Waubonsee student wins gold medal at national skills contest

A student from Waubonsee Community College in Aurora has won the top prize at a national skills contest held in Atlanta, Georgia. Benjamin Swanson, a sophomore, took home the gold medal in the Postsecondary Collision Damage Appraisal Division at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Competition. That means he beat students from across the entire country in a contest that tests skills used by real car repair professionals.

In the competition, students had to inspect damaged cars and figure out what was wrong with them. They also had to come up with repair plans, write up cost estimates using computers, and decide when a car was too damaged to fix. Swanson showed strong skills in all of these areas, and Waubonsee officials said he competed against the best career and technical education students in the nation. Before heading to Atlanta, Swanson had already won the Illinois SkillsUSA State Competition in April.

In Montgomery, a popular outdoor concert was pushed back because of bad weather. The Wayne Messmer Quartet Concert in the Park was originally planned for June 24, but thunderstorms forced organizers to move it to Wednesday, July 1. The event will now take place at Montgomery Park, located at 310 N. River St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Community Engagement Coordinator Rosie Boeing said safety was the main reason for the change, and she thanked the performers and vendors for being flexible.

The concert is meant to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Wayne Messmer is well known around the Chicago area for singing the national anthem at big events. He and his quartet will perform patriotic songs, favorites from the Great American Songbook, and other classic tunes. The park opens at 5:30 p.m., and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Two food trucks, Grumpy Gaucho and Strawberries BBQ, will also be on site.

A brand-new music series is also coming to downtown Geneva this summer. Called Sunday Sidewalk Sessions, the program kicks off on July 5 and runs on Sunday afternoons through September 27. Four musicians will perform each week on Third and State streets, making it easy for people to walk around and enjoy the music. The series was created by two local restaurants, Preservation and Atlas Chicken, who wanted to get more people exploring downtown Geneva.

The program was inspired by the lively music scene in the Fox Valley region. It is funded by the city's Destination Geneva Grant, which supports events that make Geneva a more exciting place to visit. City officials said the goal is to bring in more visitors, support local businesses, boost the local economy, and help people in the community connect with one another. Whether you love live music, great food, or just a fun reason to get outside, the Fox Valley has something to offer this summer.