Lake and McHenry County Scanner A heavy police response was sent after a fight broke out as private parties were taking place inside a Chuck E Cheese establishment in Gurnee Saturday evening The Gurnee Police Department responded around 8:15 p.m Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said officers received a call for a disturbance inside the establishment Multiple private parties were taking place at the time An argument between individuals from separate groups escalated into a physical fight The fight was already broken up by the time police arrived Multiple officers were sent to the scene to restore order and safely separate those involved No injuries were reported and no citations or charges were issued All individuals were ordered to leave the property and the situation was resolved without further incident A heavy police response was sent and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Gurnee Police Department “In situations involving large gatherings it’s common for us to utilize additional units until we have a better idea of what’s going on,” Gaylor said “We are grateful for the continued support and strong working relationship we share with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office who assisted in the response,” she said Video captured by a bystander showed a large physical fight occurring as screaming could be heard Gaylor said thankfully no one was hurt but that it was unfortunate a fight occurred at a place meant for families The Gurnee Police Department said it remains committed to “maintaining a safe environment for all members of our community.” “We appreciate the cooperation of everyone involved in bringing the situation to a peaceful conclusion,” the department told Lake and McHenry County Scanner 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 2025 at 3:22 pm CDTExpandLifeguards trained on a range of emergency response skills from water rescues to health care provider level CPR Aquatic Safety and Risk Management Consultants awarded Gurnee Park District the 2024 Platinum International Aquatic Safety Award (Photo provided by Gurnee Park District) aquatic safety and risk management consultants awarded Gurnee Park District the 2024 Platinum International Aquatic Safety Award This is the third time that Gurnee Park District lifeguards have received the top honor in the past five years Gurnee Park District has been with Jeff Ellis and Associates since the opening of Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center “I am beyond proud of the work this team does every day,” Diane DeLorenzo Aquatic Facilities manager at Gurnee Park District “One of the highlights of my job is to continue to support and guide these young adults as they evolve into community leaders As we prepare for the 2025 season at Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center we eagerly anticipate our staff’s ongoing commitment to safety and the outstanding work ahead.” Shaw Local News NetworkShaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Gurnee police are asking the public's help in solving a heavy-duty mystery six manhole covers have disappeared and authorities are cautioning residents to watch their steps The situation doesn’t appear to be in the vexing class of stolen catalytic converters but police are taking it seriously “I haven’t heard of any other departments so far having issues with manhole covers being taken,” said Gurnee police detective Shawn Gaylor Manhole covers of different types — some that read “Gurnee” or “water,” for example — have disappeared from areas throughout the village Police have some leads from surveillance cameras and are following up with salvage yards “The investigator on the case is still making a lot of phone calls,” Gaylor said Manhole covers are made from cast iron and weigh between 90 pounds and 120 pounds Cast iron fetches about 10 1/2 cents per pound so there wouldn’t be much bang for the backbreaking buck — even if a scrap yard would take it knowing it probably was stolen Gurnee public works has an inventory of spare manhole covers which are replaced immediately to eliminate any public hazard Anyone who sees anyone removing a manhole cover is asked to contact police right away with details such as a vehicle description or license plate number Residents also are asked to be alert while walking and to contact public works at (847) 599-7000 if they see manhole cover missing two men and a woman were charged with felony theft for their involvement in the theft of 23 manhole covers in the Lake Zurich area Charges against two of the individuals were reduced to misdemeanors with sentences of 18 and 24 months conditional discharge The third person was indicted on felony theft and accepted a plea to 220 days conditional discharge Lake Zurich Public Works Director Mike Brown who also serves as vice president of the Lake branch of the American Public Works Association His in-laws called him after seeing a suspicious car parked in their driveway about 1:45 a.m There were more than five manhole covers in the hatchback The rest were later recovered at the suspects’ homes “The bumper was dragging on the pavement,” he said They picked the wrong driveway to park in.” 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 Photographer Anna Rasmussen has been in many wards throughout the years but something about the global representation in this Chicagoland congregation felt extra special so we’ve traveled a lot and lived in a lot of different places,” Anna says having this one ward where there’s representation for all just magnified God’s love in a way that’s kind of hard for me to verbalize.” So, Anna turned to her favorite tool for capturing divine beauty—her camera. She spent one year visiting ward members and taking their portraits, and the project resulted in a breathtaking representation of how we are all needed in the body of Christ More than an artistic symbol, the project reminded Anna and her ward family of the divine importance of honoring differences and creating unity Although the two women don’t have much in common on paper Anna felt a deep sense of kinship in that moment and the way she decorates her home is so different than mine,” Anna explains “But she looked so beautiful sitting on her couch with window light coming through and I just had this moment of love for her and feeling of God’s love for her and wanting to capture her beauty.” the thought kept returning to her mind: Go back and photograph Lou along with individual photographs of Lou’s family members Lou was thrilled about the idea and chose to wear a floral dress that represented