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Chicago Tribune
01-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Man who fell asleep in stranger's house in Elgin shot by homeowner
An Elgin resident who confronted and shot a man he found sleeping in his home Sunday will not be charged in the incident, Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said. Neither will the victim, who apparently had been attending and then left some sort of gathering in the 100 block of Commonwealth Avenue only to return to the wrong house, where he let himself in and fell asleep, Mosser said. The shooting occurred after the resident, 79, got into a verbal and physical fight with the 29-year-old man, resulting in the resident firing his gun, according to an Elgin Police Department news release posted on Facebook. The man was taken to an area hospital but the extent of his injury has not been disclosed. 'When looking at charging an individual, we need to also review whether there are any defenses present,' Mosser said. 'In this case, based on all of the facts presented, the homeowner had a reasonable belief that he needed to defend himself.' While 'the facts showed that (the 29-year-old man) went into the home mistakenly while intoxicated and fell asleep,' the resident chose not to file charges, she said. The incident was a confusing one because police initially posted a Facebook message Sunday morning to alert residents to a large police presence in the 100 block of South DuBois Avenue. That was later updated to the 100 block of South Commonwealth Avenue about two blocks away, near Abbott Park. However, the shooting occurred sometime before 9 a.m. in the 800 block of Carr Street, which is more than three blocks away. While initially saying Sunday that the incidents were related, the connection was not made clear until details of the shooting were disclosed nearly three days later. The police department's SWAT team had been called in, but no information on why they were needed or why police were called about the gathering have been released. When more details were requested by The Courier-News, the newspaper was told to file a Freedom of Information Act request for the police report, which it has done. Mosser said the case is considered closed on her end because no charges will be filed.
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
East Dundee man killed after being hit by cars had BAC nearly 4 times over limit
An East Dundee man killed in February after being struck by three cars on Route 31 had a blood alcohol content nearly four times over the legal intoxication level, records show. Tom Yucuis, 69, longtime owner of Butcher On The Block meat shop in Lake in the HIlls, was walking in the roadway near Miller Road in Dundee Township about 6 a.m. Feb. 24 when he was hit, according to Kane County sheriff's office reports. 'In speaking with the detective assigned to the investigation, the deceased's toxicology report has come back at an ethanol level of 298,' Undersheriff Amy Johnson said in an email Monday. When converted to a blood alcohol content, that translates to 0.298, Johnson said. The legal BAC limit to drive in Illinois is 0.08 or less. Someone with a BAC level of 0.15 to 0.30 could experience confusion, vomiting and drowsiness, according to information on the Cleveland Clinic website. Anything that exceeds that amount could result in loss of consciousness and alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal, the site said. Toxicology tests are done routinely during autopsies, but it can take several weeks for results to be completed and returned. Johnson said no tickets or charges will be filed in the case, which is now considered closed. On the day he died, Yucuis was wearing dark clothing and walking in the southbound lanes of Route 31, the sheriff's office said. The drivers of three vehicles that struck him stopped to help and called 911, reports said. No other details as to what happened or why Yucuis might have been in the roadway have been released by the sheriff's office, which told The Courier-News that a Freedom of Information request would have to be submitted before they would consider providing more on the case. Yucuis was born in Chicago but grew up in Sleepy Hollow and graduated from Dundee Community High School in Carpentersville in 1973, his online obituary said. He had been a butcher/meat cutter by profession for 50 years, and he and his wife, Jill, owned their Lake in the Hills butcher shop for 25 years.
