Here are some of the top stories from the past week in Patch's west Chicago region:
Downers Grove—Downers Grove Teen Overcomes Fear, Disability to Save Family from Fire—Autistic teen Brendon Harrison alerted his mother to a burning humidifier around 1:20 a.m. Sunday, allowing his family to exit the home and prevent significant damage.
River Forest—Man Sexually Assaults Woman with Sword in River Forest: Police—The woman escaped and was able to call police, who arrested a suspect and charged him with felony sexual assault.
Winfield—Winfield Bank Robbed, 2 Schools Had 'Soft Lockdowns'—Officials are investigating a bank robbery in Winfield around noon Thursday. District 200 spokesman confirms two schools had soft lockdowns.
Hinsdale—Piano Gallery Remains Open For Business After Being Hit By 2 Cars in 3 Days—The Steinway Piano Gallery remains open after two accidents involving cars driving into the business a few weeks ago. Temporary doors were being installed Monday.
Glen Ellyn—Police: Glen Ellyn Man Left Elderly Mother to Die on Floor—The 64-year-old man is charged with criminal neglect for allegedly abandoning his 88-year-old mother for weeks while she lay dying in their shared home.
Carol Stream—Former Wheaton North Booster Club President Accused of Stealing More Than $10,000—Former Wheaton North Booster Club (WNBC) president and school receptionist Dorothy "Dee" Horky allegedly took more than $10,000 from the booster club after her five-year term expired, officials say.
Lemont—Obama: Argonne Sequester Cuts Could Hinder U.S. Economy, Advancement—President Barack Obama underscored the importance of investing in scientific research during a speech on American energy at Argonne National Laboratory on Friday.
La Grange Park—La Grange Park Man Charged with Criminal HIV Transmission: Sheriff—John Savage, a Cicero police officer, failed to tell a man that he had HIV before they engaged in sexual activity, the Cook County Sheriff said.
Batavia—Maintenance Work Sparks Fire at The Holmstad Retirement Community—Quick work by Batavia, Geneva and North Aurora firefighters prevents fire from spreading; no one hurt.
Darien—Watchdog Group: Tri-State Chief, Trustee’s Relationship is Conflict of Interest—Tri-State Fire Protection District Chief Michelle Gibson’s life partner Jill Strenzel is a member of the board that governs the agency, the Better Government Organization found.
Downers Grove—Joliet Diocese List of Credibly Accused Abusers Includes Former Downers Grove Pastor—Total of priests believed to have abused children now stands at 34.
Batavia—For Batavians, Jenny McCarthy Really Is the Girl Next Door—Jenny talks about wardrobe malfunctions and gives a shout-out to Geneva on the "Rachael Ray Show."
Naperville—Charter School Plan to Go Before Naperville District 203 Board—A virtual charter school accused of asking teachers to delete bad grades wants to come to Naperville District 203 schools; a public hearing on the proposal is set for March 18.
Geneva—Virtual Charter School a No-Show at Public Hearing—Virtual Learning Solutions is scheduled to make a case for an online charter school for Geneva and 17 other school districts—but no one shows up.