Most Popular Glen Ellyn Stories of the Year

With the close of 2011 quickly approaching, we wanted to look back at some of the stories that you, the readers, read the most.

Memorial Lights

It’s no surprise that some of the most read articles this year on Glen Ellyn Patch had to do with the Memorial Lights debate. Although the Plan Commission finally approved the variances surrounding the changes to the athletic field near , the story will continue into the new year, as the fate of the lights are now in the hands of village trustees.

Here are some of the most popular of the numerous stories written about the issue:

Major Drug Bust

Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies seized $120,000 worth of cocaine from the restaurant La Playa Cantina located in the 600 block of Roosevelt Road this summer. 

ComEd Power Outages

After a series of power outages residents sat down with representatives of the power company Commonwealth Edison to discuss the reoccuring problems. The meeting addressed the power outages and brownouts that have occurred in the northeastern part of Glen Ellyn. But it's still unclear why this region of Glen Ellyn sees more outages as compared to the rest of the village. According to resident Ken Trantowski, outages have occurred with great frequency during the past five years.

Demarco Whitley

Demarco Whitley Jr., 19, of the 400 block of Saint Moritz Dr. in Glen Ellyn, was arrested and charged with criminal sexual assault. In November, Whitley was found guilty on four of the five counts, and he was sentenced to 16 years for raping a then 15-year-old female in a church parking lot in Rolling Meadows. 

Fights, Underage Drinking and More Blotter Items

In August, Glen Ellyn police officers broke up several parties where teenagers were charged with underage drinking. Here are some other items from the police blotter that topped the list for most popular stories, too. 

Fire Destroys Home

A June fire ravaged a family's home in the 500 block of Dawes Avenue this summer. Erin Micklo and her family were inside sleeping when the fire started. When the smoke detectors woke Micklo and her husband, Kevin, they rushed to get their 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son who were also sleeping. The entire family, including the dog, made it out of the home without injury.

10-Year Annivesary of Sept. 11

Nicole Lysaght survived the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but lived in terror for nine years. The tranquility of Glen Ellyn has allowed Nicole and James Lysaght to "exhale" and start anew.

Former Firefighter Charged with Theft

David W. Garmoe, 54, of Glen Ellyn was charged with stealing more than $260,000 from the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Department between 2004 and 2011, where he served as treasurer.

Tommy Schutt

Glenbard West football star Tommy Schutt started off the year verbally committing to Penn State University but after news broke of a sex scandal, involving a former football coach, Schutt decided to committ to Ohio State. This year Tommy was added to an elite rank of athletes and became a member of the 2012 All-American Bowl. 

New Details Released for Cold Case Murder

Kristina Wesselman was murdered in unincorporated Glen Ellyn in 1985 and her killer is still unknown. In July, the DuPage County Sheriff's office released new information that may help catch her murderer.