her heritage Anna started having more promptings to photograph her ward members “I started realizing that this was becoming something bigger,” she says I started getting model releases so that the project could move forward as the Lord saw fit.” It was important to Anna to capture people in their homes but doing so presented logistical challenges The Gurnee 1st Ward is continually evolving with members moving in and out related to school The congregation averages a couple of new converts each month Going to people’s homes also required extra time and planning The ward boundaries stretch across a wide geographic area spanning 30 minutes of travel time from east to west and north to south But through reaching out to people in the ward some of whom only attend sacrament meetings occasionally Anna gained a stronger testimony that God sees us individually and can meet us where we are one family told Anna they would love to participate but they didn’t feel like “good enough” members to be included Can I take your portraits in this classroom right now?’ Another woman was nearing the end of her life when Anna took her portrait and she ultimately passed away a few months later Several ward members reached out to Anna thanking her for capturing the woman one last time “People really felt so grateful to be included,” Anna says we know the importance of each person’s name to also take their picture and have them know ‘Not just is your name recorded in the records of the Church but I recorded your portrait,’ that was special and important to them.” As Elder Karl D. Hirst taught in a recent general conference: “God’s love is where And Anna believes that we can foster this togetherness as we learn about and honor each other’s stories “The biggest thing that I would say that I’ve learned is to listen and I really feel like I’ve learned this from my ward members,” she says “People the world over just want to share their story and have someone to say I hope to help others truly see each individual as God sees them Check out the full gallery of portraits from the Gurnee 1st Ward in the video below A woman was found dead after firefighters extinguished a fire that caused extensive damage to a house in Gurnee that was experiencing hoarder conditions The Gurnee Fire Department and Gurnee Police Department responded around 9:11 p.m Tuesday to the 1600 block of Dolcetto Lane in Gurnee for a report of a structure fire Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Steffens said multiple 911 calls were received reporting the fire Police officers arrived first and attempted to make entry after the callers reported someone was possibly still inside the home Officers were unable to make entry to the front or back of the house due to the entryways being blocked with items Steffens said fire crews arrived to find a single-story house with heavy flames and smoke showing from the rear of the residence The incident was upgraded to the Working Still Alarm to bring additional fire crews to the scene Firefighters attempted to make entry but encountered hoarder conditions that prevented them from making it inside The fire originated in the rear of the home and spread into the roof line Three hose lines were used to bring the fire under control from the exterior before firefighters again attempted entry Steffens said it took firefighters approximately 20-30 minutes to bring the fire under control and crews spent another hour extinguishing hidden fires Firefighters searched the home and located an adult female who was pronounced dead at the scene The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Lake County Coroner’s Office both responded to the scene No other injuries were reported and no pets were found Steffens said the house was deemed uninhabitable as it sustained extensive fire and smoke damage Firefighters remained at the scene until around 1 a.m The Newport and Grayslake fire departments assisted at the scene while the Waukegan Mundelein and Lake Villa fire departments covered calls in Gurnee The fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature but the cause remains under investigation by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Gurnee Fire Department 2025 at 3:23 pm CDTGURNEE – The Essence Experience Fashion Show and Pop Up will take place at noon Saturday The event will feature a luxurious wellness and fashion showcase and includes a silent auction Proceeds will go toward the God’s Essence Building Fund 2025 at 3:22 pm CDTGURNEE – Catalina Maria Johnson host of the radio show “Beat Latino,” will present “The Music Tells Our Stories: Latines in Illinois and the USA” at 7 p.m The AAUW Waukegan Area Branch invites the public to attend this free program at the Gurnee Police Department Community Room and especially their impact on Illinois’ culture and music The program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom and the Illinois General Assembly as well as by contributions from individuals Three people were hospitalized and 12 apartments were left damaged after a two-alarm fire engulfed an apartment building in Gurnee early Saturday morning The Gurnee Fire Department responded around 12:56 a.m Saturday to the Northlake Farms Apartments Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Steffens said fire crews arrived to find flames and smoke showing from the first and second floors and the roof of a 16-unit apartment building The incident was eventually upgraded to the second alarm level through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) The two-story building was well involved in fire Steffens said firefighters searched the building and found no residents inside The displaced residents from the building were kept at the community center at the apartment complex during the incident Three adult victims were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville by ambulances for injuries believed to be non-life-threatening a tower ladder and a deck gun from a fire engine to extinguish the fire Smoke filled the entire parking lot and entrance to the apartment complex 15 fire departments from throughout the area responded to the scene and to cover Gurnee fire stations Steffens said eight apartments sustained fire damage four apartments sustained smoke and water damage and four other apartments were not damaged An initial report indicated that sheets and a bed were on fire but the cause of the fire remains under investigation the largest furniture store brand in North America will open its newest retail store Saturday in Gurnee A grand opening event will run from 10 a.m a bouquet bar workshop and giveaway