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 attend.gailborden.info/event/12272945.
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 bit.ly/40aMMEy. 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 elginIL.gov/mayorawards 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.
