Patch Roundup: Armed Woman Shot by Westmont Police, Student's Spelling-Bee Odyssey

A shocking story from Westmont on Friday afternoon, with local police and a 45-year-old woman involved in a gunfight in the backyard of a family residence. Details are still sketchy, but we do already have a vague portrait of the strange incident that, thankfully, appears to have resulted in no fatalities.

In lighter news that involves more letters and fewer guns, a young Batavia spelling whiz was involved in the upper echelon of the Sripps National Spelling Be this past week. While he didn't win, Daniel proved his prowess far exceeds our own when it comes to spelling... we freely admit, we'd need a spellcheck (and a dictionary) to handle "paronomasia!"

Check out any or all of the following:

Hinsdale/Clarendon Hills——The woman was wounded after exchanging fire with responding officers at a residence near the intersection of 55th Street and Cass Avenue; no officers were injured.

Batavia—National Spelling Bee Journey Ends for Rotolo Middle School Student—Daniel Oster of Batavia didn't make it to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but the Rotolo Middle School student correctly spelled some pretty tough words — such as "paraonomasia" — along the way.

Geneva——The second Geneva motorcycle fatality in eight days comes on a day reserved for honoring fallen heroes. Killed in a Memorial Day crash on Randall Road is 23-year-old John M. Broderick III.

Glen Ellyn——A 16-year-old Wheaton student was airlifted to Loyola Medical Center with serious injuries after he rolled off a car and was hit by another vehicle near Northside Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Elmhurst——Deputy fire chief reported: "It was mass chaos. We had a guy hanging out the window, multiple burn victims in the front of the building, we were still getting reports of people trapped inside."

Burr Ridge——One "overburdened" public defender plus two hours of drive time to get to a defendant, facing a 31-count felony indictment, equals less than ideal circumstances for the man who has been charged with the murder of a 14-year-old girl.

Wheaton——Family and friends paid their respects to Spc. Samuel Watts at Hultgren Funeral Home Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Western Springs——The colorful designs on the wall of Midway Airport’s CTA Walkway star two Village residents and were created by Western Springs-based company Folio.

St. Charles——While the two avid sports fans look forward to the NFL games, this trip is about more than indulging in the glories of the gridiron. Matt and Craig Steichen want to use the trip to bring “put a smile on the faces” of wounded veterans and children.

La Grange/La Grange Park——For a weekend of fantastic events in La Grange, here's your guide to the parade, carnival and concerts going on around town this weekend.

Oak Park/River Forest——"Thin and faded," standard-issue swimsuits at Oak Park-River Forest High School are scrutinized.

Downers Grove——Traffic quadruples at DuPage Airport as a result of security regulations imposed during the NATO Summit in Chicago.

Lisle——We're looking for volunteers to help the new baseball team out this summer!