Latest news with #Waukegan
CBS News
21-07-2025
- CBS News
ICE arrests man accused of concealing Antioch, Illinois woman's body
An Antioch, Illinois woman was missing for weeks before her body was found hidden in a container in Waukegan this past spring, and now, a suspect charged in connection with her death may not face justice after he was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week. Jose Mendoza-Gonzalez of Waukegan, Illinois,, faces several charges associated with hiding Megan Bos' body after she disappeared in February. None of the charges though were severe enough for detainment in Lake County, Illinois court, so Bos' loved ones say this development comes with complex emotions. "I've never called her anything but my sister," said Jennie Szalay. "I call her mom my mom, her dad my dad." Szalay and Bos were friends for three decades, going back to when they were nine years old. After Bos disappeared, Szalay was part of the team that circulated missing persons flyers around Waukegan. The team met just 100 feet from the backyard where Bos' body was found hidden in a garbage can. Bos was reported missing to the Antioch Police Department on March 9, according to Waukegan police. On Thursday, April 10, Antioch detectives went to a Waukegan business to question Mendoza-Gonzalez as a person of interest who had frequent contact with Bos. During that conversation, which had to be translated into Spanish, Mendoza-Gonzalez talked about Bos going to his house on Feb. 19 but initially said she left after her visit, police said. After further conversation about her whereabouts and whether she was still alive, he said that he did not want to be arrested at the store but did not say why, police said. The conversation moved to the Waukegan Police Department, where Mendoza-Gonzalez told detectives that Bos was in a container in his yard in Waukegan, police said. He went on to say that Bos had come over to his residence on Feb. 19, and at some point, she snorted some drugs, but he did not know what type of drug it was, police said. Mendoza-Gonzalez then told detectives that she asked if she could hang out in his basement, which he let her do, police said. He went to another part of the house, tending to a leaky pipe, but when he returned, he found her, police said. He believed she had overdosed and was already dead, police said. Police said Mendoza-Gonzalez said he was scared that he was going to be in trouble, so he left her in the basement for a few days before moving her to a container in his yard, where she remained until she was found by police. Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, is now charged with concealing Bos' death, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice. Mendoza-Gonzalez was released to his home, as the charges didn't qualify for pre-trial detainment under Illinois' SAFE-T Act. The defendant is now instead being detained by ICE. He is a Mexican national who could be deported before trial. "We all slept better last night, knowing that A, no other person is going to get hurt right now, by him, at least; B, he didn't get to just go back home and sleep in his own bed," said Szalay. "You have to keep in mind — it's two separate sovereigns doing two different things — the criminal case to put him in jail, and the immigration case possibly to deport him," said CBS News Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller. Bos' loved ones are hoping to see the justice they wear across their hearts play out in court. "Does this feel like justice? Absolutely. But is this where we stop? Absolutely not," said Szalay. CBS News Chicago has reached out to ICE and to the Lake County, Illinois State's Attorney's office for next steps, but have not heard back
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan Park District's Arts Park program begins the summer season
Beachgoers were thinning out at the Waukegan Municipal Beach with the temperature in the mid-80s Tuesday, while volleyball games continued and the Waukegan Band was preparing for its first concert of the summer, while children did art projects as their parents awaited the music. A few days of spring were left, but for scores of Waukeganites like Mary Ellen Vanderventer, it was time to enjoy some of their favorite summertime activities as she walked toward the Stiner Pavilion where the band was assembling. 'It's opening night and it's very cool to be here,' Vanderventer said. 'The music is great, and so is the view. You can bring your cooler and have a picnic. It's really nice.' Anne Linn sat with a group of friends next to a picnic table she brought to drink and dine during the concert. Like Vanderventer, the summertime concerts are a tradition she continues over the years. 'It's like Ravinia except it's in our backyard,' Linn said. 'I started coming in 1976. It's so quintessentially Waukegan.' The Waukegan Band opened its annual season Tuesday under the Stiner Pavilion at the city beach, giving the crowd of hundreds free entertainment while the Waukegan Park District's Arts Park program held its fourth event of the year. Entering his 10th season as music director, Mark Taylor said the theme for the season is summer romances, with the initial concert of six tunes devoted to young love. He tries to develop an eclectic program with a variety of music. 'There is something for everyone at each concert,' Taylor said. 'If you're a fan of classical music, we have that. We do jazz, show tunes, (and) have something for pop music lovers. We try to fit it all in our program.' Starting with The Second Suite in F for Military Band, written in 1922, followed by tunes from the 2009 Movie 'Up,' the concert finished with a medley of Elvis Presley's greatest hits and the Looney Tunes Overture. While Taylor is paid as the music director, the band's 53 members are volunteers. He said the range in age is from high school students to veterans with 40 years of experience playing in the band. Playing eight concerts in June, July, and August, Taylor said the summer season is the only performances of the Waukegan Band. They rehearse on Mondays and perform the concert on Tuesdays. He marvels at their cohesion. 