Chicago Tribune
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin council candidates weigh in on how the city should address the issue of homelessness
Elgin's ongoing problem with homeless residents came to a head this winter when three fires at an encampment along the Fox River exposed the dangers of having people living outside and using makeshift heating devices to keep warm. While the problem for many of the city's unhoused residents was resolved temporarily by moving those living in 'tent city' and other areas into a hotel until April, the bigger issue of how to deal with the situation long term remains. As we head toward the April 1 election, The Courier-News asked the eight candidates running for four, four-year terms on the Elgin City Council — incumbents Steven Thoren, Dustin Good and Corey D. Dixon and challengers Maggie Beyer, Cecilia Ivana Brooks, Diana Alfaro, Erik Bosque Peña and Mark W. Smith — what they think should be done. The question posed was: 'Come April, the homeless people housed at an Elgin hotel this winter will need to find new accommodations. How do you propose finding a permanent solution for this problem and preventing more encampments from being created by people who might not have any other options?' The candidates' answers are listed in alphabetical order and published as submitted. Only Thoren did not respond to our questionnaire. Diana Alfaro While meeting residents throughout our community, a consistent concern has emerged: addressing homelessness effectively. This concern was also highlighted in the Main Street America Transformation Strategy report as a key challenge for downtown Elgin. As the National Alliance to End Homelessness emphasizes, the most effective solution requires 'a community-wide coordinated approach to delivering services, housing, and programs.' I propose developing this comprehensive strategy by: 1. Creating a Coordinated Task Force bringing together social service organizations, mental health professionals, the Housing Authority of Elgin, city staff, residents, and business owners to develop solutions that are both compassionate and effective. 2. Implementing Rigorous Evaluation Measures to track outcomes and ensure our approaches are producing meaningful results. 3. Expanding Economic Opportunities by leveraging my professional economic development experience to create pathways to employment and financial stability. 4. Increasing Affordable Housing by incorporating affordable units into future developments and exploring creative housing solutions. This multi-faceted approach addresses both immediate needs and underlying causes of homelessness. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, implementing data-driven solutions, and connecting housing initiatives with economic opportunity, we can create lasting positive change that strengthens our entire community. Maggie Beyer Housing is often a prerequisite to effectively treating chronic homelessness. I am hopeful that their stay at Lexington will make them feel ready to change their lifestyle. I am confident that having access to a daily hot shower, a bed, and a place of their own will make them realize how much better off they are now, and they will have feelings of self-worth. I think while they are there we should talk to and offer them employment. I know mental health issues are being address by agencies. There is a program called Built for Zero Community Solutions that Rockford, IL, utilized in treating the veterans and the chronic homeless. They currently have functional zero homelessness. Another 140 cities in the USA also have had the same result with this program. Why reinvent the wheel? Use what has been proven successful. Erik Bosque Peña The comment regarding the homeless situation that stuck with me was the phone call that our neighboring city's mayor gave to ours admitting that they were sending the homeless to our city because of the services we provide already. I think that a solution to a more permanent accommodation could be had by asking the surrounding cities for their assistance in not only allocating a budget but for additional resources. This is an everyone problem across the country and not unique to Elgin. The empathy that Elgin has shown should resonate with our surrounding suburbs and make them want to come together to form a collective in the fight against homelessness. One city can't do it on its own, and we should embrace the motto 'it takes a village' to get things done. I am a realist, however, and understand that free will plays a major role in the decisions some of these folks make but all we can do is try and reach those who are ready to make a change. Cecilia Ivana Brooks To provide real, lasting solutions, we need to first understand that this is a multifaceted issue. Homelessness is one of the most talked about issues, but there are residents who are also facing a variety of different issues on a day-to-day basis. Our residents are also struggling with substance abuse, addiction, and mental health disorders. We, as a city, should proactively seek funding from various sources, including the local, federal, state, nonprofit/private resources to better equip our residents with the resources necessary to live healthy lives as contributing members of society. We need to support our homeless residents and ALL our residents by providing an array of job resources, education and information, and mental health crisis counseling, amongst other areas. Corey D. Dixon I've always said, how a community treats its most vulnerable is a reflection on what that community believes about its people. Based on successful approaches used in other municipalities and expert recommendations, my strategy is to create a comprehensive, compassionate, and sustainable plan that transitions individuals from temporary shelter into permanent housing while preventing further encampments. Here's how: Expand Affordable Housing Options: I propose partnering with local developers, non-profits, and government agencies to identify and convert underutilized properties into permanent supportive housing or transitional living facilities. This rapid expansion of affordable housing is essential to provide stable living conditions for those in need. Integrate Wraparound Support Services: It's not just about a roof over someone's head. We must offer holistic support -including mental health care, substance abuse treatment, job training, and other social services -to address the underlying issues that contribute to homelessness. This integrated