Pandemic and marches for social justice: Here are the Top 10 DeKalb County news stories of 2020

The big pandemic-sized headline in 2020 is an obvious one, and while the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed most aspects of daily life significantly across the globe this year, other big stories swept up local attention across DeKalb County, too.

Below ranks the Daily Chronicle’s 2020 list of the Top 10 biggest news stories in DeKalb County.

1. COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout DeKalb County

The first case of COVID-19, a DeKalb County resident in their 40s, was reported on March 21, 285 days ago.

Since then, 6,709 people in the county have contracted the viral respiratory disease, and 74 people have died.

In the 10 months since, the pandemic’s upended life as we know it by closing schools, businesses and canceling events throughout the country.

The ripple effects of this virus impacted all facets of “normal life” as many people traded in their cubicles for the kitchen table for work space and a makeshift classroom for the kids, while essential workers continued to put on a brave face as they showed up for their shifts, despite potential for exposure to COVID-19.

The state of Illinois was effectively shut down until the end of June, when restrictions eased, allowing for outdoor, and then eventually indoor, dining.

As the weather got cooler, however, the debate over opening schools ignited, with some districts including Sycamore, Genoa-Kingston and Indian Creek returning to some form of in-person or hybrid learning schedule, while the county’s largest district, DeKalb D-428, has remained fully remote since March. Graduations, celebrations, funerals, weddings all took a back seat to the pandemic’s devastating effects.

The November surge of the virus put all schoolchildren back in their home classrooms, and set off a renewed debate over indoor dining regulations.

The pandemic rages on as we head into 2021, and cases continue to surge in the county and across the country, with December marking the deadliest month of the pandemic to date for DeKalb County. Local businesses continue to bear the brunt of the restrictions, leaving many empty storefronts as they’re forced to close.

Some gathered together to file a lawsuit against Governor J.B. Pritzker demanding he impose dining restrictions by county, not regionally based on COVID-19 surge data, while others have announced they’ll remain open in defiance of health and safety mandates in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.

2020 was a year like no other, and while the long-anticipated arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine to DeKalb County occurred Tuesday, a “return” to normalcy remains elusive.

2. Daily marches for Black Lives call for justice and police reform

On May 30, a group of local residents got together at the corner of First and Lincoln in DeKalb to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis after white police officer Derek Chauvin was seen in video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

That first protest set off a chain of local, national and international marches and rallies spurred by Floyd’s death which set off a reinvigorated national reckoning on race and police accountability.

In DeKalb, protests were daily for the summer, nearly three months, with at times hundreds of marchers making their way through downtown and residential streets all throughout DeKalb County, calling for better police accountability within municipal departments, fairer representation in the local judicial system and a long fought-for seat at the change-making table to ensure their voices were heard.

A large portion of the protests were centered in DeKalb, where a year prior a Black man, Elonte McDowell, had also been choked by a white police officer, Sgt. Jeffrey Weese of the DeKalb Police Department, who later resigned after months-long internal and external investigations into his misconduct. An Illinois State Police investigation handed over to the DeKalb County Sate’s Attorneys office ended in Dec. of 2019 without a grand jury indictment, and an internal investigation conducted by former Police Chief John Petragallo determined Weese had violated the department’s use of force policy by using what a forensic police doctor described as a chokehold, which resulted in his suspension.

Weese resigned Nov. 11.

Virtual conversations amid the pandemic forced public officials to talk openly about demands brought forward by the new Black Lives Matter chapter, and controversial conversations were spurred by virtual classroom BLM avatars and a group of young people who stepped up to lead local protests.

In July, DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas announced the DeKalb Police Department would be restructured, amid calls for reprioritizing police budgets, which will divide the department’s operations into three separate divisions with an eye to community-led service.

The biggest police agencies in the county – DeKalb, Sycamore, NIU and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office — all had their use of force policies rewritten under the guidance of DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato. Body cameras are on their way to local municipal police departments in 2021, and elected officials along with NIU leaders have declared commitments to continue change in the new year.

3. Shawn’s Coffee Shop case

A longtime Sycamore business owner, Shawn Thrower, 62, owner of Shawn’s Coffee Shop and Princess Alex Ice Cream in downtown Sycamore, will not serve jail time after he was found guilty Oct. 15 of battering a 15-year-old female employee.

Thrower was charged in February with two counts of misdemeanor battery after records show he picked her up, slapped her buttocks and bit her on the neck during one of her shifts at the café. He was sentenced Nov. 13 by DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pedersen to 24 months of court supervision.

Thrower testified in his own defense Oct. 15 in a bench trial with no jury and denied battering the girl, though court records show he’d previously told Sycamore police he “grabbed somewhere I shouldn’t have.”

The victim and her mother, of Sycamore, both testified and were present for the sentencing.

The case brought division for months throughout DeKalb County over Thrower, a longtime, well-liked business man, a 1997 graduate of Northern Illinois University and a star athlete, and the victim, working in the first months of her first job, who during the trial and sentencing said she was hesitant to come forward with her allegations because of his public reputation.