'They are great musicians and they all work together very well as a band,' Taylor said. 'They all know they can count on each other, and they take care of each other.' Dan Brame, a retired Deerfield High School music teacher, plays the alto saxophone in the band. It is his fourth year in the ensemble. He said the musicians support each other. He likes playing with the diverse group. 'It's fun to be here making music every week,' Brame said, 'It's amazing getting all of us together for the concerts.' While the music is playing, Shannon Smith, the park district's artist in residence at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, is helping youngsters with their art projects. This week, she was helping them paint rocks, which they can take home. 'The kids enjoy doing the projects at the concerts,' Smith said, 'They are expressing themselves. The music helps they connect with what they're doing. It's a different feel.' Most of the participants are children, but Smith said occasionally adults participate too. The sound of the music is clear from the location of the Arts Park table. Arts Park started on June 5. It takes place in a different park from 6 to 7 p.m. each Thursday. It will be at Ben Diamond Park on June 26, Hinkston Park on July 3, Bowen Park on July 10, Diversity Park on July 17, Corrine J. Rose Park on July 24, and King Park on July 31. Along with doing projects at each band concert, Arts Park also comes to the park district's movie nights and other special events. The remaining band concerts are at 7:30 p.m. June 24, July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29 and Aug. 5.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yaskawa's $180M Move: New Headquarters Unveiled
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Friday announced Yaskawa America Inc. will invest some $180 million to expand its footprint in the Badger State, including a new location for its North American headquarters that will create more than 700 new jobs. Most Read on IEN: Auto Giant Files for Bankruptcy, Blames Tariffs Ship Carrying 3,000 Vehicles Abandoned in Pacific Ocean Boeing Flight with More Than 240 Aboard Crashes after Takeoff PODCAST: EV Ship on Fire; Raccoon Problem at Airbus; Oreo Sues Aldi The company plans to expand its current facility in Franklin, Wisconsin, about 15 miles southwest of Milwaukee and a little more than 40 miles north of its current operations in Waukegan, Illinois. The project is expected to be completed in the next eight to 10 years. Yaskawa is consolidating its Illinois and Wisconsin facilities into a new 800,000-square-foot campus that will house its headquarters, training and lab facilities, packaging, and robotics and semiconductor production. According to the company, it is experiencing significant growth driven by its robotics, motion control, AC drives, and solar inverter businesses. According to Dennis Fitzgerald, VP of customer satisfaction at Yaskawa America, many employees at the Waukegan facility live in the northern part of Illinois, so their commute to the new location will likely be shorter. For those living a little further south, Yaskawa is looking for opportunities to relocate workers interested in a change of scenery. Given the project timeframe, which Fitzgerald said could be as short as six years, some associates will likely retire before the new headquarters comes online. However, the company wants as many workers as possible to join the new site in Franklin. Over the next six years, the majority of the manufacturing work in Franklin will be for Yaskawa's drives and motion products division. However, in the next 10 to 20 years, Fitzgerald says robotics will grow to a significant part of the company's Wisconsin operations. The robots will be shipped directly to customers or integrated into production lines at Yaskawa's Ohio facility. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is supporting the project with up to $18 million in performance-based Enterprise Zone tax credits contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment. In 2023, Yaskawa paid some $20 million for a 200,000-square-foot building in Franklin. The facility was previously occupied by a packaging company, according to WPR. The company's global parent, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, has been in business for some 110 years, and the company has operated in the U.S. for nearly 60 years. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news. Sign in to access your portfolio
Chicago Tribune
16-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Waukegan loses another firm to Wisconsin
While Gov. JB Pritzker was trying to answer inane questions from congressional Republicans last week, officials in Wisconsin were finalizing a deal to bring a top-notch Waukegan manufacturer to the Badger State. The impending move of Yaskawa America was but one in a series of recent bad jobs news for Illinois. Pritzker was among three Democratic governors summoned before the GOP-led House Committee on Oversight and Reform to defend the state's sanctuary laws for undocumented immigrants. He sparred with committee members, including Illinoisan Republicans Darrin Hood of Dunlap, a suburb of Peoria, and Mary Miller of Oakland, near Charleston, home of Eastern Illinois University. The governor could have used the wasted time — he was asked if he had ever used a woman's bathroom (he didn't think so) or if he supports the terrorist Hamas organization in Gaza (Pritzker is Jewish) during long hours of political theater — to be back home and work to save more than 2,100 Illinois jobs. That's the number that will be disappearing from the Land of Lincoln even before the announcement from Yaskawa that it will be pulling up stakes and moving to Franklin, Wisconsin, southwest of