Recent News:
07.16.10
Your Watchdog
Residents seek traffic light to combat congestion Read more...
07.19.10
Sandra Westlund-Deenihan
Sandra Westlund-Deenihan of Quality Float Works on 'Squawk Box,' 'Cooking Light' Read more...
07.21.10
Elgin stories headed to Library of Congress
The life stories of some Elginites soon will be memorialized at the Library of Congress. Read more...
07.27.10
Hanover Park native awarded his second Bronze Star
A Hanover Park native was recently awarded a second Bronze Star medal for acts of bravery in Afghanistan. Read more...
07.28.10
Hanover Township Scores Big on Transparency
Hanover Township improved its score by 56 points to more than 70 percent Read more...
07.29.10
Local couple celebrating 73 years together
After 73 years of marriage, Bruno and Charlotte Nutof’s relationship is stronger than ever. Read more...
07.30.10
5 things you didn’t know about Bartlett's pre-National Night Out events
The main celebration for National Night Out, a nationwide crime and drug prevention initiative, will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday 8/3 during Picnic in the Park. Read more...
08.03.10
U46 takes up reclassification as Cook County district
Elgin School District U46 once again is mulling a change of address. Read more...
08.04.10
Project Backpack to outfit kids for school
School supplies will also be accepted in all Hanover Township locations, call welfare services at 630-540-9085. Read more...
08.10.10
Institute releases results of Hanover Township online transparency audit
“All of this is public record,” McGuire said. Read more...
08.10.10
Township to hold recycling event
Township residents may drop off items such as electronics, scrap metal, propane tanks, car and marine sealed batteries and more! Read more...
08.12.10
Cook State's Attorney refutes red-light-camera ultimatum
A new letter from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office refutes the idea that the county could force red-light cameras on suburbs by threatening them Read more...
08.12.10
Elgin OKs home restorations but with reservations
Elgin city leaders on Wednesday signed off on a plan to rehabilitate the first of 12 foreclosed homes using $281,000 federal stimulus money, but not without reservations. Read more...
08.16.10
Northwest suburban foreclosures now lead Cook County
Residents in the Northwest suburbs haven't been immune to the swelling ranks of homeowners in foreclosure, but now they hold the unwelcome distinction of leading the way. Read more...
08.17.10
District U-46 cautious on budget's surplus
Despite delayed payments and millions of dollars in reduced funding from the state government, Elgin Area School District U-46 officials are anticipating a balanced budget for the 2011 fiscal year. Read more...
08.20.10
Seniors try camping, other fresh-air activities
“When you’re connected with nature, you feel like you’re a part of something bigger,” Colagrossi said. “Seniors don’t want to be cooped up so physical activity is huge.” Read more...
08.23.10
Judson ranked No. 20 in Midwest colleges
Judson University in Elgin ranks No. 20 among the Best Colleges in the Midwest, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges rankings Read more...
08.26.10
Elgin to fix up 3 'horrible places'
Elgin leaders on Wednesday signed off on $657,164 in contracts to rehab three foreclosed homes through a federal program. Read more...
08.26.10
Veterans encouraged to attend Bartlett Legion meeting
The Bartlett American Legion will have their next meeting at the Log Cabin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. Read more...
08.27.10
Residents come together to host NeighborFest
A group of residents is striving to turn active citizenship into a way of life locally with the new group Neighborhood Leaders United, an organization aimed at promoting pride and safety within communities in and around Hanover Township. Read more...
08.27.10
State is denied federal funding
Illinois garnered support from more than half of the state’s 869 school districts, including cash-strapped School District U-46. Read more...
09.02.10
ECC, U-46 astronomy teacher had 'true passion'
The longtime director of the Elgin Area School District U-46's Observatory and former Elgin Community College professor was drawn to teaching like a gravitational pull. Read more...
09.03.10
Blame game escalates as Cook County tax bills delayed
With the passing of Sept. 1, Cook County failed to make its formal deadline for mailing out second-installment tax bills for the 33rd straight year. The question is, when will the bills go out? Read more...
09.07.10
Elgin library to display Sept. 11 art
Still catching your breath from Labor Day weekend? Well, you have some time until Saturday, a day in which Elgin will be solemn, stylish and celebratory all at once Read more...
09.07.10
Town hall meetings scheduled
Thursday, Sept. 9, at Hanover Township Offices, 240 S. Rte. 59, Bartlett. Read more...
09.08.10
Bartlett Park Dist. eyes Villa Olivia purchase
The Bartlett Park District has its eye on purchasing the Villa Olivia Country Club property on the village's northwest border. Read more...
09.10.10
Bartlett prepares for weekend depot museum dedication
In the late 1800s, daily life in Bartlett centered around its train depot, which was a constant bustle of people and goods headed to or from Chicago. Read more...
09.14.10
Cook board ready for only so much reform
The Cook County Board declared itself ready for reform Monday, but only to a point, as it rejected a full ban on campaign contributions by county vendors and employees Read more...
09.14.10
Dist. U-46 budget brings few comments from public
The public didn't have much to say at Monday's public hearing on Elgin Area School District U-46's 2010-11 budget. Read more...
09.15.10
Bartlett cemetery walk tells tales of the past
The ongoing walks begin at 1 p.m. and last until 3 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the cemetery entrance at 12:30 p.m. the day of the walk. Read more...
09.16.10
Township to host health and wellness expo this weekend
Hanover Township’s Office of Community Health will host Saturday its third annual wellness expo, Just for the Health of It. Read more...
09.20.10
Elgin: Water quality survey not sanctioned
The city wants residents to know: It is not conducting a water quality survey at this time. Read more...
09.20.10
Village mayors compete to raise money for Kiwanis
Each town leader is a Kiwanis member and hopes to raise a record number of donations... Read more...
09.22.10
Bartlett drug stores OK'd to sell liquor
Liquor licenses were approved for a Bartlett Walgreens and a CVS store Tuesday, to the chagrin of at least two local business owners. Read more...
09.22.10
Getting there getting harder
Two of the exit/entrance ramps connecting I-90 with Route 31 at Elgin will be closed for a month beginning immediately, Illinois tollway officials announced Monday. Read more...
09.23.10
Hoffman holds Scarecrow fest
The Hoffman Estates Park District's annual Scarecrow Festival will be held noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Vogelei Park. Read more...
09.27.10
Audit shows Park District budget is stable
While many government agencies are struggling because of the economy, the Bartlett Park District is holding its own financially. Read more...
09.28.10
Cook County Board to clash over Twitter ban
If some members of the Cook County Board have their way, a little bird soon may not be telling anyone anything - at least not in the form of Twitter posts during formal board meetings. Read more...
09.28.10
Streamwood looking at tightening its belt
Streamwood may make it through 2011 without cutting services or dipping into its reserves, but beyond that, the village may have to. Read more...
09.29.10
Cook County tax bills to be mailed weeks after election
Cook County property tax bills won't be out until around Thanksgiving, meaning voters won't have sticker shock to fuel their anger toward politicians when they head to the polls Nov. 2. Read more...
10.01.10
Contests, run, pet show at Streamwood's Pumpkinfest
Have you ever competed in a pumpkin-pie-eating contest? Or have you ever played pumpkin bowling or jack splat? Read more...
10.04.10
Board approves ‘tight’ budget
School District U-46’s Board of Education unanimously approved a tight but balanced budget for 2010-11 during its regular meeting Monday Read more...
10.06.10
Cook Board rejects full sales-tax rollback
The Cook County Board rejected a full rollback of the 1-percentage-point sales-tax increase imposed two years ago by President Todd Stroger. Read more...
10.06.10
Hanover Park has open house
The Hanover Park Fire Department will host its annual open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at Fire Station No. 1, 6850 Barrington Road. Read more...
10.11.10
Lions Club asks community for holiday help
The holidays are a time to gather with family and friends, enjoying good food and company. However, in the tough economy, many local families are finding it more difficult than ever before to put a wholesome meal on the table. Read more...
10.11.10
State will give Elgin $8 million for Riverside Drive rehab
Schock said news of the project already has garnered the attention of a number of area businesses that he said have expressed an interest in possibly relocating to downtown once construction is complete. Read more...
10.11.10
Village mulls new towing fees
People arrested for traffic-related offenses in Bartlett might also be slapped with a hefty impound fee for their vehicle to be towed in the near future. Read more...
10.13.10
Bartlett CROP Walk raises $6,500
Walkers from several Bartlett congregations came together for the annual Dick Poremba Memorial Bartlett CROP Hunger Walk recently, and raised nearly $6,500 to fight local and world hunger. Read more...
10.15.10
Bartlett panel against Half Pint Brawlers
It was no small loss for Bartlett business owner Murray Friedman. Read more...
10.15.10
Report: Hanover Park police investigating armed robbery
Police are searching for a man that held up PL$ Loan Store Monday morning at 7300 Barrington Road in Hanover Park. Read more...
10.18.10
Community prepares to celebrate Character Counts Week
Good character is hard to come by, but the Bartlett Character Counts Coalition is hoping to make it more common next week during its Character Counts Week. Read more...
10.18.10
Hoffman Estates to interview 2 for Sears Centre post
Hoffman Estates hiring of an owner's representative for the Sears Centre is one of the final steps the village takes in the transition of taking control of the arena. Read more...
10.19.10
U46 sees jump in dropouts
First, the bad news: 114 students under the age of 18 withdrew from school in Elgin School District U46 at the end of last year and had not re-enrolled by mid-August. Read more...
10.20.10
Property tax rate stays flat in Bartlett
In what has been the trend for more than 10 years, the village of Bartlett's portion of the 2010 proposed property tax levy will not increase, village officials proudly announced Tuesday. Read more...
10.22.10
Park District seeking money for Villa Olivia purchase
The future of Villa Olivia will be in residents’ hands next month as the Bartlett Park District asks voters for approval of its referendum to issue $18 million in bonds and purchase the property while the price is right. Read more...
10.25.10
Bartlett Police remind residents of Trick-or-Treat hours
Halloween trick-or-treat hours will be 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. Read more...
10.25.10
Spots open on U-46 committees
Elgin Area School District U-46 holds monthly meetings of the following advisory councils to promote dialogue between district officials and the public. Read more...
10.26.10
Elgin police join forces with ICE to fight gangs
Elgin has a new means to root out gang members, but the city's police chief warns its not a cure-all by any means. Read more...
10.26.10
Former Hanover Twp. welfare chief accused of stealing $200K
One day before she was scheduled to be paroled on identity theft charges, a former Aurora resident has been charged with stealing nearly $200,000 from needy families during the time she was welfare director for Hanover Township. Read more...
10.26.10
Hoffman Estates postal carrier honored for kidney donation
Arlene Hoffman said she’s not much of a giving person, but the village officials who held a reception for her on Monday night at Hoffman Estates village hall beg to differ. Read more...
10.28.10
Bartlett parks say Villa Olivia price is right
The Bartlett Park District board knew voters would need to approve a tax increase if they wanted to go forward with renovations to their aquatic center. Read more...
10.29.10
Timber Trails Elementary School in Elgin Area School District U-46 Receives Passing Grade from State
Read more...
10.29.10
When to trick or treat in the suburbs
Read more...
11.01.10
Elgin police to double animal patrol
The Elgin Police Department plans to double its number of animal control officers by the end of the year. Read more...
11.01.10
Fire extinguished at Streamwood Wal-Mart
A fire at Wal-Mart, 850 S. Barrington Road, in Streamwood, is out and no one was injured, according to a police official. Read more...
11.03.10
Preckwinkle: Budget is first challenge; tax cut comes later
After waging an almost two-year campaign, the easy stuff is over for Toni Preckwinkle, president-elect of the Cook County Board. Read more...
11.03.10
Work just beginning for Bartlett Park District
Now that the Bartlett Park District has officially been declared the winner of the $18 million referendum, the major work to complete the projects is just beginning. Read more...
11.04.10
Elgin officials get first look at 2011 budget
Elgin council leaders got their first glimpse of the city's 2011 budget this week, a $274.5 million spending plan that does not include any layoffs or sales property tax hikes for the coming year. Read more...
11.09.10
Bartlett police make 11 arrests during Halloween DUI campaign
During a two week period leading up to Halloween, the Bartlett Police Department made a total of 11 arrests as part of their DUI enforcement campaign. Read more...
11.09.10
Cook County tax rates generally stable
With local governments' tax collections tied to the Consumer Price Index in the midst of a harsh recession, many Cook County property owners should see little increase in their second-installment tax bills being mailed out this week, according to Clerk David Orr's Office. Read more...
11.15.10
Villa Olivia rezoning gets nod from Plan Commission
The Bartlett Plan Commission has given a thumbs up to rezoning 138 acres of Villa Olivia property to open space upon annexation to the village. Read more...
11.16.10
Casino revenue drop, DUI fees on Elgin council plate
The city council will hold another budget session Wednesday prior to its committee of the whole and regular sessions. Read more...
11.16.10
Hanover Park police officer wins county award
Hanover Park police officer Daniel Kosartes was presented with the Cook County Sheriff’s Award of Merit at a ceremony on Nov. 9 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Read more...
11.16.10
Hanover Township Supervisor honored at conference
Hanover Township Supervisor Brian P. McGuire was honored with the “Friend to Youth” award from the Association of Illinois Township Committees on Youth and the “Supervisor of the Year” award.... Read more...
11.17.10
Farnham files another funding fix bill
State Rep. Keith Farnham has filed school funding fix legislation that has a very familiar ring to it. Read more...
11.18.10
Hanover Township supervisor honored
Hanover Township Supervisor Brian P. McGuire was honored this month at the Township Officials of Illinois Annual Educational Conference in Springfield. Read more...
11.18.10
Suburban homeowners bear brunt of Cook tax increases
In a year when total taxes for suburban Cook County rose just 2.5 percent, many Northwest suburban homeowners saw double-digit increases. Read more...
11.19.10
Hanover Park OKs transit study
With most in agreement that suburban public transit is inadequate at best, officials are looking into the possibility of adding a north-south bus line connecting six West suburban towns. Read more...
11.19.10
U-46 bill probably won't mean new jobs
Elgin school officials were celebrating Thursday after the General Assembly passed a funding fix that may pour more than $15 million into Elgin Area School District U-46. Read more...
11.22.10
Hanover Township to handout holiday meals Tuesday
On Tuesday, Nov. 23, the Hanover Township food pantry will be giving away holiday meal boxes to families in need starting at 10 a.m. Read more...
11.23.10
Arts in Bartlett to display new exhibit
“In Harmony with Humanity” by Jessie Y. Lee is a new art exhibit that will be featured in the Arts in Bartlett gallery now until Dec. 22. Read more...
11.23.10
Elgin mayor, council race lineups now set
With 11 people filing to run for three city council seats and only two candidates stepping forward for mayor, Elgin voters won’t have to head to the polls for a primary to cull the field in February, but just to the general election April 5. Read more...
11.29.10
Bartlett teen dead after tragic hunting accident
Fourteen-year-old Michael DiGiovani of Bartlett died Wednesday after he was fatally shot during a hunting trip near Rockford. Read more...
11.29.10
Help wanted: Elgin fire chief
With the recent retirement of Fire Chief Jack Henrici, two key positions with the city of Elgin currently are unfilled. Read more...
11.29.10
Ramey’s winter coat drive set to begin
Rep. Randy Ramey, R-55th District, of Carol Stream, will host his annual winter coat drive from Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 31. Read more...
11.29.10
U-46 to negotiate six contracts next year
Elgin school officials will have their hands full in the spring and summer, when six unions representing roughly 3,000 employees including teachers will be negotiating new contracts. Read more...
11.30.10
Bartlett teen gifted, respected leader
A quiet leader respected by his peers, Michael DiGiovanni was remembered Monday by mourning South Elgin High School students and staff who learned of the teen's tragic death during Thanksgiving break. Read more...
11.30.10
Warren at top of Elgin April 5 council ballot
April 5 ballot will list Michael Curtin, Shane Nowak, David Koldos and Tish Powell, who was the last candidate to file. The 11 candidates are vying for three spots on the council. Read more...
12.01.10
Elgin considers hydro power again
Elgin officials are considering installing equipment at the Kimball Street dam that supporters say would generate hydroelectric power and revenue for the city. Read more...
12.02.10
No plan for layoffs in Streamwood budget
The proposed budget Streamwood trustees will vote on Thursday night is balanced and won’t require the village to lay off any employees. Read more...
12.02.10
Streamwood fire causes $100K in damages
Emergency crews evacuated one person from a Wednesday morning house fire in Streamwood that caused about $100,000 in damage. Read more...
12.03.10
Crespo holds Draft-A-Bill contest
State Rep. Fred Crespo is hosting a contest for high school students to draft their own legislative bills. Read more...
12.03.10
Rides ease doctors visits
Officials in Hanover Township want to make sure that those with medical concerns don’t need to stress about transportation to and from doctors appointments. Read more...
12.06.10
Hanover Township seeks gift givers
Hanover Township is seeking participants for its 2010 Adopt-A-Senior gift program. Read more...
12.06.10
U-46 sees increase in split-grade classes
Students in Elgin-area schools are getting used to seeing not only more kids in each classroom but also kids from different grades. Read more...
