Here are some of the top stories from the past week in Patch's west Chicago region:
LEMONT—Lemont Police: Middle School Girl Charged with Writing Oakwood Bomb Threat—Lemont Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy said the girl was charged with disorderly conduct after admitted to writing a threatening message on the school's exterior wall Sunday.
WHEATON—Witness: Inmate Ordered Death of Public Officials, Ex-Wife—Former Centralia inmate testifies he received money and instructions for killing two public officials and others on behalf of former Wheaton resident Gordon Vanderark, the Daily Herald reports.
HINSDALE—Salt Creek Body Identified as Man Last Seen in January—The 54-year-old homeless man found in the river near Graue Mill was identified by a tiny fingerprint on one finger, a print that was matched to an arrest record.
ELMHURST—Flooded Out Four Times in 10 Years: Elmhurst Residents Are Fed Up [VIDEO]—The City of Elmhurst provided an update of efforts undertaken since 2010 to mitigate flooding, but residents say it's nowhere near enough.
ELMHURST—Woman Struck by Car in South Elmhurst Dies—Elmhurst police continue to investigate the accident, which happened in front of Jewel-Osco Saturday.
GENEVA—No One Hurt in Gas Main Break at Delnor Hospital—A gas main break at a new cancer-treatment center under construction at Delnor Hospital forces an evacuation of work crews but no danger to patients.
WOODRIDGE—Armed Robbery May 4 in Woodridge Involved 3 Males—One of the males displayed a handgun, police said. Here are more details.
BURR RIDGE—Parent Who Objected to Sex-Heavy Movies in Class Now D86 Board President—Burr Ridge’s Victor Casini said he’s not a “one-issue board member” defined by last year’s Hinsdale South movie controversy.
NAPERVILLE—Comedian Jim Gaffigan Visits Naperville to Talk Comedy, New Book, Deep Dish—Gaffigan made a stop at Naperville’s North Central College during his "Dad is Fat" book tour Thursday evening.
LEMONT—Giant Particle Storage Ring to Stop in Lemont on Journey to Fermilab—The 50-foot-wide electromagnet will travel 3,200 miles by boat and barge this summer to be part of a new experiment that will study particle physics.
DOWNERS GROVE—Downers Grove Native Susannah Collins Speaks Out about CSN Firing—The former Comcast SportsNet reporter released a statement on her website Tuesday addressing her infamous Chicago Blackhawks slip-up and past appearances on a controversial sports show.
RIVER FOREST—River Forest Student Dies in Accident on Way Home From College—John Malone Jr., 20, was ejected from a car after it blew a tire on the highway in Indiana. He coming back from Indiana University with four other men, three of whom were injured.
GLEN ELLYN—Students Ask D41 Officials to Reconsider ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Removal—Hadley students address District 41 board about their decision to remove the book, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" because of its mature content. Superintendent says district will revisit reconsideration process for books.
WESTERN SPRINGS—Allegro Violinists Merge Bows with Beats in Remarkable Concert (VIDEO)—The Western Springs-based ensemble is performing a show Saturday to help fund an upcoming two-week tour in some of China's most auspicious concert halls.
LA GRANGE—Lyons Township District 204 Could Owe $2M+ in Unpaid Fees—The district brokered a deal with former Lyons Township Treasurer Robert Healy that relieved it of certain fees to the school treasurer’s office—until now, according to a Better Government Association report.
GENEVA—Developer Makes Bid for Flooded Mill Race Inn Property—Local developer Joe Stanton has made a low bid for the once-famous Geneva dining destination that was pushed under water in the Great Flood of 2013.
GENEVA—Geneva Commons Shopping Center For Sale, $40 Million in Debt—The popular upscale shopping center on Randall Road has a 91.5 percent occupancy rate, but defaulted on a $40 million debt due May 1, Crain’s reports.
ST. CHARLES—What’s the Scoop? Here’s the Poop on St. Charles Wildlife— Some residents on Timbers Trail have been finding stinky deposits on their patios. Here’s some tips on dealing with wildlife issues.