Milwaukee. According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, 14 companies across the state, from Libertyville to Naperville to Momence in Kankakee County, will be furloughing workers. In Libertyville, 133 employees at two Bristol Myers Squibb sites in Innovation Park, off Route 45, south of Winchester Road, will be out of work beginning July 1. The pharmaceutical firm announced the layoffs early last month. Cardinal Logistics Management Corp., a North Carolina-based transportation and warehousing company, has gotten rid of 43 employees in Naperville Momence Packing Co., which makes Johnsonville sausage products, is scheduled to lay off 274 workers beginning Aug. 1. The aging facility's operations will move to other plants in Wisconsin and Kansas. Those are substantial job losses, but it is the Yaskawa move that hurts the most. Once again, Illinois has lost a major company to nearby Wisconsin, one which has been in Waukegan on Norman Drive, off Route 43, just north of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, since 1998. This is occurring while Wisconsin tourism, mainly supported by Illinoisans, for the third year in a row, set new records in total economic impact, number of visitors, and state and local revenue in 2024. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism says America's Dairyland brought in $25.8 billion from tourism last year. Yaskawa America won't be a tourist. Company officials said late last week the firm plans to invest at least $180 million and create more than 700 new high-paying jobs in Wisconsin. The company manufactures industrial robots, motion control devices, low- and medium-voltage alternating current drives, and solar inverters for numerous industries, including the semiconductor, machine tool, automotive, HVAC, pumping, oil and gas. The firm will consolidate its North American headquarters and training facility from Waukegan into one location in Franklin over the next eight to 10 years. The 800,000-square-foot campus in Franklin will include the Yaskawa America headquarters, training and lab building, as well as manufacturing and packaging facilities. 'We take pride in our cutting-edge technology, our commitment to quality, and our world-class manufacturing, and we look forward to a strong future of growth and innovation in Franklin,' Mike Knapek, chief executive officer of Yaskawa America, said in a statement announcing the move. The company's parent, Yaskawa Electric Corp., based in the northern Japanese city of Kitakyushu, is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. The corporation has more than 15,000 employees worldwide with 81 subsidiaries and 24 affiliate companies. It has been operating in the U.S. since 1967. 'I am really excited to be celebrating Yaskawa's decision to relocate its headquarters to Wisconsin and expand its footprint here in the Badger State, bringing with them millions of dollars in capital investment in Southeastern Wisconsin and hundreds of high-quality, family-supporting jobs,' Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers crowed in announcing the firm's move out of Waukegan. Evers said the state has authorized up to $18 million in tax credits contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during the relocation period. 'Companies from across the globe are choosing Wisconsin to grow and expand because they know we have the best workers making the best products,' Evers added, dismissing Illinois workers, noting Wisconsin is strengthening its 'position as a leader in advanced manufacturing'. Yaskawa joins the roster of Illinois firms which continue to find the grass is greener north of the border. Pritzker and Illinois economic development officials have yet to find a battle plan to counter the corporate exodus. They just seem to wave goodbye as more jobs walk away.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Illinois robbery suspect fatally stabbed in what police call self-defense
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief A 42-year-old man was fatally stabbed during a robbery attempt in Waukegan. Police say the stabbing victim was trying to rob two men who thought they were buying a motorcycle. Authorities ruled the stabbing self-defense; no charges have been filed. WAUKEGAN, Ill. - A man who tried to rob two people during a fake motorcycle sale was fatally stabbed in Waukegan on Sunday night in what police say was an act of self-defense. What we know Waukegan police responded to the area of Adelphi and Harrison around 9:55 p.m. for a report of a stabbing. There, officers found a man with multiple stab wounds and performed CPR until fire crews arrived. He was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The man was later identified as 42-year-old Adam Hoth of Grayslake. An autopsy confirmed he died of multiple sharp force injuries, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office. The backstory Investigators say the incident stemmed from an attempted robbery gone wrong. Two men had gone to the neighborhood to meet someone about buying a motorcycle they'd been negotiating for over social media. When they arrived at the given address, the residents there said they had no idea what the men were talking about. As the two men walked back to their car, police say they were confronted by two people, including Hoth, who tried to rob them. Witnesses told police Hoth threatened them with a brick, broke their car window, and tried to steal the money they had brought for the motorcycle deal. A fight broke out between Hoth and one of the men, during which Hoth was stabbed. What's next After interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office determined the stabbing was self-defense. No charges have been filed against the man who used the knife. Police say additional charges related to the robbery attempt are expected as the investigation continues. The Source The information in this article was provided by the Waukegan Police Department.