12.07.10
Harper offers workshop on reducing taxes
Harper College is offering a free workshop aimed at helping local residents understand ways to reduce their federal income taxes. Read more...
12.07.10
U-46 needs money by Jan. 1
With Jan. 1 less than a month away, finance officials in Elgin Area School District U-46 are unsure whether the district has enough cash to last through New Year’s Day. Read more...
12.08.10
Park District's Villa Olivia plans ignite heated board discussion
As the saying goes, time heals all wounds, but as the Bartlett Park District found out, that’s not always the case. Read more...
12.08.10
Township seeks coats, toys and books
Hanover Township is seeking new or gently used winter coats as well as new toys and books. Read more...
12.09.10
New report: Gambling revenues continue sliding
Gambling revenues for Illinois casinos continue to slide, a new report says, even as some lawmakers push to build more of them. Read more...
12.10.10
ECC faculty frustrated with contract talks
Faculty leaders at Elgin Community College are frustrated with the pace and progress of contract talks, but college leaders say this year's negotiations are no different from previous years. Read more...
12.13.10
Fahy named new Elgin Fire Department chief
City manager Sean Stegall Friday afternoon named veteran fire department member Capt. John Fahy as Jack Henrici’s replacement as fire chief. Read more...
12.13.10
Hanover Township’s Holiday Open Gym begins
The program for younger children and teens offers fun-filled recreational, artistic and educational activities. Read more...
12.14.10
Arends only Bartlett village board incumbent to file Monday morning
Incumbent Village Trustee T. L. Arends will seek another term on the Bartlett Village Board, but so far she’s the only one of three sitting board members whose seats are available to file petitions seeking re-election. Read more...
12.14.10
Longtime Streamwood trustee seeking seventh term
Streamwood Village Trustee James P. Cecile will seek a seventh term on the village board, joining two other candidates this morning to file nominating petitions to have their names placed on the April 5 ballot. Read more...
12.15.10
Bartlett police offer winter safe driving tips
With the first snow fall under our belt, the police are offering tips to remind drivers of safe driving during the winter. Read more...
12.15.10
Under Preckwinkle, Cook board all business
On the eve of her first regularly scheduled meeting of the Cook County Board, President Toni Preckwinkle said, “We hope to run efficient and civil meetings.” Read more...
12.16.10
Bartlett earns first place National Night Out award
The National Association of Town Watch announced that the Village of Bartlett and the Bartlett Police Department came in first place for the 2010 National Night Out award. Read more...
12.16.10
No property tax increase in Elgin’s $274.5M budget
The Elgin City Council Wednesday adopted a $274.5 million budget for 2011, which is about 1 percent less than this year’s $277.1 million financial plan. Read more...
12.16.10
No strikes? Tougher tenure? Lawmakers contemplating school reforms
Beginning Thursday, hearings are being held on reforming some of the most controversial aspects of public schooling in Illinois. Read more...
12.17.10
Officials to re-evaluate Elgin-to-Hoffman Estates bike path
The day after an Elgin neighborhood association president panned a planned bike path that threatens to restrict parking, the city was planning a meeting to see whether the bike path is possible -- without the parking issues. Read more...
12.17.10
Open gym to offer youths place to hang for holidays
To prevent children from going stir crazy this winter break, Hanover Township is gearing up to begin its yearly open gym program. Read more...
12.20.10
County property tax overhaul urged
Cook County’s mind-boggling property tax system should be simplified and made fairer, a taxpayer watchdog group argued in a report to be issued today. Read more...
12.20.10
Hanover Township accepting 2011 community service award nominations
Hanover Township Supervisor Brian P. McGuire recently announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Annual Community Service Awards. Read more...
12.20.10
Hoffman official gets state post
David Banaszynski, village of Hoffman Estates Environmental Health officer, was appointed to the Illinois Board of Environmental Health Practitioners by Gov. Pat Quinn. Read more...
12.21.10
Hanover Township to give away meal boxes Tuesday
Hanover Township Food Pantry will give away holiday meal boxes to needy families on Tuesday, Dec. 21 beginning at 10 a.m. in the township parking lot, 250 S. Route 59. Read more...
12.21.10
U-46 Upstate Eight art competition winners announced
U-46 announced last week that 20 high school students were recognized at the Upstate Eight Art Competition that was held on Nov. 29. Read more...
12.28.10
Any modified ward system a ways off for Elgin
Supporters of a mixed electoral system in Elgin, where city council members would be elected both at-large and in districts, are putting the brakes on a petition drive that could have placed a question about the issue on the April ballot. Read more...
12.28.10
Seniors channel Vegas performers in variety show
Hanover Township seniors are getting ready for their close-up as they prepare to put on their 4th-annual variety show Jan. 7. Read more...
12.28.10
Top 5 stories of the year - Bartlett Press
It’s been a year of big dollar decisions and precarious budget predicaments in Bartlett. Read more...
12.28.10
U-46 will not take out loans for debt payment
The state’s second-largest school district will not have to take out short-term loans to cover a debt payment due Saturday. Read more...
12.29.10
Crespo honors local Illinois State Scholars
State Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) today honored area high school students who were recently named “Illinois State Scholars” for the Class of 2011 by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). Read more...
12.29.10
Streamwood police’s K-9 Zarak dies
The Streamwood Police Department is mourning the loss of its K-9 officer, Zarak, who died unexpectedly Tuesday morning after a serious medical condition was detected only hours earlier. Read more...
12.30.10
Tollway offers free coffee and watchful eyes on New Years
The Illinois State Police will be handing out tickets for driving under the influence while Tollway oases vendors will hand out free coffee on New Years Eve. Read more...
12.30.10
U-46 plaintiffs fight bid to dismiss of racial bias suit
The attorneys for students embroiled in a racial bias lawsuit against Elgin Area School District U-46 are disputing the district's claims that the case be decided in its favor because the plaintiffs have not been harmed by their policies. Read more...
01.04.11
Hanover Twp. partners with state on jobs
Teens and young adults between ages 16 and 21 with a high school diploma, a GED certificate or those who have dropped out of high school will now have another resource in job training and career development. Read more...
01.04.11
Northwest suburban mayors optimistic about the year ahead
Rodney Craig, Hanover Park: Hanover Park has been managing great change in policing with our new officers in area response team program Read more...
01.04.11
Two candidates taken off ballot for ECC board race
Two fewer names will be on the ballot in April after an Elgin Community College panel sustained objections Monday to the nominating petitions of two people running for the ECC board of trustees. Read more...
01.05.11
Bartlett wonders if ordinance language is limiting business
Bartlett village officials spent time reconsidering ordinance language of what is classified as a “desirable” business, acknowledging the need to fill the empty downtown storefronts. Read more...
01.05.11
Cook Board OKs Preckwinkle appointments
The Cook County Board rubber-stamped appointments by President Toni Preckwinkle today as she continued to “clean house” after replacing Todd Stroger. Read more...
01.05.11
Elgin offering eight kinds of grants for home fix-ups
The city Tuesday made known details of eight grant programs available for residents. Read more...
01.05.11
U-46 teachers earn top certification status
School district U-46 announced Tuesday that 23 teachers recently earned National Board Certifications and will be presented with certificates of achievement by the board of education at the next meeting. Read more...
01.06.11
As income tax talks heat up, some suburban lawmakers remain cool to it
With tax-increase talk still percolating at the Capitol, many suburban lawmakers remain wary of asking Illinoisans who might be facing their own budget troubles to help solve the state’s. Read more...
01.06.11
Cook Co. still has a chance to get federal flood relief funds
Cook County might yet recoup some federal funds to cover costs of home repairs after 2008 flooding. Read more...
01.06.11
Hoffman Estates police deal with year of change
It's been a time of change for the Hoffman Estates Police Department.
Read more...
01.06.11
Retiring police veteran looks back on 30-year career
Jim Genz started with the Elgin Police Department when the police academy lasted six weeks and, as he put it, you got a baton, a gun and a dime. Read more...
01.07.11
Bald eagles make a stopover in Elgin
The bald eagles have landed in the Fox Valley, and they are flying high and fishing this week along the Fox River near downtown Elgin. Read more...
01.07.11
Partnership offers job training to out-of-school youth
Searching for a job can be tough at any age, but Hanover Township is actively working to help teens and young adults obtain jobs. Read more...
01.10.11
Struggling Elgin church told it can't demolish buildings
St. Joseph Catholic Church will likely appeal to the Elgin City Council for permission to demolish four buildings it owns, after the city’s Heritage Commission refused to grant its request last week. Read more...
01.10.11
Truck fire ignites Bartlett garage
A pickup truck burst into flames outside a Bartlett house Sunday morning lighting a nearby attached garage on fire, according to fire officials. Read more...
01.11.11
Elgin looks to cut down on stoplight waits
It's 10 p.m., you're in downtown Elgin stuck at a seemingly never-ending red light, and no one else is on the street. Read more...
01.11.11
Lawmakers limit free ride program
SPRINGFIELD — The General Assembly Monday hit the brakes on the program that lets seniors ride mass transit for free, voting to limit it to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Read more...
01.11.11
Report: Increased crisis training leads to fewer suspensions in U-46
In movies about educators who take assignments in tough urban high schools, teachers are often shown breaking up fights by getting physically between two students, maybe even showing off their training as CIA-paid mercenaries. Read more...
01.13.11
‘Music is with you all your life’
Jay Kellner didn’t have a particular direction in mind for the Elgin Children’s Chorus when he co-founded it more than two decades ago. Read more...
01.13.11
Elgin roundabout plan not popular with everyone
Elgin is moving ahead with plans to reconstruct the intersection of Dundee Avenue and Summit Street into a roundabout, but some city council members who supported moving the project along expressed reservations after hearing from residents. Read more...
01.14.11
Sonic Drive-in opens in village
Bartlett, IL — Just a few years ago, Sonic was only attainable to those living in the Chicago suburbs through an abundance of commercials with visions of Coney dogs, tater tots and their signature limeades. Read more...
01.14.11
U-46 readies for daily silence
Elgin-based School District U-46 is prepared to re-institute a moment of silence when a court lifts an injunction, likely in the next few days. Read more...
01.18.11
Hanover Township hosts driver services event
Judson University’s Adult Education program will host two career development workshops at the Rockford and Elgin campuses beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan, 26 and Thursday, Jan, 27 respectively. Read more...
01.18.11
Hanover Twp. residents show their generosity
Thanks to the Bartlett Lions Club, Jewel Food Stores, the Streamwood Kiwanis Club and those that donated to the Township Food Pantry, we were able to give over 600 holiday meal boxes to families experiencing hardship. Read more...
01.18.11
Judson to host workshops on career development
Judson University’s Adult Education program will host two career development workshops at the Rockford and Elgin campuses beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan, 26 and Thursday, Jan, 27 respectively. Read more...
01.19.11
Could Elgin be high-tech hub?
An IT entrepreneur is hoping to make a high-tech hub out of historic downtown Elgin and perhaps garner national attention in the process. Read more...
01.19.11
Preckwinkle says budget reckoning coming
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today made it clear all county officials will soon have to make significant budget cuts — or see their budgets cut. Read more...
01.20.11
Another year of roadwork coming on I-90
Another summer of closed lanes and construction looms for motorists along I-90 — the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Read more...
01.20.11
Bartlett police chief quits to take Hanover Twp. job
On Valentine’s Day, for the first time since the 1970s, Dan Palmer will be going to work somewhere besides the Bartlett police station. Read more...
01.20.11
Editorial: Preckwinkle right to demand cuts
No one said this would be easy. But new Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is absolutely right when she insists that county officials get serious about cutting their budgets a full 16 percent. Read more...
01.20.11
Suburban mayors in DC for conference, networking
Six suburban mayors and village presidents are among the 230 municipal leaders at the three-day U.S. Conference of Mayors in the nation’s capitol. Read more...
01.21.11
Fed money fixes up Elgin homes
Wooden planks lie across the porch beams of 463 E. Chicago St. in Elgin where old, stained siding lines up with new energy efficient windows. A sign in the front yard reads “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” Read more...
01.21.11
More, but less severe, cuts likely in U-46
The district received about $4.6 million from a federal education jobs bill this year, the state in December made good on $12 million in delayed payments to U-46, and money from a state funding fix has started to flow into the district’s coffers. Read more...
01.21.11
Preckwinkle launches employee audit across Cook County
Saying many employees have titles that don’t match their duties, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle Thursday announced an audit to pin down job descriptions and salaries for the 2,500 people in her office. Read more...
01.24.11
Elgin may reconsider fees for food handling permits
A decision by the city council to adopt the same food license inspection fees as Kane County is getting complaints from some restaurant owners who say they can’t afford the higher fees. Read more...
01.24.11
Fewer teachers means more U46 multi-grade classrooms
The students in Graciela Rios’ bilingual class at Lowrie Elementary School in Elgin worked together to list compound words. Read more...
01.24.11
Hanover Township offers tutoring for grades 2-12
Hanover Township Youth and Family Services will offer tutoring services to students in grades 2-12 at Streamwood High School, 701 W. Schaumburg Road, in Streamwood, from Feb. 7 to May 4. Read more...
01.24.11
No injuries in Bartlett townhouse fire
Two cars inside a Bartlett townhouse garage went up in flames Sunday afternoon during a fire that caused an estimated $265,000 in damages, according to fire officials. Read more...
01.25.11
Elgin cops say warrant sweep a success
A two-day initiative dubbed “Operation Clean Sweep” allowed Elgin police officers to make 87 warrant arrests in cooperation with almost 20 federal, state, county and local agencies. The effort was one of the largest the city has ever initiated and one the Elgin Police Department is calling a tremendous success. Read more...
01.25.11
Former U-46 operations director to return as COO
Superintendent Jose Torres has tapped a former Elgin Area School District U-46 administrator for the highest unfilled position in the district. Read more...
01.26.11
Hoffman Estates Park District search
A month after cancer killed Hoffman Estates Park District Commissioner Scott Triphahn, the park district will begin the process of filling his empty seat on the board. Read more...
01.26.11
Route 20 no longer a bypass in Elgin?
U.S. Route 20 is the longest road in the United States, stretching more than 3,300 miles from Boston to Astoria, Ore. Read more...
01.26.11
U-46 board backs borrowing measure
The Elgin Area School District U-46 board has taken initial steps toward issuing as much as $25 million in bonds to cover its cash needs. Read more...
01.27.11
ECC tuition to rise after 4-year freeze
As promised, the college’s board of trustees voted this week to raise tuition for students who live within the college district’s borders, from the current rate of $91 per credit hour to $99 per credit hour. Read more...
01.28.11
ECC faculty vote to authorize strike
The faculty at Elgin Community College moved closer this week to going on strike after expressing frustration that the negotiating teams have not met since mid-December. Read more...
01.28.11
Preckwinkle demands Cook Co. sheriff make budget cuts
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle threw down a challenge to Sheriff Tom Dart Thursday, accusing him of abandoning budget negotiations and saying he can meet her 16 percent cutback by reining in medical leave cases. Read more...
01.31.11
ECC’s Founders’ Day event honors local role models
By honoring those who make a difference in their communities as well as at Elgin Community College, it gives students someone to look up to. Read more...
01.31.11
Hanover Township offering senior diabetes workshop
Starting on Monday, Feb. 7, Hanover Township is partnering with Avesena Home Health Care to offer a six-week workshop for seniors to “Take Charge of Your Diabetes.” Read more...
01.31.11
Storm could be bigger than the blizzard of '67
Chicago meteorologists plan to bring cots and a change of clothes to work this week as a massive blizzard is expected to dump up to 20 inches of snow starting Tuesday. Read more...
02.01.11
Bartlett elementary schools receive academic excellence awards
School district U-46 announced Monday that five elementary schools received academic excellence awards from the state of Illinois for high academic performance. Read more...
02.01.11
Cook tax delay no April Fools’ prank
Cook County first-installment property-tax bills are now being mailed out with a due date a month late on April 1 — and that’s no April Fools’ joke. Read more...
02.01.11
U-46 parents want librarians back
Two weeks ago, Elgin Area School District U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres invited feedback on what areas are most critical as Torres and his team prepare the 2011-12 budget. Read more...
02.03.11
Bartlett-area closings Thursday
Local area closings for Thursday, Feb. 3. Read more...
02.03.11
Elgin, its residents get social over snow
The city manager is running around with his iPhone, posting photos on Facebook. A police sergeant is pushing a snowblower. City councilmen are out pushing cars stuck in snow drifts. Read more...
02.03.11
Life getting back to normal in Bartlett
With the heavy snow over for now,
All of the village's streets are fully plowed and open. While the kids get to enjoy another snow day, most other facilities are returning to regular working hours. Read more...
02.03.11
Neighbors acting neighborly Hanover Park
Hanover Park’s Public Works Department remains out in full force working to clear the streets, but crews currently are concentrating on the village’s main thoroughfares. Read more...
02.04.11
Hanover Park police warn of ongoing burglary scam
The Hanover Park Police Department is warning residents of an ongoing burglary scam that typically targets senior residents. Read more...
02.04.11
U-46 closed for third day in a row
Elgin Area School District U-46 announced Thursday afternoon that the more than 50 schools in the district, which spans 11 municipalities, will be closed Friday as the area continues to recover from the snowstorm. Read more...
