Downers Grove North High School student Lauren Pierret makes comments at the Community High School District 99 board meeting Nov. 15. Hynes is a nephew of the late Cook County Assessor Tom Hynes and cousin to Dan Hynes, who was charged by Pritzker with finding candidates to run for the Democratic State Central Committee. The storm traveled over 100 miles, via ABC 7. Only one copy of the book is available for check-out at each library at Downers North and Downers South high schools, which combined serve nearly 5,000 students. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Sen. Tammy Duckworth met yesterday with Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun to discuss Boeings recent decision to move its global headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Va. Downers Grove, IL 60515 As hard as this loss is for all of us, I believe that she would want us to be strong and take care of each other," Principal Janice Schwarze told students. One of the incoming freshman at Downers Grove North High School when Ben was a senior said he expected Ben not to be very nice and perhaps even full of himself because of his athletic. Downers Grove, IL 60516 Amended as of January 26, 2022 Congratulations to the following students named to Downers Grove North High School's Honor Roll for first semester of the 2021-22 school year. The school board president threatened to adjourn the meeting several times because of shouted interruptions, jeers and comments to speakers. In February 2021, Gwen and her father co-wrote an opinion piece about how they each experienced the events of Jan. 6. The school board did not plan to discuss or vote on any items regarding Gender Queer the book was solely brought up during the public speaker portion of the meeting. A Naperville man is facing drunk driving charges after allegedly running a red light and critically injuring a student Tuesday morning in front of Downers Grove North High School. He told police he had been taking the drug to help him sleep, and he did not have a prescription for it. "Beth will always be a part of this team," said Kate McGuire, Dunlap's club coach. She was also the boys' volleyball . Police found unprescribed medication in the car including Suboxone, and items commonly used for people to smoke crack cocaine. He said he asks Beth every day to help him help other people. (Bev Horne / Daily Herald). The Wake Up D99 group wrote in a Facebook post that it will NEVER be associated with The Proud Boys and that its flyer was used in combination with a Proud Boys Flyer without our permission.. Downers Grove North beats Young: 'We wanted to come at these city guys'. Its homophobia.. Smile a little brighter at those you dont know. Students new to North High School may berequired to take an English and Math Assessment Test prior to the registration appointment with his or her counselor. The Sun-Times Patrick Finley answers the biggest questions facing the Bears after the draft: On this International Workers Day, were committed to fighting for a better future for all workers in our city and state, two labor leaders write. Holy (bleep). The opposition has turned school boards into battlegrounds for social fallout, from books to COVID-19 protocols such as masking and vaccination, to more recently mental and emotional health programs. At least two other students received minor injuries after falling off the obstacle course before Pennington's run, Clifford said. That includes Brian Kraemer (at right, in plaid shirt and holding sign). Other Proud Boys have since been ensnared in the sprawling federal investigation into the insurrection and its planning. Newman statement: My heart breaks for the Casten family for the devastating loss of their daughter. Edgar Remy Del Toro Delatorre was charged with a misdemeanor count of battery in connection to a fight at a political protest in Schaumburg on March 27, 2021. Downers Grove North High School. ET: Ernest Willingham, a 19-year old from Chicago who grew up surrounded by gun violence, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a committee hearing entitled Protecting Americas Children From Gun Violence. Its the ninth hearing addressing gun violence that the Judiciary Committee has held in the 117th Congress. The obstacle course had been used several times without incident by Army recruiters at high schools around the country the last few years, an Army official said at the time of the incident. This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software. Kucharskis negotiated plea did not include an agreement on a sentence, which will be decided at a March 6 hearing before Judge Liam Brennan. I think the Proud Boys are reprehensible. But later that day he told police he was driving 40 to 45 mph. Terry Newsome, who spoke at the meeting, said he didnt want his concerns as a parent of two high schoolers to be conflated with Proud Boys messaging. A Proud Boys contingent ultimately showed up for a board meeting in Downers Grove last Monday where the book was discussed, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. 