BY DAVE PARRO

An Oswego junior high went into full lockdown mode Tuesday when a single bullet was found outside the school, but an Aurora elementary school conducted business as usual Wednesday after a van was shot up down the street.

What's wrong with this picture?

BY DAVE PARRO

Aurora police and Kane County prosecutors were dealt a huge blow Wednesday afternoon when their first cold-case murder trial related to the June gang sweep ended in an acquittal.

It took the jury only two hours to decide that George Torres didn't kill Fernando Dieppa in 1997, or at least that there wasn't enough evidence to prove it. There are still 30 defendants awaiting trial in 22 old murders, but this isn't a good start.

Maybe Operation First Degree Burn isn't going to be a "death blow" to the Latin Kings after all.

BY MIKE CETERA

No one could blame parents of Oswego School District students if they're a bit jittery these days.

But it's important to note, incidents of school violence are exceedingly rare, and the Oswego administration has appeared to handle the two apparently unrelated incidents in an appropriate manner.

BY DAVE PARRO

While the Kane County Republican Party's executive committee considers whether to ask the GOP county chairman to resign because he's working for congressional candidate Chris Lauzen, Jim Oberweis' camp is wasting no time in trying to take advantage of the potential conflict of interest.

In a press release with the headline "Lauzen buys county chairman," Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe calls for Dennis Wiggins' resignation because he took a $5,000-a-month job with Lauzen's campaign. Pascoe accuses Wiggins of selling himself to the highest bidder, approaching Oberweis' campaign with a $10,000 figure.

Pascoe claims Oberweis refused to hire Wiggins -- "believing it just wasn't the right thing to do." Wiggins, however, says Oberweis actually asked him what it would take to get him on board with his campaign but then never came back with an offer after Wiggins threw out a number.

BY MIKE CETERA

An analysis of school data by Johns Hopkins University researchers has found 55 schools in Illinois -- including East Aurora High School -- are eligible for a "dropout factory" label. The unflattering term means the senior class in each of these schools is made up of less than 60 percent of the kids who entered as freshmen, according to the Associated Press. East Aurora's retention rate during the study period was 44 percent, meaning two-thirds of students who start freshman year at East aren't around by senior year.

Go here to see a list of all the Illinois schools that qualify for the study's dropout factory label.

BY DAVE PARRO

A Kendall County judge threw out a vital piece of evidence last week against Sandra Vasquez, ruling that the conduct of Oswego police officers while obtaining a videotaped confession in the hospital was "offensive." Two other statements made by the alleged drunken driver in the Oswego crash will be allowed, but the ruling was certainly a defeat for prosecutors.

Essentially, the judge didn't like the way police read Vasquez her Miranda rights and conducted their questioning. They rattled off her rights quickly, told Vasquez she was simply taking part in a question-and-answer session -- rather than an interrogation -- and didn't get her consent to be videotaped. They also didn't back off when Vasquez asked them to stop.

Interestingly, the two oral statements Vasquez made before she was read her rights are admissible -- in which she admits to drinking and being the driver in the crash that killed five teenagers -- while those made after she was read her rights were thrown out. The difference is that Vasquez was not yet considered a suspect when she first started talking to police, so her statements are considered voluntary.

BY MIKE CETERA

If you asked most of us two months ago about MRSA, odds are you'd get blank looks. But doctors have long known about this potentially deadly infection, which has been a problem inside hospitals for decades.

Now, however, the so-called "super bug" is popping up in area schools, seemingly on a weekly basis. Just last week, Holy Angels School in Aurora and the West Aurora School District reported cases of the infection.

But is MRSA something to be worried about, or is it the next West Nile, a disease contacted by few but turned into a legendary killer through media reports?

BY DAVE PARRO

The dozen female Republican state lawmakers who formed Women's Voices Illinois point to a number of factors as to why women don't get involved in politics. Among them are disillusionment with the process, reluctance to get involved in mud-slinging campaigns and the intimidating amounts of money it takes to run for office.

The GOP House members kicked off their three-day "Listening Tour" this week, the first step in trying to get women across the state to make their voices heard. Of 177 legislators in Springfield, only 49 are women. That's certainly not equal representation.