prizes drawn every hour The first 50 guests in line will receive a free Stanley Tumbler and one winner will receive a 50-inch TV grand prize The interior layout includes the newest Ashley 7.0 store concept with a simplified open floor plan and fresh construction elements Customers can experience Ashley’s new mattress gallery featuring Ashley Sleep The showroom features complete lifestyle vignettes Ashley will gift a furniture makeover to the Gurnee Teen Center to help create a more welcoming space for teens during the after-school The program offers a safe and supportive space for teens to connect “We’re incredibly grateful to be the recipients of Ashley’s generosity and its first step into supporting the local community,” said Alexi Ragans-Stauffer program director at the Gurnee Teen Center “Some of our furniture is falling apart and Ashley is stepping in at just the right time with high-quality pieces that will make a real difference.” The furniture makeover will commence this spring with the Gurnee Teen Center team working closely with Ashley to select pieces that reflect comfort and functionality The collaboration ensures the space is thoughtfully designed to support the teens’ needs “Enriching the lives of others has always been a core value of the Ashley brand executive vice president of people development at Ashley Global Retail it’s about becoming part of the community and making a meaningful impact The Gurnee Teen Center is doing incredible work and we’re honored to support their mission in any way we can.” The Gurnee store will employ about 10 people Police say they are investigating a case of “vanishing” manhole covers which keep disappearing in Gurnee as the community is warned to be on the lookout for uncovered manholes The Gurnee Police Department said manhole covers are disappearing “faster than your last slice of pizza at a family gathering.” but we need your help to stop these thieves and keep our streets safe and well-covered,” the department said Residents who spot a missing manhole cover should call the police immediately at 847-599-7000 and the public works department will secure the manhole Anyone who sees someone stealing a manhole cover is urged to call the police right away Callers are asked to provide the license plate number vehicle description and which direction the suspect vehicle is traveling “We” be hot on their trail,” police said Residents are also asked to watch their step while walking “Missing manhole covers can be a serious trip hazard We don’t want you to become part of the mystery yourself!” police officials said “If you spot a Village of Gurnee vehicle near a manhole don’t worry—they’re definitely not the bad guys ensuring our roads stay safe for everyone,” officials added Officers are working with local metal recycling companies to make sure any suspicious activity gets flagged The department said they are hopeful to catch the “manhole bandits” and thanked the community for their help in trying to solve the case A 72-year-old woman found dead in her burning Gurnee home Tuesday has been positively identified but is not being named as investigators continue to search for relatives Preliminary results of an autopsy Wednesday showed her death was consistent with smoke inhalation according to the Lake County Coroner's Office A search for family members continues as Gurnee police and fire departments with local fire investigators and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal investigate Gurnee firefighters responding to a house fire Tuesday night on the 1600 block of Dulcetto Lane found the resident dead inside Police responding to multiple 911 calls about 9:11 p.m had been advised a vehicle belonging to the resident was in the driveway and the individual was believed to be inside They found smoke and flames at the rear entrance and tried to get inside but front and rear entrances were blocked by what appeared to be furniture and household items according to a news release from the Gurnee Fire Department Firefighters arrived moments later but had to attack the fire through windows as access to the interior was delayed due to extreme hoarding throughout the home A cause or damage estimate has not been given thrift and overstock merchandise from Anthropologie Urban Outfitters and Nuuly has opened within an hour drive of Milwaukee Reclectic, by Urban Outfitters, Inc., made its Gurnee Mills debut on Nov. 23, according to a news release from the mall. It's one of only three Reclectic locations in the nation, with the first opening in Philadelphia in 2023 and the second opening this past October in Tempe, Arizona. Pineville, North Carolina, will also be getting one soon, according to the retailer's Instagram features a variety of products from all URBN brands Anthropologie home accessories and gently worn Nuuly rental garments gently used and slightly damaged merchandise the retail concept is URBN's answer to finding "more eco-conscious solutions for products that can’t be sold at retail." “We created Reclectic to meet a need we saw in the market We’ve seen a greater interest from our customers in trying pre-loved items or taking accessories and scrap fabric to turn our product into truly unique items,” Joanna Matthy “We are excited to bring Reclectic to the people of Chicagoland.” The best entrance to use to get to Reclectic is Entry F it's located between Rock America and the Skechers Outlet and across from the Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and the Abercrombie & Fitch Outlet For Gurnee Reclectic updates, visit instagram.com/reclecticnorthshore Several other new stores are slated to open at Gurnee Mills over the next year and a half studying physics in a classroom wasn’t enough for Curtis Szajkovics he and fellow science aficionados designed a giant catapult that won international recognition the Gurnee native will aim higher when he serves as a flight controller with NASA contractor Firefly Aerospace helping to guide a spacecraft to a moon landing The “Blue Ghost” lunar lander will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services effort “It’s a dream of mine I’ve had since a kid to do something in space,” Szajkovics said last week in an interview The spacecraft is carrying 10 NASA science investigations that will increase understanding of the moon’s environment in preparation for future human travel there They include “looking for things like dust mitigation how landing affects your environment and what the surface of the moon is actually made of,” Szajkovics explained “you get to a point where you think we know everything,” he said and you start asking