Buffalo Grove's Top 13 Stories of 2013

This year brought a wide range of news, including the excitement of a resident who won $2 million on a lottery ticket and the still-developing changes in the village's grocery store landscape.

Here's a look back at some of the most widely read stories this year, listed in no particular order. Click on each headline for complete details.

Stevenson High School Math Teacher Dies
Mary Layco, a longtime math teacher at Stevenson High School, died in December.

Teen Survives Being Struck by Prairie View Metra Train
A teen survived being struck by a Metra train in Prairie View in December.

Garden Fresh Pursues Buffalo Grove Dominick’s Location
Garden Fresh is planning to open a grocery store at the site of a former Dominick's store.

Buffalo Grove Woman Wins $2 Million in Lottery
Sharon Lichtman became an instant millionaire this year after buying a lottery ticket on a whim.

Buffalo Grove Woman Killed in Train Incident
Linda Kozer was fatally struck by a train near the Buffalo Grove Metra station in November.

23 Charged with Underage Drinking in Buffalo Grove
Twenty-two teenagers and one 20-year-old were arrested after police broke up two underage drinking parties in the same weekend.

Buffalo Grove Man Accused of Having Sex with 12-Year-Old
Val Tardy was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13. 

Family Begs: ‘Help Save Didier Farms’
Dider Farms' owners feared for its future when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommended converting the land into a reservoir as part of a regional flood mitigation plan. The proposal was later dropped. 

Stone Admits Smoking Marijuana, Calling 911 35 Times
During a hearing regarding an order of protection requested by her stepmother, former trustee Lisa Stone told a Lake County judge that she had used marijuana and made 35 non-emergency calls to 911. Stone, who was also charged with three criminal misdemeanor counts of violating the order of protection, later pleaded guilty to one violation and was assigned fines and community service.

Buffalo Grove Adopts Gun Ban — Kind Of
Faced with a deadline following Illinois' passage of the concealed carry law, Buffalo Grove officials adopted an assault weapon ban that leaves the door open for stricter gun laws in the village.

Students, Staff Mourn Dean Craig Kincaid
Students and colleagues mourned a Buffalo Grove High School dean who died in June.

Buffalo Grove Park District Signs Remind Adults 'It Is Just a Game'
The park district installed new signs at Buffalo Grove parks to remind parents and other adult spectators that youth sports are just for fun.

Buffalo Grove Starbucks Moving to Wheeling
The Starbucks in The Grove shopping center near Jewel is preparing to relocate to a new building on Lake-Cook Road in Wheeling.

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