Former Metea Valley Choir Teacher Arrested
A former choir teacher at Metea Valley High School in Aurora has been charged with sexually assaulting a former student. According to a DuPage County State’s Attorney and Aurora Police Department joint press release, Nathan Bramstedt, 42, allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old student on multiple occasions at several locations within the school. The assaults took place from February 2019 through June 2019. The student reported the abuse to authorities last year. After an investigation into the matter, Bramstedt was taken into custody Friday afternoon. On Saturday he appeared in court where his bond was set at $500,000. The Oswego resident’s next court appearance will be May 2.
New Street Banners Honor Veterans
The Naperville Salutes program is honoring local veterans for their service with new personalized street banners. Starting on Memorial Day, about 150 banners featuring local veterans will be hung in locations throughout downtown Naperville, and kept up for a 60 to 90 day period. A new round will then go up from August through November to commemorate Veterans Day. After they are taken down, they will be given to the veteran to keep. Nominations for veterans are now available online through the city’s website, and those chosen will be selected at random. To be eligible, the veteran must have lived in Naperville at some point of his or her life. The new program is a joint effort by the City of Naperville, Naperville Park District, Public Arts Task Force, Naperville Heritage Society, Freedom Heroes of Naperville, and Naperville Responds for Veterans.
Hoppy Easter
On Saturday, Naperville Junior Woman’s Club hosted its eighth annual Hoppy Easter event at Naperville’s Safety Town. Families could get photos with either Mr. or Mrs. Easter Bunny, pet some real-life bunnies, and pick up candy as they toured the town. 500 kids came out for the timed entry event. Proceeds go to support Safety Town. Donations of non-perishables were also collected for Loaves & Fishes Community Services.
Holi – The Festival of Colors
This weekend Simply Vedic hosted its 12th annual Holi Festival at the Riverwalk’s Grand Pavilion. The Festival of Colors is an Indian tradition, meant to show the passing of winter and the arrival of the spring season. The event consisted of people dancing, singing, eating, and of course, throwing brightly colored flour at each other.