simple questions and realize we know very little,” Szajkovics added he attended Woodland Elementary and Woodland Middle schools “I always wanted to be an astronaut,” said Szajkovics whose early influences include “Star Wars” and “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.” Szajkovics experimented with trying to take apart the VCR to turn it “into a robot and other ridiculous things,” he said But he found his niche in rocketry and astronomy clubs at school and a mentor in “super-supportive” physics teacher Pieter Kruenen As a system engineer at Austin-based Firefly Aerospace Szajkovics’ job in creating Blue Ghost was “to talk to every single person on the program making sure they’re on task and building what we need.” “I’m responsible for all communication and sending of commands to the spacecraft.” with about 45 of them spent in orbit around the Earth and moon “That whole time we’re working with (NASA) payload teams to make sure they’re ready for the big moment when we land,” he said “(That’s) when a lot of their science can finally happen.” How difficult is sticking the moon landing So we’re very prepared … but when it comes to space — there’s always surprises “You don’t know if you’re going to land on the side of a mountain or on a slope or if you’re going to have giant boulders you have to maneuver around,” he added “Those are all things we account for in our design but we won’t know what we’re going to see until we’re there.” After over two years of working on Blue Ghost “it’s definitely something we’re emotionally attached to,” Szajkovics said when the spacecraft was taken to Kennedy Space Center it felt like a kid moving out of the house “But we built it to go on a mission … and hopefully it will do what we designed it to do.” Szajkovics came close to space exploration in his previous job with a startup seeking to bring computers to the International Space Station which makes the launch of Blue Ghost even more meaningful we’ll know what it’s like to look at the moon directly from our baby spacecraft we sent up there.” Asked for advice to other aspiring astronauts “The most interesting thing to me is the wide range of people who played into this I never thought it would lead to going to the moon and somehow it did.” Attached to Blue Ghost is a nameplate listing the entire Firefly team which could potentially remain for “millions of years,” Szajkovics said Blue Ghost is scheduled to launch shortly after midnight Wednesday. For launch coverage, visit nasa.gov/live Previous offices held: Village of Gurnee Trustee (2013-21); Village of Gurnee zoning board chairman Is there a particular issue that motivates you what makes you the best candidate for the position My heart and passion are to see the village of Gurnee prosper in all ways I have worked hard over the last four years to deliver on my campaign promise to build a stronger I led the most aggressive hiring of police officers in village history and added state-of-the-art safety equipment We added 400 new businesses and provided assistance to our existing ones adding to our financial base and helping our reserves recover from the pandemic bringing us together after the isolation of the pandemic and restoring a sense of community and belonging I am passionate about and gifted at empowering others I enjoy finding a group of residents with a similar passion putting them together with a purpose and working with them to enrich our community What makes me the best candidate for the position are my education my 30+ years of municipal experience and the results I have obtained What is the most serious issue your community will face in coming years and how should leaders respond to it Communities across the nation are becoming more and more isolated and divided impacting the average resident’s quality of life I believe we all long for a sense of purpose I have begun the “Neighbor Up” Block Party Grant program providing a $500 grant to the neighborhood and appearances by me police department and fire department to facilitate a block party Watching the children and adults enjoy each other I have added new events in town for residents to attend with the assistance of the Gurnee Park District — Bonfire and Brews Christmas Tree Lighting (a Hallmark movie type event) and the like I've added resident commissions such as the arts commission the veteran's commission and East Side Commission where like-minded residents can work together to enrich our community local ways for residents to spend time with each other that will in turn reduce some of the tension and isolation the pandemic and the recent political divisiveness has created and improve the quality of Village life How would you describe the state of your community's finances What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed During this past four years the village of Gurnee finances have literally never been better This fact is nothing short of amazing considering that in 2020 we faced civil unrest followed by a pandemic in 2021 The village has had steady annual increase of revenue (approximately 4% annually) paired with conservative spending that has resulted in a current reserve of more than $70 million well-funded pensions and the lowest debt of any community that has more than 25,000 residents in the state of Illinois Top priorities for spending revolve around supporting the best village services in Lake County Constantly improving our infrastructure so that what we have received we can pass on in even better condition to the generations to come We are blessed during these last four years to not have had to curtail any planned spending continued conservative spending and the search for ways to reduce the cost of doing what we do is always under my scrutiny What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address what project(s) can be put on the back burner The village has done an excellent job of investing in infrastructure over the last four years the amount invested last year was the most ever in the history of the village The village must re-pave or rebuild at least six miles of roadway each year for the roads to stay in their current condition Last year more than 7.5 miles of roadway were completed The replacement of water mains has not been at the pace necessary to put us in as good of place as the roadways and therefore has demanded our immediate attention A plan is currently being developed to reduce the difficult times our community will face if we do not start investing more heavily in the replacement of water mains At this point the village has a healthy general fund that can afford replacing