BY MIKE CETERA

Aurora Alderman Chris Beykirch has authored a resolution asking the state to get its act together on parental notification. Find a copy of the resolution here. Read today's story here.

The resolution -- a far more appropriate (and perhaps more legal) response than a proposed ordinance requiring doctors to give a warning of two days before performing a medical procedure on a minor -- basically admonishes the state for not taking the lead on the issue.

A parental notification law approved by lawmakers in 1995 has been tied up in the courts for more than a decade and has never been enforced.

BY MIKE CETERA

Neumann Homes, which has a number of developments in the area, says it will file for bankruptcy. Expect the fallout from this homebuilder's woes to have a ripple effect.

Will schools -- some that had been planning for referendums to accommodate expected new students -- have to revise their population estimates? How will communities, which have been planning infrastructure upgrades and new tax revenue, be affected? What will become of existing developments?

Perhaps its just reading into things a bit, but the writing appeared to be on the wall for Nuemann, which -- if memory serves from tollway billboards -- had been offering some big incentives for buyers in this soft market.

BY MIKE CETERA

Various reports are breaking that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is expected to resign -- soon. See below for links to the reports.

BY MIKE CETERA

The West Aurora School District seems intent on adding dozens of surveillance cameras to watch over the staff and students of West Aurora High School. Administrators say it's all in the name of safety and security. The problem, of course, is there's not much evidence to suggest cameras provide either.

"Research shows that a feeling of personal safety in school is essential for a child to learn," district spokesman Mike Chapin said.

"It is up to us to provide a sense of security to students and staff," said West High Principal Dan Bridges.

A feeling of personal safety. A sense of security. The research, or lack thereof, makes it terribly unclear if cameras provide anything more than a feeling, if schools are actually more safe and secure with cameras in place. What is clear is cameras do provide whichever company installs and maintains the cameras large sums of taxpayer money. They also explode the notion that employees and students have a right to privacy.

BY MIKE CETERA

Waubonsie Valley High School students, take pause on Wednesday. Oswego High School students -- with your friends' memories still fresh in your mind -- take pause, too. And Randy Visor, even as you once again fight for your freedom, please take pause and think about the lives lost a decade ago.

Wednesday marks the 10-year anniversary of the fatal DUI crash that killed WVHS students Jenni Linn Anderson, 16; Allison Matzdorf, 16; and Jennifer Roberts, 16. Also killed was 27-year-old Ana Pryor.

BY MIKE CETERA

I wonder just how many times our local lawmakers have voted lockstep on an issue, let alone one that should be controversial, but for some reason isn't.

Yet all but one (Joe Dunn) local lawmaker voted to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto of a state mandate that school children begin their day with a moment of silence, a tantamount approval of prayer in school that skirts that pesky separation of church and state clause. I'm pretty sure kids know what the "moment" is really designated for. How come more adults don't seem to get that? The bill became law immediately after the House voted Thursday.

BY MIKE CETERA

At today's Finance Committee meeting, Aurora aldermen once again are scheduled to discuss the installation of red-light cameras at various intersections. The cameras would be used to catch and fine motorists who run red lights.

Critics have suggested the cameras are more about money than safety. This is a legitimate criticism, although I have no problem with the city making a buck on people who can't follow the law. Consider it another sin tax. What should concern all of us, however, is whether these cameras are even necessary or constitutional.

Indeed, there are many unanswered questions that should be addressed prior to any vote.

Has there been an increase in accidents associated with red-light violations that is prompting this move? Which intersections have the highest ratio of accidents to vehicles? The Beacon's own story said the cameras will be placed at the most dangerous intersections, which haven't yet been determined. How is this possible that police don't know this already? Will cameras be placed at high-volume intersections that don't have an accident history? Was there any data collected in Aurora that shows how frequently motorists drive through red lights?

BY MIKE CETERA

Good news for people who want to see illegal immigrants deported: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency says it has stepped up efforts to arrest gang members on immigration charges.

See the USA Today report here; the agency news release here; and the agency's fact sheet on its operations here.

According to the agency, officials first established its Fugitive Operations Teams in 2003 to remove illegal immigrants from the country "who have failed to depart the United States based upon a final order of removal, deportation or exclusion; or who has failed to report to a Detention and Removal Officer after receiving notice to do so."