2022-2023 Transfer Enrollment and Registration Form, Community High School District 99 Facebook Page (opens in new window) (opens in new window), Community High School District 99 Twitter Page (opens in new window) (opens in new window), Community High School District 99 Flickr Page (opens in new window) (opens in new window), Community High School District 99 Instagram (opens in new window) (opens in new window), Community High School District 99 Youtube Page (opens in new window) (opens in new window). He later admitted that he had fallen asleep at the wheel several blocks before striking Dunlap, Donahoe said. Brian Vandenberg, a former general counsel at the American Medical Association, has been awarded the Dr. Jacqueline A. Bello Friend of the AMA Foundation Award for his work with underserved populations and advancing health equity. 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Quinn revives campaign to limit Chicago mayors to two terms in office: Quinn plans to spend the summer deciding whether to join the crowded field of candidates challenging Lightfoot. She was 17. "Beth was sassy, fun, spunky, feisty, and a fierce competitor. He also said the family has not attended previous hearings to avoid having their strong emotions interfere. Downers Grove North's Jack Stanton (21) heads down the lane against Young. In the runup to the 2024 election, the Sun-Times, WBEZ and the Center for Effective Government at the University of Chicago will be collaborating on a project to educate our audience about the threat to our democracy and how we can form a more perfect union., Proud Boys join effort to ban Gender Queer book from school library rattling students in suburban Chicago, Culture wars explode in Chicago suburb after protesters call H.S. "You will be greatly missed but never forgotten," said Coach McGuire. Students from North High School in Downers Grove won first place and students from Sout. Dunlap was a "fierce competitor and a strong person," Principal Janice Schwarze told the student body. Brian Kraemer was charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and disorderly conduct after allegedly berating protesters and flashing a knife during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Joliet on July 1, 2020. Please note if you are requesting an official transcript to be sent directly to you, you are required to submit a photo ID to the registrar. Those charges were upgraded to one count of aggravated DUI - Death and one count of reckless homicide on Monday. Dunlap wore #18, so the principal suggested students donate $18 to a charity, or perform 18 random acts of kindness. The force of the collision wedged her backpack into the front grill of Kucharskis car. The Senators wrote a letter urging Calhoun to maintain a strong presence in Chicago after the May 5 announcement. Primary election crib sheet, courtesy of Sun-Times and WBEZ. The school had a drive-through ceremony because of COVID19, but moved it out of that parking lot so the memory of the horrific crash would not be associated with the ceremony. The 17-year-old boy was transported to an area hospital by paramedics and was pronounced dead. This isnt being forced upon your kids, but it gives kids who would be interested in this story a choice to read it, she said. 7:30 AM You got the politics of the left and right with the antifa and Proud Boys who have their own little political agendas, I guess, Newsome said, referring in part to the decentralized antifascist activists who track and protest extremist groups. Pictures taken of the mats--photos Clifford said he received from Downers Grove North officials--show a caution tag on one of them stating the mat should be used for tumbling activities only and not as a "crash or landing mat. Republican Mary Miller faces ethics complaint over misuse of House resources for campaigning, by the Washington Examiner. The school was established in 1928. Protesters hold signs with panels from Gender Queer at a Downers Grove North High School board meeting Monday. According to the Daily Herald, Gwen recently graduated from Downers Grove North High School, where she was an honor student, Illinois State Scholar and worked on the school paper. Kucharski entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide on Jan. 9, 2020. DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (WLS) -- A Naperville man is facing drunk driving charges after allegedly running a red light and critically injuring a student Tuesday morning in front of Downers Grove North High School. The New Hampshire presidential primary has long been the first in the nation, though the Democratic National Committee is in the process of tweaking the primary schedule. The witness said Kucharski had been his AA sponsor. Former Plainfield North and Hinsdale Central volleyball coach Tracey Marshall passed away Thursday. Prosecutors showed a video of the crash, captured on the high school's surveillance video. Fax: 630-795-8499, Administrative Service Center Bruce Lindahl has been