Lake and McHenry County Scanner Detectives have arrested an employee of a special education school in Gages Lake who they say had an inappropriate relationship with a student under the age of 16 The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said they were notified on Monday about a video posted on social media that showed a boy driving himself in a car on a public roadway A voice was heard from the passenger area in the video that someone recognized as a paraprofessional at Cyd Lash Academy in Gages Lake according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli The school employee was identified as Sandra J Sheriff’s deputies responded and learned that Pardo was spending time with the boy which is part of the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) provides an alternative middle school and high school setting to meet the “unique academic emotional and social needs” of certain students Detectives began an investigation and learned Pardo was not only spending time with the boy but also having an inappropriate relationship with the boy Covelli said detectives learned Pardo gave the boy a massage and kissed him during a time they were together last week Pardo also kissed the boy while at the school last month She was arrested by sheriff’s detectives on Wednesday and transported to the Lake County Jail The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved charges of three counts of aggravated battery solicitation to meet a child and child endangerment The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are possible Prosecutors said Pardo immediately quit the school after the sheriff began investigating “Children have the absolute right to be safe in the school environment and outside of school The behavior of this paraprofessional is unconscionable and despicable,” Lake County Sheriff John D “There is no doubt this behavior is condemned by the thousands of hard-working teachers and school staff from across the county Our staff will continue our zero-tolerance policy for adults who victimize our most vulnerable,” Idleburg said Pardo appeared in First Appearance Court on Thursday morning The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Pardo in custody while she awaits trial A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday No part of this website may be reproduced or stored in any form without written permission from Lake and McHenry County Scanner To keep you informed about the latest news across Lake and McHenry counties as it happens A former employee at an alternative school in North suburban Gages Lake has been arrested on allegations she had an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student while she worked there who until this week was a paraprofessional at Cyd Lash Academy is charged with three counts of aggravated battery of the 100 block of Glen Street in Grayslake was arrested Wednesday following a two-day investigation by Lake County sheriff’s detectives interim superintendent at the Special Education District of Lake County The investigation was prompted by a video on social media depicting the boy driving a car while a woman who sounded like Pardo spoke from a passenger’s seat Pardo and the boy began having an inappropriate relationship last month During a court appearance Thursday morning Pardo was ordered to be held in jail until a Feb SEDOL officials are cooperating with police A judge denied pre-trial release to a Gages Lake school employee accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student as prosecutors say a second child has come forward saying he was sexually abused by her at school was initially charged last week with three counts of aggravated battery The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has since filed additional charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child Pardo appeared for a detention hearing on Thursday where Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Walker detailed the allegations against her Pardo was a paraprofessional employed at Cyd Lash Academy in Gages Lake The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded on February 3 to the school after receiving a report of Pardo engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student at the school Walker said a video was circulating showing the boy who does not have a driver’s license The school began investigating and Pardo immediately quit her job The child was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center and reported that Pardo would talk to him and his friends and try to groom them Walker said Pardo asked for the child’s phone number and Snapchat username before engaging in extensive texting with the child beginning last month The child said Pardo wanted to use Snapchat because the messages are deleted immediately Pardo picked up the boy at Gurnee Mills mall on January 29 and allowed him to drive her car around the parking lot and on public roads back to his home The child took a video of himself driving and the video then began circulating around the school Walker said Pardo rubbed the child’s back tried to kiss him and asked him if he had sex before which caused the child to feel uncomfortable Pardo asked to meet the child again on February 1 and picked him up while letting him drive her car back to her house Walker said Pardo asked the child to come into her home but he refused The boy also told investigators that Pardo kissed him on the lips while in an elevator at their school last month Pardo made comments to the child that she always had a “thing” for him since meeting him and wanted to have sex with him Detectives interviewed Pardo who admitted to kissing the child on the lips and letting him drive her car Text conversations were found on Pardo’s phone which showed she initiated the conversations Pardo was arrested on February 5 and on Monday the sheriff’s office was notified about a second juvenile victim The child was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center and he reported Pardo began talking to him in December and asked for his phone and Snapchat information told investigators that the conversations were sexual in nature with Pardo explaining how she wanted to sleep with him the boy and Pardo went to an empty classroom at the school where Pardo performed a sex act on the child Pardo made numerous statements to detectives that she was ready to go back to Mexico and also reportedly told other staff at the school she was going back to Mexico Walker said Pardo’s statements indicate she is a willful flight risk and that she poses a danger to children Lake County Judge Ari Fisz granted a petition to detain Pardo pending trial after agreeing with prosecutors during the Thursday detention hearing Fisz said the detailed allegations involving the two separate children were “very disturbing.” Idleburg said following Pardo’s arrest Pardo is scheduled to appear in court again on March 4 for a preliminary hearing The Quiet Rooms And the struggle to stop relying on seclusion and restraint by Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune This story is a collaboration between ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune The knock came on Beth Sandy’s door late one Friday afternoon at the end of May Standing outside was an investigator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services the state agency charged with examining allegations of child abuse and neglect Sandy assumed she was in trouble for violating truancy laws she had pulled her 7-year-old son from Gages Lake School which serves young children in suburban Lake County with behavioral and emotional disabilities after he complained of a scary office and began hiding under the bed when the school bus arrived who lives in north suburban Round Lake Heights But she wasn’t the target of the investigation; school employees were. An administrator at Gages Lake had reported concerns to DCFS that Sandy’s son Staley had been physically abused, the investigator explained. There was video. The investigator wanted to talk with the boy DCFS has opened a total of 21 abuse investigations involving students at Gages Lake agency reports describe workers grabbing children by the wrists shoving them into walls and throwing them to the ground in a cluster of four seclusion spaces — some with lockable doors others open — that the school calls “the office.” Two aides at the center of the investigations resigned from the school One of them is facing criminal charges; Lake County prosecutors allege he used excessive force on students Despite recent efforts at Gages Lake to add employee training and more support for students staff resignations and new reports of abuse this school year The monthslong crisis at Gages Lake — pieced together through interviews and a review of DCFS reports police records and employee complaints — underscores what can happen when a school relies too heavily on seclusion and physical restraint Parents like Sandy were shocked to learn how their children were treated Teachers and other school employees also ended up at risk of harm as a lack of training and staffing complicated the already tough job of working with children who have behavioral challenges “None of the children at the school are safe,” he said ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune revealed that school districts throughout Illinois routinely violated the state’s law on isolated timeout which permitted employees to seclude students only if the children were in danger of hurting themselves or others Reporters obtained and reviewed thousands of school incident reports that described the emotional and physical trauma suffered by students after being shut in small rooms alone for long periods the state placed an emergency ban on locking children alone in seclusion rooms During the 15-month period reporters examined Gages Lake students were secluded more times than students at all but one Illinois school included in the analysis More recent data obtained by the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois shows that Gages Lake put students in isolation more than 1,700 times in the school year that ended in May At least 23% of those timeouts occurred for no documented safety reason failed to comply with rules or engaged in verbal abuse The Special Education District of Lake County the district that oversees Gages Lake and several other programs for students with disabilities is one of eight districts under