Free Republic

An Illinois suburb decided against moving forward with a plan to have residents house migrants in their homes following a councilman’s viral proposal to put together a "sign-up" sheet. Naperville, an affluent suburb located roughly 30 miles west of Chicago, had considered having residents volunteer to bring migrants into their homes amid concerns that Chicago’s struggles to house migrants may spill over into the suburbs. On Thursday, city staff decided it was not necessary for Naperville residents to sign up as other state and federal agencies were making lists of shelters for migrants in need of housing, WLS-TV reported. Josh...

An Illinois hospital defied an emergency court order over the weekend, refusing to allow an unvaccinated outside physician to give the cheap drug ivermectin to a COVID-19 patient who was dying while being treated with expensive remdesivir, before finally relenting after being scolded by a judge. Some other hospitals have been ordered by courts to allow the drug to be used. The legal fight in the Illinois state court system comes as studies continue on the effectiveness of ivermectin in treating COVID-19. The costly drug remdesivir has been given emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for...

Nearly a half-century after a teenage girl was viciously stabbed to death in a Chicago suburb, genetic genealogy has led to an arrest. Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, was arrested Wednesday at his home in Minnesota for the 1972 murder of Julie Ann Hanson, 15, who died of multiple stab wounds in Naperville, Illinois, according to the Naperville Police Department. The police identified the suspect through his DNA left at the crime scene, using genetic genealogy. Since 2018, the technique has been used by police to identify more than 150 suspects in cold cases. The technique allows police to search family...

In Naperville, Illinois, the school board announced it would distribute $10 million back to taxpayers this year. Yes. A tax refund. In a news release, Superintendent Dan Bridges told residents that he "understands the great burden many of our families have faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic and hopes that this reimbursement lessens that burden." The typical family will receive a refund of $200 to $500. Good for Naperville. The 10-month pandemic shutdown generated a savings of roughly $20 million, or about 6.5% out of a $300 million school budget. The Naperville Sun reported that the district's expenses for everything from...

REPORT: Teen Girl Raped, Murdered After ‘Ignoring’ Catcall From Convict Released Early From Prison; Victim’s Christian Mom Releases Incredible Statement ... On Saturday morning, 19-year-old University of Illinois at Chicago honor student Ruth George was reportedly raped and murdered after she ignored advances from a paroled convict. Twenty-six-year-old Donald D. Thurman was formally charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault of George on Monday, CBS Chicago’s Charlie De Mar reported. ... Thurman was released from prison in December 2018 for armed robbery. He was sentenced to 6 years, but only served two and is currently on parole ... According...

Most people won’t know what Naf Naf means, but they keep coming back for the hummus and falafel. According to research firm Technomic’s ranking of the top 500 restaurant chains in the U.S., Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill is one of the country’s fastest-growing eateries, with sales that spiked 58% in 2017. In 2018 it grew to 36 units, all company-owned, with two more planned for 2019. Naf Naf actually means “fan the flame” in Hebrew and suggests encouraging friends and family to come together for a meal. But the chain has also had to overcome tragedy when cofounder Sahar...

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray says she is receiving warnings from lawmakers and unions that a “no” vote on his leadership bid will lead to retaliation.

So what are well-intentioned people of faith supposed to do? How does one respond to the incessant onslaught of negativity, criticism and legal action aimed at those who choose to make their religious convictions known in the public square? Perhaps a good place to start would be the example set by the young men of the Naperville Central High School football team in suburban Chicago. After representatives from The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a complaint against Coach Mike Stine’s voluntary practice of allowing players who want to to gather on the field and pray before games, senior player Daniel...

Police: CBS reporter charged with DUI, battery By Adam Sege Tribune reporter 1:53 a.m. CST, January 5, 2014 An investigative reporter for CBS 2 Chicago was charged with driving under the influence and endangering the lives of children after a minor accident outside a Naperville fast food restaurant early Saturday, police said. Dave Savini, whose age was not released, was arrested shortly after 1:30 a.m. Saturday after fleeing the scene of the accident, Naperville Police Department Cmdr. Jason Arres said. Police were alerted about 12:20 a.m. to an incident involving Savini and another driver in the parking lot of a...

Bail was denied this morning for a Naperville woman accused of stabbing to death her young son and a 5-year-old girl she had been watching in a townhome in a quiet cul de sac. Elzbieta M. Plackowska, 40, stabbed her son Justin 100 times and Olivia Dworakowski 50 times, prosecutors disclosed during the bond hearing.