model has proven effective in other cities and can help ensure that individuals not only secure housing but also achieve long-term stability. Proactive Outreach and Prevention: By establishing proactive outreach programs, we can engage at-risk individuals before encampments form. These programs would work with community organizations to identify those in need and connect them with housing resources and support services early on, thereby reducing the likelihood of people resorting to makeshift encampments. Secure Diverse Funding Sources: To ensure these initiatives are sustainable, I advocate leveraging federal, state, and private funding, along with exploring public–private partnerships. This diversified funding approach will help fill any budgetary gaps without resorting to measures that could harm city services or employees. Community-Centered and Compassionate Approach: I firmly believe in solutions that prioritize people over punitive measures. Criminalizing homelessness isn't a solution; instead, we must invest in programs that empower individuals, helping them reintegrate into the community and thrive. This multi-pronged approach not only addresses the immediate need for permanent housing as the Lexington hotel's temporary accommodations end, but also builds a foundation to prevent future encampments, as well as the present ones. It's about creating lasting, positive change for all residents of Elgin. Dustin Good Addressing homelessness in Elgin requires both immediate interventions and long-term systemic solutions, neither approach alone is sufficient. For immediate needs as temporary shelter options end, I support expanding partnerships with local organizations to create transitional housing options. During my first term, I advocated for utilizing available resources to fund these transitional solutions while more permanent housing is developed. Long-term, we need a comprehensive strategy that includes: 1. Supporting the development of housing that pairs units with on-site services addressing the root causes of homelessness, including mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and economic instability. 2. Strengthening our homeless prevention programs by expanding rental assistance and case management services to help vulnerable residents maintain housing stability before they experience homelessness. 3. Enhancing coordination between city departments, social service agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations to create seamless pathways from street to stable housing. 4. Reviewing our zoning and land use policies to remove barriers to developing the varied housing types needed. 5. Implementing evidence-based interventions such as Housing First models that have proven effective in communities nationwide. I recognize that preventing encampments requires both compassionate assistance and appropriate enforcement. By creating viable housing alternatives and connecting individuals with comprehensive services, we can address the underlying conditions that lead to homelessness while ensuring public spaces remain safe and accessible for all community members. Mark W. Smith Regarding the homeless issue, my plan is to adopt a long-term approach in partnership with social service agencies. Recognizing the complexity of homelessness, I propose implementing a no public camping ordinance in the city of Elgin to enhance public safety and community well-being. This ordinance will be complemented by the establishment of a dedicated brick-and-mortar location that provides short-term housing solutions. Moreover, this facility will host co-located services that focus on employment counseling, training, and placement to facilitate economic independence. Essential medical and mental health resources will also be integrated into this initiative, ensuring a holistic approach to support. Through these comprehensive measures, our goal is to transform the lives of our homeless population by providing the necessary tools and resources to transition from homelessness to stable housing, fostering a healthier, more inclusive community for all residents. (Go to to read the candidates' answers to several election questions posed by The Courier-News.)
Chicago Tribune
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: Elgin not at fault for cancellation of this year's Juneteenth event
Elgin not at fault for cancellation of this year's Juneteenth event I am writing to express my disappointment with the article published in The Courier-News on March 11 titled, ' Organizers cancel Elgin's Juneteenth event after date it wanted was given to Michelada Festival.' The headline, along with key omissions in the article, malign the city of Elgin's reputation by creating an unfair implication that the city is being uncooperative and is at fault for the Juneteenth event's cancellation. The article omitted crucial information the city conveyed to the reporter stating that for the past three years, the African American Coalition of Kane County had held its Juneteenth Festival in Festival Park on the weekend of or before June 19. This year, AACKC requested the weekend after Juneteenth. AACKC's request to change the weekend of its event now conflicts with the weekend on which the Michelada Festival was conducted last year and has been requested again for this summer by that event's organizers. The city offered AACKC alternatives, including the use of Festival Park on the weekend before Juneteenth or the Wing Park Band Shell area on their preferred weekend. AACKC declined these options. The article states that a peaceful protest is planned in response to the event's 'forced cancellation.' There was no forced cancellation — AACKC made the decision not to proceed with the alternatives offered by the city. The city told AACKC that going forward, it will refrain from scheduling special events at Festival Park or other alternative venues on the weekends immediately before or after June 19 until AACKC selects its preferred weekend for future Juneteenth celebrations. As a cosponsor of the Juneteenth Festival, the city remains committed to working with AACKC to ensure a successful 2026 event. I am hoping that future coverage of such matters reflects a more balanced perspective. Thank you for allowing me to clarify these details. Submit letters to the editor via email to suburbanletters@ Please include your name, address and town of residence for publication. We also need your phone number and email address for confirmation. Letters should be no more than 250 to 300 words.
