Mayor Lora Vitek and several city officials presented at the St. Charles Chamber’s annual City Update event last week.

The focus? Current and future development projects. Let’s check in on the status of some of these initiatives:

According to the city’s website, the group that was planning to redevelop Charlestown Mall decided not to move forward. We’ll keep an eye for updates on that front.

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☑️ Auto theft: More than a dozen cars were burglarized during the middle of the night last week in Geneva’s Fisher Farms subdivision. Police are still investigating.

☑️ TIFfing point: St. Charles is seeking to extend its First Street tax increment financing district to manage $24 million in debt and continue funding downtown redevelopment projects.

☑️ Reinvestment efforts: More than $1M in new grants will allow Kane County to invest in a variety of community projects, including upgrades to forest preserves and funding for charitable organizations.

☑️ Given the green light: Geneva's City Council has approved a zoning change that will allow food manufacturing in certain light industrial areas without requiring special use permits. Some residents aren’t happy about it.

🔒 Jailhouse shuffle: Kane County has temporarily relocated 100 detainees to neighboring county jails to facilitate security camera upgrades and alleviate staff overtime.

☑️ Expect delays: Work beginning today (10/14) at the Burlington Road and Bolcum Road roundabout in Campton Hills will require daily lane closures to ensure safety.

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☑️ Roadside roast: Batavia’s “Road Diet” project is underway — but some residents remain a bit skeptical. City Administrator Laura Newman responds to several “complaints” in a new Mean Tweets video series.

🔒 Heroic feat: Local cyclists recently concluded a 475-mile charity bike ride in St. Charles, wrapping up a five-day event organized by Cal’s Angels that raised funds for pediatric cancer research.

☑️ Top yard haunts: Looking for thrills and chills? Here’s a roundup of the best haunted residential yard experiences in Kane and DuPage counties.

☑️ Geneva trees: Beginning this week, the city will start planting 57 parkways trees around town — and they’re already taking orders for the spring planting session.

🔒 Centennial sculpture: The Kane County Forest Preserve District approved its first-ever public art installation — $150K creation called "Guardians" — which will be unveiled at Johnson’s Mound in celebration of the district's 100th anniversary.

☑️ Cormorant chronicles: Ever wonder about those sleek, dark birds with long necks you see on the Fox River? Dive into the world of the unique aquatic animal in this insightful column from STC nature expert Pam Otto.

Shout out to The Pub in Maple Park — we caught some afternoon live music on their spacious outdoor patio to culminate a long day of hiking on Saturday. It’s a fun, laid-back atmosphere with an open-air bar, a big stage, fire pits and plenty of seating.

The latest mid-week live music lineup features several shows at the Arcada Theatre, plus all the usual spots.

☑️ Rise from the ashes: Stockholm’s in Geneva is once again open after restoring its space following a fire this summer. They’ll hold a grand re-opening celebration on Wednesday (10/16).

☑️ Staff appreciation: Riverside Pizza in Batavia is offering up daily specials all week — with a portion of proceeds going directly to its employees.

☑️ What’s up STC: Mike and Ed Seaman — owners of Broken Brix Home Brew Shop in St. Charles — talk beer, brewing and their secret menu in this entertaining podcast episode.

☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales for Kane County — including this $780K home on Laura Ingalls Wilder Road in St. Charles.

☑️ Local obits: Recent obituaries posted by Tri-Cities funeral homes.

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☑️ Batavia Art League | Weekly on Wed, 9:30AM-12PM | Congregational Church of Batavia | Meet with neighbors to make art, trade ideas and encourage creativity.

🎟️ Mandrake Grand Opening | Wed 10/16 - Thurs 10/17 | The Mandrake, Geneva | A meet n’ greet with Mayor Burns and fundraising for local charities.

☑️ A “Paranormal” Night to Remember | Wed 10/16, 6:30-8PM | Geneva Public Library | The West Suburban Paranormal Investigations team shares true tales from their local cases.

🎟️ Neighbors Helping Neighbors Bingo | Thurs 10/17, 5:30-9PM | Pal Joey’s, Batavia | Bingo and socializing with proceeds supporting Lazarus House.

☑️ Halloween Home Tours | Thurs 10/17 - Fri 10/18, Dusk-10PM | St. Charles | Drive by some of the spookiest decorated houses in the region.

🎟️ Rock of Ages | Thurs 10/17 - Sun 10/20, | Moonlight Theatre, STC | “A seriously silly, absurdly enjoyable arena-rock musical.” – New York Times

🎟️ Cemetery Walks | Thurs 10/17 & Sat 10/19 | West Batavia Cemetery | A peaceful walk through the graveyard with storytelling.

🎟️ Halloween Sip & Paint | Thurs 10/17, 7PM | The Hive, STC | Create works of art under the guidance of a professional artist and entertainer.

🌦️ Today: High 55F | Low 39F | Kinda raw

☀️ Tuesday: High 54F | Low 32F | Brisk + breezy

☀️ Wednesday: High 56F | Low 32F | Fall beauty

☀️ Thursday: High 66F | Low 40F | Sunny + warm

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