School District U-46 honors top graduates in class of 2025
The District U-46 School Board honored the academic accomplishments of the top 47 graduating seniors from the district’s five high schools in a program held May 12 at South Elgin High School.
Those recognized were:
Bartlett High School: Kaitlyn Jenison, Krish Patel, Jingyuan Wen, Whalan Eid, Ryan Chien, Benjamin Emro, Audrey Martin, Zara Yasoob and Jack Conner.
Elgin High School: Sebastian Siwiec, Jason Allen, Rishi Shah, Joshua Nato, Aaditya Sanghavi, Eric Nazario, Evangeline Comings, Brody Grosenbach, Liza Aygul and Jai Patel.
Larkin High School: Lucy Akemann, Lara Amaro, Erany Fahmy, Addison Kuttnauer, Jenna Mack, Lydia Soto, Caitlin Sweeney and Samantha Winer.
South Elgin High School: Carter Beucler, Anthony Cavallo, Anna Christopherson, Donald Doan, Ava Franch, Emmett Hanson, Mackenzie Klinger, Ethan Messer, Nishar Parekh, Ayush Patel, Dia Patel, Kamila Sangabriel and Kalia Verdino.
Streamwood High School: Sophia Lortie, Danielle Althea Sotto, Sophie Saflarski, Salman Amir, Ream Basraoui, Leonor Nevarez and Claire Dresser.
Elgin police launch new initiative to help autistic drivers
The Elgin Police Department, in partnership with The Autism Hero Project, is now participating in the nationwide Blue Envelope Program.
The program “is designed to support autistic drivers during traffic stops or other motor vehicle interactions, bridging communication gaps and ensuring safer, more respectful encounters with law enforcement,” according to a post on the police department’s Facebook page.
Blue Envelope kits are provided to drivers with autism and include the person’s driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance card, communication method (verbal, nonverbal, etc.) and support contact information, the post said. Instructions are printed on the envelope for both the driver and the officer and can be presented at the time of a stop or police event, helping to reduce anxiety, prevent misunderstandings and to build trust.
The kits are available at the front desk of the Elgin Police Department, 151 Douglas Ave. For more information, call 847-289-2700.
Library event puts spotlight on author Laura Ingalls Wilder
Debra Miller will portray author Laura Ingalls Wilder in a show called “All That I Have Told Is True” being presented at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave.
Miller is a professional actress with more than 30 years of experience performing for live audiences, on television and in film, library officials said.
For more information or to register for the program, go to scpld.org or call 630-584-0076.
The Elgin and Carpentersville police departments are taking part in the nationwide “Click It or Ticket” campaign enforcing seat belt usage through the Memorial Day holiday weekend. (Shutterstock)
Elgin, Carpentersville cops conducting seat belt enforcement
The Elgin and Carpentersville police departments are taking part in the nationwide “Click It or Ticket” campaign enforcing seat belt usage through the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The campaign will be conducted in the evening hours because Illinois crash data shows higher rates of traffic accident fatalities occur at night involving people not wearing seatbelts, a news release said.
“Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for everyone,” Carpentersville Police Chief Todd Shaver said in the release. “Buckling up is the simplest way to reduce injury or save a life in a crash.”
The “Click It or Ticket” campaign is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. For more information, go to ItsNotaGameIllinois.com.
