FS_042017

18 | April 20, 2017 | The frankfort station News
frankfortstation.com
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Weather spotter training,
health and safety expo set
for April 26
Again this year, area residents
will have the opportunity
to learn about emergency
preparedness, safety, health
and nutrition, as well as become
a certified severe weather
spotter for the National
Weather Service.
The eighth annual Health
and Safety Expo — sponsored
by the New Lenox
Safe Communities America
Coalition and Citizen Corps
Council, National Weather
Service, Will County Emergency
Management Agency,
and Lincoln-Way Community
High School District
210 — will be held from 5-7
p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at
the Performing Arts Center
at Lincoln-Way West High
School, followed by the NWS
training at 7 p.m.
Dan Martin, Safe Community
Coordinator for the Village
of New Lenox, said the
expo and weather training are
great opportunities for people
to stay informed and learn
about severe weather.
“It’s not a question of if; it’s
when we will be struck by severe
weather,” Martin said.
For that reason, he said it is
important for people to know
what to do in emergency situations
and how to prepare for
them.
Becoming a weather spotter
for the NWS is an extra
step he said people can do to
help keep themselves, their
families and their communities
safe when severe weather
happens, because spotters
are able to provide real-time
information for the weather
service.
Martin said even with the
advanced technology used by
the NWS to track storms, they
also rely on spotters on the
ground to provide up-to-date
information.
“The more people we have
trained … the greater service
is going to be to our community
and the National Weather
Service,” he said.
Reporting by Amanda Stoll,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
Motorists urged to avoid
driving distracted
An upcoming event was top
of mind April 10 at the Village
of Mokena Board of Trustees
meeting.
Motorists were urged to
keep their eyes on the road,
as April 24-28 is Distracted
Driving Awareness Week.
Mokena Police Chief Steven
Vaccaro said distracted driving
includes texting, applying
makeup or any activity
that take the driver’s attention
away from the road.
He said police will use
traffic stops to educate drivers
thought to be driving distracted.
“What the Mokena Police
Department will do is target
high-traffic areas and highcrash
areas and, most importantly,
our school zones,” he
said. “We’ll ensure that our
motoring public isn’t driving
distracted, for the safety of our
kids and our community.”
Vaccaro said the week is
meant to be educational.
“Rather than being punitive,
citations will be discretionary
by my officers,” Vaccaro said.
“As long as we’re getting the
word out that distracted driving
can cause a serious injury
or death.”
Reporting by Jon DePaolis,
Freelance Reporter. For more,
visit MokenaMessenger.com.
FROM THE ORLAND PARK PRAIRIE
Man allegedly slams, spits at
and grapples with off-duty
officers outside Gizmos
A Chicago man who allegedly
got into altercations with
a manager and then police at
an Orland Park family entertainment
spot this past week
was charged with two felonies
and two misdemeanors.
Carlos D. Kehl, 33, of 1038
W. 104th St., was charged
with two counts aggravated
battery to police officer, a
Class 2 felony; one count
disorderly conduct, a Class A
misdemeanor; and one count
of assault, a Class A misdemeanor;
according to a press
release issued the morning of
April 11 by the Orland Park
Police Department.
Orland Park police responded
at 2:15 p.m. April 8
to Gizmos Fun Factory, 66
Orland Square Drive, for a
reported disturbance between
Kehl and security.
Kehl allegedly began yelling
and swearing in a crowded
area near other adults and children
in the lobby. A manager
asked him to stop, and Kehl
“aggressively” confronted the
manager and began to swear
at him, police said.
Two off-duty officers hired
as site security reportedly
were summoned to the scene.
They asked Kehl to leave Gizmo’s,
and he refused — berating,
swearing, threatening and
spitting at the officers, police
said.
Kehl eventually walked out
of the business and into the
parking lot, followed by the
officers, who remained on the
sidewalk, waiting for the arrival
of on-duty Orland Park
officers, police said. Kehl allegedly
walked back toward
the officers, spit in an officer’s
face and used a body slam to
take him to the ground.
The other officer intervened
and was subsequently put in
a headlock by Kehl, with the
first officer still on the ground,
police said.
Reporting by Bill Jones, Editor.
For more, visit OPPrairie.com.
FROM THE TINLEY JUNCTION
Siblings launch new fitness
app
Matt and Julie Knippen
never thought their professional
worlds would combine,
but the tech-minded brother
and kinesiology-major sister
have teamed up to launch a
new fitness app for iPhone users.
“Running alone sucks,”
Julie said. “That’s our basic
idea.”
That idea also happens to be
the motto behind the sibling’s
new app, CHARGE Running,
which launched April 3 via
the Apple store.
Matt and Julie are Tinley
Park natives and graduates of
Andrew High School.
Matt, 27, is the CEO and
founder of CHARGE. He
works behind the scenes
to make sure the app runs
smoothly for its users. Twenty-five-year-old
Julie, on the
other hand, is in charge of
the company’s marketing and
public relations needs. She,
along with longtime friend
Rory Garman, also from Tinley
Park, act as CHARGE’s
trainers.
In a competitive market of
fitness apps, Matt and Julie
knew they had to set their app
apart from others. CHARGE
allows users to join in on live
runs with live feedback from
a trainer, solving the problem
of not having a running
partner. Users can sign up for
various class times throughout
the day, and during the
run the app sends data back to
the trainer in real time. Runs
range in length from 25-50
minutes. Another feature is a
live leaderboard, which lets
users see where they rank
against other runners.
“This can change the way
you run,” Julie said. “It’s not
just putting in your headphones
and picking a video.
You can get the competitive
aspect with our leaderboards.
We’re all a little competitive.”
Reporting by Brittany Kapa,
Assistant Editor. For more, visit
TinleyJunction.com.
Police reports
Three burglaries to motor vehicles reported
Items were reported stolen
from three unlocked vehicles
April 9 and 10.
According to Frankfort
Police, a vehicle in the 700
block of Oakwood Drive was
reported burglarized around
10 p.m. April 9. The following
day, items were reported
stolen around 6 a.m. from a
vehicle in the 10400 block
of Yankee Ridge Drive, and
around 6:30 p.m. from a
vehicle in the 800 block of
Stratford Court.
All were unlocked, according
to police.
Earlier this week,
Frankfort Police issued a
warning that they were once
again getting reports of car
break-ins in the Chicago
area. The Village recorded
its first reported breakin
of the year earlier this
month.
April 6
• Michael Maebane, 23, of
17141 California Ave. in Hazel
Crest was cited at the intersection
of Lincoln Highway and
Locus Street after he allegedly
was speeding and driving with
a license suspended. He was
released on bond.
April 8
• John Hendrickson, 43, of
4201 W. 115th Street in Alsip
was cited at the intersection
of Laraway Road and
Majestic Lane after he was
allegedly speeding, improperly
using lanes, driving
without insurance and driving
under the influence. He
was released on bond.
April 9
• Damage was reported to a
mailbox in the 10900 block
of Pioneer Trail
• Jennifer Cook, 35, of 244
Sangamon Street in Park Forest
was cited at the intersection
of Lincoln Highway and
Windy Hill Drive after she was
allegedly speeding, driving
without insurance and driving
with a license suspended. She
was released on bond.
April 10
• A wallet was reported stolen
from a retail food establishment
in the 21000 block
of South LaGrange Road.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Frankfort
Station’s Police Reports
are compiled from official
reports found online on the
Frankfort Police Department’s
website or releases
issued by the department and
other agencies. Individuals
named in these reports are
considered innocent of all
charges until proven guilty in
a court of law.