identified as the suspect in the 1976 murder of Downers Grove South High School student Pamela Maurer authorities said Monday. The entire field of 177 candidates ran at-large that year. Casten, whos running for a third term in the 6th Congressional District, faces fellow Rep. Marie Newman and Nicor Gas operation mechanic Charles Hughes in the June 28 Democratic primary. In the Cook County Building at 10 a.m. to preside over a meeting of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. and died in 1981 from self-inflicted . Cause of the death is under investigation. Downers Grove North students Josiah Poynter (left), Lauren Pierret (middle) and Tabitha Irvin (right) were among those who spoke in favor of allowing the book Gender Queer to remain in the schools library. The victim's vehicle was located on the 6th floor of the garage. Updated 6/23/2020 4:06 PM. This is why we must have this book in our schools library. Physical Exam & Immunization Requirements, download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software. All District 99 Board of Education meetings are open to members of the public, and there are always equal opportunities for attendees to address the Board, he said in a statement. The 16-year-old from. He told police that he awoke and considered stopping, but decided to keep driving. Our vision is that all students will possess self-awareness, think critically and accept personal responsibility; these traits will allow them to become leaders in an evolving society. The Illinois Physical Examination Form can be found on the Health Services webpage. They were joined by Proud Boys associate Brian Kraemer, who has appeared at demonstrations with members of the group and who was charged with brandishing a knife at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Joliet last summer. Hank Thiele, addressing the topic before people shared their views, said Gender Queer met the districts requirements for inclusion in its library, and it was not part of any class required reading. 4436 Main Street Downers Grove, IL 60515 Phone: 630-795-8400 Fax: 630-795-8499. Their presence at the meeting where students said the men jeered at them, even called them pedophiles for supporting keeping the book in the library was unnerving and intimidating, they told the Sun-Times. 5 . In the four days before the crash, Kucharski told police, he had only slept about 10 hours, Donahoe said. Pennington had skipped his regular 8th-period ceramics class May 1 to attend the Wellness Fair in his school's 29,000-square-foot sports facility, family members said. Authorities say Kucharski was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he drove in the wrong lane and ran a red light on Feb. 19, 2019, striking Dunlap as she crossed Main Street at Grant Street in front of the school. "Beth was a setter that led her team with phenomenal defense, a tough serve and sweet, soft setter hands.". Newsletter, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. This incident is under investigation by the Elmhurst Police Department and DuPage County Coroner's Office. All Rights Reserved. If you have moved, please contact the registrar's office to update your address. He wrote, "Hug the ones you love a little longer. DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- A girls track coach at Downers Grove South High School has been charged with paying two minors to produce child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney's office.. Kucharski, who is out on bond, told the judge that he is residing at a sober living center and attending or chairing up to three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a day. Carmen Navarro Gercone on being knocked off the ballot in sheriffs race: All this did for criminal justice reform was hold back women of color. A few pages that include illustrations of sex acts have drawn the bulk of the ire, while other students, parents and community members see the book as a vital tool for youth discovering their identity and efforts to ban it as censorship. Crisis Response Team On Hand After Downers Grove South Student's Death - Woodridge, IL - District 99 sent a message to members of the community that a female student apparently took her own life. Pennington was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where he died four days later of traumatic brain injury. The District 99 November board meeting was promoted on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app favored by extremists and others on the far-right. Lightfoot announces $3.1M in grants to strengthen mental health system: The mayor campaigned on a promise to re-open six mental health clinics her predecessor shut down, but her 2020 budget kept them closed. The left is planning to show up strong, he wrote. Gov. Watch him to officially endorse Rep. Mary Miller in her competitive IL-15 primary against fellow incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis. Kobabe, the author of Gender Queer, wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed addressing the backlash that