Local Olympians medal in soccer, volleyball during final weekend of Paris Games
The final weekend of the Olympics brought medal-worthy victories to some local athletes who trained and worked their way onto the world stage at the Paris Games.
Naperville Central alum Casey Krueger and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team became gold medal champions after defeating Brazil 1-0 in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match on Saturday. Read more about the victory here.
And Naperville-born Jordyn Poulter and Aurora’s Lauren Carlini are Olympic silver medal winners for U.S. Women’s Volleyball, following a three-set loss to Italy (18-25, 20-25, 17-25) on Sunday in the gold medal match. Learn more about the match and the challenges both athletes overcame on their way to the Olympics.
Knoch Knolls 10th anniversary celebration planned
The Naperville Park District will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Rd., on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will have a nature-focused theme, with raptor and reptile interactions, seed bomb making, a Storywalk Book Walk, a new Mobile Tour, and giveaways while supplies last. There will also be a number of time-specific activities including outdoor yoga, prairie and forest walks, and fish feedings.
Prior to the celebration, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of the Frank J. Rus Pavilion at 9:30 a.m. A full rundown of the day’s events can be found on the Naperville Park District website.
Professional Pickleball champions in Naperville for Monday event
On Monday, August 12, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sure Shot Pickleball, 2244 Corporate Lane, Suite 100, welcomes two Professional Pickleball Association champions, Connor Garnett and Rachel Rettger.
Rettger is an Illinois native, having graduated from Glenbard South High School, then played four years of collegiate tennis at Elmhurst University before becoming a pickleball pro in 2022. Garnett is from Washington state, and currently plays on the Bay Area Breakers professional pickleball team.
Players from all skill levels will have the chance to meet and play with the pros. Though those opportunities are all sold out, spectators are still welcome to attend.
Junior Tour de Naperville puts pedal power to the test
135 junior bikers geared up for a great ride on Saturday, August 10, at the Junior Tour de Naperville.
This 11th annual iteration of the event, hosted by the Naperville Park District, took place at Wolf’s Crossing Community Park.
Check out the pedal power on display at this kid-focused event.
Back to school safety tips from the Naperville Police Department
It’s almost time for Naperville-area kids to head back to school. Naperville School District 203 kicks off its school year this week on Thursday, Aug. 15, with Indian Prairie School District 204’s first day set for Thursday, Aug. 22.
In light of that, the Naperville Police Department is giving its annual reminder of some general tips to make sure kids head back to school safely.
Here’s a refresher of some of those recommendations for parents, kids, and motorists.
Naperville native cruises area neighborhoods selling ice cream sandwiches
For the past few months, Naperville native Lauren McLaughlin has been biking through the rocky roads of area neighborhoods, selling ice cream sandwiches on her Cookies & Cream Cruiser.
McLaughlin serves up $5 sandwiches in both Naperville and Warrenville, posting her routes ahead of time on Facebook.
Find out how this cool business got started, and discover some of McLaughlin’s most popular flavors.