02.07.11
A tale of 3 Elgin shopping centers
Forty years ago, McLean Boulevard was the Randall Road of Elgin-area retailing. Read more...
02.07.11
Blizzard throws new Hoffman Estates public works director into fray
Joseph Nebel assumed the top spot in Hoffman Estates’ public works department last month after longtime director Ken Hari retired from the post. Read more...
02.07.11
Renz counseling center hosting open house Wednesday
The Renz Addiction Counseling Center in Elgin will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday as the agency celebrates its 50 years helping those battling alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. Read more...
02.07.11
Streamwood High School holding blood drive Wednesday
Streamwood High School is holding a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the school’s west gymnasium. Read more...
02.08.11
Cook taxpayers must reapply for senior exemption
Chiding Illinois lawmakers for saddling senior citizens with an unnecessary nuisance and Cook County government with an added expense, Assessor Joseph Berrios is mailing out almost 300,000 applications for seniors to reapply for their property-tax exemptions. Read more...
02.08.11
Dart to cut graffiti, K-9 units
In Cook County Board budget hearings Monday, Sheriff Tom Dart laid out the cuts he’ll need to make, saying he’ll have to eliminate the graffiti and K-9 units. Read more...
02.09.11
Bartlett Park District to hold special board meeting tonight
The Bartlett Park District is holding a special board meeting tonight, Wednesday, to discuss master planning for Villa Olivia. Read more...
02.09.11
Chamber event to be held Feb. 23 at Sears Centre
Tickets are on sale for the Feb. 23 Hoffman Estates Mayor’s Breakfast at the Sears Centre. Read more...
02.09.11
Elgin’s Grand Victoria loses tax challenge
A state appellate court again has upheld a decision by a Will County court to dismiss a lawsuit against the state by four northern Illinois casinos, including the Grand Victoria in Elgin. Read more...
02.10.11
Cook County looks to save money by raising fees or annexing away unincorporated neighborhoods
Saying unincorporated areas of the suburbs take an inordinate amount of Cook County resources, county President Toni Preckwinkle is eyeing raising fees for those neighborhoods or getting them annexed to nearby towns. Read more...
02.10.11
Cook public defender joins Alvarez in balking against budget cuts
The Cook County public defender has joined State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez in opposing cuts proposed by county board President Toni Preckwinkle. Read more...
02.10.11
Elgin won’t raise tax rate
The City of Elgin has remained committed to a property tax rate of $1.92 per $100 of assessed value for almost 20 years. Read more...
02.11.11
Cook Co. state's attorney agrees to budget cuts
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and county board President Toni Preckwinkle made peace with a brokered budget compromise Thursday, as Alvarez agreed to a 10 percent cut for her office while taking on additional county business. Read more...
02.11.11
Hanover Park police plan Neighborhood Watch kickoff meeting
The Hanover Park Police Department will hold its annual Neighborhood Watch kickoff meeting for 2011 at Village Hall, 2121 West Lake Street, at 7 p.m. February 23. Read more...
02.14.11
Community dinner served in Elgin
Evelyn Delli got a group of 11 people together Sunday to go to the Have a Heart Community Dinner in Elgin. Read more...
02.14.11
ELL students in U46 exceed state standards
English Language Learners in School District U46 have exceeded all standards set for them by the state, according to the 2010 Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives report card recently released by the Illinois State Board of Education. Read more...
02.14.11
More entering ECC college-ready
Stephanie DelaTorriente of South Elgin felt that her teachers at St. Charles North High School had gotten her pretty ready for college. Read more...
02.14.11
New Alexian Brothers Children’s Hospital continues to progress
Groundbreaking on the long-awaited new children’s hospital in Hoffman Estates appears to be just weeks away. Read more...
02.15.11
Brown slashes 170 from Cook court clerk’s office
Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown announced Monday she is laying off 170 employees as part of plan for intensive budget cuts. Read more...
02.15.11
Hanover Township seeks youth committee members
Hanover Township is looking for interested adults and youth, 15 and older, to serve on the Township’s Committee on Youth (COY). Read more...
02.15.11
Hoffman Estates gives early OK to street projects
Higher temperatures are melting the snow uncovering the streets in Hoffman Estates, and with that in mind the village board on Monday talked about this year’s batch of road improvements. Read more...
02.15.11
Odor in Elgin building sickens 12
Three emergency personnel and nine others were hospitalized after responding to a report of an unknown odor filling an Elgin six-flat apartment building Monday night. Read more...
02.16.11
Cook public defender nears budget compromise
Cook County Public Defender Abishi Cunningham Jr. said he’s “very close” to reaching a compromise with President Toni Preckwinkle for a 6.1 percent cut in the budget for his office, which he said was the maximum he could support and remain “constitutionally viable.” Read more...
02.16.11
FBI looking at Cook County’s troubled Project Shield
Cook County’s troubled post-9/11 security initiative — has come under scrutiny by the FBI, the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC5 News have learned. Read more...
02.17.11
Ill. EPA asks state to act against salt discharge in Bartlett
Amid complaints from nature enthusiasts, the Illinois attorney general’s office has been asked to take action against a Bartlett gravel company because its stockpile of salt near Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserve could harm plant life. Read more...
02.17.11
Township holds seminar for distressed homeowners
Hanover Township Assessor Thomas S. Smogolski and Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider will co-sponsor a Distressed Homeowner Seminar on Saturday, March 5. Read more...
02.22.11
At least 2 newcomers will join U-46 board
Four seats are up on the Elgin Area School District U-46 school board this year, but only two incumbents are running to keep their seats. Read more...
02.22.11
Bartlett principal leaves U-46 to become superintendent
Bartlett High School Principal Kevin Skinkis has been named the new superintendent at Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208. Read more...
02.22.11
Elgin Fire Department receives almost $330,000
The Elgin Fire Department will soon see almost $330,000 in federal grant money to hire two new firefighters and pay their salaries for two years. Read more...
02.22.11
Last public presentation for Elgin’s Sustainability Action Plan
The final working group presentation by volunteers developing Elgin’s Sustainability Action Plan will be focused on policy and code recommendations. Read more...
02.23.11
Major renovation heralded with Hoffman Estates golf course name change
More than $6 million in renovations and improvements at Poplar Creek Country Club are almost done, and officials are touting the makeover with a new name — Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club. Read more...
02.23.11
Park district board to meet tonight
The Bartlett Park District will hold its regularly scheduled board meeting tonight at 7:30. Read more...
02.23.11
Police announce civilian employee of the year
The Bartlett Police Department selected property control custodian and court liaison officer Dean Norman as its 2010 Civilian Employee of the Year. Read more...
02.23.11
What the suburbs want from Chicago’s new mayor
Now that Chicago has its first new mayor in 22 years, many suburban mayors believe the key to success for Rahm Emanuel is to emulate the relationship Mayor Richard M. Daley forged with the suburbs. Read more...
02.24.11
Cook commissioners clash over what they can spend
As Cook County commissioners prepare to try to pass their 2011 budget Friday — only three days ahead of a mandated deadline — they’re facing a new battle over how much to pay themselves to run their offices. Read more...
02.24.11
Elgin Walgreens gets OK to liquor sales
Elgin residents will soon be able to add beer and wine to their Walgreens shopping lists. Read more...
02.24.11
Naming of new Hoffman Estates park commissioner on hold
The Hoffman Estates Park District will wait until next week to name a new board member. Read more...
02.25.11
ECC board proposes 3-year freeze for faculty
Elgin Community College faculty have moved closer to going on strike — although a meeting with the ECC board this week provided a glimmer of hope. Read more...
02.25.11
Elgin City Council candidates claim diversity
In a race where 10 candidates are vying for three spots, it becomes the job of each to stake out a place in the lineup. Read more...
02.25.11
U-46 desegregation trial: The issues
Few people would dispute that Elgin Area School District U-46 — the state’s largest district outside Chicago — is racially diverse, and that the ethnic groups in the district are spread unequally among the district’s 53 schools. Read more...
02.28.11
2 charged in Hanover Park in couterfeit DVDs case
Two men were in court Saturday on charges of selling counterfeit DVDs outside a Hanover Park discount store. Read more...
02.28.11
Farnham introduces two bills to fight gang- and drug-related crime
Police departments across the state one day could see reimbursement for money spent apprehending drug dealers and illegal drug users from the offenders themselves. Read more...
02.28.11
U-46 desegregation case: The players
In 1992, a group of parents sued the state, claiming more than 50,000 children with disabilities in Chicago Public Schools were segregated from mainstream programs in violation of federal law. Read more...
03.01.11
Cook Board urges action on senior tax exemption
The Cook County Board today passed a resolution urging the Illinois General Assembly to halt the requirement that senior citizens apply annually for their property-tax exemption. Read more...
03.01.11
Hoffman Estates OKs road salt and fireworks purchases
It was all about fire and ice Monday night in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
03.01.11
Sherman Hospital says no to Centegra merger
For a while at least, Elgin’s Sherman Hospital considered merging with Crystal Lake-based Centegra Health System. But the door of possibility has apparently closed. Read more...
03.02.11
Bartlett Chamber of Commerce to hold food pantry fundraiser Thursday
The Bartlett Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “beer and cheer” event to raise money for the Hanover Township and Wayne Township food pantries. Read more...
03.02.11
Streamwood vet puts Army experience to work
Michelle Caraballo of Streamwood has made the transition from war zone to work zone, while helping one retailer expand in the suburbs. Read more...
03.02.11
Unemployed get help at ECC
The free program, called WorkKeys, is offered to unemployed and underemployed residents. Read more...
03.03.11
Hoffman Estates candidates debate Sears Centre future
Hoffman Estates officials continue to praise the new management at the Sears Centre, a little more than a year after the village took ownership. Read more...
03.03.11
Hoffman Estates fills vacant park board seat
The Hoffman Estates Park District appointed a familiar face to fill the vacant seat left after the death of Commissioner Scott Triphahn. Read more...
03.03.11
U46 demographer: Race no boundary factor
Demographer Jerome McKibben was more concerned with where stoplights were than minorities when he drew up his recommendations for Elgin School District U46’s 2004 elementary school boundary changes, he said Wednesday. Read more...
03.04.11
Cook County seniors get two more weeks to apply for property tax exemption
The deadline for senior citizens in Cook County to apply for a property tax exemption has been extended by two weeks because the response so far has not been strong, Assessor Joseph Berrios said today. Read more...
03.04.11
ECC, union quit contract talks
Negotiations between the Elgin Community College board and the faculty union have been suspended with both sides requesting mediation to assist in reaching an agreement. Read more...
03.04.11
Hanover Park launches effort to attract TIF district development
Unsatisfied with the progress made so far in its three tax increment financing districts, Hanover Park officials are orchestrating a multipronged effort to attract developers. Read more...
03.04.11
State schools chief: Consolidation unlikely in suburbs
As State Superintendent of Education Christopher Koch prepared to hand out 19 awards to Tri-Cities area schools for academic achievement, words like “family,” “community” and “together” flashed on a screen in front of him. Read more...
03.07.11
Hanover Park offers early retirement incentive program to 31 employees
Hanover Park is offering an early retirement incentive program to 31 village employees in an effort to prevent future budget hardships. Read more...
03.07.11
McMahon named Provena Saint Joseph president and CEO
Provena Health has named Dr. Eugene McMahon the next president and chief executive officer of Provena Saint Joseph Hospital. Read more...
03.07.11
Plaintiffs to wrap up case in first phase of U-46 racial bias suit
Wheelchair ramps coated with ice. Exits blocked by snow. Walls so rotted you could push a screwdriver through them with little effort. Read more...
03.08.11
Hanover Twp. youth panel needs members
Hanover Township is looking for interested adults and youth, 15 and older, to serve on the Township’s Committee on Youth. Read more...
03.08.11
Township’s Saturday colon cancer screenings prove beneficial
In honor of colon cancer awareness month, Hanover Township and Dr. Brian Muska, gastroenternologist at St. Alexius Medical Center, performed colonoscopies on 13 at-risk, uninsured Hanover Township residents on Saturday March 5 that could prove to be life-saving. Read more...
03.09.11
ComEd joins Cook to save $1M annually
Cook County and ComEd are teaming up on an energy-efficiency program aimed at saving the government more than $1 million a year. Read more...
03.09.11
Elgin to improve computer networks
Elgin City Councilmen will discuss upgrades to the city’s computer network and wireless capability at Wednesday’s committee of the whole meeting. Read more...
03.09.11
U-46 racial bias trial on hold until June
The Elgin Area School District U-46 desegregation trial was put on pause Tuesday and may not resume, if at all, until June. Read more...
03.10.11
Casinos, bars could allow smoking again
Bars, casinos, strip clubs and even American Legion Halls could once again allow smoking indoors if the lawmakers keep pushing legislation to allow it. Read more...
03.10.11
Elgin council approves responsible bidder ordinance
The City of Elgin will soon work under the guidelines of a revised responsible bidder ordinance after a vote by council members at the Committee of the Whole meeting Wednesday night. Read more...
03.10.11
Police department to open its doors to community
For those who have always wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Bartlett Police Department, this weekend will be your chance to find out. Read more...
03.10.11
Village presents in-depth look at proposed budget
The village of Bartlett presented a budget breakdown at its Tuesday night committee of the whole meeting. Read more...
03.11.11
Bartlett Woman's Club to hold annual fashion show
The Bartlett Woman’s Club will hold its 40th annual spring fashion show and luncheon on March 27 at noon at Villa Olivia Country Club, 1401 Lake Street. Read more...
03.11.11
Cook employees need to share cars, commissioners say
Two Cook County commissioners are proposing the government trim its fleet of 2,000 cars by joining a shared-car program known as Zipcar. Read more...
03.11.11
Ex-waste agency leader accused of stealing $850,000
The former head of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County turned himself in to law enforcement officials late Thursday and will appear in bond court today to answer charges that he stole nearly $850,000 from the agency.
Read more...
03.14.11
Two arrested in Hanover Park taxi robbery
Hanover Park police charged two people Sunday with felony robbery charges stemming from the holdup of a taxi driver a day earlier. Read more...
03.14.11
U46 hopefuls encourage both parents and students
All six candidates vying for the four open seats on the school board up for grabs in the April 5 elections appeared at the forum, hosted by the U46 Citizens Advisory Committee’s legislative committee. Read more...
03.15.11
Elementary Club in need of soldiers for care packages
Bartlett’s Liberty Elementary is currently seeking the names service men and women for an upcoming collection project by the Step Up and Make a Difference Club. Read more...
03.15.11
Streamwood's Summer Celebration an issue at forum
Streamwood Trustee James Cecille went after one of the village's scared cows — the annual Summer Celebration — at a candidate forum Monday night at the Poplar Creek Public Library. Read more...
03.16.11
Bartlett welcomes two new eateries
Bartlett residents: Prepare to loosen your belts. Plans are nearly set to welcome the family restaurant Two Toots Train Whistle Grill and an Italian pasta-making company Rana Meal Solutions to the village. Read more...
03.16.11
Cook keeps tax levy level
The Cook County Board voted Tuesday to maintain its property-tax levy this year at $720 million, a figure that has remained constant since 1996. Read more...
03.16.11
Preckwinkle lays out timeline to end fed decree
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is committing to set a timeline to get out from under a federal Department of Justice decree on the county jail by 2013. Read more...
03.16.11
U-46 to get seven new principals next year
Seven principals in Elgin Area School District U-46 will not be returning to their posts next school year, the district said Wednesday. Read more...
03.17.11
Illegal immigration hot issue at Elgin mayoral forum
Though marked by a far from impartial agenda, the Association For Legal Americans’ Wednesday evening candidate forum pushed mayoral candidates David Kaptain and incumbent Ed Schock to address a range of issues affecting Elgin. Read more...
03.17.11
Preckwinkle calls for employee sacrifices
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle wants county employees to pay more toward health care costs and pension plans as part of a long-term strategy to rein in spending. Read more...
03.17.11
Streamwood Woman’s Club scholarship available
For over 35 years, the Streamwood Woman’s Club has been dedicated to improving the quality of life in its community and beyond. Read more...
03.18.11
Township to hold open gym over spring break
Hanover Township will offer an open gym program for students to attend during spring break beginning on March 28 through March 31. Read more...
03.21.11
Cook Elgin vs. Kane Elgin
One Elgin couple was nearing retirement age. So they sold their duplex home in the Cook County section of Elgin for about $120,000 and bought a brand new single-family house in an active-seniors complex in the Kane County part of Elgin. Read more...
03.21.11
Only 1 Elgin council candidate favors ward system
Only one out of 10 candidates in the race for Elgin City Council advocates changing the city’s election format to a ward system, with one other admitting the idea is growing on him and another saying it could be a possibility down the road. Read more...
03.21.11
U-46 mourns former principal
William R. “Bill” White, an Elgin resident who spent his career in Elgin Area School District U-46, died Saturday at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer. Read more...
03.22.11
Arts in Bartlett to present art showcase in April
Arts in Bartlett will present its 7th annual Arts in Bartlett Members’ Showcase beginning on Monday, April 4 in honor of Art Appreciation Month. Read more...
03.22.11
U46 candidates talk parent engagement, district budget
Four seats on the school board are up for grabs this spring. And Board President Ken Kaczynski of Bartlett and past president Karen Carney of Bartlett are not seeking re-election. Read more...