investigation by the Illinois State Board of Education in response to the Tribune/ProPublica Illinois report SEDOL has joined other Illinois districts in taking the doors off seclusion rooms after the state banned isolated seclusion SEDOL Superintendent Valerie Donnan said an internal investigation into the use of isolated timeout and physical restraint concluded that some “procedures were not followed” at Gages Lake “We have been actively and relentlessly working to change,” she wrote last week in response to questions Gages Lake teachers and workers say they don’t know what strategies to use now that they’ve been told they can’t turn to restraint or seclusion except in dire situations “The overall flow of that building was so chaotic and unsafe,” said a Gages Lake teacher who resigned in the fall “I got to the point where I wasn’t sure what their expectations were two weeks before DCFS showed up at Sandy’s doorstep a 7-year-old boy from Gurnee got off the school bus from Gages Lake and told his father that his butt hurt because a school aide had made him fall who said the boy had slipped and fallen during an encounter with an aide administrators watched surveillance footage of the incident the boy was standing against the wall in one of four bays that make up the area referred to as “the office.” The office had locked rooms and doorless areas leaned down and grabbed the boy by the ankles school officials reported the incident to DCFS and an investigator showed up at the boy’s home on the evening of May 17 told the worker he was sent to the seclusion space when he didn’t follow directions to walk — not run — in a hallway School officials watched more surveillance video from the office ProPublica Illinois and the Tribune reviewed confidential DCFS records that describe what school officials saw in the videos The Gurnee boy appeared on video several times Footage from April 24 showed a different aide carrying him across a room and then throwing him into the timeout area was shown in one of the rooms within the office on April 30 He got increasingly upset and kicked at her chased Staley down and grabbed him around the neck according to records describing the videos Izquierdo pulled a 5-year-old boy’s legs out from under him “It is surprising (the boy’s) arm wasn’t broken,” a school administrator told DCFS Izquierdo pushed an 8-year-old boy in his chest and onto the floor when the student tried to leave the room school officials identified possible physical abuse involving eight children An incident report on one of Staley Sandy-Ester's isolated timeouts describes how he refused to follow instructions from staff Reporters found that at least 23 percent of last year's seclusions at Gages Lake School occurred for no documented safety reason declined to answer most questions about the videos saying they were part of an ongoing police investigation She would not say if school officials had a practice of watching surveillance video prior to the Gurnee family’s inquiry or how school officials decided which portions of surveillance footage to report to authorities as possible abuse Donnan said: “We deeply regret that Staley was treated in this way.” Izquierdo and Aguirre resigned soon after school officials reviewed the footage At least four other Gages Lake employees were put on leave in May and June who was investigated for her alleged “lack of review” of surveillance video The principal did not respond to requests for comment An assistant principal was put on leave as the school examined whether she used and witnessed “inappropriate” and “unapproved” restraints of children Her lawyer said no additional action was taken against her and she currently works as a teacher in the district who is accused of using excessive force on students was charged in late October with six counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct “I understand educators in this type of environment have a very difficult job to do but this specific individual went too far,” Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said when he announced the charges ISBE sent Izquierdo a letter asking that he voluntarily give up his educator license She said the board does not have the authority to automatically revoke it based on the criminal charges he faces said his client denies any wrongdoing and that he was a dedicated employee who worked to help troubled children “This is a situation where you are doing your job and there is no intention or malice and you are dealing with some emotionally disturbed and behavior-disturbed children He would get attacked frequently,” Caravello said “It is a shame that in the course of doing your job and trying to keep the children safe soon after learning of the DCFS investigation into her conduct at Gages Lake She had worked at the school for nearly 18 years Aguirre’s family told police and the Lake County coroner’s office that she was “stressed out” about possible criminal charges They said she had told them that the school was understaffed but she loved her job and “the children needed her,” the coroner’s case report states The eight allegations against Izquierdo are pending All five cases involving Aguirre were determined to be unfounded The other eight cases involved different staff members; a DCFS spokesman would not discuss the outcomes but said five remain pending While the abuse investigations from the 2018-19 school year cover only the 30-day period for which school administrators viewed video children were placed in isolated timeout hundreds of times throughout that year attributed the large number of seclusions — 1,708 up from 270 the year prior — to improved “accuracy and transparency of reporting.” She said the practice was used frequently because the school serves students with significant disabilities many of whom would require private or residential placements if they weren’t served by SEDOL The district declined to provide incident reports that would provide details of student seclusions who specializes in education law and has consulted with Gages Lake families said the numbers illustrate that the use of timeouts was embedded in the school’s culture “They did it as if it’s what you do every day “These kids weren’t always a danger to themselves or anybody Frequently these happened because of noncompliance after Staley’s mother requested his records she saw that he was taken to the office for hiding under a cubby flipping a chair and refusing to come inside from recess State officials are concerned about the frequent use of timeout at Gages Lake said State Board of Education spokeswoman Jackie Matthews An ISBE official visited the school last week we can say they are egregious,” Matthews said school officials assured parents they had made a number of improvements Sensory items were purchased to help calm students her administration also limited the use of isolated timeout to “extreme cases.” Figures provided by the district show that students were secluded less often as the school year got underway — 230 times from August to October compared with 395 in the same period the previous year She said she asked school administrators whether there was enough trained staff to open safely In addition to the employees placed on paid leave aides and social workers have resigned or retired since the abuse investigations began in the spring wrote in her resignation letter that she had decided she “would like to be supporting my students more academically than I am currently able to.” SEDOL board members voted to stop accepting new students There was one staff member for every two students when the budget called for a ratio of one to 1.5 — a “big difference” for needy students down 30 students from the start of the school year student hospitalizations and suspensions increased an administrator told board members this fall Behavioral specialists and administrators have been covering teacher and aide vacancies leaving less schoolwide support for students and staff “There is so much chaos going on,” Slye told board members in September That has included dozens of calls to law enforcement six new DCFS investigations and five complaints to the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Administration A state OSHA inspector visited the school in September One employee reported to the Lake County sheriff’s office that a student struck a teacher and another student with a chair A boy’s parent called the sheriff because a teacher allegedly grabbed the child by the face Students dialed 911 from phones in their classrooms Staff requested ambulances to transport children they said needed psychiatric evaluation which already has one Lake County sheriff’s officer stationed at the school a therapist called DCFS with concerns about a 10-year-old boy who had a bruise and scratch on his upper thigh The boy told her he was injured when two teachers held him down to stop him from running down the hall and to get a pencil out of his hand The student asked his mom: “Did they have to restrain me and stick their nail in my skin and scratch me?” according to the DCFS report a sheriff’s officer reported to DCFS that an 8-year-old boy had a scratch on his face and a possible swollen eye after a teacher grabbed him by the face and arm as he was running in the hall Two parents also reported that employees had pushed or grabbed their children he described the office as “a mean place where they put you in rooms with nothing in there and you have to sit” for 10 minutes A school employee reported that a 9-year-old boy told her he was elbowed in the face by a teacher And a teacher called DCFS at the end of the school day on Aug 29 to report that the school was unsafe for students and staff members He said the school was “extremely understaffed” and students were wandering freely and physically fighting each other “There are just not enough staff to watch all of the students,” he said “Top administration believes everything is fine even though a number of teachers have expressed their concerns regarding these issues.” When DCFS interviewed the teacher in late October he cited some improvements but said he still worried about the safety of the children and staff and was frustrated there were “no real significant consequences set in place when the children misbehave.” Gages Lake employees also took their concerns to state labor officials 26 complaint to Illinois OSHA alleged that Gages Lake was “over populated” and understaffed “Students with behavior