🏘️ Ashton Ridge is a go

The proposed 159-unit Ashton Ridge subdivision in Batavia will swiftly transition from blueprint to reality after city officials green-lit the development during Monday’s City Council meeting.

One of our previous newsletters covered the proposed development in detail (you can check that out here), but these are the key elements:

• What is it? A combination of 80+ townhomes and 70+ single-family homes ranging from 1,500 to 3,200 square feet.

• Where is it? On 32 acres of land off McKee street near Van Nortwick (the former Siemens site), which has been vacant since 2006.

• Who’s the developer? Pulte Homes (the firm is also behind Batavia’s Winding Creek subdivision).

You can view the approved resolution here. We’ll keep you posted with updates as they become available.

🍗 TCC readers’ favorite local wings

We asked, and you responded — emphatically selecting Batavia’s Crosstown Pub as the top wings in the Tri-Cities.

A sampling of the feedback:

The remaining nominated establishments were clustered together with a similar number of votes, with JT’s Tavern & Tap emerging as a distant second.

Full disclosure: I haven’t tasted the wings from either of these spots — will report back once I’ve conducted some field research.

📰 News to use

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🔒 New local leader: Batavia City Council swore in Kevin Malone as the new Third Ward Alderman on Monday. Here’s some background on him and the other candidates considered.

☑️ Dam questions: An extension of the local dam removal timeline has given the St. Charles Dam Task Force more time to find answers — a process that could take several months.

☑️ Dangerous incident: A 22-year-old Aurora man was charged with DUI after crashing his car into a house on the east side of Batavia early Monday morning.

☑️ Voter prep: With the General Election less than 100 days away, Kane County is encouraging residents to confirm voter registration and/or learn how to register or update registration.

🔒 Herbicide havoc: Studies show that some farmers’ renewed use of older weedkillers is linked to extensive plant damage across Illinois, including Kane County.

☑️ Necessary redistricting: Geneva City Council will consider adopting a new ward boundary map to even out representation across its five wards.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Monitoring progress: The City of St. Charles issues new updates on its 2024 street rehab project roughly every week. You can follow those here if interested.

☑️ Green dreams: Kane County is holding a kickoff meeting for its new Climate Action Plan in St. Charles on Saturday (8/10). Members of the public can register to attend.

☑️ Artist in residence: To help foster its emphasis on the connection between art and science, Fermilab is encouraging local visual artists to apply for its guest artist and composer program.

☑️ A note to drivers: A friendly heads up that the East Side Drive and Division Street intersection in Geneva has been converted into a four-way stop.

☑️ Back to school: Here are the “first day of school” dates you should know for districts in Kane County.

🎸 Live music roundup

If you’ve got the time (and the stamina), you can enjoy a FULL afternoon and evening of live performances over at Grainology’s Benefit for CHIP IN Batavia party on Saturday. A great time for a great cause — maybe I’ll even see ya there.

And that’s just a few of the several dozen live music performances happening across the Tri-Cities this weekend. Have fun, ya’ll.

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👜 Two for one: Fall styles AND helping women in need

Ready to bask in the sights, styles and scents of fall? With unique autumn items galore, The Little Traveler has you covered on that front.

💥 Plus, they’ got a special handbag trade-in: Now through August 11, if you donate a gently used handbag to a local woman in need, The Little Traveler will give you $25-$50 off a brand-new Brighton bag!

🏬 Local biz

☑️ Startup + growth: Waubonsee Community College will kick off a new program this fall called New Venture Academy to support local aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.

☑️️ Tiny dancers: Starting in September, the Dance Lab in St. Charles is launching a unique ballroom dance program for kids.

☑️️ Healthy house pets: The Geneva Chamber recently held a ribbon cutting for Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary’s new storefront on West State Street. See what’s in the new space.

☑️️ Healthy humans: The Hive Wellness Center — a new holistic chiropractic and rehabilitative care facility — is now open in downtown Geneva.

🗓️ Events & things to do

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☑️ Carm & Jurko Live Broadcast | Fri 8/9, 12-3PM | 93 Octane Brewing, STC | Enjoy a live ESPN 1000 radio show and sample rare bourbon.

☑️ So Long Summer Swim | Fri 8/9, 6PM | The Quarry, Batavia | The last weekend of the season will feature family games, extended hours and more.

☑️ “Through the Artist’s Brush” Reception | Fri 8/9, 6-8PM | Batavia Depot Museum | Celebrate the amazing new collection of works by local artists, which opened in late July.

🎟️ BYOB Sunset Cruise | Fri 8/9, 6:45PM | Paddlewheel Riverboats, STC | Grab friends for a relaxing, scenic boat ride at sunset — with your favorite beverage.

🎟️ Tour de Cure | Sat 8/10, 6:30AM | Pottawatomie Park, STC | Contribute to the fight to end diabetes at this exciting cycling event.

🎟️ Blueberry Fest & Corn Boil | Sat 8/10 & Sun/8/11, 10AM-6PM | Windy Acres Farm, Geneva | Farm-fresh food, a beer garden, live music and kids’ activities galore.

🎟️ Best Of Fest | Sat 8/10, 7-10PM | Fine Line Creative Arts Center, STC | Enjoy the top short films from the AfterImage Film Festival — picnic-style under the stars.

🎟️ Beercade Contest Launch Party | Sun 8/11, 1-5PM | Pollyanna Brewing, STC | A food truck and live music paired with brand-new arcade games on a summer Sunday.

🎟️ Long Table Dinner | Sun 8/18, 4-8PM | Downtown St. Charles | A multi-course al fresco waterfront dinner highlighting local St. Charles restaurants organized by Project Mobility.

🌖 Weather snapshot

🌤️ Today: High 81F | Low 54F | Summer splendor

🌤️ Friday: High 72F | Low 52F | Humidity departs

🌤️ Saturday: High 72F | Low 54F | Brisk morning

🌤️ Sunday: High 75F | Low 55F | Another beauty

📖 Thanks for reading

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