03.23.11
Cook courts to remain open during shutdown days
Cook County courts won’t be able to close during four county shutdown days approved last month by the county board, says the state’s highest court. Read more...
03.23.11
Elgin council candidate profiles
This April, 10 people are running to fill three spots on the Elgin City Council. Read more...
03.23.11
Elgin police recognize their own
Ingenuity and dedication were most highly praised at an award ceremony Tuesday for some of the shining stars within Elgin’s police department. Read more...
03.24.11
Council moves along Senior Services, police contract agreements
The Elgin City Council took steps to help Senior Services Associates expand its downtown space and approved a contract with the police union at Wednesday evening’s council sessions. Read more...
03.24.11
Editorial: Conflict resolution works at District U-46
In the 2007-08 academic year, School District U-46 recorded 7,082 suspensions for its six high schools. Read more...
03.24.11
Five candidates vying for parks board in Hanover Park
Three Hanover Park Park District commissioners with a combined 40 years experience on the parks board face a challenge from two political newcomers in the April 5 election. Read more...
03.25.11
5 things children can do in Bartlett during spring break
Beginning Monday, Hanover Township is offering a free open-gym program for ages 5 to 14 at various schools in the township. Read more...
03.25.11
Survivor spreads awareness of colon cancer
Six years ago, Bartlett resident and Hanover Township Community Health Director Trish Simon, 38, was on a ski trip with friends in Colorado when she began feeling severe abdominal pain. Read more...
03.28.11
Bartlett High School students receive national certification
Bartlett High School received a national certification this year in ProStart, a career-building program. Read more...
03.28.11
Does Elgin's westward expansion cost all residents?
As a member of the Elgin planning commission in 1999, councilman and mayoral candidate David Kaptain helped write the Far West plan for newer development, sending it along to the city council where it was approved. Read more...
03.28.11
Smith leaves big shoes to fill at Northern Illinois Food Bank
The Northern Illinois Food Bank distributed food to 210 agencies in 12 counties just a dozen years ago, but a changing world and a struggling economy forced expansion to the point it now distributes to 665 agencies in 13 counties. Read more...
03.29.11
5 questions with the men who want to be mayor
On April 5, Elgin Mayor Ed Schock hopes to be elected to his fourth term, which would make him the person who has held the job the longest in the city’s history. Read more...
03.29.11
County Clerk’s office draws up interactive map of uncontested races
In response to a Daily Herald article last week about the large number of uncontested races in the April 5 municipal election, Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office has prepared an interactive map. Read more...
03.30.11
Healthy counties? Kendall, DuPage yes; Cook no
Startling differences in the health of residents living just a few miles apart are highlighted in a new health rankings report that assesses wellness in nearly all the nation’s 3,000-plus counties. Read more...
03.30.11
House approves smoking in casinos
Casinos looking to stop their declining revenue streams got some help Tuesday after the House approved a measure that would allow smoking on their gambling floors. Read more...
03.30.11
U-46 to hold parent resource fair .
The Citizens’ Advisory Council and the U-46 Special Education Department will hold a resource fair on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Elgin High School library, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin. Read more...
03.31.11
Elgin candidates debate Route 20 revamp
A tabled discussion item from an Elgin City Council meeting at the end of January has worked its way into election season for the 10 candidates running for three open seats. Read more...
03.31.11
Township to hold passport and shredding event
The Hanover Township’s Clerk office will host its annual Passport Day in the U.S.A. and the township community shred on April 9. Read more...
03.31.11
U-46 board candidates: Parent outreach needs to continue
In the past couple years, Elgin Area School District U-46 has taken steps to reach out to more families and involve them in their children’s education. Read more...
03.31.11
Village ending Taste of Hoffman discounts
A year after it began, Hoffman Estates is endings its Taste of Hoffman restaurant discount program April 30. Read more...
04.01.11
Council candidates assess illegal immigration issues
Candidates for Elgin City Council disagree widely on the extent to which illegal immigration is a problem in the city. Read more...
04.01.11
County commissioners weigh-in on POET probe
As a federal criminal investigation in to Cook County’s long-troubled jobs program gets underway, elected leaders say the probe offers a window in to yet another mess Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle inherited from predecessor Todd Stroger when she took office in December. Read more...
04.01.11
ECC hopefuls debate salary freeze
The five candidates for the Elgin Community College board have seen both sides of the collective bargaining table. Read more...
04.01.11
Illinois Senate approves change to senior property break
Nearly 300,000 Cook County seniors no longer would be required to file every year to get a property tax break under a measure the Illinois Senate approved today. Read more...
04.04.11
Hot races abundant in Northwest suburbs
In nearby Elgin Area School District U-46, which serves 41,000 students in communities including Bartlett, Streamwood and Hanover Park, incumbents Maria Bidelman and Amy Kerber are being challenged by Gary Percy, Mary Van Slyck, Traci O’Neal Ellis and Jennifer Shroder for three 4-year seats. Read more...
04.04.11
It’s allergy season time.
Stacy Arriola, a community health nurse for Hanover Township — who also works for Allergy and Asthma Specialists in Lombard — said for those who want to treat their symptoms with medication, there are several over-the-counter antihistamine medicines that are effective, including Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra. Read more...
04.04.11
Major I-90 rehab to begin
The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) Roadway and Bridge Rehabilitation Project will include repairing and resurfacing 27 miles of pavement and rehabilitating 25 bridge structures between Genoa Road and Route 20 and between the Elgin Toll Plaza and Barrington Road. Read more...
04.04.11
Technical difficulties delaying ECC registration
Elgin Community College may not buy the old “my dog ate my homework” for late assignments. But it may be more sympathetic to the “my computer crashed” excuse. Read more...
04.05.11
Dart wins award for halting evictions
For halting evictions of homeowners in the wake of a nationwide “robo-signing” scandal, Cook County Sheriff Dart will receive a national justice award today from New York City’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Read more...
04.05.11
Hanover Park Lions Club hosts annual Breakfast with the Bunny
The Hanover Park Lions Club is sponsoring its annual Breakfast with the Bunny from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16. The family-friendly event will take place in the Hanover Park Park District Community Center gym, 1919 Walnut St. Read more...
04.05.11
Tolls forecast for scaled-back Elgin-O’Hare expansion
Extending the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway and building a western bypass around the airport won’t happen without tolls, state plans indicate. Read more...
04.08.11
ECC faculty file strike notice
Elgin Community College faculty have given themselves the option of going on strike in 10 days. Read more...
04.08.11
Legislators talk special needs
A legislative meet and greet on special needs funding will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at Schaumburg Township Hall, 1 Illinois Blvd. in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
04.08.11
RTA could have to make fare cards for seniors
The Illinois House Thursday approved legislation that would force Chicago-area transit agencies to develop universal cards for seniors to use while riding buses and trains. Read more...
04.08.11
State forum in Elgin on redistricting
The Special House Committee on Redistricting is holding public hearings around the state in April. A redistricting hearing will be held in the ballroom of The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way, at 4 p.m. Monday, April 18. Read more...
04.11.11
Alvarez will seek 2nd term
Alvarez said Friday morning on WLS-AM radio that there's still a lot to do. She says her office is "excited about some new laws that we've been working on." Alvarez was first elected to the job in 2008. Read more...
04.11.11
Hanover Park police warn of theft scam
The Hanover Park Police Department has issued a warning of an ongoing theft by deception scam. Read more...
04.11.11
Township meetings coming Tuesday
Officials from local townships are gearing up for their annual town hall meetings on Tuesday night. Read more...
04.11.11
Village of Bartlett appoints new police chief
Village Administrator Valerie Salmons announced Friday that she permanently appointed Kent Williams as Chief of the Bartlett Police Department. Read more...
04.12.11
Arts in Bartlett to hold an Earth Day tag class
Arts in Bartlett will offer an Earth Day tag art collage class on April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bartlett Arts Center. Read more...
04.12.11
Streamwood VFW, Scouts have a model idea
A unique project last month drew Scouts to work alongside World War II veterans, building models of some of the war’s historic vehicles. Read more...
04.12.11
U-46 fills principal slots
Elgin Area School District U-46 has gone outside the district to fill the principal vacancies at Hawk Hollow and Sycamore Trails elementary schools, both in Bartlett. Read more...
04.13.11
4,000 dresses ready for prom-goers
Area high school girls are getting a chance to be belles of the ball at their upcoming proms without breaking the bank. Read more...
04.13.11
RTA could introduce universal pay system
Suburban users of public transportation could have easier transit connections in the future after the Illinois House approved a measure for Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority to implement a regional fare payment system by 2015.
Read more...
04.13.11
U-46 applies for $4M in low-interest loans
Credit may still be hard to come by for some, but that won’t stop Illinois’ second-largest school district from applying for more than $4 million in loans. Read more...
04.14.11
Elgin salutes Schock, Warren for their service
Outgoing Elgin Mayor Ed Schock served at his last council meeting Wednesday and, along with outgoing Councilman Mike Warren, received recognition for his time in office. Read more...
04.14.11
Rising gas prices provide more financial woes for U-46
With gas currently at more than $4 a gallon, School District U-46’s transportation is taking a hit, Chief Operations Officer Jeff King said at Tuesday night’s board of education meeting. Read more...
04.14.11
Suburban mayors fight for state funding
Suburban mayors descended onto Springfield Wednesday with their colleagues from around the state to protest proposed cuts to cities and villages that they say would result in major cuts to essential services.
Read more...
04.15.11
Hanover Twp. seeks youth award nominations
The Hanover Township Committee on Youth is accepting nominations for its 2011 Youth Leadership Awards, which recognizes community youth and adult leaders for being a positive role model for youth within the township. Read more...
04.15.11
Hoffman Estates board approves street improvements
While campaigning for village trustee, some candidates noted that road conditions were a topic of concern among Hoffman Estates voters. Read more...
04.18.11
ECC’s new green lab on wheels
Elgin Community College’s energy management program will celebrate Earth Day in a meaningful way on Friday, April 22, unveiling an upgraded “Destination: Green” mobile laboratory. Read more...
04.18.11
Elgin uses towing as a deterrent and 'cash cow'
The city's fee is for an “administrative tow,” and is required for drivers pulled over for any of four offenses. Read more...
04.18.11
Hanover Twp. holds meeting on taxes
Hanover Township Assessor Thomas S. Smogolski will co-sponsor a Cook County Board of Review seminar with Cook County Commissioner Timothy O. Schneider at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Township Senior Center, 240 S. Rte. 59, Bartlett. Read more...
04.18.11
Remap hearing in Elgin will let voices be heard
Voters will have a chance to be heard on Illinois redistricting today, although it’s still unclear whether their voice will make a difference. Read more...
04.19.11
Cook County workers will have to log inquiries from elected officials
Cook County employees will have to log contacts with elected officials as part of what new County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said today is an effort to end a “history of political favors and backroom deals.” Read more...
04.19.11
Elgin District U46 predicts ‘balanced’ 2011-12 budget
The District U46 school board expects less revenue from the state of Illinois in 2011, and has adjusted its projected expenses accordingly to create an almost-balanced budget, administrators say. Read more...
04.19.11
Hearing on Cook Co. hospital closure gets noisy
Charges of class bias erupted at a raucous public hearing Monday on the planned closure of a charity hospital in Chicago's south suburbs as Cook County's strategic health plan continued to hit snags. Read more...
04.19.11
Legislators gather in Elgin to hear the public’s remap wishes
After each new census comes the chore of redrawing the boundaries for Illinois’ state legislature and congressional districts. Read more...
04.20.11
Bartlett gives incentives to restaurant
A train-themed restaurant called 2 Toots will receive financial incentives to the tune of $93,000 despite objections from Bartlett residents who said it is unfair to give taxpayer money to the restaurant. Read more...
04.20.11
Elgin city clerk retiring as gatekeeper of records
In his valedictory speech last week, outgoing Elgin Mayor Ed Schock complimented the unsung employees who keep the city running. Read more...
04.20.11
Preckwinkle, Fritchey pledge easier-to-use Cook County web site
Cook County leaders today pledged that information ranging from health statistics and forest preserve maps to property taxes and government payroll will be available with the click of a keyboard or smartphone. Read more...
04.20.11
U-46 plaintiffs: Racial bias case should stand
It took Elgin Area School District U-46 14 pages to argue that plaintiffs suing the district for racial discrimination have not proven their case. Read more...
04.21.11
Elgin-area legislator excited about ed reform bill
Illinois House members are considering a Senate-approved education reform measure that one local lawmaker calls “a success story.” Read more...
04.21.11
Health official says he can't find good help
Cook County officials say the "perceived instability" of the county's hospital system, and low pay, is making it difficult to attract qualified billing staff. Read more...
04.21.11
Let U46 bias trial go on, judge urged
Attorneys responded this week to Elgin School District U46’s request earlier this month that a federal judge rule in its favor in the racial bias lawsuit that alleges the district’s 2004 school boundary plan discriminated against black and Hispanic student. Read more...
04.21.11
Preckwinkle lifts ban on Cook County construction spending
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle lifted her months-old ban on construction spending Wednesday, green-lighting $680 million worth of projects planned for the next three years. Read more...
04.22.11
Bartlett business owners plan to expand Heritage Days
Bartlett business owners met this month as they continue planning and expanding an outdoor fall festival that debuted last year. Read more...
04.22.11
Elgin warns residents of flooding
Elgin’s Office of Emergency Management is warning residents in flood-prone areas to be prepared to evacuate their homes as rivers and creeks continue to rise with no end in sight to storms. Read more...
04.22.11
Suburban commissioners oppose stance on concealed gun bill
The Cook County Board went on record opposing a state bill that would allow permits for concealed weapons, but only over the objections of three suburban commissioners. Read more...
04.22.11
U-46 schools get new leaders — for a day
They have gone into burning buildings, faced down political opponents, guided congregants through spiritual crises. Read more...
04.25.11
Elgin readies for threat of flooding
With rain in the National Weather Service forecast for a good portion of the next seven days, Elgin’s Office of Emergency Management recommends that residents living in flood-prone areas be prepared for evacuation. Read more...
04.25.11
Hanover Twp. recognizes Community Service Award winners
More than 130 people attended the third annual Hanover Township Supervisor’s Community Service Award banquet Wednesday, April 13, at the Bartlett Fire Barn. Read more...
04.26.11
Hanover Township to offer free health and wellness screenings in May
Hanover Township and the Streamwood Park District will offer free health and wellness screenings to seniors 65 and older on May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Streamwood Park Place Family Recreational Center, 550 S. Park Blvd. Read more...
04.26.11
Schock takes stock of years as mayor
Ed Schock looks back on 12 years as Elgin’s mayor, expressing pride over riverfront development, downtown projects and westward expansion, and few regrets. Read more...
04.26.11
This is why we need township government
The Hanover Township office of community health is a godsend of health services for seniors and many other groups of people who cannot afford the high cost of health care. Read more...
04.26.11
Township to host 7th annual freedom bash
For the seventh straight year, Hanover Township will be hosting Operation Support Our Troops: Freedom Bash, to benefit the men and women serving in the armed forces overseas. Read more...
04.27.11
County’s scandal-plagued jobs program gets overhaul
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and her staff say the job of overhauling the county’s long-troubled employment-training program is in high gear — sorely needed as unemployment hovers at 8.7 percent in the Chicago area. Read more...
04.27.11
Hoffman Est. cell tower plan gets fuzzy reception
Hoffman Estates Park District officials will consider their options now that a plan for a cellphone tower at High Point Park has stalled. Read more...
04.27.11
Sales tax loophole alarming for Cook County
Mention "tax haven," and glamorous locales such as the Cayman Islands or Bermuda come to mind. But what about Mark, Ill.? Read more...
04.27.11
Schock looks back on 12 years as mayor in Elgin
After 18 years on the Elgin City Council, first as a councilman and the past 12 as mayor, Ed Schock will relinquish his seat to new Mayor Dave Kaptain today. Read more...
04.28.11
Elgin makes changes to liquor commission
Elgin’s Liquor Control Commission will soon be composed of all council members instead of just two, thanks to a unanimously supported proposal by Mayor David Kaptain that was briefly discussed at a special committee meeting Wednesday evening. Read more...
04.28.11
Fallen Hanover P. chief commemorated
Thousands of kids have grown up playing at Ahlstrand Park in Hanover Park over the past half-century, most having no clue about the significance of its namesake. Read more...
04.28.11
Kaptain takes over as Elgin mayor
David Kaptain officially accepted his role as mayor of Elgin Wednesday night in a swearing-in ceremony that also brought into the fold newly elected council members Tish Powell and Anna Moeller, and which marked the start of John Steffen’s second term. Read more...
04.29.11
Hoffman Estates preps for Village Improvement Day
Hoffman Estates village forester Kelly Kerr said it’s amazing how much debris accumulates over the winter as the village deals with the snow. Read more...
04.29.11
Is ECC’s faculty contract a foregone conclusion?
About two weeks ago, Elgin Community College arrived at a tentative agreement with its faculty union, averting a threatened strike. Read more...
04.29.11
No raises for more Elgin employees
More Elgin employees have agreed to stagnant wages while protecting themselves against layoffs for the rest of 2011 in the latest labor contract approval. Read more...