disorders throw items at staff from binders to rocks,” it stated and staff members were getting injured as students kicked a state OSHA inspector made an unannounced visit to the school district officials had decided to close the school for the day because too many employees would be absent and it wouldn’t be safe OSHA did not issue any citations because the district had already made some changes after learning of the employee complaints including increasing pay to substitutes to help with staffing issues and freezing student enrollment The agency issued a “hazard alert,” putting the school on notice that it should continue to develop and update safety plans that address workplace violence was one of about a dozen district employees who spoke at a packed board meeting last week They described distraught teachers and other employees struggling to understand what to do in an emergency Employees and parents say Gages Lake School which serves students with behavioral and emotional disabilities turmoil at the Lake County school has included 21 child abuse investigations significant understaffing problems and five workplace safety inquiries “Every second here feels like survival,” Reddick said “We are in constant crisis and there is simply not adequate staffing.” Reddick said students are “physically and verbally abusive.” Last year the school district documented 120 staff injuries at Gages Lake “For years before the incidents happened last spring Gages teachers had been asking for help,” said veteran teacher Christine Berek who said the administration overreacted to perceived abuse last spring instead of working with the employees A former aide at Gages Lake said in an interview that the school became a “free for all” this fall after the administration restricted the use of physical restraint without providing adequate training on alternatives and without hiring enough staff He described the children as “lovable” but troubled some workers at Gages Lake and other specialized schools in the state expressed the belief that their students needed to be physically restrained and secluded because they were not like typical children you have just kids running through the hallway doing what they want to do (Staff) are all scared,” said the former Gages Lake aide president of the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education said there are lessons to learn from SEDOL as it works to limit the use of isolated timeout and restraint and take on the challenges that come with changing long-standing practices “Making a culture shift is really difficult even under good circumstances,” he said “They are moving from a more punitive model to one that is more therapeutically focused They are working really quickly to do that … There are some people who may push back really hard on that whose 16-year-old son attends a Gages Lake program for older children said staff turnover means the boy has had three teachers already this year “That third teacher is only a substitute,” said Azzano “My son — who never cries — about a month ago was crying A staff member who knows my son asked why he was so upset He doesn’t know what will happen tomorrow.” the families at the center of the abuse allegations are still trying to understand the past The Gurnee boy didn’t return to Gages Lake after his parents saw the video of him being grabbed by his ankles but district officials continue to call his mother Each call means there is more video of her son for her to watch School officials won’t let the parents watch the video footage for longer than an hour at a time “Getting those phone calls constantly to watch video of my son being treated this way …” the mother began to say before starting to cry the boy’s parents said they didn’t even realize the school had a seclusion space which was stocked with toys for the children to play with Their son had been secluded at his previous elementary school and the parents said they specifically sought assurance that wouldn’t happen at Gages Lake “I said many times on the tour I don’t want him in a cement jail cell-type space,” the mom said When their son came home talking about going to the office for a “reset,” the parents thought that meant the principal’s office It wasn’t until they saw the videos — and then asked for all records related to their son — that they learned he had been taken to the office 60 to 70 times in kindergarten and first grade They say they have repeatedly asked to see the space “It happened so often that he must have thought they come pick you up and carry you to the room and they drop you in there,’” said the boy’s mother State law requires schools to provide written notice to parents within 24 hours of any isolated timeout or physical restraint and SEDOL policy says the parents are to be notified “as soon as possible.” But several Gages Lake parents said they did not receive these notices Donnan said that despite the school policy “I feel like I’m the worst mother in the world for sending my child to this school every day and he was in this room and I didn’t know it,” the Gurnee boy’s mother said He has since transferred to another school but remains scarred from his time at Gages Lake “My son is terrified to be alone in his room in a bathroom door stall with the door shut,” his mother said also have returned to the school to watch hours of footage of their son in the office School district officials gave them a copy of one video showing the April 30 incident that prompted the abuse investigation and the family later shared it with reporters The parents said other videos show their son being physically abused but officials won’t give them copies A DCFS spokesman said the agency has not reviewed any additional video involving Staley Staley was left unsupervised behind a locked door “You just see the minutes roll and roll,” she said “They can’t explain why my son was even in there.” waiting for his turn to go in the room,” Sandy said “Then he gets put in a room for an hour with a locked door … This child hasn’t done anything wrong Sandy said she received three written notices documenting behavioral interventions during the nine weeks Staley attended Gages Lake last spring two for isolated timeouts and one for physical restraint she learned he had been taken to the office more than 20 times The family says it received no paperwork from the April 30 incident Staley is being home-schooled while his family looks for another placement for him He doesn’t like to talk about his experiences at Gages Lake sometimes says his “memory files got deleted.” His mother keeps a folder of school documents and a journal of notes as she tries to determine what happened to him at the school She still thinks about how he didn’t want to get on the school bus every morning and how he used to press his palm against the window as it drove away ProPublica Illinois reporters Duaa Eldeib, Lakeidra Chavis and Haru Coryne contributed to this story Jennifer Smith Richards is a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, where she specializes in data analysis. She previously covered schools and education for more than a decade at newspapers around the country. Contact Jennifer by email and on Twitter Chicago Tribune in your inbox: Get investigations like this and the other news you need to know to start your day with the Chicago Tribune’s Daywatch newsletter Jodi S. Cohen Jennifer Smith Richards I pursue stories about abuses of power — often focusing on schools and education — and stories about private businesses throughout the Midwest Get our investigations delivered to your inbox with the Big Story newsletter Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Thank you for your interest in republishing this story You are are free to republish it so long as you do the following: Copy and paste the following into your page to republish: A man has been sentenced to three months in jail after he pleaded guilty to slashing a victim’s stomach open was charged in April with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon aggravated battery unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated battery in a public way The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9:20 a.m on April 27 to a local hospital to meet with medical staff regarding a man brought into the emergency room Sheriff’s deputies learned that the victim according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli A further investigation showed the victim was in a car with Osmena The victim and Osmena started arguing with each other adding it is unclear what the argument was about The driver of the car pulled over in the area of Eastwood Avenue and Chippewa Road in Gages Lake to drop Osmena off The victim and Osmena both exited the vehicle and continued arguing Covelli said Osmena produced a knife and slashed the victim’s stomach open The wound was so severe that part of the victim’s intestinal tract fell out The driver of the car immediately drove the victim to the hospital The victim was hospitalized and his condition was improving After identifying Osmena as the suspect in the case sheriff’s detectives arrested him at his home Osmena has been held in the Lake County Jail since his arrest Court records show Osmena entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office last week He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon Osmena was sentenced to 180 days in jail with day-for-day credit He received 96 days of credit for time served awaiting trial resulting in his sentence being considered served upon the plea Osmena will be on probation for 24 months and was ordered to not consume illegal drugs or alcohol not leave the state and submit to random drug tests He will also be required to complete 100 hours of public service and pay $2,949 in court fines and fees 2024 at 1:58 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Anthony Osmena faces multiple felonies in connection with a slashing that left a man critically injured (Lake County Sheriff's Office )LAKE COUNTY IL — A 23-year-old man faces charges for allegations he slashed a 24-year-old Round Lake Beach man's stomach open following a fight Saturday morning in Gages Lake The Round Lake Beach man was initially listed in critical condition and he underwent surgery following the attack he was in stable condition and was improving deputy chief with the Lake County Sheriff Office of the 17800 block of West Big Oaks Road in Gages Lake is accused of slashing the