Naperville community leader Dick Wehrli dies at 90
Lifelong Naperville resident and community leader Richard “Dick Wehrli” has died at the age of 90.
The 1956 North Central College alum was a founding member of the “Naperville Navy,” the original group of civic leaders who came together to build the Naperville Riverwalk, and was appointed to the inaugural Naperville Riverwalk Commission, amongst other accomplishments.
Wehrli began his career in business as a ready-mix concrete producer, and founded Naperville Ready Mix, Naperville Excavating and Easy Street Construction, becoming an industry leader. In the late 1970s, he started a general contracting company, Mustang Construction, and Dukane Precast with several partners.
Read more about Dick Wehrli and the work that made him a leader in Naperville.
Naperville’s Beidelman Furniture inches closer to local landmark status
The Naperville Historic Preservation Commission recommended last Thursday, July 25, that Beidelman Furniture receive local landmark status, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Commissioners found that the Beidelman Furniture buildings at 235 and 239 S. Washington St. fit all but one of the conditions for local landmark status. The Naperville City Council will vote at a future meeting to provide final approval or denial.
Beidelman property owners say they are seeking landmark status to recognize the historic value and protect their building, as well as to assist with grant applications to fund renovations.
Aurora man accused of leading Naperville police on high-speed chase
An Aurora man has been denied pre-trial release after being accused of crashing into a police squad car, and then fleeing police at speeds of up to 123 mph early Thursday morning, July 25, according to a news release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney and the Naperville Police Department.
Mitchell Simmons, 31, was charged with one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, one count of aggravated assault on an officer, and other misdemeanors and petty traffic offenses.
Find out more about the high-speed chase that led to the arrest.
Park district reports progress on strategic goals
Naperville Park District staffers recently provided an update on a three-year strategic plan document that began early last year and stretches through the end of 2025.
Several goals in the plan have already been completed, including a marketing effort touting job opportunities across the district, the prairie nature garden at Centennial Park, and work toward maintaining a strong bond rating against the debt portfolio.
Learn more about the park district’s progress within its strategic plan.
Naperville police arrest Chicago man involved in a shooting in April
A Chicago man was arrested last Wednesday, July 24, for his alleged role in an April shooting in south Naperville, where a 22-year-old Naperville man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Kanyon J. Hardy, 19, faces three counts of armed robbery, according to a news release from the Naperville Police Department.
Read more about the shooting incident that took place in Naperville.