04.29.11
Sheriff compliant with Shakman Decree
Forty-two years after a lawsuit charging elected officials in Chicago were improperly allowing politics to influence hiring and promotional practices, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has become the first public office to be dismissed from that suit. Read more...
05.02.11
Marker dedicated in honor of former Hanover Park police chief
The first Hanover Township Heritage Marker was dedicated Saturday at Ahlstrand Park in Hanover Park, in honor of a former police chief. Read more...
05.02.11
U-46 to keep Torres past 2014
The Elgin Area School District U-46 board is likely to approve a new contract Monday that keeps Superintendent Jose Torres at the helm of the state’s second-largest district past 2014. Read more...
05.02.11
Vendor brings Chicago dogs to Bartlett
One of Bartlett’s newest businesses is easy to spot — just look for the silver street cart outside Banbury Fair with the yellow-and-blue Vienna Beef umbrellas. Read more...
05.03.11
Hanover Township emergency group recruiting members
Barely a few feet from his former place of employment, ex-Bartlett Police Chief Dan Palmer talks about the volunteers who make up the Hanover Township Emergency Management Agency.
Read more...
05.03.11
Police briefs in Elgin
An Elgin boy’s insulin pump was taken sometime between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday from the Dairy Queen at 704 W. Chicago St., according to police reports. Read more...
05.03.11
Raise, new contract for U46 school chief Torres through 2016
Back in 2009, Superintendent Jose Torres refused a 3.7 percent salary increase when the U46 Board of Education extended his contract through 2014. Read more...
05.03.11
Suburban lawmakers play key roles in budget talks
Crespo, chair of the House’s general services budget committee, says that in determining who gets how much money next year, he’s taking a close look at audits of various state agencies.
Read more...
05.04.11
Cook County's foreclosure mediation program saves 216 homes
A year after it was announced, Cook County's multimillion-dollar mortgage foreclosure mediation program has saved 216 delinquent homeowners from losing their properties to lenders. Read more...
05.04.11
Pasta maker will open Bartlett factory
A leading European pasta producer is set to open its first U.S. facility in Bartlett next spring with the help of tax increment financing and financial incentives from the state. Read more...
05.04.11
U-46 picks new Bartlett High principal
Elgin Area School District U-46 again has tapped into its internal talent pool to fill a high-profile vacancy. Read more...
05.05.11
Bartlett trustees sworn in
Two new Bartlett village trustees were officially sworn in at Tuesday’s board meeting while longtime Trustee T.L. Arends celebrated her re-election. Read more...
05.05.11
Cook County hospital system needs to cut $14 million
The Cook County Health and Hospital System Board is planning to shave $14 million from its budget to meet a projected shortfall, hospital officials disclosed today in a letter to the County Board. Read more...
05.05.11
Elgin police going to electronic ticketing system
By the end of May, it should be easier to get a traffic ticket in Elgin. Read more...
05.06.11
Eight in Elgin receive Mayor’s Awards for preserving history
Dan Miller bought a used table saw in 1975 to do work on his own house because it was cheaper. Now he has a new home, more tools and a business called The Woodworks. Read more...
05.06.11
Emanuel, Preckwinkle: Expanded summer programs for kids aim to fight crime
Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle jointly announced plans Wednesday to offer an expanded array of summer programs for kids as part of an effort to reduce youth violence. Read more...
05.06.11
New rules in works for Cook County burials
The medical examiner and cemeteries in Cook County face tougher regulations under recently passed legislation designed to protect unidentified bodies and poor people. Read more...
05.06.11
U-46 grads look to impress employers
With many people still out of work, it can be difficult for a recent high school graduate to distinguish herself in the job market. Read more...
05.09.11
Sears could leave Hoffman Estates, costing suburbs big money and jobs
Twenty-two years ago, Sears Roebuck and Co. leveraged an impending move from Sears Tower and fears it would move out of state into a sweet deal valued at $240 million and a sprawling new headquarters in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
05.09.11
Some requests for the new mayor
Although that meager 16 percent Elgin voter turnout on April 5 doesn’t exactly make you want to stand up and salute, I can’t help but get that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from watching a smooth transition of power. Read more...
05.09.11
Suburban schools look for certainty in state budget
The House’s early budget votes have gone more smoothly, so far. Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, said his budget committee set ground rules together on how they’d proceed. Read more...
05.09.11
U46 mulls changes to tardy system
Elgin-based School District U-46 is looking to crack down on student tardiness next school year with the help of a new computerized attendance system. Read more...
05.10.11
Elgin staff changes course on Route 20
Elgin City Council members Wednesday evening will revisit the discussion over financing a study to convert Route 20 from a bypass into an urban highway. Read more...
05.10.11
Former state jobless agency director to run Cook County HR department
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today appointed the state’s former director of employment security to lead the county’s human resources department. Read more...
05.10.11
Sign up for Relay For Life in Hanover Twp.
Friends, neighbors and cancer survivors are preparing for the 11th annual Relay For Life of Bartlett, Hanover Park and Streamwood. Read more...
05.16.11
Denise Lockwald - Principal of the Year for Hanover Township
U-46 principal, Denise Lockwald of Sunnydale Elementary School, has been selected as the Principal of the Year for Hanover Township. The Hanover Township Committee on Youth hosted a reception in her honor May 3. Read more...
05.16.11
ECC union ratifies contract agreement
After seven months of negotiations, an agreement between Elgin Community College and the faculty union inched closer to completion Sunday night after the union ratified it. Read more...
05.16.11
Kaptain, Elgin council get down to business
The city’s new mayor, Dave Kaptain, found himself sitting at a table in the back of the Douglas Street Sports Bar downtown on Thursday afternoon when a reporter introduced him to a waitress working the lunch shift. Read more...
05.17.11
Hoffman Estates nixes another cellphone tower
Another plan for a cellphone tower in Hoffman Estates suffered a setback on Monday when the village board turned down a proposal to build one at Cannon Crossings Park. Read more...
05.17.11
Tardy, truant U-46 students targeted
All five Elgin Area District U-46 high schools will soon implement an attendance program and policy aimed at promoting regular attendance and promptness. Read more...
05.18.11
Hanover Park requires pawnbrokers to upgrade record-keeping
The village of Hanover Park will now require anyone who deals in secondhand articles, such as antique dealers and pawnbrokers, to upgrade their record-keeping system so that detailed transaction information is recorded into a computerized database by the end of the day. Read more...
05.18.11
Parent questions U46 school delay in turning on air conditioning last week
Temperatures across the area hit a record 90 degrees that day, heating up the insides of schools throughout the Fox Valley at a time when most of them were unprepared for the sudden onslaught summer-like air. Read more...
05.18.11
Support Hanover Twp. food pantry at Super Wash
Throughout the month of May, select Super Wash car washes will be hosting a Food-Raiser to raise money for local food pantries. Read more...
05.19.11
Groundbreaking Friday for children’s hospital in Hoffman Estates
The long-awaited children’s hospital at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates will take less time to erect than had been anticipated. Read more...
05.19.11
Hanover Park holding community garage sale on Saturday
The village of Hanover Park will host Maxwell Street, its semiannual community garage sale and flea market, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at the commuter lot at Lake Street and Barrington Road. Read more...
05.19.11
New economic development plan in Elgin
Elgin’s Downtown Neighborhood Association launched a major initiative Wednesday aimed at attracting new business and encouraging investment in the downtown. Read more...
05.19.11
Township appoints committee on youth members
At the Tuesday, May 17 meeting, the Hanover Township Board voted unanimously to appoint six youth and adults to the Township’s Committee on Youth. All six members come from diverse backgrounds and bring different perspectives to the group. Read more...
05.23.11
Detector alerts residents to Bartlett fire
A minor fire caused about $35,000 in damage to a Bartlett home early Sunday morning, according to officials. Read more...
05.23.11
Elgin has fresh ideas (and much work to do) to draw new business
Patron-friendly changes in parking restrictions, a campaign to draw new businesses into empty spaces, and the growth of a tech center are among recent developments in efforts to revitalize Elgin’s downtown. Read more...
05.23.11
Elgin Public Works open house fun for the family
Elgin capped off National Public Works Week with a three-hour, family-friendly open house at its facility at 1900 Holmes Road. Read more...
05.23.11
Hanover Park launces radio ad campaign to attract business
Commuters got their first taste of Hanover Park’s new advertising campaign during Friday morning’s rush hour. Read more...
05.25.11
Bartlett police add mental-illness response team
The Bartlett Police Department has become one of only a handful of area departments to have a Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT. Read more...
05.25.11
Increase in Elgin violence not all that initial reports made it seem
Someone listening to Chicago TV newscasts Tuesday might have been led to believe Elgin was some kind of free-fire zone. Read more...
05.31.11
Cook jail program offers veterans another chance
Once a U.S. Marine, the 52-year-old is incarcerated at Cook County Jail in a special unit reserved especially for military veterans — a unit jail officials say offers a second chance to individuals who have served our country. Read more...
05.31.11
Dogs, birds killed in Streamwood fire
A fire killed two dogs and two birds in a Streamwood duplex unit whose owners were out of town Sunday night. Read more...
05.31.11
Elgin gets AAA bond rating; report notes city’s economic strengths
That was the word recently when Fitch Ratings assigned “AAA” ratings to $9.695 million in general obligation corporate purpose bonds recently put up for sale by the city and affirmed the same rating for $113.4 million in general obligation bonds already sold. Read more...
05.31.11
Parties jockey for position on state budget
Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat and chair of a key budget committee, said he was glad to see lawmakers approve the House's proposed budget, which spent less than the Senate's version. Read more...
06.01.11
Crash ties up I-90 near Hoffman Estates
One person was injured in a three vehicle crash on I-90 near Hoffman Estates during rush hour Tuesday. Read more...
06.01.11
Elgin panel to discuss bicycle issues
The City of Elgin Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee invites you to a panel discussion about bike and pedestrian issues in the Chicago area. Read more...
06.01.11
Hanover Park to host Movie in the Park
Hanover Park’s Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee will put on a Family Movie in the Park event Saturday, June 18, at the Hanover Park Hurricanes football field, Barrington and Irving Park roads. Read more...
06.01.11
U46 expands vegetarian menu at elementary schools
First-grader Frankie Flores said the pizza puffs are “amazing.” So amazing, in fact, the 7-year-old Elgin boy with the big toothless smile and cowlicky hair said he could eat “a box of it.” Read more...
06.02.11
Conditions in suburbs just too good for mosquitoes
Rain levels for April and May were well above average at all four Chicago suburban airports and O’Hare International Airport, ranging from 1.83 inches above average at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling to 5.11 inches above average at O’Hare. Read more...
06.02.11
Elgin may lobby Quinn against gambling expansion
Mayor Dave Kaptain said Wednesday the city will lobby Gov. Pat Quinn to veto a bill passed by the state Senate this week that would pave the way for a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois. Read more...
06.02.11
Preckwinkle points finger at Quinn for Oak Forest Hospital mess
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday tried to assign some responsibility to Gov. Pat Quinn for the Oak Forest Hospital mess.
Read more...
06.03.11
Preckwinkle dashes gun-club lease
The future of a decades-old gun club in the south suburbs is now uncertain after a push to allow the group to lease Cook County Forest Preserve District land sputtered Thursday. Read more...
06.03.11
Quinn appoints 3 to health board
Gov. Pat Quinn announced Thursday the appointment of three new members to a board with authority over Illinois hospital construction and closures, including the contentious proposed closure of a charity hospital in Chicago's southern suburbs. Read more...
06.06.11
Bartlett firetrucks advertise paramedic abilities
The Bartlett Fire Protection District is placing new signs on ITS fire engines and ladder truck that say “Paramedics,” indicating that even these vehicles designed for firefighting now carry advanced life support capabilities. Read more...
06.06.11
Sears Centre lands Big 10 women's basketball tourney
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany confirmed Sunday that the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates will host the conference’s women’s hoops tournament in 2013 and 2015. Read more...
06.06.11
Water main break slows Streamwood traffic
A water main break in Streamwood slowed traffic on South Park Boulevard as crews worked to fix the problem early Monday. Read more...
06.07.11
Elgin’s U-46 to unveil new-look report cards
In Elgin Area School District U-46 next year, such phrases, and the familiar A, B, C’s, will be replaced with a more descriptive elementary school report card that will tell parents how well their children are grasping specific concepts. Read more...
06.08.11
Elgin to consider defibrillator grant
Bill Freiberg, a retired Elgin deputy fire chief, is the first to admit he’s not getting any younger. As a member of the Owls Athletic Club, Freiberg realized a need for more Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines in clubs like his. Read more...
06.08.11
First woman lieutenant on Elgin police force
Ana Lalley started taking criminal justice classes at the College of DuPage thinking she would eventually end up in law school. Read more...
06.08.11
Hanover Township Freedom Bash is this weekend
Hanover Township is hosting its seventh annual Operation Support Our Troops: Freedom Bash. Friday and Saturday, June10-11. Read more...
06.08.11
Relay for Life events coming
Relay For Life events are coming up this weekend in Barrington and next weekend in Bartlett. Read more...
06.09.11
ECC still seeking to close deal on safety center land
It’s the last major project Elgin Community College will break ground on using funds from its April 2009 referendum. But it has a final few hurdles to clear first. Read more...
06.09.11
Elgin OKs economic incentive agreement with Sears
Elgin City Council members approved an economic incentive agreement with Sears Holdings Corp. on Wednesday that will guarantee up to $66,000 for creating well-paid jobs and reimbursement of up to $24,000 in permit expenses.
Read more...
06.09.11
U-46 budget difficulties continue
Counting on state funding to come through hasn’t been a winning bet for public school districts during the past couple years. Read more...
06.09.11
U-46 panel calls for boundary changes
Elgin Area School District U-46 should consider changing its attendance boundaries and closing a school to shift students from more crowded to less crowded schools, the district’s Citizens Advisory Council recommended this week. Read more...
06.10.11
Cops: Streamwood home robbed of church collections
A Streamwood woman’s home was robbed of hundreds of dollars in church collections, as well as a diamond ring and coin collection, sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, police said. Read more...
06.10.11
Slight increase in U-46 mobiles next year
The number of mobile classrooms used in Elgin Area School District U-46 will grow slightly next year. Read more...
06.13.11
Bartlett police implement Crisis Intervention
The Bartlett Police Department has implemented a five-member Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and joins only a few other police departments in the area to incorporate such a program. Read more...
06.13.11
Grant will help Gail Borden close digital divide
Elgin’s Gail Borden Public Library will offer free computer training classes as part of a series of initiatives funded with $26,000 from an Illinois Eliminate the Digital Divide Program grant. Read more...
06.13.11
St. Edward names U46 veteran as principal
The Rev. David Peck is leaving his post as principal and superintendent at St. Edward Central Catholic High School, to be replaced by a longtime veteran of the Elgin public schools who has been working at St. Ed’s for the past five years. Read more...
06.15.11
Cook County publishing deliquent property taxpayers
The names of more than 69,000 property owners who owe about $234 million in delinquent taxes from last year are being published in community newspapers in advance of the Annual Tax Sale which begins July 19, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said. Read more...
06.15.11
Dates set for community sessions with Elgin mayor
People will have the chance to share their thoughts with Mayor David Kaptain during monthly Community Listening Sessions, the first of which is set for 7 p.m. Monday at Sherman Hospital, 1425 N. Randall Road, in the lake-level meeting rooms. Read more...
06.15.11
ECC board approves budget for FY2012
If you put Elgin Community College’s budget for current fiscal year 2011 side-by-side with the budget for upcoming fiscal year 2012, they’d be about identical, said Sharon Konny, the college’s vice president of business and finance. Read more...
06.16.11
Cook County to set performance standards
Cook County will start using benchmarks such as wait times at hospitals and employee sick time as part of a plan to set performance standards. Read more...
06.16.11
Foreclosures here drop, but experts cautious
The number of foreclosures dropped dramatically across the suburbs in May, compared to a year ago, but experts believe it’s too early to crack open the champagne. Read more...
06.16.11
U-46 restates please to dismiss racial bias case
Even if Elgin Area School District U-46’s student assignment plan had a greater effect on minorities than whites, the families suing U-46 haven’t shown the district could have done any better, the district’s lawyers argue in a new document filed this week. Read more...
06.17.11
Fed grants available for farmers markets
Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon is urging food producers in the state to apply for federal grants that promote farmers markets. Read more...
06.21.11
Cook County Sheriff rounding up deadbeat dads
Authorities in Cook County are stepping up their efforts to round up parents who have skipped out on their child support payments. Read more...
06.21.11
Elgin to select Realtors to sell rehabbed houses
Using Realtors to sell four Neighborhood Stabilization Program homes, adding six weather warning sirens, and modifying rules concerning public comment at Elgin City Council sessions are among the items on Wednesday evening’s council committee meeting agenda. Read more...
06.21.11
Kaptain holds ‘Listening Session’ in Elgin
In an effort to engage the community and increase transparency concerning the workings of the city of Elgin, Mayor David Kaptain addressed residents online and in person Monday.
Read more...
06.21.11
Number of U-46 mobiles to stay flat
The number of mobile classrooms in Elgin Area School District U-46 will stay about the same in the fall, according to the district. Read more...
