Friday, March 2, 2012
Police advise Sun City residents to take safety precautions.
A series of home burglaries in Sun City is prompting the Huntley Police Department to triple patrols and activate its newly formed surveillance team, authorities said. The burglaries, some classified as attempted burglaries, began in January 2011 and continued through the summer and winter, Deputy Chief Todd Fulton said. A total of 11 have been reported, he said. Three residential burglaries were reported in February alone — a significant increase compared to other months, police said. Most of the burglaries involved someone using a pry tool to enter the front door of homes or using a sliding door, police said. In each burglary, homes were ransacked but large items like television sets were left behind, police said. Jewelry and other items…
Local business, Boy Scout troop and Huntley High freshman launched separate food drives to benefit the pantry.
Gayle Serginia was thinking of a way to help the community where she works. The assistant manager of Huntley’s Goodwill store was drawn to the Grafton Food Pantry. “I am an advocate of food pantries because of these economic times,” she said. “I had to use (a food pantry) once at one point in my life. I had lost my job and I know what it means for the community.” So Serginia organized a food drive. Serginia asked local businesses to donate prizes for a raffle. Participating businesses are: Shampooch and Kitty, High Ground, UPS, Jimano's Pizzaria and Tommy Hilfiger, she said. The prizes include gift certificates for free services. Anyone who brings in five items or more to donate to Grafton Food Pantry, at 12191-B Smith Drive, gets a chance…
Food drive efforts planned in March come at good time, director said.
A Zumba party night is just one of the creative ways people support Grafton Food Pantry. The Zumba party, scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Huntley Park District, 12015 Mill St., is free, but organizers ask for donations to the food pantry or the American Cancer Society. It is one of four food drives going on this month. Huntley's Goodwill store is holding a drive, as is Huntley High School freshman Ryan Czarnecki. Local Boy Scout troops are holding another food drive Saturday. All these efforts come at “a particularly advantageous time, because around the holidays everyone is so wonderfully generous; (but) after the holidays all the level of giving drops dramatically,” Grafton Food Pantry Director Harriet Ford said. “However, the …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Insurance broker scammed local nonprofit, sources allege.
A Huntley nonprofit is a victim of an insurance broker charged with theft, fraud and deceptive practices, source said Wednesday. The nonprofit paid Russell Palermo, owner of Palermo Insurance Agency in Huntley, the premium on a policy, but officials later found out he did not buy the coverage, a source said. Palermo, 46, 11313 Douglas Ave., faces 29 charges ranging from theft to forgery to deceptive practices. Huntley police have an active warrant for the Huntley man. His whereabouts are unknown. He was charged following a six-month investigation that started after Huntley police received numerous complaints alleging fraud. The victims told police Palermo had been charging them insurance premiums even though no policy was in place, …
Library board hosting special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, March 5, to discuss idea.
Huntley Area Public Library is considering extending its district boundary and wants feedback on the idea, officials said. A special meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday, March 5, at the library, 11000 Ruth Road. The library would extend services to about 10 households south of Freeman Road, an area that does not fall within any library district, said Library Director Patrick McDonald. McDonald said the library board is looking for feedback from those directly affected by the extension as well as other library patrons. “We are hoping to hear what people think, positively or negatively, regarding whether we want service extended to the area,” he said. Some of the homes have Huntley addresses but a few have Gilberts addresses, he said. The…
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Jennifer Kearns touched many lives in her 19 years. The Huntley woman, who died last week, will be laid to rest Wednesday.
His name was Ben. I can’t remember his last name without digging through a yearbook packed away in some box somewhere. He died in a car accident the summer after graduation. This summer will be 25 years ago that he died. I didn’t know him well, but I remember him as a nice guy. I also remember what he looked like and how he was a friendly, popular, smart 18-year-old with a bright future. Jennifer Kearns’s former classmates will remember her too, years from now. The 19-year-old will be remembered as a friendly, kind girl with a bright smile. She will be remembered as forever young, even as they age and their memories blur. Death is never easy to understand but wrapping our minds around the death of someone so young is often …
Russell Palermo victimized members of community, collecting premiums for canceled policies, Huntley police said.
Russell "Russ" Palermo led an active, community-oriented life as a longtime Huntley resident. Palermo was on the village of Huntley’s planning commission as recently as last summer. He organized fundraisers. He was president of the Huntley Jaycees in the early 2000s. He was fairly well-known around town and occasionally stopped by the American Legion in downtown Huntley for a drink. The 45-year-old owned Palermo Insurance Agency and his business grew by word of mouth, with friends recommending friends to the agency. What no one knew is that Palermo was not the upstanding businessman he appeared to be, police said. Today, Palermo is a wanted man. Palermo is charged with 29 criminal counts ranging from theft to forgery to deceptive …
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Russell Palermo is accused of bilking victims of insurance premiums.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A Huntley man wanted on fraud charges remains at large, Huntley police said. Russell Palermo, 46, 11313 Douglas Ave., is wanted on warrants stemming from a six-month investigation into his business, Palermo Insurance Agency, 11187 Dundee Road, No. 105, Huntley. Palermo is charged with theft, a Class 3 felony; two counts of theft, a Class 2 felony; four counts of financial responsibility, a Class A Misdemeanor; 10 counts of financial responsibility, a Class 3 felony; forgery, a Class 3 felony, nine counts of issuance of insurance without a license, a Class A misdemeanor; deceptive practice, a Class 4 felony; and unlawful use of weapons, a Class A misdemeanor. Huntley police detectives worked with the Illinois Department of Insurance …
Popular program shows citizens how Huntley's police department works.
Arguably no other occupation has populated mass media as much as law enforcement. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among the first to use the backdrop successfully, introducing detective Sherlock Holmes to the world in 1887, after which the bequeathing quickly began. Today, there is no shortage of bestselling detective fiction or popular cop shows and movies, and if a writer’s imagination doesn’t catch your fancy, there’s always COPS. But given such saturation, how much does anyone really know about the rigors of law enforcement and the roles of police officers, particularly those working within our community? That is a mystery the Huntley Police Department hopes to shed more light on when it conducts its annual Citizen Police Academy Class from…
Monday, February 27, 2012
Discussion and emotional presentation part of Huntley Library program
The Honor Flight, bound for Washington D.C., was 20 minutes in when smoke began to permeate the cabin. Onboard was former Huntley resident Steve Schwertfeger and nearly 100 World War II veterans, some of whom relied on wheelchairs and walkers to get around. Schwertfeger, like other Honor Flight Chicago Guardians on board, was personally responsible for the care, comfort and safety of three participating veterans, but as the plane began returning to Midway Airport, it was clear his duties and concerns had spread beyond that. “This veteran I was sitting next to grabbed my arm and said, “Are you afraid?’” Schwertfeger recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, I’m concerned.’ He said, ‘When I was in World War II, my plane flew over Germany and had an …
Kathie
7:08 am on Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Thank you Mr. Bourke, this is what more residents need to do. Make sure there is a perimeter walk around, tht there is nothing different than the way they left it. And if there is someone is called. Don't wait until something happens and then do something about it. The old phrase "too little , too late" comes to mind. more ›