Thrower’s charges and court proceedings led to strong reactions from the public, including several protests held by local activists standing up for Thrower’s victim. Others expressed strong support of Thrower, patronizing his businesses during the protests and condemning those who spoke out against him.

“It’s ironic,” the teenage girl said Nov. 13. “Even after I was pinned to the table, bit multiple times in the neck and slapped on my butt, I only thought about how he was a good man and everyone loved him. That’s what made standing up for myself and going to the police that much harder. Thanks to the support I have received from my friends, family and the community, I know that I’m no victim, but I will be a survivor.”

4. Arrest made in 2016 brutal double murder in Sycamore

A murder mystery that has hung over the community for 3 1/2 years appeared to have been solved Feb. 25, when DeKalb County Sheriff’s office announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the deaths of Robert and Patricia Wilson, of Sycamore.

Police traveled to Ohio in February and arrested Jonathan D. Hurst, 51, of Cincinnati, in connection with the killings of Robert Wilson, 64, and his mother Patricia, 85, in August 2016. Hurst has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of the Wilsons at their home at 16058 Old State Road in rural Sycamore. If convicted, Hurst could face up to life in prison.

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said Hurst’s DNA matched samples recovered by investigators from the murder scene. Although his DNA was not included in any criminal database, a match for Hurst was found after Virginia-based Parabon Labs used a publicly available DNA database to construct a family tree for the suspect. It’s the same forensic DNA tool used to catch the suspect in the Golden State Killer case in California.

Hurst pleaded not guilty in March, but his proceedings have been stalled due to pandemic constraints on the court system. He’s next set to appear before DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Montgomery Jan. 13.

5. Facebook picks DeKalb for data center and 6. Ferrara Candy Company promise to change local economic tide

Despite the pandemic’s devastating effects on local economies, DeKalb County still recorded $975 million worth of capital investment this year, thanks in no small part to two significant companies putting roots down in the city’s south side, promising jobs and tax revenue to go along.

Part of the boom in capital investment came from two businesses choosing to build at the ChicagoWest Business Center megasite located south of I-88 in DeKalb: a 1.7 million-square-foot confectionary packaging and distribution center that will employ 500 people for Ferrara Candy Company and an $800 million data center on a 505-acre site for social media giant Facebook.

The Facebook data center will be privy to a 20-year, 55% property tax abatement plan, approved by the DeKalb city council and agreed upon through the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone, a program administered by the DCEDC, with a stipulation of 50 tech jobs with a starting wage of $38.50 an hour to qualify for tax abatements within the first few years, documents show.

Over the next 20 years, city officials have said the data center is projected to yield tax revenue for the participating taxing bodies, even with the tax abatements, that is comparable to the five largest existing industrial companies in DeKalb (Target distribution, 3M, Panduit, Nestle, Goodyear) combined.

7. Father gunned down in front of children on Fourth of July in random act of violence at gas station

Around 2 p.m. on the Fourth of July, 29-year-old Chrishun Keeler-Tyus and Katrina L. Edwards, 35, got into a disagreement in the parking lot of a FasMart gas station, 933 S. Fourth St. in DeKalb. Minutes later, prosecutors say Katrina Edwards called her husband, Jimmy Edwards, who got in contact with his brother, Emanuel Edwards, and their mother, Annette Romano.

Not long after, the Edwards family showed up in a car and Keeler-Tyus was shot dead while his three children were watching in their car nearby. The victim’s eldest, a 5-year-old “reported seeing his daddy shot,” according to police reports.

Prosecutors and police believe a fifth person, Esaiah Escamilla, pulled the trigger, however, though he’s eluded police capture since. Escamilla is charged with first-degree murder and police said he pulled the trigger from a black Dodge Avenger owned by Romano, 49, of DeKalb, charged with obstructing justice. According to DeKalb police, Escamilla has ties to Aurora, Plano and Montgomery. Escamilla is not yet in custody, although a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Jimmy, Katrina and Emmanuel Edwards are all charged with murder.

The midday act of family violence shook the community, as investigators looked to piece together what led to the brutal daylight shooting, which also injured Keeler-Tyus’ girlfriend, as the pair was headed to the beach for a holiday outing with the children.

The Edwards have appeared before DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Robbin Stuckert multiple times together, though court proceedings in 2020 remain stalled due to the pandemic.

Jimmy and Katrina Edwards are next due in for a status hearing Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m., while Emanuel Edwards is scheduled to appear Jan. 12.

8. Long-term care facilities bear brunt of COVID-19 death

More than half (55%) of all reported deaths in the county are linked to long-term care facilities, according to the DeKalb County Health Department.

While residents in their 80s or older represent the smallest population group of cases (and those 30 and under represent the largest), that age group has the highest mortality rate in the county.

December in particular has been the deadliest month to date for the COVID-19 pandemic, which as of Wednesday, Dec. 30, has cost 74 DeKalb County residents their lives, 27 of them in December. Out of those 74 deaths, 45 of them were reported residents of long-term care facilities.