06.22.11
Christmas in July for Hanover Township seniors
The Christmas in July program provides care packages consisting of needed items such as paper towels, clothing, detergent, and food for those seniors experiencing a hardship during the holiday off-season. Read more...
06.23.11
Downtown Elgin getting new parking rules
City council members discussed a list of comprehensive changes Wednesday, unanimously granting preliminary approval for the plan. Read more...
06.23.11
Suburban construction projects to continue
Major construction projects in the process of reshaping the suburbs won't be stopped, now that state lawmakers on Wednesday approved the needed cash after a week’s long political standoff. Read more...
06.24.11
City seeking members on budget task force
Applications are available for residents to serve on a task force to help the city council address financial issues facing the city. Read more...
06.24.11
Elgin’s Red Bar hosts goodbye party but won’t close yet
Jim and Doris Canfield will throw a goodbye party to bid farewell to those who have supported their Elgin restaurant and wine bar since it opened in 2009. Read more...
06.24.11
Resident asks Elgin council to act on Lords Park recommendations
Last July through November, then-Councilman Mike Warren spearheaded a task force that looked at ways to improve Lords Park and presented its recommendations in December. Read more...
06.24.11
Route 59 in Streamwood reopened after accident
Route 59 in Streamwood has been reopened after being shut down for nearly four hours following a major crash at Schaumburg Road. Read more...
06.27.11
Big truck debate: Local police say no to weight gain
“If you add another 17,000 pounds — it’s very dangerous,” said Millner, a Carol Stream Republican who has a commercial drivers’ license and drives trucks as a volunteer for a local food pantry. Read more...
06.27.11
Elgin crews pulling car out of river
Elgin rescue crews are on National Street, just east of Route 31, pulling a car out of the Fox River, officials said. Read more...
06.27.11
U-46 stadium groundbreaking reason to celebrate at South Elgin High
In 2001 there was great excitement over the groundbreaking ceremony for the fifth Elgin Area School District U-46 high school which would later be named South Elgin High School. Read more...
06.28.11
Bartlett teacher puts world vision into action
Andy Bauer has visions of a changed world: one with less poverty and violence, with better schools and living conditions for all. But he's not sitting around, hoping it just someday occurs.
Read more...
06.28.11
Number of suburban homeless drops, but some fear trend short-lived
The number of homeless people in suburban Cook County dropped by almost 10 percent since 2009, according to a count in January, but advocates fear the dip could be temporary. Read more...
06.28.11
T-Mobile sues Hoffman Estates
When Hoffman Estates village trustees rejected a plan last month to build a 100-foot cell phone tower at Cannon Crossings Park, some officials said the action left the village vulnerable to a lawsuit. Read more...
06.29.11
Bartlett 4th of July fest starts June 30
The annual Bartlett Fourth of July festival will be held June 30 through July 4, at Apple Orchard Community Park, Stearns & South Bartlett Road. Hours: 5-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; 3-11 p.m. Sunday; noon-9:30 p.m. Monday. Read more...
06.29.11
Elgin’s own brand of crosstown classic
Elgin firefighters and police officers are dusting off their bats and gloves for the first Guns vs. Hoses “crosstown classic.” Read more...
06.29.11
Hoffman Estates 4th festival schedule
June 30 through July 4; on village hall grounds, 1900 Hassell Road. Free parking at ADP building and Muir School. Hours: 6-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 1-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday.
Read more...
06.30.11
Dance-a-thon in Streamwood to support special recreation group
All are invited to travel back in time with Northwest Special Recreation Association and Special Leisure Services Foundation at the first “Back to the Amazing ’80s Dance-A-Thon.” Read more...
06.30.11
Elgin hires new city clerk
The city has hired Kimberly Dewis, a 13-year resident, as its new records guru to replace Diane Robertson who retired in the spring. Read more...
06.30.11
Hanover Township helping seniors in need
The Christmas in July program provides care packages consisting of needed items such as paper towels, clothing, detergent, and food for those seniors experiencing a hardship during the holiday off-season. Read more...
07.06.11
Arts in Bartlett moving across street
Arts in Bartlett, the nonprofit arts council at 117 W. Railroad Ave. since 2009, will be closed July 6-13 to relocate across the street to 118 W. Bartlett Ave., Suite 2. Read more...
07.06.11
ECC awards more one-year certificates
ECC ranked third in the state in granting one-year certificates, according to a recent survey by “Community College Week.” Read more...
07.06.11
Elgin soldier comes home with medals
When asked how long he’ll be in the United States this time, Capt. Lonni Johnston said he hopes for the rest of his life. Read more...
07.06.11
Hanover Township hosts computer fair for seniors
Representatives from Best Buy, Office Max and Staples will be on site to demonstrate and assist seniors in making an informed decision about purchasing a new computer in a fun and relaxed environment. Read more...
07.07.11
Judge Evans not on board with Preckwinkle’s plan
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans is the lone holdout of county board President Toni Preckwinkle’s planned management overhaul of government operations. Read more...
07.07.11
Patriot flag flies over Bartlett Thursday
There will be 75 pounds of American red, white and blue flying from the Bartlett Community Center Thursday night in honor of those who died on 9/11 and the armed forces who continue to serve in the global war on terror. Read more...
07.08.11
Annual township foundation fundraiser set
This year’s annual fundraiser for the Hanover Township Foundation will be held on Saturday, July 23, cruising down the Fox River on The Fox River Queen. Supporters will depart from Pottawatomie Park at 5:00PM and return at 7:00PM. Dinner is included. Read more...
07.08.11
Bartlett man back into triathlons after heart transplant
The dial on his pacemaker cranks up to 165 beats per minute, but that’s not enough for triathlete runner Kevin Lue. Read more...
07.08.11
ECC works to close achievement gap
I reported this week on a recent survey by “Community College Week.” In the survey, Elgin Community College was ranked third in the state in awarding one-year certificates. Read more...
07.08.11
Provena, Resurrection health care systems OK merger
Provena Health, which includes Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Mercy Medical Center in Aurora , and Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. has agreed to merge with Resurrection Health Care. Read more...
07.11.11
Bartlett gives thumbs-up to just-ended fest
It took an hour and a half for the large crowds in Bartlett’s Apple Orchard Community Park to exit after the fireworks Monday night. Read more...
07.11.11
ECC works to close achievement gap
According to Phil Garber, executive director of planning and institutional effectiveness, ECC has worked to improve the educational experience of Hispanic students through the Achieving a Dream initiative, which focuses on increasing success for low-income and minority students. Read more...
07.11.11
Elgin Mayor gets road tour in Century Oaks
More than 100 area residents met with Mayor Dave Kaptain, City Manager Sean Stegall and Director of Public Works Dave Lawry on Saturday morning to discuss the condition of the streets in the eastern portion of the Century Oaks subdivision. Read more...
07.11.11
Wind turbine company coming to Elgin
The Scottish small wind turbine company signed a lease in Elgin Corporate Center on Big Timber Road at the beginning of June, according to Susanne Sharuga, Proven’s general manager for North America. Read more...
07.12.11
More TIF money for Elgin’s Artspace project?
The city council will consider using $250,000 in TIF district money to fill a shortfall in the funding needed to launch the Artspace project in downtown Elgin. Read more...
07.12.11
Township to hold mental health grant meeting
The Hanover Township Mental Health Board will hold an informational meeting on July 19 regarding fiscal year 2013 mental health grants. Read more...
07.13.11
Cook County checking up on foreclosure program
At a time when more than 75,000 mortgage foreclosures are pending in Cook County, commissioners are asking for more scrutiny of a mediation program designed to help homeowners navigate the foreclosure process. Read more...
07.13.11
Elgin Artspace project needs extra $250,000
Elgin City Council members Wednesday will consider allocating an extra $250,000 of Tax Increment Financing money for the Artspace project. Read more...
07.13.11
Hanover Twp. to discuss mental health grants
The Hanover Township Mental Health Board will hold an informational meeting regarding fiscal year 2013 mental health grants at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 19 at the Poplar Creek Public Library, 1405 S. Park, Streamwood.
Read more...
07.13.11
Veterans official speaks in Streamwood
Dan Grant, the director of Illinois Veterans’ Affairs, will speak to VFW Post 5151 in Streamwood at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, at 520 S. Bartlett Road. Read more...
07.14.11
ECC approves new deal with support staff
Almost two months after approving a three-year agreement with its faculty, the Elgin Community College board this week signed off on a three-year deal with its support staff. Read more...
07.14.11
Elgin squad cars to get tech upgrade
The Elgin Police Department will soon be able to order the last of its squad car camera equipment — purchases that will total $460,000 in grant funding. Read more...
07.14.11
Hanover Park library branch gets more space
Though it hasn’t been decided exactly what additional materials, equipment or programming will be implemented at one of Hanover Park’s branch libraries, at least there will be room. Read more...
07.14.11
McLeod named VP of Northwest Municipal Conference
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod last week was named vice president of the Northwest Municipal Conference. Read more...
07.15.11
City increases contribution to artist housing
Elgin plans to pitch in $250,000 more than anticipated to bring a housing development for artists to its downtown. Read more...
07.15.11
Elgin-O’Hare Expressway plan calls for tolls
There’s consensus the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway extension and western bypass around the airport will be tolled, but whether a system wide toll increase is part of the package remains unclear. Read more...
07.15.11
Library to get faster sorting system
The Gail Borden Public Library will be getting some computerized help in sorting the nearly 2 million materials checked out of its main branch each year. Read more...
07.15.11
Some seniors to lose Illinois prescription drug help Sept. 1
About 43,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities will lose help paying for prescription medication starting Sept. 1 after state lawmakers cut funding for a drug-assistance program in half. Read more...
07.18.11
Cook County data offers look into births, deaths
When are you most likely to die? If you live in Cook County, a recent data analysis could offer a clue. Read more...
07.18.11
Expected heat wave brings calls for common sense
With the forecast calling for high temperatures in the 90s all week, experts are asking the public to use common sense while coping with the conditions. Read more...
07.19.11
Hanover Township hosts Recycling Extravaganza on Aug. 13
Hanover Township will host its second annual Recycling Extravaganza from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 at the township campus, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett. Read more...
07.19.11
Mayor mulls Elgin ‘events days’
Mayor Dave Kaptain is floating the idea of having summer weekends that would consolidate special events held by Elgin’s nonprofit groups in which the city has been playing a sponsor’s role. Read more...
07.19.11
U-46 lunch prices may rise a dime a day
Students who buy their lunch in Elgin Area District U-46 schools may need to scrounge around the couch for an extra dime a day beginning next semester. Read more...
07.20.11
Bartlett OKs Beaver Pond renovations; residents object
The Bartlett village board approved renovations to Beaver Pond on Tuesday, avoiding a legal showdown with the park district but disappointing many residents who live in the area. Read more...
07.20.11
U46 hires legal officer, chief of equity and social justice
School District U46 has filled three key administrative positions at its central office, Illinois’ second-largest district announced Tuesday. Read more...
07.21.11
Arts in Bartlett welcomes sister city and new facility
A paper umbrella, beaded necklaces and more than 50 photographs are among the exhibits that reflect Bartlett’s sister city, Miaoli, Taiwan. Read more...
07.21.11
Black students lag behind peers in U46 benchmarks
Black students in Elgin School District U46 are behind in reading at first grade, in high school readiness at third grade and in college readiness at sixth and eighth grades — three important benchmarks in the district’s five-year accountability plan. Read more...
07.25.11
Elgin mayor wants to offer more kids city jobs
Mayor David Kaptain is trying to give Elgin teenagers the same opportunity he had when he was young: employment with the city. Read more...
07.25.11
Hanover Park uses ads, bus tour to lure development
Hanover Park calls him “TIF Man,” a superhero powered by the ability to grant incentives to developers willing to build in the village. Read more...
07.25.11
Hanover Twp. collecting school supplies for needy kids
Once again, Hanover Township is asking the community for donations of school supplies and backpacks for youth returning to school in the fall. Read more...
07.25.11
Rock concert in Hanover Park to salute troops
A Korean War veteran himself, Fred Hossfeld of VFW Post 5151 in Streamwood knows how critical to morale it is to support those who serve in the military. Read more...
07.26.11
Crespo plans Aug. 3 town-hall meeting
State Rep. Fred Crespo will host his second town-hall meeting of the summer on Wednesday, Aug. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hoffman Estates Police Department, 411 W. Higgins Road. Read more...
07.26.11
Graffiti continues to mar Elgin’s streetscape
He described a painfully visible bunch of graffiti that had been plastered on a retaining wall along “Car Dealers’ Row” on East Chicago Street and had taken more than a week to be cleaned up. Read more...
07.26.11
Hoffman Estates restores reserve funds
Village revenues generated this fiscal year in the general fund in Hoffman Estates exceeded projections. Read more...
07.26.11
U-46 bus cuts mean longer walks, fewer stops
Changes to bus routes in Elgin Area U-46 mean some high school students will need to walk up to 1½ miles to catch a bus to school. Read more...
07.28.11
DC Comics artist from Streamwood wins another Eisner
Streamwood comic book artist Art Baltazar didn't feel like sticking around for the red carpet premiere of the movie “Cowboys and Aliens” last weekend at the San Diego Comic-Con. Read more...
07.28.11
Lords Park Zoo closer to getting a bison fence
Elgin City Council members voted Wednesday to grant preliminary approval to develop final specifications for the fencing and initiate the bid process. Read more...
07.28.11
Poplar Creek Library wins design award
The $23 million modernization and expansion of the Poplar Creek Library’s main branch in Streamwood, which reopened in June 2009 with twice the space, has received the No. 1 ranking among new libraries from The Library Journal, a well recognized national library publication. Read more...
07.28.11
Preckwinkle says county layoffs 'inevitable'
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today said that layoffs are expected to be part of the preliminary budget she's scheduled to release Thursday. Read more...
07.29.11
7th Heaven at Streamwood's Summer Celebration
Event highlights will include plenty of main stage entertainment; a children's stage will have activities for younger participants; a Business Expo, where prominent businesses will market their products and services; and other attractions including the annual Summer Celebration parade, golf tournament, carnival and bingo. Read more...
07.29.11
Bartlett celebrates National Night Out in a big way
Bartlett has planned three days of events for the village’s 18th annual National Night Out celebration. Read more...
07.29.11
Hoffman Estates offers home energy inspections
Hoffman Estates is offering voluntary energy assessments for single-family homes older than 1995. Read more...
07.29.11
New restaurant to open Saturday in Elgin
Anthony Carrera and Jessica Garcia, co-owners of Elgin's incoming Grove Central Station restaurant, have big plans for their latest business venture. Read more...
08.01.11
Elgin launches arts website, plans for one Amazin’ Race
If you’re looking for a cultural experience in Elgin, the city now offers an online calendar to help you decide what to see before leaving your home. Read more...
08.01.11
Towns across the region plan Night Out Against Crime
It was 28 years ago that an organization called the National Association of Town Watches decided to broaden its effort to have neighbors watch out for suspicious activity in their neighborhood. Read more...
08.02.11
Crespo to hold town hall meeting Wednesday
Democratic state Rep. Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates will host his second town hall meeting of the summer, from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Hoffman Estates Police Department, 411 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
08.02.11
Elgin’s budget task force set
Whittling from a list of 57 potential volunteers, Mayor Dave Kaptain and City Manager Sean Stegall on Monday afternoon unveiled the names of 13 residents they picked to serve on the city’s budget task force. Read more...
08.02.11
U46 to hold meetings about high school transportation changes
Last year, Karen Baker of Bartlett said her daughter only had to walk as far as the street corner to catch her bus to Bartlett High School. Read more...
08.03.11
Construction to begin on Route 20
Starting this week, Interstate 90 won’t be the only major east-west roadway in Elgin that is under construction. Read more...
08.03.11
U46 separates positions again, names new Illinois Park principal
When School District U46 closed Woodland Heights Early Learning Center in Streamwood to save more than $300,000 last school year, it also combined the positions of principal at Illinois Park Center for Early Learning in Elgin and director of early childhood education for the district. Read more...
08.04.11
Pushy door-to-door salesmen raising alarm in Elgin
A force of 40 door-to-door home-alarm salespeople working in the city this week has provoked several complaints about over-aggressive tactics and inspired city officials to release an explanation about what residents can do to protect themselves. Read more...
08.04.11
Woman pleads guilty to stealing $193K from Hanover Township
The former welfare director of Hanover Township pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $193,110 in funds for dental work, car insurance, cell phones and her daughter’s Sweet 16 birthday party. Read more...
08.05.11
Hanover Township seniors showcase art
Hanover Township seniors will be showcasing their artwork in the “Got Art?” art show through the month of August. Read more...
08.05.11
Judge wants more testimony in U-46 discrimination case
The long-running federal class-action lawsuit claims U-46’s boundary changes in 2004 intentionally discriminated against minority students and placed them in overcrowded schools. Read more...
08.08.11
Elgin workshop to offer career planning assistance
Individuals in need of career planning assistance can participate in a career discovery workshop offered by Elgin Community College’s Career Services Office. Read more...
08.08.11
Hanover Twp. seniors showcase art
Hanover Township seniors will be showcasing their artwork in the “Got Art?” show to run through the month of August. Most of the art on display was created in the township’s art classes held at the Hanover Township Senior Center. Read more...
