Both DeKalb and Sycamore are going into Friday’s Castle Challenge at Huskies Stadium with records of 2-0.

The Spartans got their second-straight lopsided victory last week, 42-16 over Burlington Central. Head Coach Joe Ryan says that gives DeKalb an advantage.

"I think they're physical defensively up-front, they play the run very well, they can big play you, and they know how to win a close game," says Ryan. "We haven't been in one of those, so that's kind of scary. They've done some really good things, and we better be ready to go."

The Barbs beat Hampshire 20-14 last week. Head Coach Marty Sanders says they’re excited to begin conference play, and he says they’ll be doing it against a strong Sycamore program.

"That's kind of been a blueprint for where we'd like to be in the near, near future," says Sanders. "They're a very physical defense, very fast, and so we're certainly going to have to take care of our responsibilities."

Castle Challenge activities begin at 4:30 Friday evening. That’s also when our live coverage begins on WLBK.

Genoa-Kingston hosts Burlington Central Friday night. The Cogs’s defense is strong coming off their second-straight shutout, blanking Iroquois West 24-0 last week. Head Coach Bill McCarty says the offense still has work to do, though.

"I still think we have a lot to work on, blocking assignments, staying with our blocks. We would line up in the wrong formation," says McCarty. "We're not as pleased with the offense as we are the defense, but I think we'll get better."

Coach McCarty also says Friday night’s match up against Burlington Central will be the toughest challenge so far this season.

Also in local football tonight, Kaneland (2-0) is hosting Dixon and Hiawatha (0-2) is at Rockford Christian.

TD Ryan's weekly interviews with the high school coaches are on the WLBK Podcast Page.

The DeKalb City Council Monday night will be asked if they want to pursue expanding the police station so it fills the current city hall and building on addition for city administration.

Other options that will be presented include expanding the police station and putting administration downtown or doing neither plan.

City Manager Mark Biernacki says the $7.3-million estimated cost to expand the police station is less than the over $15-million plan to build a new station on West Lincoln Highway that has been considered over the past few years. He says the expansion would be paid for with TIF funds and money that will become available after restructuring debt.

"That new money coupled with some TIF proceeds can accomplish this space need without having to raise any new taxes or to identify new revenue sources," says Biernacki. "I can all be done within existing resources."

With the police station filling the existing space in the Municipal Building, an addition would put on the south side to house city administrators. Biernacki says an alternative to the addition could be a new facility downtown that the city could share with the school and library districts. He says those bodies are open to discussing the idea.

"I believe there's a good opportunity to, perhaps, consolidate building needs amongst the library, ourselves and school district administration, who is looking to move downtown, into an efficient pattern of some sort, where, perhaps, we share meeting space, we share parking, we share custodial contracts, utilities," says Biernacki.

The City Council will discuss the debt restructuring and possible police station expansion at their Committee of the Whole meeting at six o’clock Monday night.

Kites like you’ve never seen before will be flown at the DeKalb Kite Fest this Sunday.

It’s put on by the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Bureau Coordinator Debbie Armstrong says there will be kites 80 to 100-feet long.

"It's not like the kites that you and I remember, that we put up in the air. These are some major octopi, and sting rays, and Manta rays, and geckos," says Armstrong, "and we have stunt kites and dancing kites."  

The Art Attack will be there helping attendees make their own kites. Victor E. Huskies will be leading a candy drop from a kite, the DeKalb Park District and Joseph F. Glidden Homestead will have games and Kishwaukee College will have face painting. Food will also be available.

Kite Fest is from 11 to four Sunday on the NIU North 40 at Lucinda Avenue and Kishwaukee Drive.

The Confederate and Union armies will collide in the Battle of the Kishwaukee Bridge this weekend in Sycamore.

That’s the name being given to the battle that will be staged as part of the Sycamore History Museum’s Civil War reenactment in Sycamore Community Park. The battle is at two o’clock Saturday afternoon and one o’clock on Sunday afternoon, but the reenactment camps open to the public at ten o’clock each day.

Other activities include a Civil War-era ladies fashion show at 11 Saturday morning and ten Sunday, a "Soldiers’ Dinner" at five Saturday night, and, as museum Director Michelle Donahoe says, a firing of cannons at eight Saturday night.

"That way you can see the spark when that cannon goes off," says Donahoe. "It's a really unique photo opportunity and something you don't get to see too often when you go to other reenactments."

Admission to the reenactment is $5 a person or $20 for the whole family.

And that’s not all that’s happening in Sycamore parks this weekend. As part of the Park District’s “Weekend of More,” the movie “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” will be shown outdoors on a big screen for free at Kiwanis Park at 7:30 Saturday night.

Then, the band The Neverly Brothers will combine 1950’s American Rockabilly and 1960’s British Invasion for a free concert Sunday evening at five o’clock at the Good Tymes Shelter in Sycamore Community Park. The concert will also be broadcast live on 1360 WLBK and here on 1360wlbk.com.

Saturday is the ninth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

The DeKalb and Sycamore Fire departments will come together with Kishwaukee Community Hospital for a memorial ceremony at one o’clock Saturday afternoon in the hospital’s Healing Garden. The community is invited to the half-hour presentation, which will include speakers and music, including the playing of “Taps”.

The Sandwich American Legion and VFW posts will be holding a ceremony titled “9-11: A Day to Remember” at the Sandwich Fair. It begins at 11 o’clock Saturday morning at the Ag Land Stage.

There are four big shows at the Sandwich Fair on Friday.

Those who have served in the Armed Forces will be honored with a USO-style show beginning at three o'clock on the Ag Land Stage. It’s also Armed Forces Day, so those currently serving in the military with ID get into the fair for free until five o’clock.

Fair Vice-President Larry Dannewitz says beginning at seven o’clock, there will two country acts at the Grandstand.

"It's two for the price of one. We had two up-and-coming stars and they just happened to come together for us," says Dannewitz, "so we're going to start off with Jason Micheal Carroll and then come back with the headliner, Jake Owen. It should be a great show."

For rock fans, the Lizzi Neal Band will be playing for free with admission at seven o’clock on the Ag Land Stage. At the same time, Colonel Boyd’s Original Dixie Band will be performing on the Home Arts Building Stage.

The Sandwich Fair continues through Sunday. There will be NTPA-sanctioned tractor pulls at the Grandstand Saturday at 12:30 at 6:30, and there will be demolition derbies at the Grandstand on Sunday at one o’clock and again at three o’clock.

DeKalb Police are investigating a shooting Wednesday that injured a man while he was sitting in his living room.

Police say several shots were fired through a window into a home in the 400-block of North Tenth Street at around 11:15. A man who was watching TV in the home was hit in the hand and arm. Police say it appears both wounds were from a single bullet.

The man was taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital. Police says his injuries were not life-threatening.

Police say other people in the living room said they didn’t see anyone outside, but neighbors told officers they saw someone running away.

A Sycamore man is charged with impregnating a 13-year-old girl.

41-year-old Mark Tate face one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Sycamore Police say their detectives were notified by a local hospital on July 30th that they were treating a 13-year-old girl who was pregnant. Police say a warrant was issued for Tate after an investigation led them to probable cause to believe that he was the father. Police say Tate and the girl lived in the same house.

Tate was arrested on the warrant last Wednesday night. If convicted, he faces six to 30-years in prison.