Round Lake Beach man's stomach open on the side of the road in the area of Eastwood Avenue and Chippewa Road in Gages Lake according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office The two initially got into an argument while they were riding together in a car The driver pulled over to drop Osmena off and both Osmena and the Round Lake Beach man got out of the car when Osmena got out a knife and slashed the man's stomach open Authorities are not sure at this point what the two got into an argument about Police said the wound was so severe the man's intestinal tract fell out from the slash wound The driver immediately drove the Round Lake Beach man to the hospital He has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon aggravated battery in a public way and unlawful use of a weapon He is expected in court Monday morning for his initial court appearance Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A Gages Lake man faces felony charges alleging he sliced open another man’s stomach during an argument Saturday morning is charged with three counts of aggravated battery and one count of unlawful use of a weapon stemming from the alleged attack according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office He had been wounded so severely that his intestinal tract fell out of the slash wound Sheriff’s police said detectives responded at about 9:20 a.m where they learned that a 24-year-old Round Lake Beach man brought to the emergency room was in surgery and in critical condition Further investigation revealed that the man was in a car with a man identified as Osmena when the two began arguing The driver of the car pulled over near Eastwood Avenue and Chippewa Road in Gages Lake to drop Osmena off Both men then got the vehicle and were still arguing when Osmena attacked the Round Lake Beach man with a knife The driver of the car immediately drove the Round Lake Beach man to the hospital He was being held Sunday in the Lake County jail pending a court appearance Three people were transported to the hospital and a suspect was taken into custody after he allegedly attacked two women and led deputies on a pursuit that ended in a multi-vehicle crash in Gurnee The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5 p.m Wednesday to a residence in the 18500 block of West Old Gages Lake Road in unincorporated Grayslake for a domestic battery Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the caller James left the residence in his Chevrolet HHR prior to the arrival of sheriff’s deputies A 911 call was received from a witness a short time later who saw James repeatedly punching his girlfriend in the car as they traveled on Hunt Club Road in the area of Route 120 A sheriff’s deputy spotted the Chevrolet HHR and attempted to initiate a traffic stop in the area of Hunt Club Road and Gages Lake Road Covelli said James fled from deputies eastbound on Gages Lake Road and refused to pull over “Due to the need to rescue James’ victim from additional harm sheriff’s deputies pursued the Chevrolet HHR,” Covelli said James turned from Gages Lake Road onto Route 21 and proceeded northbound on Route 21 As James approached the intersection at Washington Street he disregarded the red light and proceeded through the intersection James’ Chevrolet HHR was struck by a westbound Chevrolet Silverado which caused the Chevrolet HHR to strike a Honda Odyssey that was in the intersection The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded to the scene The domestic battery victim was rescued by sheriff’s deputies and transported to an area hospital due to the injuries she sustained from being punched and for an evaluation of her unborn child Sheriff’s deputies immediately arrested James and he was transported to an area hospital for minor injuries suffered in the crash was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries was also transported to an area hospital with minor injuries released from the hospital and transported to the Lake County Jail The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the charges of aggravated battery to a pregnant woman two counts of domestic battery and several traffic violations The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is filing a petition to detain James in custody pending trial The Lake County Sheriff’s Office requested the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team to investigate due to the crash stemming from a police pursuit Authorities say a 24-year-old man was left in critical condition after a suspect slashed his stomach open with a knife during an argument in Gages Lake Saturday morning A further investigation showed the victim was in a car with Anthony E The victim remains hospitalized but his condition is improving The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon Osmena remains held in the Lake County Jail following a First Appearance Court Sunday morning prompted a soft lockdown and an emergency response to the Special Education District of Lake County campus in Gages Lake Thursday afternoon The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:30 p.m Thursday to the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) campus in the 18100 block of West Gages Lake Road in Gages Lake for a bomb threat Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a threat was made via telephone about a bomb in a vehicle on the school property Deputies arrived on the scene and worked with school administration and staff from SEDOL Gages Lake School and the SEDOL Administrative Building Deputies methodically searched the parking lot to look for suspicious devices An explosive detection canine from the Great Lakes Naval Station was also called to check for devices on the property There was no detection of any explosive components “We always take these calls seriously,” he said The SEDOL campus remained on a soft lockdown throughout the investigation Covelli said detectives are working to track down where the threat came from and who made it administrators said the bomb threat and subsequent soft lockdown delayed student dismissal “SEDOL is thankful for our partnership with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and other responding law enforcement agencies,” the administration said The sheriff’s office will offer an increased presence on the SEDOL campus on Friday You can easily envision a time when families headed north from Chicago and its nearest suburbs to their cottages in the country and kids lived for summers along the north shore of Gages Lake all the homes in this unincorporated area of central Lake County were summer cottages many of which passed from generation to generation A few still remain in their original state which have remained as they always have been It was curiosity about why her Gages Lake neighborhood was called Allen Farm that led Diana Machado on a dogged journey of discovery and gave birth to her desire to rekindle a sense of community Her three-year effort culminates Saturday with the Gages Lake Centennial Celebration an all-day event that starts with a classic car show at 9 a.m “This is the first time we've ever come together to have a communal “Everybody hopes it's the start of a good thing.” The compact neighborhoods on the north shore of Gages Lake are part of the Allen Farm Dady & Decker and Idlewild subdivisions the general area known for a large picnic grove which now is occupied by townhouses and part of Grayslake had been a popular getaway for the masses and the well-to-do I feel there are so few places like this,” said Machado a relative newcomer who bought a yellow cottage on Oak Street in 2002 Her husband-to-be lived across the street and first visited the area as a boy in the 1960s Allen Farm was named after Obed and Anna Allen who until 1921 owned and operated the Allen Farm & Resort Hotel The property was sold and subdivided in 1922 but the late-1800s building — long ago converted to an apartment building — still stands An insurance underwriter with eye for detail Machado's curiosity about the past turned into a passion that led to Saturday's big event Planning meetings for a centennial celebration began a year ago The core group of organizers has included Tami Hultgren Moore whose home on North Lake Shore Drive has been in the family since the 1930s She spent summers at the cottage on the lake she and her husband bought and converted the summer house to a full-time residence “You can feel the family cottage — the history,” said Moore the more I realize the importance of knowing your neighbor,” she added “It's a celebration but hopefully it makes a mark.” was among the first settlers of Warren Township in the 1830s Gage's Lake (the apostrophe eventually was dropped) was named for George and his brother Leonard curator of the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County sold a flour mill in Chicago and joined them in 1947 were described as “ardent believers in racial and gender equality,” according to Dretske Lake County was among the strongest areas of antislavery sentiment in Illinois Editor's note: This story was changed to correct a misspelled name An existing staff shortage coupled with additional absences reported Friday morning led to the emergency closure of Gages Lake School by the Special Education District of Lake County The school is scheduled to reopen Monday with "a number of new employees," and no additional closings are expected All other SEDOL programs and schools were in session Friday "Today's emergency closing was a very unusual situation but it's about more than just numbers," Superintendent Valerie Donnan said Friday afternoon "We are still working to fill a number of open positions - and have an excellent backup system of experienced administrators and substitutes - but even a small number of unexpected absences in key student support positions has a critical impact on our ability to provide a safe learning environment and accommodate the specialized needs of our students." Gages Lake is SEDOL's elementary therapeutic day school for early childhood through sixth-grade students with "significant emotional and behavioral needs," according to the homepage is dealing with a widespread teacher shortage and special education teachers are in particularly short supply She previously said a change in state law as well as "routine retirements and resignations" and other factors led to a "significant number" of teaching and paraprofessional vacancies SEDOL enacted a