08.08.11
Tollway hearings set on toll hikes, projects
The Illinois Tollway will hold public hearings throughout northern Illinois this month to present details of its proposed $12 billion, 15-year capital plan. Read more...
08.09.11
Another look at Elgin senior tax rebate
City staffers are recommending the same new restrictions for Elgin’s riverboat-funded senior citizen property tax rebate program that they proposed last month. Read more...
08.09.11
Bartlett woman turns class project, passion into business
I started the business while the economy was still good. However, that quickly changed toward the end of 2007 so my most difficult obstacle has been and continues to be how to market my business and advertise with a very small budget. Read more...
08.09.11
Cook County officials unveil budget website
Cook County officials have launched a new interactive budget website that shows how tax dollars are being managed and it includes 15-year trends. Read more...
08.09.11
U-46 planetarium to debut new projector
This summer, the district acquired a $20,000 full-dome projector that gives viewers an almost 360-degree view of images displayed on the planetarium’s 24-foot diameter dome. Read more...
08.11.11
County may retake some health system duties
Since Cook County established an independent hospital board in 2008, the new leadership has whacked away at what critics long contended was a patronage-heavy bureaucracy and has cut the amount of money it requests from taxpayers. Read more...
08.11.11
Elgin council puts off senior rebate decision
Elgin City Council members decided during their special committee meeting Wednesday to delay a decision about the senior citizen property tax rebate program until winter. Read more...
08.11.11
Seniors encouraged to attend insurance workshop
On Friday, August 19, Hanover Township seniors are invited to attend an insurance marketing workshop to prepare for Medicare’s Fall Open Enrollment Period. Read more...
08.12.11
Elgin Boriqua Fest offers Puerto Rican music, food
Live music will dominate the packed Boriqua Fest schedule Saturday as performances, dance lessons and a limbo dancing competition ensure the sounds of salsa, merengue, bomba and plena fill Elgin’s Festival Park from noon to 11 p.m. Read more...
08.12.11
Sheriff puts information on wanted Cook County fugitives online
Information on thousands of people wanted in Cook County for everything from murder and robbery to writing bad checks or failing to pay child support is now available online, Sheriff Tom Dart said today. Read more...
08.12.11
Streamwood VFW post holding military concert Saturday
VFW Post 5151 in Streamwood and the Hanover Park Park District are presenting a “Tribute to Armed Forces Rock ’n’ Roll Concert” 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Hanover Park Community Center, 1919 Walnut Ave. Read more...
08.12.11
U-46 offers SAFE place for kids to hang out
For parents and guardians of elementary school students in Elgin Area District U-46, there’s a program offering an alternative to expensive child care or leaving children home alone while you work or go to school. Read more...
08.15.11
Expect law firm to expand ‘kitchen sink’ strategy in bias case vs. U46
Some folks might say U.S. District Court Judge Robert Gettleman is a “plaintiff’s attorney,” but not me. I think our School District U46 discrimination lawsuit magistrate is just a generally cautious man. Read more...
08.15.11
Hanover Park hires police officer, deputy village clerk (
In the first of two staffing moves recently made by Hanover Park, Raymond Morris has been hired as a police officer for the village. Read more...
08.15.11
Where can a mentally ill 12-year-old mom find a home?
Each girl has a small room that resembles a college dorm, and 24-hour-a-day supervision, guidance and help from 16 devoted staff members. Read more...
08.16.11
Balanced budget presented to U46 board as questions linger
The administration of Elgin School District U46 on Monday presented the board of education with a proposed budget for the 2011-12 school year that actually sees $11 million more coming into U46 coffers than going out. Read more...
08.16.11
Illinois has rare authority over hospital closures
Cook County officials, facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, are begging to close a hospital that serves the poor in Chicago’s southern suburbs. Read more...
08.16.11
Illinois Tollway director says proposed toll increase could be trimmed
The Illinois Tollway director said Monday that a proposed toll increase could be about 50 percent less and still keep the existing 286-mile system in good shape for the next 10 years. Read more...
08.16.11
Rep. Crespo to honor businesses for community service
State Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) is requesting nominations for the District 44 Community Business of the Year Award, highlighting businesses that are dedicated to improving their communities. Read more...
08.17.11
Plan to protect natural resources gets city approval
Elgin’s sustainability action plan, created by over 100 residents, has garnered City Council approval, but which of the projects become reality in the coming years will depend on the availability of funding. Read more...
08.17.11
Preckwinkle Applauds State's Hospital Tax Ruling
Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle on Tuesday applauded the state's decision to deny tax exemptions to three hospitals, including one in Chicago. Read more...
08.17.11
Red ink could lurk again soon for Dist. U46
The proposed 2011-12 budget presented to the Elgin School District U46 school board Monday foresees the district taking in $11 million more than it spends in the coming school year. But the district’s chief financial officers warned that if current trends continue, another bath of red ink could lie ahead. Read more...
08.17.11
Township event for seniors’ insurance
On Friday, Hanover Township seniors are invited to attend an insurance marketing workshop to prepare for Medicare’s fall open enrollment period. Read more...
08.18.11
ACT scores improve at all U-46 high schools
ACT scores in School District U-46 are on the rise, with all five high schools showing improvement. Read more...
08.18.11
Charges mount for Bartlett women who lied about deaths
A Bartlett woman who admitted making up a story about the deaths of her daughter and supposed FBI agent husband in a bizarre insurance scam was indicted again Wednesday — this time on charges she stole the identities of 29 people across the country. Read more...
08.18.11
Judson U. president Cain set to retire in June 2012
Cain, who has served as Judson’s president since 1998, made his formal announcement to the Judson Board of Trustees on Aug. 3 and to the Judson community Wednesday at the annual university employee recognition lunch¬eon. Read more...
08.18.11
Preckwinkle will go online to discuss budget
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will hold an online town hall at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. Cook County residents can “Tell Toni” their ideas about the Cook County budget and the important financial decisions that will be made in the coming weeks and months. Read more...
08.22.11
Businesses costing burbs with sales tax loophole
Chicago and its immediate suburbs are losing millions of dollars in revenue because companies doing business there are routing purchases through outlying cities that have lower sales taxes, according to a published report. Read more...
08.22.11
Grant will help U-46 draw more girls to science, math
Local business owner Sandra Westlund-Deenihan is a member of the education foundation’s board of directors. She said the grant will open the door to future generations of girls who want to pursue a career in historically male-dominated fields. Read more...
08.22.11
State cuts in writing and cursive requirements worry some suburban parents
The Illinois State Board of Education dropped the written section of the Prairie State Achievement Exam for 11th-graders to save about $2.4 million in the 2011-2012 school year. Read more...
08.23.11
Elgin to put Summit roundabout on back burner
Elgin’s newly-elected Mayor David Kaptain has already said he does not support plans for a traffic roundabout at Summit Street and Dundee Avenue. Read more...
08.23.11
U-46 parents at Elgin High reject 1½-mile walks to bus stops
Angry parents again Monday night confronted Elgin Area School District U-46 officials over changes to transportation routes that will require high school students to walk up to 1½ miles to catch a bus to school. Read more...
08.24.11
Bernacki resigns from Hoffman Estates Park Board
After 13 years of serving on the Hoffman Estates Park District Board, Commissioner Craig Bernacki has submitted his resignation, leaving his current position. Read more...
08.24.11
Elgin task force discusses limiting leaf collection and snow removal
City Manager Sean Stegall told task force members Tuesday night he wants feedback on the viability of cutbacks in snow removal, which he said is held to a “gold standard” in Elgin, as well as leaf collection, which he said is, by design, unequal, expensive and inefficient. Read more...
08.24.11
New Schaumburg baseball team on its second owner
Pat Salvi, brother of former Illinois state rep. Al Salvi, has bought the new Schaumburg professional baseball team that will make its debut in 2012.
Read more...
08.25.11
Cook County property taxes likely due first week in November
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today that the Second Installment of the 2010 property taxes will be tentatively due the first week of November. Read more...
08.25.11
First day a flag-raiser in U-46
Superintendent Jose Torres visited each of the newly appointed principals and said every building he stopped by was abuzz with activity and an itch to start the new school year. Read more...
08.25.11
Hanover Park names new finance director
The village of Hanover Park has promoted Rebekah Young to the position of finance director. Read more...
08.25.11
New report cards, transportation and technology on tap in U-46
As more than 40,000 students in School District U-46 return to classes this week, they may notice a few changes to curriculum, facilities and policies. Read more...
08.26.11
End of free rides for most senior citizens prompts questions about how to pay
As free rides on the CTA, Metra and Pace end for most senior citizens in less than a week, transit officials on Thursday offered help, apologies and encouragement about how to use new reduced-fare cards. Read more...
08.26.11
Hultgren talks money at Elgin gathering
The audience, which had gathered at Elgin Community College, was far less animated than the one he faced Aug. 18 in Geneva, where about 150 people showed up, some with signs, and some to ask about jobs, raising taxes for the “millionaires and billionaires” and the national debt. Read more...
08.26.11
Not enough property owners aware of mortgage surplus money, officials say
Two years after unveiling a search engine for former property owners to determine if foreclosure surplus funds due them, $16 million sits in an interest-bearing account with the Cook County Clerk. Read more...
08.29.11
Bartlett Street Fest coming Sept. 3
The Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department Inc. will host the fourth annual Street Fest, Dance and Raffle from noon-11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, on Main Street, Bartlett. Read more...
08.29.11
Loud cars (and loud people) still close to top of Elginites’ calls to police
The city council then voted 4-2, with one member absent, to begin towing any car found emitting loud music, and to make the owner pay what amounts to a stiff fine to get the car back. Read more...
08.30.11
City opens applications for sustainability group
Elgin residents interested in environmental initiatives can begin applying for a seat on the city’s new sustainability commission. Read more...
08.30.11
Hanover Township to host fourth annual health and wellness expo
On September 22, from 2:00 – 6:00PM, Hanover Township, Cook County Commissioner Timothy O. Schneider and Victory Centre of Bartlett will sponsor the fourth annual “Just for the Health of it” community health and wellness expo at the Hanover Township Senior Center and Victory Centre of Bartlett, both located at the southwest corner of W. Bartlett Road and Route 59 in Bartlett. Read more...
08.30.11
Hoffman Estates board gives ComEd deadline to respond about outages
Trustees on the Hoffman Estates village board gave ComEd a 30-day deadline Monday to prepare answers for angry residents who say they are receiving bad service from the electric company. Read more...
08.30.11
STEM growing in U46 schools
The academy — a special academic program at the school, at 701 Schick Road — has been pushing science, technology, engineering and math — STEM — since it opened in 1997. Read more...
08.31.11
Bartlett woman rallies neighbors to fight emerald ash borer
It was June when Bartlett resident Amy Zinga first noticed a dead ash tree across the street from her house on Brookside Drive. Read more...
08.31.11
FOIA changes create 'nuisance' class, critics say
Changes to the state’s Freedom of Information Act allow government agencies to delay response times to individuals who are deemed to have made too many requests. Read more...
08.31.11
New focus on early education on first day of preschool in U46
While they waited for the rest of their class to arrive on the first day of preschool, Carol Prieur’s students lined the hallways of Huff Elementary School, sitting cross-legged on colored dots on the floor. Read more...
08.31.11
Senate president meets with leaders of Sears
Sears Holdings Corp. CEO Lou D'Ambrosio met with Illinois Senate President John Cullerton Tuesday about the company's future in its Hoffman Estates headquarters. Read more...
09.01.11
Cook County Forest Preserve District considers recreation expansion
Some forest preserve advocates are greeting the approach with skepticism, questioning whether adding new recreational opportunities jibes with the district's mandate to "protect and preserve" natural land. Read more...
09.01.11
Farnham returns unspent office funds to state kitty
State Rep. Keith Farnham, D-Elgin, announced this week that he is returning more than 10 percent of the funds provided for his district office operations in fiscal year 2011 to the state treasury. Read more...
09.01.11
New lounge spaces greet students at ECC
It used to be “the carpeted lounge” at Elgin Community College. It also was home to a monumental stone staircase that dropped from the second floor into the middle of the space. Read more...
09.01.11
Task force debates riverboat revenue
Elgin’s budget task force is considering whether the city should start putting some of its riverboat revenue toward operating expenses as the city faces a $4.5 million structural deficit in the coming year. Read more...
09.06.11
Elgin man's passion pays off for Open Door Clinic
Rick Kautz may not be thrilled about being unemployed, but the Open Door Clinic in Elgin is certainly grateful about how he uses his extra time. Read more...
09.06.11
Hanover Park to hold workshop on Village Center
The village of Hanover Park invites all residents, employees and businesses to attend a public workshop to discuss plans for the future Village Center. Read more...
09.06.11
Legislators lend hand at Catholic Charities supper
Rep. David Harris, Rep. Fred Crespo, Sen. Dan Kotowski, Rep. Elaine Nekritz, Sen. Matt Murphy and Rep. Tom Morrison also toured the office, which is a hub for many services, including a clothing room, food pantry, public benefits screening, housing assistance and counseling programs. Read more...
09.06.11
Suburbs want landlords to curb problem tenants
The Elgin Police Department, like those in other towns in the suburbs, has a crime-free housing program aimed at reducing criminal activity in rental properties. Read more...
09.07.11
Bartlett Village Board talks Metra coffee, video gambling
While no official decisions were made, Bartlett village officials discussed a number of issues at a village board meeting Tuesday evening that have potential to affect many residents. Read more...
09.07.11
Cook County homeowners can now appeal assessments online
Property owners previously had to file paperwork in person to appeal tax assessments. They can now access the free online filing system at www.cookcountyboardofreview.com. Read more...
09.07.11
U-46 teacher with gift for reaching students dies
The 29-year-old physical education teacher who taught at Tefft Middle School and Ellis Elementary School before that, died Tuesday night at her home in Hoffman Estates. A cause of death was not immediately available. Read more...
09.08.11
Cook County revenues down $67 million
The dip is mainly due to patient fees going uncollected to the tune of $68.7 million at the county’s hospital system, according to a report released by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office. Read more...
09.08.11
County won’t hold undocumented residents jailed for minor crimes beyond their sentences (
An ordinance passed on a 10-5 vote Wednesday by Cook County commissioners says suspected illegal immigrants at Cook County Jail on unrelated misdemeanor charges can now go free after serving their sentences, having the charges against them dropped or posting bond in the case. Read more...
09.08.11
More than 150 artists show their work in Elgin
A team of about a dozen volunteers has worked for the last eight months organizing and advertising the show, funded by the city of Elgin with help from the Downtown Neighborhood Association and the Outside Exhibition Group. Read more...
09.09.11
Bartlett Heritage Days celebrates town’s past
Bartlett Heritage Days, Sept. 9-11, is the second annual communitywide fall festival in downtown Bartlett, designed to honor and celebrate the area’s rich history. Read more...
09.09.11
Eastbound Rt. 20 exit ramp to Larkin closing for 5 weeks
Drivers having to negotiate the lane closings and repaving along Route 20 will face yet one more aggravation beginning Monday, when the exit ramp from eastbound Route 20 to Larkin Avenue is closed for about five weeks. Read more...
09.12.11
Growth spurt reverses at local community colleges
Mary Perkins, ECC’s associate dean of enrollment management, said much of the drop-off occurred in the GED (General Educational Development) and ESL (English as a Second Language) programs, which are free grant-funded programs that have lost funding. Read more...
09.12.11
More than 100 attend Elgin 9/11 remembrance
More than 100 people joined city, county, and state officials, firefighters, police officers, and veterans in front of The Hemmens in Elgin to remember the attacks, the victims, the first responders and everyone who lost their lives or a family member that day. Read more...
09.13.11
Getting to and from Elgin: More and more complicated, thanks to parallel roads under construction
Motorists trying to get into and out of Elgin in recent weeks may have noted what seems to be a trend in construction. Read more...
09.13.11
New Rivers Casino hits Elgin's Grand Victoria hard
The Rivers Casino in Des Plaines took in nearly twice as much revenue in August as the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, the boat that had previously been the most lucrative casino in Illinois for much of its existence. Read more...
09.13.11
U46 budget hearing quiet following dueling letters
The School District U46 Board of Education invited district residents to comment on its proposed budget for the new school year, during a public hearing Monday at its regular board meeting. There were no comments. Read more...
09.14.11
Cook County tax bills late for 34th straight year
The second installment of Cook County's property tax bills will be mailed out late for the 34th consecutive year, but earlier than the past few years. Read more...
09.14.11
Cut leaf, snow removal costs, Elgin task force says
Elgin's budget and financial planning task force made its first steps toward official policy recommendations Tuesday, agreeing to cut snow removal and leaf collection costs but putting off a recommendation on what to do with the city's riverboat money. Read more...
09.14.11
Shingles vaccination to be offered at township health expo
Dominick’s Pharmacy in Bartlett will be onsite for the 4th annual “Just for the Health of it” Community Health and Wellness Expo at the Hanover Township Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59, Bartlett, on Thursday, September 22 from 2:00 – 6:00PM, to administer and provide information on the Shingles vaccine, Zostavax. Read more...
09.14.11
Suburban agencies see doom in new human services cuts
Sheri Buttstadt works with Senior Services Associates, Inc., an agency with offices in Elgin and Aurora that helps about 26,000 senior citizens a year access government benefits. Read more...
