Timmothy Pitzen (left) and his late mother, Amy.  Photos provided by Auora Police Department.

On anniversary of his disappearance, police are still hopeful they'll find seven-year-old Timmothy Pitzen

It's been one year since Amy Fry-Pitzen checked her then 6-year-old son Timmothy out of his Aurora elementary school before taking him on a two-day vacation and then taking her own life.

Aurora Police are making a renewed appeal for northwestern Illinois land owners and residents to search their properties for several missing items that may help pinpoint what happened to her boy.

PEORIA — Nearly four years after EM Properties, Ltd. announced its $92.8 million Downtown Marriott Hotel project, construction of the project that includes the transformation of the Hotel Pere Marquette into a 284-room, high-end Marriott convention hotel and the construction of an adjacent 10-story, 117-room Marriott Courtyard has finally begun.

BLOOMINGTON — The McLean County Chamber of Commerce launched a new community campaign on May 3 during the Twin Cities Showcase at the Doubletree by Hilton called “Make Your Money Mean More” that was created to educate individuals and businesses about the benefits of spending money locally, instead of shopping online or outside the community.

The Elgin Veterans Memorial Park “Phase II” Committee, in cooperation with the city of Elgin, has announced the campaign “Extending the Honor” to build a “Phase II” for waterfront access to the memorial.

This addition to currently undeveloped shoreline of the park will allow for more dignified ceremonies, particularly on Memorial Day, for the strewing of wreaths and flowers in the nearby Fox River to honor those who are interred at sea.

Proof of whooping cough vaccination required for incoming sixth, ninth graders

There’s a new rule for school. 

Beginning this fall, for school year 2012-2013, the State of Illinois is requiring that all students entering sixth and ninth grades provide proof of a dose of the whooping cough (Tdap) vaccination in addition to the school physicals required at these grades.

Dedicated community volunteers and city officials will come together to give St. Charles residents the opportunity to pay honor and respect to American troops who have given their lives in service to our country. 

Official ceremonies and a parade will take place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28.

The Diocese of Joliet is moving forward toward an agreement to sell the St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville to Lewis University, while at the same time announcing it has purchased a never occupied property at 16501 Weber Road in Crest Hill.

The diocese will relocate its staff from three separate sites – the St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville, as well as the Chancery and the Tribunal in Joliet – into the new location, said Doug Delaney, the executive assistant to Bishop R. Daniel Conlon.

Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora will join in the third annual "Be. Go. Do. Change the World" weekend, an international aid effort Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20. From left are church leadership development-team members Wendy Connell, Shirley McKnight, Lucy Smith and Kathy Breazeale. (Al Benson photo)

Can planting flowers, collecting trash or visiting nursing home residents improve lives?

Aurora Methodists think so.
Joining an international movement, local Methodists will perform simple community-service projects in the third annual Change the World weekend on Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20.

Eighth-grade Rotolo Middle School student, Daniel Oster, recently beat out hundreds of area students to become the 2012 Kane County Spelling Bee champion. 

Daniel’s winning word was “firth.” As winner of the bee, he was awarded a seven-day trip to Washington, D.C., where he will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee from May 27–June 2.

Aurora University's Ryan Adams of Geneva, right, dives safely back to first in the Spartans' 14-7 win over visiting University of Chicago in a game from last month. (Al Benson photo)

Aurora University beat Concondia 6-5 in 10 innings last Saturday to with the NAC tournament and claim an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.

DECATUR — Since it opened in 1991, the Illinois Raptor Center has been rehabilitating wild animals in a small, 3-room building.

The private non-profit organization recently purchased a 1,700 square-foot house and 10 acres of property located next to its current 24’ x 34’ facility.

by Jerry Riley

In October, 2011 I posted a picture I took inside Eureka Printing on FaceBook. I was surprised at the number of people who recognized it.