the book was originally meant for Kobabes parents and extended family to help them understand what it meant to be nonbinary. Joseph Kucharski was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison for the reckless homicide of Downers Grove North High School student Beth Dunlap, in which he ran her down in front of the. The skies loomed gray last night, and our heart sank for the Casten family. But then when the Proud Boys, this big intimidating group, came in and made this issue so big, it forced students to look at whats going on., Irvin said several of her classes have discussed the weeks events, she said, and she noticed for the first time a student wearing a Trump 2024 hat as he voiced his dislike of Gender Queer., Students are now getting really caught up in the political controversy in the whole issue, and thats exactly what fuels groups like the Proud Boys, she said. Dear Abby: Is it cheating if nothing physical ever happened? My prayers are with Sean, Kara, and the entire Casten family.. In 2019, Gwens name popped up in a youth-led rally for action on climate change in Chicago. Criminal charges filed against ex-cop over altercation with woman at North Avenue Beach: Bruce Dyker, who resigned from the police force last month, was charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct, by Sun-Times Mitch Dudek, Tom Schuba and David Struett. About Downers Grove North [ edit] A Downers Grove South High School track coach is facing child pornography charges, accused of using messaging apps to get explicit photos and videos from girls from out of state. Here are some of the more than 400 bills signed into law and theres more to go: Gov. Call (630) 963-1306 today. Pocket. After news of her injuries was made public, other athletes, students, and staff began to do 18 pushups in a show of solidarity and support for her jersey number, 18. State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas is endorsing Anthony Joel Quezada for the Cook County Commission 8th District seat on Chicagos Northwest Side. Joseph Kucharski, 51, was charged with one count of felony aggravated DUI and felony reckless driving in a crash that injured student Beth Dunlap, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. EXCLUSIVE: Pence-worlds final takedown of Trumps Jan. 6 bid to remain in power revealed in his lawyers memo, by POLITICOs Betsy Woodruff Swan and Kyle Cheney, Jan. 6 panel makes case election fraud claims were Trump vs. Team Normal, by POLITICOs Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu, Bogus: Barr details Trumps disturbing election lies, via VIDEO, Trumps revenge tour and battleground Nevada: What to watch in Tuesdays primaries, by POLITICOs Zach Montellaro, How Trump radicalized Tom Rice, by POLITICOs Ally Mutnick, House Dems ready to accept Senate gun deal if it can stay intact, by POLITICOs Sarah Ferris and Jordain Carney. In. JB Pritzker has signed 401 bills sent to him this calendar year, leaving just 10 of those passed by lawmakers this year awaiting his action as of Monday, by Capitol News Jerry Nowicki. One expert offers tips to brew the perfect cup at home. 8:10 AM. Yet students at Downers North and Downers South high schools said they didnt see a big impact on their lives until the parents sought to remove a graphic novel by a nonbinary author from the school libraries over concerns it included a few sexually explicit illustrations a fight that caught the attention of the Proud Boys, a far-right gang that has recently seized on the culture wars playing out at school districts around the country. A few pages that include illustrations of sexual acts have drawn the bulk of the ire, while other students, parents and community members see the book as a vital tool for youth discovering their identity and any efforts to ban it as censorship. Meta opens Fulton Market office after more than two years of pandemic delays. If you are a grown adult and you are walking through a library in an elementary school or high school and having sexual thoughts, you are the problem. Prosecutors contend that he was on his way to Chicago to buy more cocaine. "We will hear her voice when we celebrate our wins and we will see her smile when we make big defensive plays. Lindahl could also be connected to the disappearance of 16-year-old Deborah McCall, a Downers Grove North High School student who was last seen alive in November 1979. Thiele said at the meeting the book will remain in circulation while administrators review parents complaints. This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software. Click on the link below to access the enrollment form. But he said thats not why hes pushing term limits now; he said just wants to hold Lightfoot to her own campaign promise, by Sun-Times Fran Spielman. She hated to lose," said Julie Heatherly, Dunlap's former coach. An Illinois law says plaintiffs could only specify $50,000 at the beginning of a lawsuit, he said. 4436 Main St, Downers Grove, Illinois | (630) 795-8400. Principal Janice Schwarze sent an email to students, parents, and staff early Friday that shared the tragic news: Dunlap, a varsity volleyball athlete for Downers Grove North. Phone: (630) 795-8517 Email: rkonstans@csd99.org downersgrovesouthathletics.com 1436 Norfolk St Downers Grove, IL 60516-2600 Delatorre was later arrested in connection to a March dustup at an anti-Biden rally in Schaumburg. 