The National Fugitive Operations Program is responsible for reducing the fugitive alien population in the United States. ICE’s databases show the targeted enforcement strategy is paying off. Earlier this year, the nation’s fugitive alien population declined for the first time. The estimated number of immigration fugitives in the United States on September 30, 2007 was just under 595,000, a one-year decrease of more than 37,000.

ICE previously has rounded up gang members in Aurora.

BY MIKE CETERA

The problems with the Chicago Marathon on Sunday have been well documented. Just wanted to share a couple updates on marathon runners who appeared in our newspaper.

We featured stories on several runners prior to the race. Find their stories here and here.

BY MIKE CETERA

Are we creating future violent adults when we allow our children to play in youth sports? Can they simply turn the aggression off once the game is over, or does promoting the on-field "warrior" actually create the off-field wife beater?

Call the issue bunk, but new research suggests "that when youth are rewarded for on-the-field violence, there is a flawed expectation that these lessons will not be taken off-the field."

It's an interesting issue in light of all of the stories we hear about professional athletes' conduct off the field. It's also timely for this newspaper, because one of our local columnists on Saturday will tackle the issue of local football coaches promoting violence in what they say to their student athletes.

BY MIKE CETERA

A number of Oswego High School students were suspended for a day this week after they refused to remove or turn inside out T-shirts that referenced an alcohol-fueled crash that killed five of their peers in February.

The T-shirts read: "Seniors .08" on the front and "Don't Blow It" on the back. Roughly 50 students came to class on Wednesday wearing the shirts. Some students said the shirts were a warning not to drink and drive. Administrators said they were told by other teens the T-shirts promoted drinking.

Never mind the confusion over the message, and ponder this: Don't the students have a right to free speech?

BY MIKE CETERA

I saw a commercial for Joe Vantreese's condo project this evening during the Cubs-Diamondbacks game. He's offering a Mercedes to anyone who buys a condo at his downtown Aurora complex. Interesting.

Nice, high-end promotion. But I think it shows the struggles of the real estate market right now.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chicago Cubs left fielder Moises Alou falls back
after unsuccessfully reaching into the stands for a foul ball
against the Florida Marlins in the eighth inning during Game 6
of the National League championship series in this
Oct. 14, 2003 photo.

BY MIKE CETERA

The Chicago Cubs begin a playoff run this evening, which means the media is out to drag up the past again. No goat? Lou not buying the curse? Let's find the most recent pathetic symbol of the Cubs' woes and milk it for all it's worth.

The New York Times is the latest to weigh in. The newspaper published a story today about its efforts to stalk Steve Bartman, who clearly has no interest in rehashing the past. Can't we leave him alone?

BY MIKE CETERA

November 21, 2005, was a historic day for Americans. It was the day senior citizens across the nation began signing up for the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Since that time, more than 27 million senior citizens have received prescription drug coverage, with thousands more enrolling each week.

As these seniors are seeing, this new coverage is called a "benefit" with good reason. It provides them with much-needed prescription drug coverage at a cost they can afford. The benefit is clear to those who have saved hundreds of dollars in just the short time they have been enrolled, and who are expected to save an average of $1,300 by the end of the year. -- Dennis Hastert, in a column published March 31, 2006 in The Beacon News.

And now, some comments on the "benefit."

Since December 2005, Consumers Union has used the Medicare.gov Web site to track Medicare Part D plan costs for five widely used drugs offered by companies in five zip codes in New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois and California. The tracking has found that most drug plans consistently hike costs during the year seniors are locked into a plan.

The plan with the biggest increase during the latest period was Blue Medicare Rx-Standard in Illinois, which increased its costs for the five drugs by 28 percent, or $679. -- from a Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, study.

BY DAVE PARRO

UPDATE: Planned Parenthood officials say the clinic will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The city of Aurora has issued an occupancy permit for the Planned Parenthood clinic after its investigation found the organization did not break the law by getting approval under a subsidiary name.

The clinic could open as early as Tuesday, although anti-abortion activists could seek a court order asking for a review of zoning laws. The reports, however, seem to dismiss that argument.

Barring an unforseen event, the clinic will open this week.