water mains if planned for today Every year I ask each department two questions The first is to dream without financial restriction The second is to designate what they can do without if we hit financial hard times as we sit here today every department has a project or two that is slated to go on the back burner if needed Describe your leadership style and explain how you think it will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board I would describe my leadership style as a servant leader I have found that when others realize that you have their best interests at heart This style of leadership has been effective for me during this past four years as mayor as the success of the village speaks for itself My leadership style is also reaffirmed by the fact that five of the current trustees support my reelection The only exception is my opponent who indicates that he does not have any objection to what I have done as mayor but that he thinks it would be fun to be mayor What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet I have just begun the process of creating the Gurnee Care Commission This is a commission made up of Gurnee residents that are committed to assisting residents with needs in the Gurnee community These needs can range from children that lack proper clothing The commission will be given the authority to define what needs they will look to meet and how they will do it Gurnee Mills has announced several new retailers that will be opening stores in the popular shopping mall over the next few months The new stores slated to open soon include Boot Barn Bubblelicious is expanding and adding a second location in Dining Pavilion South with homemade bubble tea founded by two Milwaukee girls Miss A is opening near Entry E and will be selling makeup and other beauty products for $1 the largest western and work store in America is expanding their footprint near Parking Lot B where their shelves will be stocked with a large selection of brands like Wrangler Primark is an international value clothing retailer with more than 400 stores in 14 countries men’s and children’s fashions along with beauty and homeware goods A spokesperson for Gurnee Mills said Bubblelicious will be opening in March Miss A will be opening in April and Boot Barn will be opening in May The Simon Property Group said the new retailers support Gurnee Mills’ commitment to continuing center enhancements The new retailers will be joining nearly 200 other stores at Gurnee Mills which is the largest outlet and full-price retail shopping destination in Illinois A 26-year-old man suffered critical injuries after he crashed his car into a tree The Gurnee Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:05 a.m Saturday to the area of Stearns School Road and Mill Creek Drive in unincorporated Gurnee for a vehicle crash with entrapment Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found a Mercedes-Benz sedan with heavy damage Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a preliminary investigation shows the Mercedes-Benz was traveling eastbound on Stearns School Road approaching Mill Creek Drive drove off the south side of the roadway and struck a tree The driver’s side of the vehicle sustained a significant amount of damage Covelli said it appears the driver was not wearing a seat belt Firefighters extricated the man from the vehicle and paramedics transported him to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team Gurnee residents can learn about 2024 accomplishments and pending initiatives during an open house and State of the Village presentation Monday at village hall village trustees and staff from the administration and community development fire and public works departments will be available from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m for informal conversations in advance of Hood’s State of the Village presentation Light refreshments and food will be provided The open house followed by Hood’s PowerPoint presentation about 7:15 p.m after the regular board meeting is an expanded version of previous annual village progress reports “It’s part of our strategic plan to provide more community engagement and outreach,” said Austin Pollack Space is limited and visitors are encouraged to RSVP at gurnee.il.us where report highlights also are available. The event will be livestreamed on the village’s YouTube channel 1,231 businesses and 13.5 square miles of land area The eight-page report lists highlights in several areas including general operations Continuing a discounted water rate for seniors and second-lowest water rate for Lake Michigan users launching the Hometown Heroes banner program to honor veterans and Gurnee Youth Scholarship are among 2024 highlights police staffing increased and technology improved 7.6 miles of streets — the most in village history — were resurfaced and a 50/50 small business grant program continued There also were 15 ribbon cuttings for businesses in 2024 The village does not levy a property tax because of its extensive business and commercial base Six Flags Great America and Great Wolf Lodge as top attractions New businesses and developments in 2025 include a Texas Roadhouse restaurant which generates about $6 million per year in sales tax revenue Expanded police and fire resources next year include five new squad cars canine and community service officer vehicles more license plate reading cameras and two new ambulances the village will undertake the largest capital improvement program in its history to resurface and rebuild streets replace water mains fix sidewalks and make drainage improvements Hood noted two new commissions — one focusing on the arts and another called the care commission to assist those in need — will be formed “We are multidimensional but heavy in retail and want to expand into the arts,” he said Enhanced communication with residents also is on the to-do list and will include a new website advanced emergency notification system and other improvements based on the results of a survey of residents and businesses Prosecutors say a man fled from police officers by vehicle twice before eventually crashing into a tree in Gurnee and running away on foot while fleeing the second time was charged with two counts of fleeing to elude an officer possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said a traffic stop was conducted by the Gurnee Police Department on March 31 The vehicle had a suspended registration and the Hood was identified as the driver Cannon said Hood fled from the stop and a chase ensued with the driver disobeying a red light and pulling into a business