, relentlessly chasing after her before grabbing her hair and aggressively throwing her to the ground.
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego's Kamrin Jenkins soaks up playing on Chicago White Sox's field in Double Duty Classic. ‘Such an experience.'
When Oswego's Kamrin Jenkins walked onto Rate Field, visions he's had in his head came to life. Invited by the Chicago White Sox to participate on July 2 in the Double Duty Classic, in honor of the legendary Ted 'Double Duty' Radcliffe, Jenkins played for the East All-Star team. As he emerged from the dugout in his Negro League-inspired uniform, there it was. 'Someday,' Jenkins said, 'I want to play here.' With his pedigree, Jenkins may very well get that chance. Committed to Missouri since last October, he's ranked No. 4 in the 2026 class for Illinois, according to Prep Baseball Report. The 6-foot, 183-pound shortstop has elite speed on the bases or at the plate and plays slick defense, all traits that portend to a breakout spring next season as a senior. 'You watch him play, he has all the tools,' Oswego coach Joe Giarrante said of Jenkins. 'He makes throws up the middle look easy. His name is prevalent, so teams will do all they can to not give him pitches to hit. He gets on base and he's always a threat to take second and third.' Jenkins, however, wasn't always able to let it rip like he wanted to last season for the Panthers. An injury limited him to duties as the designated hitter for much of the spring, a factor that Giarrante feels works against a five-tool player like Jenkins. Plus, with his SEC commitment in hand, opponents didn't want to pitch to Jenkins, leading to an increase in walks. 'He may not have the stats to prove it, but over time, when he gets to where he wants to get as a baseball player, this can only help him,' Giarrante said. 'This past spring with him not starting in the field, he's one of those guys that constantly has to be in the game. 'His bat will definitely improve when he's playing the field.' This summer, Jenkins is relishing his time with Top Tier West. In a lineup loaded with talent, teams have no choice but to put pitches across the plate. And he has been ready to pounce. 'I feel like more people try to attack me because I'm going to Missouri and I play in front of a lot of scouts,' Jenkins said. 'They want to see if they can really play at that level. 'I love it because I get to hit some pitches and get everyone's best stuff.' Many scouts were on hand at the Double Duty Classic, an annual event designed to promote baseball in inner cities and honor the history of Negro League baseball. Dozens of college and professional scouts watched two all-star teams made up of rising seniors. Troy Williams, who runs the White Sox's ACE program and community baseball initiatives, pointed out that the goal of the game is multifold. 'You want to pay homage to the East-West game that was once played at Comiskey Park,' Williams said. 'That's why we wear the uniforms we wear. We're trying to recreate the history of that game and give the kids a history lesson. 'We invite as many college and pro scouts as we can. They get a chance to get on a stage where they can be recruited. That's the main goal.' The significance of the game and its history wasn't lost on Jenkins. 'It's different for sure, looking around and seeing people that look like you,' Jenkins said. 'You're used to playing with all types of people. Having your own brotherhood makes it special. 'There's so much talent out there that's not recognized.' Jenkins is already well-recognized. And once he started taking ground balls, he felt right at home. 'The field is big, but it's almost the size of a regular field,' Jenkins said. 'It was different seeing the bleachers and all of the sponsors. It was such an experience to play on a big-league field.' In the future, maybe days like this will become the norm for Jenkins. 'I'm just trying to put my name out there, keep doing what I'm doing,' Jenkins said. 'Hopefully, in next year's draft, I'm in there.'
