Naperville Man Charged
A Naperville man will now be charged with reckless homicide following the death of a girl he hit with his car. 51-year-old Joseph Kucharski was arrested on Friday on a $5 million warrant with charges of Felony Aggravated DUI-Alcohol/Drugs and Felony Reckless Driving, which caused the death of 17-year-old Beth Dunlap. Police say the Downers Grove North teen was crossing Main Street in Downers Grove around 11 a.m. on February 19, when she was struck in the Grant Street crosswalk by a car driven by Kucharski. Dunlap died from her injuries on Friday. Kucharski has a history of traffic violations and misdemeanor theft. Dunlap played for her high school’s volleyball team and wore #18, so the principal suggested students donate $18 to a charity or perform 18 random acts of kindness in Dunlap’s honor.
Aurora Police Officers
The Aurora Police Department released the names of the officers injured in the February 15 shooting incident at the Henry Pratt Company. The department is recognizing officers Adam Miller, Marco Gomez, John Cebulski, James Zegar, Reynaldo Rivera, and Diego Avila for their courage and sending wishes for their speedy recovery and return to service. Also released were the 911 calls placed during the shooting incident as well as the calls made between the first responders and radio dispatch. The full recordings can be heard on the Aurora Police Department’s Facebook page, but listener discretion is advised.
Girl Recognized by MLB
A local softball player and her team, the Plainfield Twisters, received a special surprise from the Chicago Bandits over the weekend. Marie Marcum sent a letter to Major League Baseball after a baseball game at Chuck E. Cheese played and audio clip saying “hey, there’s always softball!” when she missed a target. The nine-year-old and her team joined the Bandits for a practice, took photos, and received tickets to a game where Marcum will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch. And because of Marcum’s letter, Chuck E. Cheese has removed the audio clip from the game.
State Swim Meet
At the boy’s state swimming and diving meet at New Trier this weekend, Naperville swimmers made a splash throughout the tournament. Waubonsie Valley had its best state performance since 1997, bringing home a state trophy with a third place finish. Neuqua Valley won the final race of the meet, the 4×400 free relay, to secure the state runner up trophy. It’s the third state runner up trophy for the Wildcats, who also took second in 2009 and 2010. St. Charles North took home the 2019 state championship. Congratulations to all our local swimmers and divers on a great season.