parking lot where he cut through the grass to elude the officer An officer approximately 20 minutes later spotted the vehicle on the highway and attempted to make a traffic stop Hood refused to stop and a pursuit ensued with the man taking the exit to eastbound Grand Avenue The vehicle jumped the median and crashed into a tree Hood was ordered to stop but fled on foot with a bag which contained amphetamine pills and black tar gummies suspected to be fentanyl The charges against Hood are non-detainable and he was released following a First Appearance Court hearing Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim placed Hood on Level 3 pre-trial services monitoring ordered him not to drive without a license ordered him to undergo random drug and alcohol screenings and ordered him not to possess weapons Hood was briefly held in the Lake County Jail and transferred to Cook County on a warrant He is scheduled to appear in court again on April 29 for a status of preliminary hearing A woman was found dead after firefighters battled a blaze at a Gurnee home Tuesday night firefighters and police officers responded to the home in the 1600 block of Dolcetto Lane at about 9:11 p.m after several 911 calls reporting smoke and flames firefighters were informed that a vehicle belonging to the resident was in the driveway and the person was believed to be inside the home The first police officers on the scene arrived to find heavy smoke and fire at the rear of the home They attempted to go into the residence but both the front and rear entrances were blocked by what appeared to be furniture and household items Firefighters arrived moments later and began fire suppression operations from the exterior attacking the fire through windows due to hazardous entry conditions Getting inside was delayed due to “extreme hoarding throughout the home,” which created dangerous and highly obstructed conditions for first responders Firefighters later located the woman’s body in the home The Illinois State Fire Marshal is leading an investigation into the blaze with support from the Gurnee Fire Department Gurnee Police Department and Newport Fire Protection District The Lake County Coroner’s Office also responded to the scene and conducted an autopsy Wednesday The identity of the victim and the official cause of death are being withheld pending notification of next of kin IL — The Gurnee Police Department is on the case of a somewhat odd crime after manhole covers began disappearing around town in recent days "It seems we've got a mystery on our hands Our manhole covers are disappearing faster than your last slice of pizza at a family gathering," authorities said in a Facebook post this past week but we need your help to stop these thieves and keep our streets safe and well-covered." Here what authorities are asking of the public: residents are encouraged to watch their step while out and about in Gurnee since missing manhole covers can "be a serious trip hazard sending you into a deep hole," according to police We don’t want you to become part of the mystery yourself," according to the Facebook post Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Office sought: Gurnee Elementary District 56 board (Vote for 3) Previous offices held: President of my HOA I want to try and ensure that the next generation will have strong morals and values and have strong conflict resolution skills What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring the curriculum believe there are only two genders and want to make sure these are purged from our system along with DEI hires because positions should be granted on merit Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board I’d like to see more challenging events on the calendar have veterans and people in the community come and speak and events where the students give back to the community Starting the day with the Pledge of Allegiance would also be a must Too many people have fought for us and died for our rights to have it any other way How do you view your role in confronting policy or curriculum controversies: provide leadership even if unpopular give a voice to constituents — even ones with whom you disagree I’d present my side supported with facts but would have to go along with the majority if unsuccessful I’ve had to do this on my HOA when this happens and would have to do this here as well Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage school district policy Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions for your school board I've served as president of my HOA for the past two years and no one has left not another board member nor our management company I think I’d be effective because I want to create events to address the low test scores What is your assessment of the school district's diversity and equity efforts Do you support the continuation or enhancement of such programs What makes you the best candidate for the job What’s one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet I've been attending board meetings since December but no one has talked about raising the test scores Gurnee Mills has announced a list of numerous new retailers that will be opening stores in the shopping mall over the next year and a half The new stores slated to open over the next year and a half include Boot Barn The new stores add to the nearly 200 outlet value and full-line retailers at Gurnee Mills is expanding their footprint at Gurnee Mills near Parking Lot B where their shelves are stocked with a large selection of brands like Wrangler HEYDUDE is a retailer advertising comfortable shoes for men Primark is an international clothing retailer with more than 400 stores in 14 countries rue21 is a specialty retailer offering apparel for girls and boys Reclectic features a variety of products from all URBN brands Free People and Urban Outfitters – and gently used Nuuly inventory Simon Property Group said the new retailers support Gurnee Mills’ commitment to continuing center enhancements A 26-year-old Gurnee man is in critical condition after an early Saturday morning single-vehicle crash in an unincorporated area near Gurnee Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Stearns School Road and Mill Creek Drive Deputies found a Mercedes-Benz sedan with heavy damage A preliminary investigation shows the vehicle was traveling eastbound on Stearns School Road the man drove off the south side of the roadway and struck a tree The driver’s side of the vehicle sustained significant damage Authorities said the man was not wearing a seat belt Fire personnel extricated the man from the vehicle and he was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team GURNEE, Ill. - An Illinois man was killed after his vehicle struck a tree in unincorporated Gurnee over the weekend. Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to a crash early Saturday morning near Stearns School Road and Mill Creek Drive, where a man was trapped inside a vehicle. When they arrived around 2:05 a.m., deputies found a heavily damaged Mercedes-Benz sedan. Investigators said the driver, 26-year-old Kyle Debevec of Gurnee, was heading east on Stearns School Road when, for an unknown reason, he drove off the south side of the road and hit a tree. Debevec was pulled from the vehicle and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The Lake County Coroner’s Office said preliminary findings indicate his death was consistent with blunt force injuries from the crash. The Lake County Sheriff's Office Technical Crash Investigations Team is still looking into the crash. The Source: The information from this article was provided by the Lake County Coroner's Office.  By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service IL — A woman was found dead inside a house in Gurnee following a fire Tuesday night The Gurnee police and fire departments responded to the blaze at about 9:10 p.m Tuesday in the 1600 block of Dolcetto Lane after receiving several 911 calls reporting smoke and flames Authorities learned from 911 callers that the vehicle of the woman who lived at the home was in her driveway and it was believed she was inside the home they found both the front and rear doorways blocked by furniture and household items Extreme hoarding conditions throughout the home made it difficult for firefighters to get into the residence It also created "dangerous and highly obstructed conditions for first responders," according to the press release While searching the home and fighting the blaze firefighters found a woman dead in the residence and the identification of the woman has not yet been released Previous offices held: Gurnee Village Board Trustee I believe Gurnee will benefit from a leader who has been an visionary entrepreneur for the last 25-plus years I understand the balance between the property owners In a town which pays its bills primarily via visitors and fun having a marketer/PR person as mayor would be a good fit As for the initial “Why,” I was asked by several “Old Gurnee” people who saw my love for Gurnee and my creative way of promoting it to run for mayor Gurnee will benefit from a person who exudes the excitement that Gurnee is They were initially impressed when I invented “Toms Tours” which was a social media program designed to help Mayor Hood get elected 4 years ago The idea was to visit local businesses and then report back to the residents on social media For 3 years I was the one who took the pictures The residents as well as the businesses loved it Roughly 46% of the village’s water mains were installed between 1987 and 1997 and thusly will need to be replaced between 2064 and 2074 Currently we are setting aside $2 million a year to prepare for replacement we need to be saving double that or $4 million a year It is 30 years in the future but planning needs to be done now or there will be an almost insurmountable task; not just a financial one but also a logistical one We need to start a replacement schedule ahead of time addressing mains before they are actually at the fail-point There is no way we can do them all in one decade The most pressing step is to replace any cast iron mains as they are the oldest Then we can move on to the older PVC pipe installed at the beginning of the boon the village is in fantastic financial shape Less one low-interest IEPA loan of $3 million for a water tower We pay extra on principal annually so that it will be paid off in 2030 instead of 2040 I'd like to accelerate that schedule to have Gurnee fully debt free in 3 years or less Our pensions are well-funded and we have savings in the general fund plus a contingency plan in case the economy turns bad so clearing up that only debt will give us more cushion in case of another downturn we are about to lose roughly $2 million in grocery tax and while Gurnee has the ability to replace that tax with a new grocery tax I would prefer to not add it and “save” the residents the 1% I would limit the Small Business Capital Grant (SBCG) That was a program created to help those most hurt by COVID but now those businesses have rebounded and a savings in groceries The SBCG is only $250,000 but there are other operational savings available Road resurfacing should be brought back to a historical level and the same (or more) money should be spent on the water mains Gurnee has subsidized water rates for the last 3 years by not raising rates to match inflation and also implemented a senior water exemption They were great ideas and programs especially after COVID but now Gurnee has the lowest water rate of all of the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency customers and we need to get our rates back to historical levels so as to fend off the looming water infrastructure cliff Everyone has a seat at the table and everyone who both serves on the board and is employed by the village has good intentions for Gurnee I already encourage open communication through my curious and open communication style My idea: A free trolley bus similar to the one by Woodfield that runs on a constant loop between Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor along Grand Avenue on either side of the tollway Navy telling the families of graduates that Gurnee has it all and it’s all connected and provide safe passage across the tollway and Grand Avenue parents of kids working at Great America could pick up their worker-bees at the mall instead of adding to the traffic on Grand or having to have the kids walk to Burger King The goal is to increase nonresident revenue so that the residents of Gurnee can continue to enjoy all that Gurnee has to offer and yet the village won’t have to levy a property tax (something it has not had to do for almost a quarter a century) It will also help to make life easier for visitors and national chains in one relatively easy move incumbent Thomas Hood and challenger Quin O’Brien discuss their qualifications and the issues in the race for Gurnee mayor Office Sought: Gurnee village board (Vote for 3) What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it Gurnee is the only one of 21 villages surveyed in Lake County that doesn’t allow public comment at the beginning of public meetings Public comment is only allowed at the end of