temporary enrollment freeze at Gages Lake and South schools and the LASSO-3 program at Laremont School until staffing levels increase The gap prompted teachers to file grievances against the administration through its union Union chief Rebecca Slye has said a contract requirement to provide "a safe environment for learning" was not being met and there weren't enough staff for the number of students The listed staff of 39 at Gages Lake School includes teachers Donnan said Gages Lake was operating at 71% of full staffing and was the hardest hit of SEDOL's schools said short staffing has created safety issues for teachers and students Changes in procedures also have contributed to resignations "Why are we seeing so many leaving who have been there for years?" she said "Parents need to know what is really going on." Donnan said the district regularly reviews and updates procedures and training to ensure behavioral interventions are done in a "safe and appropriate manner." All the new employees at Gages Lake have completed training and have previous experience in an education setting "With these and other skilled new employees joining our talented educational team in the coming days and weeks we do not anticipate any additional school closings at this time," she said 2023 at 8:31 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The new water tower at 18534 W will replace a former tower currently located near Route 120 and John Mogg Road IL — A $6.1 million construction contract has been approved by the Lake County Board to allow for construction of a water tower at 18534 W The new 150-foot high tower will hold 1.25 million gallons of water, which is eight times the capacity of the "Wildwood" tower off John Mogg Road north of Route 120 Brittany Albrecht Sloan, engineering supervisor with the Lake County public works department, said the project is one of the county's "larger and more critical projects" since the current tower has reached the end of its service life Construction on the new water tower is set to being this spring More via the Daily Herald A water tower will be built on an open spot in unincorporated Gages Lake designated and prepped with underground piping for that purpose more than three decades ago is scheduled to begin in the spring following Lake County Board approval last month of a $6.1 million construction contract The new tower will stand 150 feet high and hold 1.25 million gallons of water - more than eight times the capacity of the familiar "Wildwood" tower off John Mogg Road just north of Route 120 which refers to one of the unincorporated communities in the area has reached the end of its service life and a new one is needed for a variety of reasons "It's one of our larger and more critical projects" for its impact on service and reliability in the communities served engineering supervisor with the Lake County public works department Lake County owns and operates the Wildwood Water System which supplies nearly 1 million gallons of Lake Michigan water to 14,000 residents in Gages Lake Arbor Vista and College of Lake County in Grayslake Water is stored in the Wildwood tower and two reservoirs The new tower site was donated to the county in 1990 with the development of the Tangueray Meadows subdivision Centrally located in the system between the reservoirs and near two large-diameter water mains the site was identified as the preferred and most cost-effective option for a new tower It will provide optimum pressure and up to three days of water storage in case of an emergency Design of the new tower began in 2021 but many residents weren't aware "It was a surprise to a lot of residents so we had a public feedback session," said Carissa Casbon the District 7 county board member who represents the area Casbon said some residents were concerned runoff from the tower site would aggravate area flooding and said they sleep by their sump pump when it rains Blocked views were another concern and the public works department "bent over backward" to engage the community and work through issues with residents regarding the design and other aspects of the project During the process a "name the tower" contest generated more than 575 responses and dozens of suggestions "Gages Lake" was the winner and that lettering will be on south side of the tower only with the north side left blank Construction of the new tower foundation will start early next year and the project is expected to be complete in spring 2025 The current tower will remain in service to provide added storage and pressure and improvements are anticipated the county is replacing more than 7,200 feet of 50-year-old water mains in Wildwood and Allen Farms and began installing a secondary storm sewer to reduce the flood risk for 210 property owners and runoff that floods local roads This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Lake County health authorities are investigating more than a dozen COVID-19 cases linked to adult volleyball leagues hosted by a Gages Lake bar and grill where as many as 200 players and spectators may have been exposed to the virus Health officials say 14 people who played or watched volleyball at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink this month have tested positive for the coronavirus Several of those people also played volleyball at other bar/restaurant locations which could contribute to further spread of the virus "We are currently working diligently to speak with infected individuals and notify close contacts who have been identified," said Dr medical epidemiologist at the Lake County Health Department nearly 200 volleyball players and spectators may have been exposed This could potentially be a large outbreak and we need the public's help to contain the spread of this virus." Health officials are asking that anyone who played volleyball at Jesse Oaks this month to quarantine at home for 14 days from their last visit They also suggest those people get a molecular COVID-19 test within at least five days of their last visit and call the Communicable Disease program at (847) 377-8130 if not already contacted by the health department avoid having any visitors and wear a face covering if they must leave to seek medical attention A negative test result does not shorten the quarantine period since the virus may take up to 14 days to be detectable Jesse Oaks has suspended all volleyball activities for 14 days and may resume only when in compliance with state guidelines Those guidelines allow only scrimmages among members of the same team but not league play between different teams "Under the current phase of the state's plan volleyball is considered a medium-risk sport and no competitive matches between teams are permitted," said Larry Mackey director of environmental health at the health department "Failing to abide by these guidelines puts the public's health at risk and has the potential to force additional restrictions on local businesses that are working so hard to protect their employees and customers." Mackey said there is "some disagreement" as to whether the games taking place at Jesse Oaks violated state guidelines but the health department believes they were league games and therefore prohibited no enforcement actions are being taken against the establishment "They voluntarily agreed to stop the games for 14 days and we're working with them to meet the guidelines," Mackey said 16,960 Lake County residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday An official website of the United States government Latest Earthquakes Extreme flooding on Lake Ontario can result in millions of dollars in damages to shoreline properties USGS Lake Ontario gages report elevations around 247.8 ft above International Great Lakes Datum of 1985; a foot below record flood elevations observed in 2017 causing widespread damage to infrastructure The President issued a “Major Disaster Declaration” for New York State as a result of damages caused by flooding along Lake Ontario (November 14 2017).  United States Geological Survey lake elevation gages provide timely information to the NWS and help describe coastal erosion processes Map and List of Lake Ontario Elevation Gages Station Pages for Lake Ontario Elevation Gages These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics You can install and RSS reader browser extension or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added they may look strange because they are simply XML code An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site New York Water Science Center News United States of America News 2023 at 12:35 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Planning and design is underway for a new water tower that will be located between the IL 120 Reservoir Site and Almond Road Reservoir Site and is meant to serve 14,000 residents IL — Construction will soon begin on a new water tower near Grayslake and Lake County Public Works Department is asking for your help in naming the tower and public works officials are asking the public to decide between the following four options for naming the tower which is located between Gages Lake and Wildwood: public works officials received overwhelming support for two additional names which residents said they would like to see painted on the tower and is now asking the public to sound off on their favorite according to a news release from public works LCPW will leave the form open for submissions until Feb The name of the new water tower will be announced later this year which will bring water to more than 14,000 residents that has an average daily demand of nearly 1 million gallons of water will replace the existing John Mogg Water Tower That tower has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced to provide larger water storage reserves Water towers are constructed to provide water pressure to homes and businesses and to serve as emergency storage residents living in the Wildwood Water system would be able to use water for less than one day in an emergency event such as a power outage The new tower will provide up to three days of emergency storage The new water tower will be 150 feet tall and will be able to hold 1.25 million gallons of water A festival last summer meant to unite three century old subdivisions that comprise Gages Lake was so successful residents are doing it again this weekend whose fascination with the area's history sparked the inaugural event We're going to have more vendors and more bands." Gages Lake Centennial 2 street festival is focused on Old Gages Lake Road on the north side of the lake, east of Route 45 and north of Route 120. A classic car show, parade, games, museum with historical photos and more, and bingo under the stars are among the activities for the daylong gathering from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Visit the North Shore Gages Lake Centennial Facebook page for details and listings The compact neighborhoods on the north shore of Gages Lake in unincorporated central Lake County were developed in or about 1922 as the Allen Farm Dady & Decker subdivision is 100 years old this year the general area was known for a large picnic grove which eventually was developed with townhouses and now is part of Grayslake It was a popular getaway for the public and well-heeled alike The homes on the north shore of the lake were summer cottages Machado moved to Allen Farm in 2002 and began researching the area Her curiosity turned to a passion and led to the first event last summer introduce more recent arrivals to neighbors share a common history and rekindle community spirit There was no way to tell exactly but Machado estimated last year's turnout at about 1,500 "The real hometown vibe and community we hoped to form last year just oozed out and we hope for the very same and more this year," Machado said "There's a lot of people who love this neighborhood." 