Gloria Casas

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

Police photo of Karen Schepers, whose disappearance in April 1983 was a mystery until two Elgin cold case detectives were able to find her car and remains in the Fox River in March 2025. (Elgin Police Department)

Elgin detectives provide more clues in Schepers’ case, theory on what happened

May 2, 2025 at 4:36 p.m.

Elgin police believe Karen Schepers' car went into the Fox River a mile or more from where it was recovered 41 years later, its locked emergency brake indicating she must...

A shopping cart filled with groceries sits in an aisle at an Asian grocery store in Rowland Heights, Calif., Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Elgin mayor says he doesn’t support closing $1.2M budget hole by swapping state grocery tax for local one

May 2, 2025 at 1:21 p.m.

As communities around the state debate whether to replace the state's soon-to-end grocery tax with one of their own, Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain said he's not in favor of the...

Man who fell asleep in stranger’s house in Elgin shot by homeowner

April 30, 2025 at 9:21 p.m.

An Elgin resident who confronted and shot a man he found sleeping in his home Sunday will not be charged in the incident, Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is doing a road improvement project at U.S. 20 and Shales Parkway in portions of Elgin, Bartlett and Streamwood. (Illinois Department of Transportation)

IDOT wants public input on Route 20/Shales Parkway improvements in Elgin

April 25, 2025 at 7:11 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback on the four possible ways it might improve traffic flow and safety on Route 20 at Shales Parkway in Elgin.

This overhead shot shows Elgin's Chicago Street bridge, which is to be replaced in 2027. Its most recent inspection by the Illinois Department of Transportation found that because of ongoing deterioration, vehicles weighing 29 tons or more should not use it, officials said. (City of Elgin)

Vehicles 29 tons or heavier no longer allowed to use Chicago Street bridge in Elgin

April 25, 2025 at 6:31 p.m.

The weight limit for vehicles using the Chicago Street bridge in Elgin has been lowered again following the most recent inspection done by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Plastic bags can take thousands of years to decay, and create toxins that can seep into the ground and end up in the water system, experts say. That's among the reasons why the Elgin City Council is considering a ban on their use. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)

Elgin council to consider ordinance to ban retailers from using plastic bags

April 25, 2025 at 3:40 p.m.

The Elgin City Council has directed staff to draft an ordinance banning the use of single-use bags by all retailers other than restaurants and charging a fee for customers who...

Andres Diez, executive director of Food for Greater Elgin, speaks at the 2023 Pallet to Palate fundraiser, one of the food bank’s major events of the year. This year, it will be held Monday at the Schock Centre of Elgin, featuring food made by local resturants and businesses. (James Harvey/Food for Greater Elgin)

Pallet to Palate’s fun dining experience raises money for Food for Greater Elgin

April 24, 2025 at 2:03 p.m.

Food for Greater Elgin’s signature Pallet to Palate event is a foodie’s dream but it's also its largest fundraiser.

Aziel Guadalajara, 2, gives the Easter Bunny a good look Thursday night during South Elgin Parks & Recreation's annual holiday event, the highlight of which was a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt on the fields at Jim Hansen Park. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)

No sun, no problem for kids eager to grab Easter eggs during South Elgin’s glow-in-the-dark hunt

April 18, 2025 at 6:29 p.m.

South Elgin Parks and Rec had no problem finding homes for the 7,000 Easter eggs they had on hand for their glow-in-the-dark hunt.

Kianna Galvin, a 16-year-old South Elgin girl, was last seen on May 6, 2016. The Cook County sheriff's office has made a push for new information in the case via social media posted this week. (Cook County sheriff's office)

Cook County sheriff’s office puts out new call for leads nine years after South Elgin girl went missing

April 18, 2025 at 5:10 p.m.

Thanks to social media posts by the Cook County sheriff's office, there is renewed interest in Kianna Galvin, missing since 2016.

Courtyard 40, a new commercial/apartment complex occupying a renovated 1893 building at South Spring and Fulton streets in downtown Elgin, is now accepting lease applications. (Courtyard 40)

Historic downtown Elgin building converted for retail/residential use ready for leasing

April 18, 2025 at 11:13 a.m.

Apartments and commercial space in Courtyard 40, a renovated historic downtown Elgin building, are ready for leasing.

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