NAPERVILLE (STNG) -- Scott Huber has spent the past eight years living in front of Naperville's Central Parking Facility. Throughout the years the city has received comments and inquiries from residents about Huber, some expressing concern for him, while others want him removed. But officials have said Huber is breaking no laws in the space he occupies, and they cannot forcibly remove him. Tuesday night, in a 7-1 vote just before midnight, the Naperville City Council directed staff to draft an ordinance that would prohibit Huber from staying at the protest site he established next to one of the city’s...

Chemical allegedly found in FBI-led search can cause muscle paralysis in humans ~~~~~ A Lake in the Hills man was charged Monday with possession of a powerful neurotoxin found in species of puffer fish and octopus after agents with the FBI-led counter-terrorism task force raided his home. Edward Bachner, 35, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of illegal possession of tetrodotoxin. He was arrested Monday and appeared briefly before U.S. Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney in Rockford and was being held pending a detention hearing Wednesday morning, authorities said. Tetrodotoxin is an extremely powerful neurotoxin that in...

Charges pit free speech against highway safety Attorney to work pro bono on pair's defense By Jennifer Golz Staff writer A Downers Grove man believes he is being prosecuted for his political views - and an area attorney has taken his case pro bono. Jeff Zurawski, 39, of Downers Grove and Sarah M. Hartfield, 45, of Naperville were initially charged with disorderly conduct for displaying a banner that read "Impeach Bush and Cheney - LIARS" on May 6 on the Great Western Trail above Interstate 355. But more charges were brought against the two war protesters last week in DuPage...

Five years ago, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson and Naperville native Jeri Kehn exchanged wedding vows inside a DuPage County church.For richer, for poorer.For better, for worse.In good times and bad.The Washington power couple were talking about their marriage, but the words also are apropos of the ambitious political journey upon which the Thompsons are about to embark.On Friday, Fred Thompson, 64, took the first official step toward a presidential bid by establishing a preliminary campaign committee. The Tennessee Republican and Hollywood actor is expected to formally enter the race as early as July.His late start will put him behind...

Proposed shelter for immigrant children opposed February 4, 2007 BY Nathaniel Hernandez Associated Press CHICAGO -- The children rarely leave the federal immigrant shelter, a former nursing home near the city's lakefront that houses undocumented children found alone in the U.S. Teachers and doctors are brought to them. And aside from occasional field trips or visits to a nearby park, the children spend almost all their time indoors -- although it may be months before they know whether they will be deported or allowed to stay. But plans to provide more room by converting a 2.5-acre estate near Naperville --...

NAPERVILLE—The Great Hall of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Naperville was filled Jan. 13 with posters propped up on easels likening an art exhibit. The silence, which typically permeates an art museum, filled the air in the room with approximately 5,600 square feet.Interested onlookers read about the 120 eucharistic miracles described on 160 panels of the Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World. The accounts ranged from well-known visions such as Our Lady of Guadalupe to lesser-known ones such as the eucharistic miracle that occurred in 1412 in Herentals, Belgium. A variety of miracles, including healings and...

August 2, 2005 — Naperville Police are investigating complaints about a golf outing sponsored by a strip club. Neighbors say there was nudity and inappropriate behavior on the course. Blackjack's strip club's ninth annual golf outing had been advertised on a legends of pornography Web site. Men paid $375 to attend. Naperville Police had no advance warning that the so-called gentleman's club was going to stage a not-so-gentlemanly event at a public golf course right in the middle of a neighborhood. But the I-Team had been tipped off to the event, and what we found has two police departments conducting...

Naperville, IL - Police on Wednesday were investigating a golf outing sponsored by a gentleman's club in this Chicago suburb that allegedly featured women strippers in bikinis giving male golfers lap dances. Residents who live along the Country Lakes Golf Club's course said they were surprised to see scantily clad women dancing and performing on the course. One resident called police to complain and videotaped some of the event from her back window. "It's not something you'd expect in a family-oriented town like Naperville," said Geoff Pacana, who lives near the 16th hole. "It's certainly not something you'd want any...

OUT OF RANGE Shooting Ranges have increasingly come under fire in recent years, prompting NRA to take action. If there were no paved roads, what would you do with your car? And if there were no places to shoot, how would you exercise your Second Amendment Rights? The right to keep and bear arms may have nothing to do with target shooting, hunting, or the shooting sports. But when a shooting range is shut down, shooters lose a place to learn safety, gun owners lose a place to practice, and in many cases, our firearm freedoms lose constituents, as one...