meetings Gurnee trumpets “engagement” and “transparency,” but to achieve this they need to allow public comment at the beginning of public meetings if not also during discussion/votes by the board They also should consider an ordinance requiring any “New Business” agenda items — such as zoning changes and new additions/deletions to village ordinances — to have a “first reading” and trustee discussion at a preliminary meeting before action can be taken at a subsequent meeting And to have a real “conversation” with residents the village should hold quarterly town hall meetings to share “State of the Village” information and to provide residents staff and elected officials the opportunity to have more open and productive dialogue It has a AAA bond rating and the only debt is a small low-interest loan (that is being paid down at an accelerated rate) for the construction of a water tower Gurnee is one of only a handful of municipalities in Illinois with no village/city property tax and no utilities taxes food & beverage and entertainment taxes associated with Gurnee Mills Mall The only potential dark cloud on the horizon might be financing the replacement of a large portion of the village’s water and sewer infrastructure (20-40 years out) that came on line due to rapid residential and business growth in the 1980s and 1990s What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address Other than the longer-term infrastructure project referred to in the prior answer the biggest need is economic revitalization in the East Grand Avenue Economic Corridor This is the oldest part of the village and for a variety of reasons — including extended roadway construction projects and rapid growth in and around Gurnee Mills on the west side of town — this part of the village’s original business district has fallen on somewhat hard times the village’s long-range planning documents have called for revitalization of this area but little has been done to put these plans/aspirations into action What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board My experience is in the for-profit business world where my focus was on internal and external communications I have been president of two HOAs during their formation when building a consensus and a sense of community was paramount I am quick to learn the details of any situation and the needs of both the group and individuals I take responsibility both for my actions and for the promises made to members of the groups I serve Gurnee is very “pro-business,” but often this is achieved without fully considering the needs of residents I believe I will facilitate more open and two-way communications among all village stakeholders so as to put village staff There are four people running for three trustee positions The other three are currently serving as trustees While their contributions to the village in these and other roles have been important and much appreciated there is a growing sense among residents that “business as usual” by the board is being achieved at the expense of meaningful public engagement The lack of public comment time at the beginning of public meetings as well as during discussion of agenda items is symptomatic of a “we know what is best for you” attitude that has been the tone in Gurnee village government for some time Other than a decidedly pro business-development stance I don’t think there is any “hidden agenda” on the part of village’s elected officials it is easy to understand how residents feel like there may be a hidden agenda I have “banged the drum” about the need for more communication/public comment at meetings for a while But since I have received zero feedback from anyone at the village to date I guess you could say no one is truly talking about this My “one good idea,” which 20 other villages/towns in the area already do is to have public comment time on the agenda at the beginning of all public meetings This preliminary time could be limited to non-agenda items assuming public comment also would be allowed during the discussion of other agenda items preliminary public comment time could be on any topic that is the responsibility of village government And to help ensure residents have more than a few days’ notice on any significant changes being proposed to village ordinances I would require “New business” items to have a “first reading” at a meeting before they can have final discussions and a vote at a subsequent meeting Workers helped contain a fire that broke out at a chemical manufacturing plant before the fire department arrived in Gurnee early Thursday morning The Gurnee Fire Department responded around 12:27 a.m Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Heraver said that dispatchers received a report of a fire in one of the industrial areas as crews were still responding Firefighters arrived and were directed to an area behind the building next to the railroad tracks They found staff attempting to extinguish the fire with dry chemical extinguishers The staff was able to contain the fire and firefighters used more dry chemical extinguishers to fully extinguish the fire Firefighters also pulled a hose line as a precaution Heraver said fire crews found that pipes carrying warm oil used in production at the facility were wrapped in insulation The insulation was saturated with oil and caught on fire The company makes additives that go into products such as soap All workers were accounted for and they continued working after the fire was extinguished as the plant remained fully operational The Waukegan Fire Department responded to assist but was diverted to cover one of Gurnee’s fire stations GURNEE -- Lake County Sheriff’s crash investigators are looking into a serious single-vehicle traffic crash near Gurnee Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Stearns School Road and Mill Creek Drive Deputies arrived and found a Mercedes-Benz sedan with heavy damage Preliminary investigation shows the driver It appears the man was not wearing a seat belt Fire personnel freed the man from the vehicle and he was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical the man succumbed to his injuries hours later and was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit The Lake County Coroner’s Office was notified The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Kyle Debevec Preliminary coroner’s investigation indicates Debevec’s death is consistent with blunt force injuries as a result of the crash and it will have the world's steepest drop SEE ALSO | Six Flags Great America to build new roller coaster Wrath of Rakshasa with beyond vertical drop