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sheriff’s office Multiple electronic media storage devices from the home were seized and authorities found about 1,000 images and videos identified as child pornography The investigation also determined that Rygiel reproduced several videos containing child pornography Rygiel is charged with five counts of reproducing child pornography Further investigation of the media devices seized from his home will determine if prosecutors seek additional charges He is being held in the Lake County Jail on a $100,000 bond and is next scheduled to appear in court Jan Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale A former special education paraprofessional at Gages Lake School was charged with using “excessive force” and causing injuries to multiple students A former special education worker at a north suburban school has been charged with using “excessive force” with children on multiple occasions was arrested Friday and charged with six misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct Izquierdo is accused of injuring four students while working as a paraprofessional at Gages Lake School for the Special Education District of Lake County The parents of a 7-year-old child enrolled at the school contacted authorities to report an injury on May 19 During the “excessive force” investigation several other parents came forward with similar reports The school’s website describes Gages Lake School as a “public elementary therapeutic day school for early childhood through sixth grade students who have significant emotional and behavioral needs.” While school employees are authorized to use a “physical restraint” hold on students to de-escalate emotional outbursts investigators learned “Izquierdo did not use proper techniques and acted recklessly on six separate occasions that led to children receiving minor injuries,” the sheriff’s office said He is accused of grabbing one child by the leg and causing the child to fall to the ground and grabbing another child’s arm and twisting it He also allegedly pushed or pulled other children Donnan wrote that Izquierdo no longer works for the district and has not been at the Gages Lake campus since the initial report was made on May 19 SEDOL reported the matter to police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and launched its own internal investigation which included “the review of hundreds of hours of videotape from the time-out intervention room at Gages Lake,” Donnan wrote The district also provided refresher training on crisis prevention and restraint protocols to staff “We deeply regret the behavior we observed by Mr Izquierdo and the heartache it has caused for these students and parents,” Donnan wrote “His actions are inconsistent with the professionalism and integrity of the rest of our experienced dedicated and compassionate staff who work tirelessly to help our students manage their extensive social-emotional needs and develop their academic skills.” Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides "brings play to communities," said Ann Subry executive director of the SEDOL Foundation brings entities like schools together with financial partners to build play areas The process to bring a new playground to Gages Lake School started back in January SEDOL received the official go-ahead in May and what followed were weekly conference-call planning meetings between SEDOL the Grayslake Police Department and other entities They also painted exterior portions of Gages Lake School The volunteers included 350 people from Discover Financial along with SEDOL parents and former staff."Volunteering is one of our core values," said Discover Financial CEO David Nelms He said the company has a monthly "Discover Cares" volunteer event Friday's volunteers consisted of the entire Discover Card Marketing Team Nelms said."I've always felt it's important to give back in so many ways," said Nelms chairman of the SEDOL Foundation Board of Directors said while the Foundation is able to do a lot of great things for SEDOL Friday's project was beyond the scope of what the Foundation is usually able to provide typically helps individual families to provide items like adaptive equipment."We're really proud that (KaBOOM!) picked us," said Raye "I'm just amazed at what they've been able to accomplish."Jimano's Pizzeria provided free pizza pasta and salad for all of the volunteers to enjoy Owner Patrick Pluth also helped out at the event serving lunch to the volunteers and keeping the lunch line organized."The executive director called and said she needed help (providing the food) how about we save you some trouble and do the whole thing?" said Pluth but it's a worthwhile opportunity to be involved in an event like this We feel like we're giving back to the community." Download the movie Surveillance image of the man suspected in a Nov Authorities are asking for the public’s help in the search for a man who robbed a gas station and convenience store this week in the north suburbs Lake County sheriff’s deputies were called for reports of an armed robbery at the Thornton’s gas station at 34225 N according to a statement from the sheriff’s office A clerk told the deputies a man had entered the store pulled out a handgun and demanded money from the register Another robbery was reported about 6:50 p.m The clerk reported similar details to the earlier robbery The suspect was described as a 5-foot-9 to 6-foot African American man in his mid-20s with a thin to medium build Investigators believe the same man was responsible for both robberies Authorities released a surveillance image of the suspect and are asking anyone with information to call the Criminal Investigations Division at (847) 377-4245 A Third Lake man was charged in connection with an arson fire at a Zion apartment building that left two people hospitalized of the 1-99 block of Coral Reef Court in Third Lake was charged with one count of aggravated arson A criminal complaint filed in Lake County Circuit Court alleges Edwards committed arson by starting a fire that damaged a building in the 4200 block of Maple Lane in Zion The complaint said that Edwards should have reasonably known people were present in the building when he set the fire on August 7 obtained by a Freedom of Information Act request shows the Zion Fire Rescue Department received a call of a fire alarm at the apartment building People inside the building called 911 and reported smoke inside Firefighters arrived to find the occupants had used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire Investigators determined the fire was started on the carpet in front of an apartment door The fire burned part of the door and some of the carpet inside the apartment Occupants of other apartment units told investigators they heard the fire alarms smelled gasoline and then used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire Two subjects were transported by ambulance to a local hospital to be evaluated An arrest warrant was issued for Edwards on October 15 and officers with the Lake Zurich Police Department arrested him in late October Lake County Judge Christopher Morozin ordered Edwards held on a $250,000 bond would have to post $25,000 cash in order to be released A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 29 2020 at 10:06 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Joe Torres is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon reckless discharge of a firearm and disorderly conduct (Lake County Sheriff's Office)GRAYSLAKE IL — A $15,000 bail has been ordered for a 23-year-old Grayslake man who is accused of bringing a gun into two bars in Gages Lake on Saturday has also been ordered not to stop out to Jesse Oaks Food & Drink or Firehouse Pub following the incident Saturday Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the 18400 block of Old Gages Lake Road in Gages Lake shortly after midnight Saturday after receiving a report of shots fired according to a news release from the sheriff's office Witnesses told police a man displayed his gun while outside Jesse Oaks Food & Drink before walking over to Firehouse Pub They said they then heard what sounded like two gunshots Police found a man who matched a description given by witnesses on the back deck at Firehouse Pub he ran through the bar and the front door of the bar before falling Police took Torres into custody and he's been charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon unlawful possession of ammunition and two counts of resisting a police officer Authorities say they found a magazine with ammunition on Torres A canine team was called to the scene and was located by Gurnee Police Department K9 Bear near where the man fell Torres was treated at the scene for a small cut sustained when he fell rested comfortably on a tree stand as kindergartners gawked at him Wednesday at Woodland Primary School in Gages Lake also known as "The Frog Lady," gave a herpetology lesson for the students discussing the similarities and differences between