630-795-8199 (F), Email the registrar at rschneider@csd99.org. In a lengthy proffer, Assistant States Attorney Nancy Donahoe recounted the four-day binge of drug and alcohol use by Kucharski that preceded the collision. 8:00 AM, 7:40 AM 6301 Springside Avenue Hank Thiele, the districts superintendent, didnt respond directly when asked whether he was alarmed that Proud Boys members and associates attended the meeting. DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Kucharski, 51, was charged with one count of felony aggravated DUI and felony reckless driving in a crash that injured student Beth Dunlap, according to the. Anthony Pascente has been appointed by Gov. Thats disgusting, he reportedly told police. On Monday, authorities announced they've identified a likely serial killer responsible for the 1976 rape and strangulation of Maurer, a Downers Grove South High School junior from Woodridge. This morning, Congressman Castens beloved daughter, Gwen (17), passed away. The crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. Feb. 19, 2019. You promote pedophilia and threatened to call the police on him. That wasnt their first interaction. There is no fee for an unofficial transcript and a $5 cash fee for an official transcript. Gwen Casten, featured in a political ad for her father, Illinois Rep. Sean Casten, died Monday, June 13, 2022. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Click on the link below to access the enrollment form. Members of the Proud Boys a far-right neo-fascist group which has recently latched onto school board protests around the country promoted the meeting on a messaging app commonly used by far-right activists and urged each other to attend, according to screenshots posted to social media. At one high-needs high school, the class that bore the brunt of Covids toll graduates, by Chalkbeats Mila Koumpilova. Attorneys for Sheila Hebert filed the suit Tuesday in DuPage County Circuit Court against Community High School District 99. Keck said Dunlap's teammates have decided to play in a tournament this weekend, and they will do it in Beth's honor. 630-795-8425 OR BY EMAIL rschneider@csd99.org. Wednesday at 10 a.m. "I pray to her (Beth) and I pray to God for you and your family," Kucharski said, crying, before the sentence was pronounced. Prosecutors say Dunlap was crossing Main Street Tuesday morning within the marked crosswalk, and obeying the "Walk" sign at the time, when she was struck by the driver headed southbound. Joseph Kucharski, accused of running a red light and striking and killing a 17-year-old Downers Grove North junior, enters the courtroom at the DuPage County courthouse in Wheaton on March 15, 2019. Kevin Leslie, a counselor at North High School in Downers Grove, was honored with the 2 Several North High students who took the National French Contest Le Grand Concou Jeffrey Grant, a Science teacher at North High School in Downers Grove, is one of six e Little North Stars Academy2023-2024registration is now open! - On a police-squad video that was played, Kucharski questioned why the windshield of his car was damaged, said he had been driving 20 mph, and that the sun had gotten in his eyes. After asking them to choose, a total 65 percent favored Brady; with 35 percent for Milhiser, according to pollster Matt Podgorski, himself a Republican candidate for the Cook County Board, said. He questioned where a Sun-Times reporter found his phone number because he did not put it anywhere at the meeting last night.. Kraemer wouldnt say if he has children, and he lives in New Lenox, about 30 miles from Downers Grove. Schranz volunteers with Youth Outlook, a suburban-based nonprofit that supports LGBTQ youth, and said she sees Gender Queer and similar books as an opportunity for a child who may be exploring or questioning [their identity] to take a look and look at more information.. The only place I had access to information and stories about transgender people was in media mainly, in books.. Some critics have claimed children were being exposed to homoerotic or pornographic language and images. "She just brightened every room she walked in and it's going to be very hard going to the gym without her," Sandt said. ILLINOIS GOP AND 2020: A new WBEZ/Sun-Times poll shows Illinois Republicans would support Trump in 2024, and an overwhelming majority of those surveyed believe in the Big Lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I was Channel 2 producer for Tim Weigel and Howard Sudberry and we couldnt see the action on the court, so it wasnt until hours later when we saw the last shot after our live coverage was over!, Cynicism aside, what issues do Republicans and Democrats agree on? ViewDistrict 99 Boundary Map.