Chicago Tribune
30-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego trustees look at criteria for downtown grant program
Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole recently discussed the eligibility criteria for the Economic Development Incentive Award grant program in the village. The program has undergone revisions from involving facade improvement grants to include various other upgrades over the years. The grant program was last updated in 2018 to permit additional types of improvements. So far this year, $100,000 in grants have been awarded. 'The overall intent is to enhance downtown real estate,' Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees. The program essentially awards grants to businesses as an incentive for exterior improvements to enhance the village's downtown but also permits some interior renovation projects. Eligible applicants can qualify for up to a $40,000 match-based award for a new or existing business within Oswego's downtown TIF district, village officials said. Based on the eligibility and program criteria, applicants must 'contribute to and enhance Oswego's dynamic downtown' by identifying 'real property improvements that are permanently affixed to the property,' Leighty said. There's a list of downtown preferred uses, such as eating and drinking establishments, specialty food establishments, general retail and commercial services, he said. There's another list of preferred projects that include exterior improvements to buildings that would enhance Oswego's downtown appearance as well as basic functional improvements. The Village Board earlier this year began to discuss the eligibility and criteria for the program before authorizing a second round of grants. Functional-related building improvement grants were awarded but the village began to receive requests for maintenance-related projects such as improving parking lots and painting a building, village officials said. 'There was some misunderstanding from applicants as to why those types of improvements were not allowed,' Leighty said. Staff initially presented the current eligibility criteria to the village's Economic Development Commission to provide some feedback to the Village Board as to whether parking lots and painting projects should be included for funding through the grant program. The commission 'understood the most important part of the program is to enhance the quality of real estate, but some consideration should be given to general beautification including some maintenance items,' Leighty told trustees. While the group did advocate for parking lot and painting projects to be included in the grant program, commissioners suggested the village consider placing a cap on that component, he said. The commission further suggested the village provide a list of examples for eligible and ineligible expenses to ensure that prospective applicants in the future have an understanding of how much funding they may qualify for. Commission members were not advocates for roof replacements which currently is a permissible expense under the program, Leighty said. Staff was looking for direction as to whether the Village Board would be supportive of having a list of partially eligible projects – mainly landscaping, masonry work, exterior painting, parking lot improvements and window/door repair or replacements. Staff has suggested a $5,000 cap on partially eligible projects. Trustees said they thought masonry, exterior painting and window/door repair or replacements should be moved under the eligible list of projects, while roof repairs would be listed under a partially eligible list. 'Those things were allowed under the original facade grant program. It makes sense to put those back in there,' Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said. 'When this first started, it was more about old Main Street and how the village could help keep the older buildings looking good and last for a long time,' Di Santo said. As for need, the village does require a detailed project budget and quotes from contractors plus a detailed project timeline, Leighty said. 'We don't allow them to start the work until they have received grant approval. There is some component of need,' Leighty said. Businesses also have to submit paid invoices before the village remits payment, he said. Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange noted there weren't a whole lot of applications when the program focused on building facade improvements. 'Even when we opened the program beyond building facades in 2018, we still had years where no one applied,' Di Santo said. Di Santo praised staff for 'selling the program to prospective business owners and existing business owners.' 'It's a more recent thing that people are applying,' Di Santo said.
Chicago Tribune
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Death of Jim Teckenbrock leaves a big hole in Fox Valley sports scene
It may have started as a part-time job, but broadcasting high school sports helped Jim Teckenbrock have a big-time impact on the Fox Valley. Many of us were saddened to learn the WSPY 107.1-FM Sports Director had died on Wednesday, June 25, of pneumonia, following recent battles with several health issues. Teckenbrock, 76, will definitely be missed, leaving a legacy of local sports coverage that's seldom matched these days. 'I've never seen anybody more dedicated than him or who cares more about Fox Valley sports,' retired Plano athletic director Jim Schmidt said. I couldn't agree more. Sharing space in a press box or at a game's press table many times over the past 25 years helped me get to know 'Teck,' as he's known by so many of us. They included his final three broadcasts the second week of June, covering the Oswego girls softball team's run to a state championship in Peoria. 