reptiles and amphibians that was illustrated with live animals the children could watch and touch They are going to get right up close and they are going to get to see them touch them and really experience this amazing world of nature that most people don't get to see up close," Krohn said as Rex gripped her forearm "Once they see them up close and see that these animals are very sweet and don't have any intention of hurting anyone they are completely in love with these animals." The Gurnee resident has been featured on "Animal Planet," "Oprah," and "WGN Morning Show" and has worked as a naturalist at the Forest Preserve District of Will County The Woodland School District 50 Parent Teacher Association funded the educational program with Krohn for six shows at the school I liked the chameleon because it can stick to the trees it can change colors," kindergartner Tyler Brincks said after getting up close to look at Rex he took the children in stride and chilled on his tree “It bobbed up and down for several minutes before touching down.” Photo credit: Janelle Yeager The National Weather Service confirmed Monday afternoon that a tornado did touch down Sunday night in Lake County Wind speed was pegged at 90 to 100 miles an hour The tornado touched down in Round Lake at 8:35 p.m and then moved to the center of Grayslake at 8:42 p.m before heading to the eastern part of the village by 8:45 p.m The tornado had a path lengthy of 7.5 miles and estimated width of 300 yards Weather officials spent Monday in the area to assess damage in factoring the rating An EF-1 rating is the second lowest classification clean-up was under way at Grayslake Central High School following the tornado that caused damage to the school’s roof The storm left thousands without power Sunday and Monday morning. As of Monday afternoon, over 1,200 were still without power in Round Lake Park and hundreds were also without power in the area of Wildwood and Gages Lake, according to ComEd’s Outage map. Damage reports in Grayslake included power lines down in the area of Grayslake Central High School and a small truck that had blown over. A drone video surveying damage in Grayslake showed downed trees and large tree branches on roofs The Pizza Place restaurant in Round Lake sustained heavy damage A wall collapsed at a Portillo’s under construction in Gurnee Mills along Ring Road 2011 at 2:02 am CTWhen the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) opened its new Laremont School on its Gages Lake campus last year one of the state’s largest providers of programs and services for disabled adults and children saw a unique opportunity to forge a special “I happened to ask what they were doing with the old school,” said Denise Rau program director of Clearbrook’s Developmental Training North facility which relocated from North Chicago to the SEDOL campus earlier this year which also houses SEDOL’s Gages Lake School had about 5,500 square feet of space available who contacted SEDOL Superintendent Tom Moline in the hopes of Clearbrook renting the vacant space which provides state-funded programs and services to disabled adults 22 and older The afternoon will include tours and mock activities so potential clients and their families can get a feel for the program Rau said Clearbrook is thrilled to be located on SEDOL’s sprawling Gages Lake campus which lends itself to outdoor activity space they did not have in North Chicago Our facility in North Chicago was located in an industrial park with no sidewalks” and no real outdoor program space the North Chicago facility was not getting many referrals for students about to transition out of SEDOL’s high school program at Laremont School into an adult program “The beauty of our partnership with the (SEDOL) school district is they will train our staff,” said Rau When a student transitions out of Laremont into Clearbrook’s adult program SEDOL staff work with Clearbrook staff so they have a better understanding of the individual’s needs Moline called the facility “is a natural fit” for SEDOL adding families of transitioning Laremont students appreciate the stability that comes with having adult services on the same campus “We really appreciate that Clearbrook provides services five days a week Other programs can be limited,” said Moline Clearbrook’s Developmental Training Facility North currently has 30 adult clients Trained Clearbrook staff work with disabled adults on everything from personal hygiene and daily tasks to social skills “They are profoundly physically and developmentally disabled,” said Rau of the clients focuses more on leisure activities and day-to-day living routines you really have to want to be a caregiver.” Clients do not have to come from Laremont to enroll in the state-funded program clients can stay with the developmental training program indefinitely Clearbrook was established in 1956 by five families who wanted a school for their special needs children Clearbrook’s first classroom opened in a Rolling Meadows barn designated the “Rolling Meadows Community School for Retarded Children Council.” Their first permanent building opened in 1961 Clearbrook removed “For the Retarded” from its name to reflect the expansion of the agency’s services to a broader group of individuals Clearbrook’s first adult residential program opened in 1973 in Arlington Heights where their administrative offices are currently located Clearbrook serves more than 3,000 disabled individuals in nearly 40 facilities To learn more, visit www.clearbrook.org The Developmental Training Facility North can be reached at (847) 986-6568 A conversation with Bill Gage, third-generation steward of Gage Marine and the iconic Lake Geneva Cruise line that’s been delivering the daily mail via boat for 102 years Gage Marine is intimately involved in life on the lake from putting in and taking out lakefront piers operating the Pier 290 lakefront restaurant in Williams Bay boat sales and just about anything aquatic related Among Gage’s pride and joys is the legendary wood-hulled Gage-Hacker boat that’s been an icon on Lake Geneva since the early 1960s.   You are invited to subscribe to the Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR Podcast travel show Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer via:  Apple Podcast NPR.ORG Podcast Directory NPR One (APP) Stitcher.com Culture Editor @360magazine Katie Culver has been named the new assistant principal at Woodland Elementary East School in Gages Lake Culver will be filling the vacancy of Nicole Bellini who is leaving after five years to become the principal at Sherwood Elementary School in Highland Park fifth and seventh grades and has been an assistant principal at elementary schools in McHenry County and I love being an assistant principal even more because I get to help all of the staff and students in the school in this role," Culver said in an announcement of her hiring "I always want students to feel the classroom is a home away from home and a safe and fun place to learn and explore new things." The Lake County sheriff's office is seeking help from the public to identify a person who committed two armed robberies over a span of three days in Third Lake The robber entered the Thornton's gas station on the 34000 block of North Route 45 about 2:55 a.m showed the clerk a handgun and demanded money from the register Authorities believe the same man walked into Gages Lake Food and Liquor on the 18000 block of West Old Gages Lake Road about 6:50 p.m No injuries were suffered in either robbery Surveillance footage and descriptions of the robber matched Authorities said the robber is believed to be a black man in his mid-20s with a thin to medium build He stands between 5-foot-9 and 6-foot tall Anyone with information on the robberies should call police at (847) 377-4245 Put in Headlock After Trying to Get Out of School's 'Seclusion Room,' Parents Say and Video ShowsInside Edition Staff Disturbing video shows a 7-year-old Illinois boy being ordered to stay inside a so-called seclusion room He approaches the school aide several times, trying to get out and each time she pushes him back. At one point, she can be seen pinning his arm against the wall. The boy gave her a kick and then the aide put him into a head lock Beth Sandy said that her son was severely traumatized by his experiences in the seclusion room I couldn’t hug my son,” she told Inside Edition but Staley has been diagnosed with a severe case of ADHD and it's hard for him to sit still and take direction His parents enrolled him in the Gages Lake School outside Chicago which offers a tailored education to kids like Staley Beth knows her son's ADHD makes him difficult to handle but she said she had no idea why her son's behavior suddenly changed He became much more withdrawn and didn't want to go back to school Staley's parents said they didn't know anything about the existence of a seclusion room until she saw this video Beth agreed, saying it was hardest to see her son being placed in a headlock. “'He said to me, ‘mommy she put her arm on neck and I couldn’t breathe,’” Beth said.  Staley is now being home-schooled. Illinois is investigating possible abuse in more than 20,000 cases throughout the state involving students being placed inside seclusion rooms.  