School District U-46 has had school restrooms damaged in recent weeks by vandals responding to a challenge posted on the TikTok social media platform, according to district spokeswoman Mary Fergus.

The district has had to replace about 80 restroom soap dispensers in middle and high schools across the district, Fergus said. At $15 per dispenser, the cost has added up to about $1,200, she said.

Some of the vandals have been caught and are facing disciplinary action as outlined in the district’s student code of conduct, Fergus said.

TikTok recently blocked users from viewing any videos with the “devious lick” hashtag, which led to video clips of students vandalizing school restrooms.

South Elgin dog park closed for upgrades

The village of South Elgin’s dog park has been closed indefinitely so a series of upgrades to be done.

The park opened last October. It’s adjacent to County Park at 225 S. Water St., between the Fox River and the Fox River Trolley Museum. Upgrades include constructing additional drainage at the main entrance to pull water away from the area, installing a concrete pad at the entrance and creating a separate run area for small dogs.

There is no firm completion or reopening date at this time. Updates will be available online at www.facebook.com/SouthElgin and www.southelgin.com/dogpark.

Free online pandemic symposium set for Oct. 7

A free online symposium, “Building Community Resilience,” being presented by Kane Health Counts from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 7, is open to health providers, mental health professionals, school personnel and community members.

The event will highlight the programs, partnerships and strategies of the Kane Health Counts Community Health Improvement Plan, event organizers said.

Keynote speaker Jonathan Shively, executive director of Fox Valley Hands of Hope, will talk about “Good Grief!? Loss in the Midst of Pandemic.” To register, go to bit.ly/3kcZnU8.

Kane Health Counts is a collaboration of public health partners striving to improve the health of Kane County. Partners include AMITA Health Mercy Medical Center, AMITA Health St. Joseph Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, Rush Copley Medical Center, Advocate Sherman Hospital, Kane County Health Department, and the INC Board, a mental health alliance serving the southern part of the county.

For more information on the symposium, email at zengstacy@co.kane.il.us.

Kane County to host COVID-19 vaccine clinics

The Kane County Health Department COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the coming week:

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Carpentersville Fall Fest Vax Event, Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave., Carpentersville.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. This is a first dose clinic and open to everyone in the community.

In addition, the Kane Vax Hub at 501 N. Randall Street in Batavia is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. To schedule an appointment, go to KaneVax.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Bartlett man gets 15 years for armed robbery

A Bartlett man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for using a baseball bat to rob a 7-Eleven store at 1500 S. Schick Road.

Alexzander Butchas, 24, of the 500 block of Foster Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery, a class X felony, on July 2. His sentence was handed down by DuPage County Judge Jeffrey MacKay.

Butchas and an accomplice, Jonathan Lopez, went into the store armed with a baseball bat on June 14, 2019, and forced the store clerk to give them about $500 from the cash register as well as a carton of cigarettes, a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release said.

Both men were arrested on July 8, 2019. Lopez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Under state law, Butchas will be required to serve 50% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

Elgin’s Izaak Walton chapter undertaking anniversary projects

The Elgin chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America is undertaking two projects to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the environmental stewardship organization.

League members will join with Elgin city staff and local volunteers to clean up and make improvements to Central Park, located off South State Street, not far from the west bank of the Fox River. The Lord family donated the land for the park in 1905.

In August work began on improvements to the Hanover Township Izaak Walton Center & Reserve, 899 Jay St., which the Elgin “Ikes” chapter shares with the township. The work is being funded with a $400,000 state grant being matched with money from the township.

Projects at the center include elevating a boardwalk through wetlands, installing interpreter signs, constructing an outdoor pavilion with seating area, erecting an outdoor water fountain, putting up a bean bag court and creating an outdoor physical challenge course.

Named after a 17th century English conservationist, the Izaak Walton League of America formed in Chicago in 1922. The Elgin chapter began in 1931.

— Mike Danahey