'He always said he's got the best job in the world doing the games on radio, which was good since he also had a face for radio,' Schmidt added with a chuckle. Teckenbrock's focus may have been the three communities – Sandwich, Plano and Yorkville – represented by three of the station's call letters, but his reach extended well beyond their Route 34 corridor to include Oswego, Aurora, the Tri-Cities and surrounding small communities that comprise the bulk of the Little Ten Conference. When Schmidt expanded the field of his school's Plano Christmas Classic boys basketball tournament from 16 teams to 24 teams in 2012, I dubbed Teckenbrock an 'ironman.' He traditionally broadcasts every game in the tourney that involves a team from his station's coverage area. That year, he did 32 games in five days and kept it up until a few years later, when the field was pared back to 16, which still makes for a busy week. 'He looked at me that year and said, 'Jim, what are we doing?'' Schmidt said. 'But you know what, I believe he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.' The Classic has long been looked after by Schmidt, Teckenbrock and local businessman Greg Gould, who oversees the Reapers' website, stats and many other tasks. 'Greg and Teck always would work hand in hand,' said Schmidt, who made sure the broadcaster was taken care of with plenty of hot tea, honey, lemon juice or whatever his vocal chords needed. 'That tournament will never be the same.' A 1966 Plano High School grad who served in the Navy, graduated from Waubonsee Community College and Northern Illinois University and coached at Waubonsee, Teckenbrock got a taste of broadcasting initially working with Aurora legend Neal Ormond briefly in the 1980s. Teckenbrock was always active in his community and worked for the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce and directed the Sandwich Economic Development Corporation. He went from part-time at WSPY in 1996 to full-time four years later. '(His passing) is terrible news,' Yorkville Athletic Director Luke Engelhardt said. 'The legacy he leaves is impressive.' Engelhardt, a Yorkville High School alum, played basketball for the Foxes and was a sophomore on the 2002 team that reached the supersectional at NIU. Teck would bring up details of that or other games, years later. 'You always wanted to be in the game he was covering,' Engelhardt said. 'He could remember an awful lot. And it wasn't just with me, he could do that with hundreds of other people, he was so invested.. 'Two years ago when our girls softball team went to state and had a 13-inning semifinal game in that hot weather, rallying from two runs down in the 13th to win I remember looking over at him and seeing tears in his eyes he was so happy to see them win,' he said. Engelhardt said Yorkville High School even has a sign in a section of the football press box that says 'Teck's Box' placed there by his predecessor. 'I haven't touched it,' Engelhardt said. 'He will always have a spot there.' Brad Kunz, current Minooka assistant football coach who led Plano for six seasons, said 'it felt important' when Teckenbrock was on the call for his team's games. 'He had one of those voices, it was a radio voice,' Kunz said. 'He really fit the mold. But the biggest thing for me was how deep he'd dive into the stories behind the athletes, getting to know their backstories. 'That and just his knowledge of the community,' he said. 'I'd bounce ideas off him. I felt like he had the pulse of the community.' Visitation for Teckebrock will be Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 2465 W. Sandwich Road, Sandwich. It will continue from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, June 30, at the church, followed by the funeral.
Chicago Tribune
21-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego may relocate dog park
Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole Tuesday evening will discuss the feasibility of relocating the dog park in the village due to declining use and revenue. Trustees in 2021 expressed support for the creation of a dog park in the village as a way for families to have a 'spot for recreation' with their pets. Concept plans were prepared for construction of a dog park at the northeast corner of Plank Drive and Theodore Drive on 1.5 acres near the Public Works facility on the village's southeast side. It cost the village $110,000 to build the Happy Tails Dog Park, which included fencing, a fountain, shade sail and sidewalks, village officials said. The dog park opened in 2023 and was initially well-received, officials said. However, an analysis shows there is declining use of the facility, according to officials. 'Since that time, participation has gradually declined,' Oswego Management Analyst Alejandro Hardaway said in a report to trustees. The village eliminated the annual dog park fee at the start of the current fiscal year due to its anticipated closure because of the eventual expansion of the village's nearby Public Works facility, he said. 'There are currently 133 active card holders, a decline in the peak total number of unique users since the dog park's inception of 451,' he said. Revenues from the park dropped from $11,238 in 2023 to $7,194 in 2024, officials said. Operational expenses are minimal, totaling about $3,200 per year in Public Works staff time and materials, according to officials. Additional facility maintenance costs are between $500 to $700 annually. The 2025 Oswego Community Survey shows only 5% of respondents report visiting the dog park, with 95% of respondents saying they do not use the site, Hardaway said in a report to trustees. 'These findings reflect that while the dog park is recognized by a majority of the community, actual utilization remains low,' Hardaway said. Village staff has suggested relocating the dog park if trustees are interested in keeping it open. Possible sites include an area near Venue 1012, a 2-acre park east of the Oswego Police Department and a 4-acre area at the Hunt Club water tower property. The Oswegoland Park District was approached about taking ownership of the village's roughly $18,225 in equipment to open its own dog park, but the offer was declined, village officials said.