The school superintendent says an internal review showed procedures were "not followed" with the isolation room at Gages Lake School and those videos were given to authorities. Copyright (c) 2020 CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WJXT / WCWJ Closed Captioning / Audio Description WJXT Public File WJXT EEO Report WCWJ Public File WCWJ EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group A Gages Lake man faces up to 45 years in prison after admitting Tuesday he stabbed his wife to death in 2007 pleaded guilty to first-degree murder during a hearing before Associate Judge Christopher Stride 2007 of multiple stab wounds inflicted by her husband as the couple argued outside their home in the 33000 block of Oakland Drive Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Suzanne Willett said Dean at the time an unemployed construction worker and his wife were arguing over furniture in their rented home Nadine Dean decided to leave the house and walked to her car John Dean grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and followed her as she ran across the street to a neighbor's house attracted the attention of several witnesses Nadine Dean collapsed on a neighbor's porch and John Dean fled in his wife's Mitsubishi Mirage The car was found later that day at an apartment complex near Golf and Linden streets in Waukegan and a search of the area turned up no sign of Dean He was caught that night when police received a tip he had just called a cab from a gas station on Lake Street in Waukegan Police said Dean gave them a videotaped confession to the crime John Dean had been charged twice with domestic battery against his wife before the murder but only one of those cases resulted in a conviction Nadine Dean was a nurse at the county-run Winchester House for four years before her death the penalty for first-degree murder is a prison sentence of 20 to 60 years but Dean's plea agreement limits Stride to a maximum 45-year sentence He approaches the school aide several times, trying to get out and each time she pushes him back. At one point, she can be seen pinning his arm against the wall. The boy gave her a kick and then the aide put him into a head lock I couldn’t hug my son,” she told Inside Edition “He didn’t want to be touched.” but Staley has been diagnosed with a severe case of ADHD and it's hard for him to sit still and take direction but I used to love it,” he said.  Staley's parents said they didn't know anything about the existence of a seclusion room until she saw this video said watching the video was upsetting Beth agreed, saying it was hardest to see her son being placed in a headlock ‘mommy she put her arm on neck and I couldn’t breathe,’” Beth said.  Illinois is investigating possible abuse in more than 20,000 cases throughout the state involving students being placed inside seclusion rooms.  The school superintendent says an internal review showed procedures were "not followed" with the isolation room at Gages Lake School and those videos were given to authorities How Comedian's Difficult Sickle Cell Diagnosis Shaped Career 'CryptoQueen' Who Allegedly Conned Billions From Investors Has Been Missing Since 2017 Impossibly Cute Orphaned Cougar Cub Nursed Back to Health Woman's Fiance Dies Unexpectedly From Blood Clot as They're Planning Wedding Dec 13 2019A SCHOOL aide tragically took her own life shortly after an investigation was launched over shocking footage showing her holding a boy Staley Sandy-Ester is seen in a window-less room at Gages Lake School, a therapeutic school in Illinois, in a video from April 30 that was published by ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune. During the video, he is seen repeatedly trying to walk out of the isolation area, only to be stopped by a school aide blocking the exit while sitting on a chair. Shortly after Staley is seen kicking the woman’s leg, at which point she springs from her chair and pushes the boy -- who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- into a wall. The aide then grabbed Staley from behind and ripped something from his hand before shoving him in the back and returning to her seat. Staley’s parents became aware when he told his parents about the “scary” room, dubbed “The office”, at this school. Beth Sandy, Staley’s mom, saw the footage about a month later -- around the same time the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services launched an investigation into use of the room. “This is messed up and other people need to hear about it,” Sandy told ProPublica after she showed the group the video. “I want to be a part of something to stop this from happening to another child.” ProPublica reports special education officials for the school district first watched the video while investigating another incident and alerted DCFS. It was found as many as eight students - including Staley - might have been abused over a one month period. In the wake of the investigation, two aides at the school resigned, including Nicholas Izquierdo. He faces criminal charges over allegations of using excessive force on students, however, an attorney for the aide says his client denies any wrongdoing. The other aide was the woman seen in the video with Staley. She tragically died by suicide soon after learning of the investigation. According to ProPublica, 21 investigations into alleged physical abuse at the school has been opened since May. As part of the investigation, District Superintendent Valerie Donnan aid 'many hours of video footage' were watched. “If we observed interactions that did not comply with (district) protocols, we did not look away,” Donnan said, adding officials contacted parents, the state and law enforcement. “We have been actively and relentlessly working to change,” she told ProPublica and the Tribune As part of a broader investigation into the use of seclusion rooms ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune found “more than 20,000 incidents from the 2017-18 school year and through early December 2018” After the report was published state officials passed an emergency measure to temporarily ban the practice If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The 5,800 students who returned to classes Monday at Gurnee-based Woodland School District 50 weren't alone in getting used to different surroundings Joining them in a new circumstance was Ryan Wollberg principal at Woodland Elementary West in Gages Lake Wollberg spent the morning introducing himself to students and taking part in a game of "eclipse tag" with a second-grade physical education class Before becoming principal at Woodland West this year Wollberg spent 10 years teaching sixth-grade social studies in District 50 he served as assistant principal at Emmons Elementary School District 33 near Antioch The first day for students in Woodland's Early Childhood program Early Learning Experience and kindergarten is Tuesday she ruled the school at Woodland Elementary East First-grade student Madison Herman finished the school year with a special treat when she got to serve as Principal for the Day third-grader Lucas Khubchandani got a chance to help run the Gages Lake school The students worked alongside Principal Kenneth Hyllberg beginning with a visit to the Woodland Educational Support Center in Gurnee to receive an official identification tag one must dress for the part," said Hyllberg "I look forward to watching these students embrace the role as principal in front of their peers." Activities for the day included assisting with morning and afternoon announcements; having lunch with Hyllberg the assistant principals and their teachers; assisting with after-school dismissal; visiting classrooms; and reading a book to their own classmates The Principal for a Day event was made possible through the Woodland Educational Foundation's first benefit auction Parents and community members had the opportunity to bid on the event in order to support the Educational Foundation 2011 at 2:21 pm CTThe Grayslake Fire Protection District will recognize Lester Stang for his dedication and 35 years of service by dedicating its new Fire Station No “We express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Lester Stang for his unselfish contributions to our community and will hereby dedicate Fire Station No Peterson Road in his honor,” said Grayslake Fire Chief John Christian a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Grayslake Fire Protection District Being honored for that service meant a lot to Stang When he began his three decades (and counting) with the Grayslake Fire Protection District there were no full-time employees in the fire department it was an all volunteer on-call department the Grayslake Fire Protection District has 38 full-time staff with an additional 30 part-time staff All full-time firefighters are also state certified paramedics 2 is located by the College of Lake County 3 is scheduled to open later this year across from the Saddlebrook Farms subdivision near Peterson Road and Route 60 The Grayslake Fire Protection District covers a total of 25 square miles Fremont Township and unincorporated Lake County “Les has given 35 years to the board,” Christian said “We will dedicate the new station in his honor.” “I guess I have been around longer than I expected,” Stang said “I have one more year left on my 12th term on the Fire Board I haven’t decided yet if I’ll run for another term or not.” Stang recalled that when he first joined the Fire Protection District Board serving on the Board of Trustees with Ellen Dimock and Dick Navarre Christian read the resolution in Stang’s honor “Lester Stang is deserving of our commendation for the faithful and capable service he has rendered to the Grayslake Fire Protection District in Lake County He added that Stang “has shared his knowledge and expertise in his performance as a board member and president for the benefit of the Grayslake Fire Protection District.” Stang was also recognized for being active in community affairs in the Grayslake Fire Protection District and with Lake County “He has served his community and his country faithfully and with true dedication,” Christian said Stang’s belief in the department is as strong as the day he began “We have the best department in Lake County,” said Stang Christian also recognized the people who were involved on the Station Committee for the new fire station They include: Deputy Chief Greg Formica; Battalion Chief Jim Weidman; Lieutenant Dan Pierre; Lieutenant Chris Ramel; Firefighter/Paramedic Greg Quentin; Firefighter/Paramedic Mark Burkinshaw; and Firefighter/Paramedic Sam Frankson Download the movie 2014 at 11:16 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Caption: A security camera image from Papa John’s | Adam Hoth A suspected crackhead from Gages Lake robbed a Chicago Papa John’s outlet with a hatchet smashing the register and prying open its cash drawer with the tool’s blade After the Thursday pizza joint hatchet job at 5359 N 31-year-old Adam Hoth on Friday tried to rip a Coach wristlet off a woman’s arm on the same block He made his way over to the 1200 block of West Leland Avenue where he was stopped in his tracks by a man who slapped him in the face Chicago Police then took Hoth into custody and a Cook County prosecutor in court Saturday said police found crack cocaine and a crack pipe on him » more via Chicago Tribune 13 Dec 2019A SCHOOL aide tragically took her own life shortly after an investigation was launched over shocking footage showing her holding a boy Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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