Deaths in DeKalb County match up with trends seen statewide and across the world: many in elderly populations at nursing homes or long-term care facilities. The state health department requires local health departments to track all cases and deaths linked to such facilities, although some in DeKalb County seem not to fall under that umbrella: such as Barb City Manor in DeKalb or Opportunity House in Sycamore, the latter of which is listed on the IDPH long-term care outbreak list however.

Local deaths have been reported in younger populations, too: 14.5% occurred in those in their 50s or younger. On Sept. 18, a baby less than one year old died from the disease.

For months, Daily Chronicle reporters have gathered emails, charts, interviews and death data from local long-term care facilities. Investigative reporting on some of the county’s deadliest long-term care outbreaks — at Pine Acres Rehab and Living Center in DeKalb, Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich, and Prairie Crossing Living and Rehabilitation in Shabbona — show how the staff and residents continue to battle the viral respiratory disease.

9. Water woes spur class action lawsuit against City of Sycamore, with questions swirling over lead

City of Sycamore officials are continuing to deny the city ‘has a water problem,’ according to court records which show the city’s legal team has issued a response to a class action lawsuit in Illinois district court.

“Sycamore denies the allegation that the City has a water problem,” the legal response filed Dec. 22 reads. The City’s response says it can’t specifically answer additional allegations regarding the city’s water smelling like sewage “so foul, metallic and rotten that is causes persons to gag,” and that water “tastes metallic like blood.”

The answer to the class action complaint was filed Dec. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by the city’s attorneys, Foster, Buick, Conklin and Lundgren LLC.

In response to the lawsuit — filed by residents Jeremy Pennington and Jennifer Campbell, part of the citizen-led group Citizens for Clean Water Sycamore and two leading voices throughout the most recent months-long back-and-forth between residents and city officials — the City admits residents have been coming forward with concerns over the water in their homes since at least 2016.

Residents have reiterated they do not believe the city is acknowledging the severity of the problem, while city officials in turn have said the water remains safe to drink under standards laid out by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

It’s a narrative the City has maintained for months, when residents first began to step forward more publicly in August alleging the water in their homes was so bad they couldn’t use it, and then through water quality testing done by a private-lab contracted out by residents, some tests came back showing high lead levels. Throughout, city officials have said the water, which many residents describe as brown, slimy and foul-smelling, is safe to drink.

The class action lawsuit was filed Nov. 10 by Pennington and Campbell with class attorneys Steve W. Berman out of Seattle, Washington, and Mark T. Vazquez of Chicago on Friday on several counts, including fraud, deceptive business, negligence and public nuisance.

10. Amid the chaos, DeKalb County neighbors take care of each other in 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has been many things, not the least of which a catalyst for bringing out the spirit of giving among the people of DeKalb County.

At the start of the pandemic in March as Pritzker’s stay-at-home order first came down, Katie Geer of DeKalb and her friend from high school Melissa Gorbet Butts, started a Go Fund Me page, Go Fund Me page called “Taking care of our care takers ~ DeKalb County IL.”

The premise was simple: crowd fund for money to purchase food from local businesses which had been left stunned by the then-novel closures, many struggling by through curbside service and delivery. In turn, that food was hand-delivered, masked and socially-distanced of course, to essential workers throughout the county working long shifts. From healthcare workers at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital to first responders and all in between.

It was a locally-sourced way to keep the giving local and support those who needed it most.

That initiative continues, and Taking Care of Our Caretakers has raised over $40,000 throughout the long months of the pandemic.

Others have stepped up to help neighbors this year.

In March, local distillery Whiskey Acres Distilling Company in DeKalb announced they’d begin manufacturing hand sanitizer right away and distribute it to local healthcare workers and first responders. This was early days in the pandemic, amid a nationwide scramble for simple household items like toilet paper or sanitary solution and protective products in short supply for those on the front lines.

In June, Give DeKalb County Day, an annual fundraiser benefiting 113 local nonprofits hosted by the DeKalb County Community Foundation raised more than ever before. 2,777 donors from 42 states and 10 countries made 7,534 donations to total $1,209,301 distributed to local organizations which lift up residents in a multitude of ways.

On Giving Tuesday in November, the DeKalb County Community Gardens gave away 10,000 pounds of food to those in need, amid an exponential increase in local families needing a helping hand, facing mounting food insecurity during the pandemic-fueled economic crisis which has laid off thousands.

On Dec. 9, Sycamore-based Clean USA, an emergency water and disaster restoration service, partnered with the caretakers group to host a free sanitizing station for frontline workers such as teachers, firefighters and nurses who wanted their vehicle cleaned and sanitized free of charge.

On Christmas Day, DeKalb and Sycamore local Middle Eastern food chain Jamrah served 405 free meals to families in need.

With each passing month, we are sure there are many more stories like this one, of neighbors helping neighbors, teachers and parents stepping up to encourage their kids via technology, nurses going above and beyond to bring light to families amid a loved one’s last days. It’s these acts of kindness that have and will continue to see this community through into 2021.

Note: This article has been updated to show that Taking Care of Our Caretakers has raised over $40,000 for local business and essential worker support.