Chicago Tribune
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: Vote yes on tax referendum to bolster Kane public safety; sheriff's wrong about why jail population's growing
Vote yes on tax referendum to bolster Kane public safety Over half a million people call Kane County home. We live here because we know that Kane is a safe, healthy and prosperous place to reside. We want to have a sense of safety and security in our daily lives. Public safety is a top priority, making life better for us and our families right here where we live, work, and play. Public safety in Kane County includes our sheriff, the courts and the offices of the state's attorney, coroner, circuit clerk, 911 and emergency management. It takes a lot of hard-working people to keep us and our children safe. Because of this, 71% of our expenditures from our general fund are for public safety. Kane County has been on a belt-tightening budget for many years. Since 2013, the county has sought almost no property tax levy increases, leaving the current levy far behind the cost-of-living increases. Some dips in general fund spending around 2020 were due to money provided for COVID relief, which covered a good portion of our general fund expenses, giving a false appearance of big jumps in spending over the last four years. But don't be fooled, Kane is lean and mean when it comes to saving the taxpayers money. Kane County has a referendum on the April 1 election ballot asking you, the voter, to approve a 0.75% sales tax for public safety. This means you would pay an additional 75 cents on a $100 purchase of tangible personal property bought at a retail store. This tax would not apply to daily necessities like food and prescription medicine. It would not apply to big ticket items like cars or trucks. This is not a property tax increase because we know our homeowners are already paying their fair share. Another benefit to this sales tax is both residents and nonresidents who shop, visit or work in Kane County are contributing to funding public safety. Kane needs to maintain public safety funding to ensure effective operation of our public safety offices. We need our specialty courts to continue providing mental health services and prevention initiatives. We need to protect our children from abuse and exploitation, including child pornography. My family and friends will be voting 'Yes' on this important referendum. If you would like more information about the sales tax referendum, please visit our website at or call me at 630-605-9244. Mavis Bates, Aurora Kane County Board Member, District 4 Sheriff's wrong about why jail population's growing In an article published in The Courier-News last week, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain claimed that the Pretrial Fairness Act is responsible for Kane County's rising jail population and more arrest warrants being issued. Hain's claims are misleading and ignore the key factors truly driving the increase: prosecutorial and judicial choice. The law was designed to eliminate wealth-based detention, ensuring that people are incarcerated pretrial only based on safety and risk of flight, not on how much money is in their bank account. If Kane County's jail population is rising, it's because prosecutors are aggressively seeking detention and judges are granting these requests at higher rates — not because of the Pretrial Fairness Act itself. As Loyola University Chicago's Center for Criminal Justice Research has found, the law has reduced unnecessary pretrial detention and lowered failure to appear rates across Illinois. Sheriff Hain fails to account for the broader systemic issues contributing to rearrest. If he's concerned with a 'revolving door' in the criminal legal system, the solution is not more incarceration, but in investing in programs that have been proven to address the root causes of crime and stabilize vulnerable people. Increased funding for mental health programs, substance use treatment, housing and job training would be far more effective at making communities safer. Blaming the Pretrial Fairness Act because more people are in Kane County jail is overly simplistic and just wrong. It ignores the fact that in many other counties, the number of people in jail has gone down. It also distracts from the systemic issues that have kept certain communities in bondage for generations. Rather than reverting to the old unjust pretrial system that did so much damage in our communities, policymakers should focus on evidence-based solutions that prevent crime and support our residents who deeply need our help. David Cannon, Aurora Medicaid cut will be devastating for society's most vulnerable In Washington, the new U.S. House budget framework directs the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion in spending. Details have not been released, but these reductions will result in deep cuts to Medicaid funding. This will have devastating consequences for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities — individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among those who will be hurt is my adult son David. Because of a pre-birth brain injury, he is illiterate, cannot understand significant choices and needs 24/7 supervision. David lives in a Medicaid-funded group home and receives Medicaid-funded day training, both in Elgin. The federal government pays 51% of his service costs, while Illinois pays 49%. Any level of cuts in federal Medicaid funding would strip away access to vital services people like David need to live full lives in the community. And it's not just David. In Illinois thousands of adults with disabilities are waiting for Medicaid services. And that's right now, before any cuts! 'The care of human life and happiness,' Thomas Jefferson said, 'is the first and only legitimate object of good government.' The goodness of a society is judged by how it cares for its most vulnerable people. That's why budgets are moral documents that either ensure justice for all or treat individuals with disrespect. You don't have to be a genius to know that it's just plain wrong to shred safety net programs in order to provide massive tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy corporations. Please tell your senators and representative to reject harmful cuts to Medicaid. Legislators will be in their home offices this week. Please call, send an email or pay a personal visit. David is not just a number. He is a real person whose well-being is at stake. Please help protect people like him from reduced access to critical supports, longer waitlists and higher rates of institutionalization. James B. Gould, Carpentersville