09.15.11
Elgin OKs $11 million for water treatment plant project
Elgin City Council members gave preliminary approval during the committee of the whole meeting Wednesday to spend almost $600,000 on engineering services to monitor the construction phase of the Airlite Treatment Plant improvement project. Read more...
09.15.11
Preckwinkle: Sales tax repeal a step in right direction
A partial rollback of the controversial penny-on-the-dollar county sales tax is expected to cost Cook County $53 million in revenues next year, board President Toni Preckwinkle told a group of suburban business officials Wednesday. Read more...
09.16.11
ECC a good choice for veterans
GI Magazine, a premier publication for people transitioning from military to civilian life, ranked ECC in the top 20 percent of more than 8,000 colleges and universities nationwide that it surveyed. Read more...
09.16.11
Vacant-home owners to pay $700 in fees in Elgin
Owners of vacant residences in Elgin soon will be expected to pay an annual $200 registration fee as well as a one-time $500 inspection fee as the city works to enforce a vacant residential building ordinance passed last November. Read more...
09.19.11
Foreclosure seminar Oct. 5 in Hoffman Estates
To assist local families who are struggling with mortgage payments, and possible foreclosure, state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, has arranged a foreclosure seminar featuring people from the Illinois attorney general’s office, Bank of America and Chase Bank 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Schaumburg Township Administration building, 1 Illinois Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Read more...
09.19.11
Hanover Township hosts Health and Wellness Expo
Hanover Township, Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider and Victory Centre of Bartlett will host the fourth annual Health and Wellness Expo from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22. Read more...
09.19.11
Judson College promoting new relationships with China
The university has plans for a China center on campus, which will introduce Chinese language and culture to non-Chinese-speaking people and the Judson community, it has said. Read more...
09.20.11
County ordered to rehire job-training workers
A group of dismissed Cook County employees has returned to work at a job-training program after an arbitrator ruled that the firings violated a union agreement County Board President Toni Preckwinkle reached this year. Read more...
09.20.11
Hanover Township, Victory Centre host 4th health expo
Hanover Township, Cook County Commissioner Timothy O. Schneider and Victory Centre of Bartlett will sponsor the fourth annual “Just For the Health of It” community health and wellness expo at the Hanover Township Senior Center and Victory Centre of Bartlett, both located at the southwest corner of West Bartlett Road and Route 59 in Bartlett. Read more...
09.20.11
U-46 Offers Informational Meeting for Parents on Bullying
To help parents understand and deal with this issue the district is offering a program titled School Safety Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; Weakfish – Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child. The presenter is Michael Dorn, school safety expert from Safe Havens Inc. Read more...
09.21.11
Renz Center celebrates 50 years
To celebrate 50 years of community service, Renz Addiction Counseling Center will host a special fourth annual Epicurean Delight Fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Spartan Terrace Restaurant, operated by Elgin Community College’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Department. Read more...
09.22.11
Elgin budget group prioritizes core services, recommends costs to cut
Elgin’s budget task force doesn’t want to see the city start using riverboat revenue for operating expenses, but it does want to focus the diminishing funds more toward core services. Read more...
09.22.11
Fitch downgrades Cook County bonds over pension funding
Fitch Ratings downgraded the general obligation bond rating of Cook County to AA- from AA on Wednesday, citing short-term “diminished financial flexibility” with the county’s operating budget as well as its long-term pension liabilities. Read more...
09.22.11
More than 15% in suburban Cook County suffer ‘food insecurity’
An community-by-community study of Cook County’s food insecurity rates shows that in suburban Cook County, more than 15 percent of people are uncertain where they will find their next meal. Read more...
09.22.11
Rep. Crespo hosts weekend pet fair
The event will include a best-dressed pet contest, Frisbee-catching contest and low-cost micro-chipping provided by Golf Rose Animal Hospital Read more...
09.23.11
Bartlett school gets handicapped accessible play area
Nature Ridge Elementary School is one of two schools in Elgin Area School District U-46 with space dedicated to students with special needs, most of whom are wheelchair bound. Read more...
09.23.11
Cook County Rx
The people who run Cook County's health system are the latest to learn that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle really does intend to hold a hard line on spending. Read more...
09.23.11
ECC president Sam touts success of financial counseling, partnerships with feeder districts
While the number of college students who defaulted on their federal student loans climbed nationwide in the fiscal year that ended in September 2008, it went down at the community college. Read more...
09.23.11
Lose home value? Don’t expect a lower property tax bill
Cook County property tax bills are expected to go out the first week of October, and while Chicago and suburban landowners assume their property values have sunk, it may not translate to lower tax bills. Read more...
09.26.11
ECC president: Burlington site best for safety center
Elgin Community College President David Sam says the Burlington site the school has chosen for its planned Public Safety and Sustainability Center is the “best location for everything.” Read more...
09.26.11
Hanover Park mayor: No bail for illegal immigrants
Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig assumed that three suspected illegal immigrants accused of assaulting two of his village's police officers would be in the custody of immigration officials, not released back into the community. Read more...
09.26.11
Hanover Twp. Dial-A-Ride available for seniors, disabled
Township residents over the age of 55 and those over the age of 19 with permanent disabilities can participate in the Hanover Township Dial-A-Bus program that provides transportation services for medical appointments and personal errands. Read more...
09.27.11
EPD on a precautionary pub crawl
Chief Jeff Swoboda has Young visiting Elgin watering holes to meet with those running the establishments to see what common issues they might be having. Read more...
09.27.11
U-46 sees rise in Advanced Placement tests
School District U-46 students are taking more Advanced Placement exams than ever before, administrators said this week. Read more...
09.28.11
Elgin task force recommends no new taxes
At its final meeting, the Elgin Budget and Financial Planning Task Force recommended focusing on cutting costs before implementing any new taxes. Read more...
09.28.11
Northern Illinois Food Bank enjoys new headquarters
The nonprofit agency celebrated its move to a spacious new building to an industrial park Geneva, showing it off to volunteers, local legislators and its agency partners. Read more...
09.28.11
Traffic detoured for Bartlett Homecoming Parade Sunday
The parade will travel southbound on South Bartlett Road from East Oak Glenn Drive and finish at the intersection of South Bartlett Road & Stearns Road. Read more...
09.28.11
U46, D300 pass 2011-12 budgets
U46’s 2011-12 budget foresees Illinois’ second-largest school district taking in $11 million more than it spends this school year. That’s $487.3 million total in revenue. Read more...
09.29.11
Cook health system still short of Preckwinkle's budget goal
The Cook County Health and Hospital System plans to slash hiring, eliminate redundant contracts and reduce maintenance costs next year, but it's still about $35 million short of what County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is willing to fork over. Read more...
09.29.11
Elgin Budget task force to council: don’t raise taxes
The city’s citizen budget task force will not recommend raising taxes but will suggest the city council first make cuts and adjustments to close a budget deficit. Read more...
09.29.11
Touring lieutenant governor impressed by ECC programs
Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon visited Elgin Community College on Wednesday as part of her tour of the state’s 48 community colleges. Read more...
09.30.11
High-tech businessman Munson, a downtown advocate, dead at 56 (
Steve Munson, a downtown Elgin businessman, co-founder of BocaJump.com, software developer, co-founder of Everyware Inc. and an advocate for downtown Elgin, died early Thursday evening at Provena Saint Joseph Hospital. Read more...
09.30.11
Preckwinkle offers tax amnesty to businesses
Businesses that owe taxes to Cook County can make good without penalties or interest through the end of October under a new program Board President Toni Preckwinkle unveiled Thursday. Read more...
09.30.11
Suspicious fire destroys 4 Elgin school buses
Four Elgin elementary school buses were destroyed by fire as they sat in a school parking lot this morning, and authorities were investigating the incident as possible arson. Read more...
10.03.11
Preckwinkle defends controversial immigrant policy
In a letter to Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle defends a controversial new county ordinance that allows the release of suspected illegal immigrants charged with a crime if they make bail. Read more...
10.03.11
U46 takes on bullying with parent presentation, district evaluation
Nearly 100 parents of students in U46 attended Dorn’s presentation, “School Safety Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; Weakfish — Bullying Through the Eyes of a Child,” last week in the Elgin High School auditorium. Read more...
10.04.11
Cook County commissioner wants to eliminate recorder’s office
Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey today announced plans to seek a countywide referendum that could eliminate the recorder of deeds office and hand off its functions to the Cook County Clerk. Read more...
10.04.11
Newport Boulevard resurfacing in Bartlett begins Tuesday
The Newport Boulevard roadway resurfacing project, between Stearns Road and Devon Avenue in Bartlett, will begin Tuesday. Read more...
10.04.11
Sheriff's marketing sting nets 100 Cook County fugitives
More than 100 wanted fugitives were arrested in a Cook County Sheriff-led sting that persuaded them to show up to test electronic devices they could keep afterwards. Read more...
10.05.11
Bartlett officials get look at aquatic center plans
The Bartlett Park District is hoping to add popular water park features, including a lazy river, drop slide, zip line and tube slides, to the Bartlett Aquatic Center, 620 W. Stearns Road. Read more...
10.05.11
Pressure ratchets up in sales tax drama
Pressure continues to build in the sales tax squabble involving Kankakee and Channahon, with a major appliance retailer apparently poised to discontinue booking sales in Channahon. Read more...
10.05.11
Suburban homeowners vexed over property tax bills
Suburban Cook County residents angry, frustrated and surprised by higher property tax bills arriving in the mail this week lined up at area township assessors' offices Tuesday seeking answers. Read more...
10.06.11
Cook County putting more nonviolent suspects under house arrest
Cook County judges are giving more nonviolent defendants house arrest as an alternative to jail time under a collaborative push among the county's law enforcement agencies. Read more...
10.06.11
Local church, cemetery designated with heritage marker
Hanover Township Supervisor Brian McGuire said that although distant travel isn’t required to see it, a local cemetery holds a significant piece of American history. Read more...
10.06.11
Marshals nab Bartlett fugitive facing 10-year term
U.S. marshals on Wednesday captured a Bartlett woman facing a 10-year prison term for falsely reporting two deaths in an insurance scam, a prosecutor said. Read more...
10.07.11
Cook comptroller fired over revenue overstatement error
A $90-million overstatement of tax revenues prompted Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to fire Comptroller Constance Kravitz. Read more...
10.07.11
Cook County clarifies policy on unclaimed bodies
The Cook County medical examiner says her staff won’t donate unclaimed bodies to science if the deceased person’s family objects. Read more...
10.07.11
Dispatch strike averted; 5-year contract reached
The Northwest Central Dispatch System and the union representing its dispatchers reached agreement on a five-year contract at about 1 a.m. Thursday, averting a strike that could have started after 5 p.m. that same day. Read more...
10.07.11
Property tax bills anger Cook County homeowners
It's sticker shock in the mail. Tax bills went out to Cook County homeowners this week and the big jump in the amount due to many homeowners has some wondering if they can keep their house. Read more...
10.10.11
Belts tighten at suburban food pantries
Deborah Smith, of Hanover Park, never thought she would struggle to put food on the table for her two sons, but when she and her husband both lost their jobs, it became her reality. Read more...
10.10.11
ECC students prep for trip to MLK memorial
Lantz, president of the Black Student Association at Elgin Community College, will help bring his classmates to Washington, D.C., for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Sunday, Oct. 16. Read more...
10.10.11
U-46 teams up with AT&T to deter teens from driving distracted
There's a new interschool rivalry brewing among the six high schools in Elgin Area School District U-46, and it has nothing to do with touchdowns, home runs or free throws. Read more...
10.11.11
Elgin Councilman Robert Gillam discusses his many years as elected officials
Of his toughest decisions, Gilliam recalled three. Back in the mid-1970s, Gilliam was on the winning side of a 4-3 vote to build a new water plant for Elgin — one that would use water from the Fox River, which was a controversial decision at the time. Read more...
10.11.11
Hoffman Estates passes resolution to keep Sears
Hoffman Estates village trustees unanimously passed a resolution at a special board meeting Monday asking the state to make “all reasonable efforts” to keep Sears Holdings Corp. headquarters in the village. Read more...
10.11.11
Suburban colleges try get kids college-ready
While community colleges across the suburbs are developing bridge courses — short-term programs designed to quickly bring students up to par in subjects like math, reading and writing — some say earlier intervention is critical to success after high school. Read more...
10.12.11
Audit: Cook County Forest Preserve District not out of the woods
More than 70 percent of the district's maintenance workers are not able to say with confidence who their direct supervisors are, according to the audit. Some jobs overlap and employees aren't clear on their roles Read more...
10.12.11
Elgin considers amending liquor code to close doors at 3:30 a.m.
Patrons arriving to imbibe at certain Elgin bars 30 minutes before the 4 a.m. closing time may as well stay at home if the liquor control commission amends the city liquor code. Read more...
10.12.11
Hoffman Estates supports Sears tax incentive
Fearing a massive loss of jobs, Hoffman Estates officials passed a resolution Monday reaffirming their commitment to keeping Sears corporate headquarters in the village, but not without continued backlash from a nearby school district community. Read more...
10.12.11
School tax rates went up, but is that why your taxes did?
Schools always take the biggest chunk of property taxes, making up roughly 70 percent of a suburban property owner’s tax bill. Read more...
10.13.11
Rule changes in store for Elgin bars open past 2 a.m.
Places impacted would include JB’s Grill & Bar, Rookies, Gasthaus, The Martini Room (all of which have 3 a.m. licenses), The Mission (which can be open weekends until 4 a.m.), Tilted Kilt (3 a.m.) and Afterset (which opens Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 4 a.m.). Read more...
10.13.11
Sears' request for tax breaks pits town against schools
The public policy debate over use of government incentives to retain and attract businesses has become very real, very human and very intense in Hoffman Estates, home to Sears Holdings Corp. Read more...
10.14.11
State approves Provena-Resurrection hospitals merger
The merger involves Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora and other hospitals throughout northern and central Illinois. Read more...
10.14.11
Township tutoring program to start again
Starting October 17 through January 30, Hanover Township residents in grades 2- 12 are eligible for affordable tutoring for weekly, one hour sessions during the school year. Read more...
10.17.11
Dr. Raju's to-do list for Cook County health system
Dr. Ramanathan Raju has been CEO of Cook County's health system for barely enough time to learn employees' names and figure out where his parking spot is. Read more...
10.17.11
Elgin march against gang violence draws 200
An estimated 200 people — men, women and children — marched Saturday from the Elgin Boys and Girls Club to the site on Elma Avenue where a 5-year-old boy was killed Oct. 7, the victim of what police say was gang violence. Read more...
10.17.11
Hoffman Estates ‘proud to welcome Express’
The village of Hoffman Estates is proud to welcome the Chicago Express hockey team to the Sears Centre Arena for the home opener of their inaugural season on Saturday, Oct. 22. Read more...
10.17.11
Township foundation to host Oktoberfest fundraiser
On Friday, October 21, the Hanover Township Foundation will host an Oktoberfest Fundraiser to benefit the Township Food Pantry. Read more...
10.18.11
Dist. 300. Hoffman Estates still at odds over Sears
For the third consecutive Hoffman Estates village board meeting, Carpentersville-based Community Unit District 300 representatives were present to voice their opposition to the possible extension of an economic development area in the village designed to keep Sears Holding Corp. in Illinois. Read more...
10.18.11
U46 trial resumes, claims district pushed English Language Learners out of program
Dionnes Rivera, then director of bilingual education in School District U46, had one meeting with Superintendent Connie Neale shortly after Neale joined the Elgin school district in 2002. Read more...
10.19.11
District 300 community plans protest in Springfield
Community Unit District 300 will take its opposition to the proposed extension of tax breaks for Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holdings Corp. straight to lawmakers in the state capital next week. Read more...
10.19.11
Elgin may be $10M-$13M in red
On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Dave Kaptain said the city might find itself between $10 million and $13 million in the hole as it works to balance its 2012 budget. Read more...
10.19.11
Hanover Twp. bus service helps people live independently
Hanover Township residents over the age of 55 and those over the age of 18 with permanent disabilities can participate in the Hanover Township Dial-A-Bus program that provides transportation services for medical appointments and personal errands. Read more...
10.19.11
U-46 lawyers fire back at claims of segregation
Attorneys for Elgin Area School District U-46 worked Tuesday to poke holes in the testimony of a former director of the district’s English Language Learners program who testified in the racial bias trial that the district failed to provide adequate services for bilingual students. Read more...
10.20.11
Consultants’ testimony differs over U46 stance on ELL program
The lawsuit alleges the district discriminated against black and Hispanic students by placing them in overcrowded schools in its 2004 school boundary plan and not offering them access to gifted and advanced programs or appropriate help to English Language Learners. Read more...
10.20.11
Cook County OKs union deal, but storm clouds loom over next one
The Cook County Board approved new contracts for 1,900 union employees Tuesday that include retroactive pay raises but do nothing to avert a looming showdown over budget cuts and layoffs for next year. Read more...
10.20.11
Despite its financial problems, states still want Sears
Sears Holdings Corp. has lost about $314 million during the first half of this year, has been criticized by Wall Street and constantly reinvents itself to lure back recession-weary consumers. Read more...
10.20.11
Elgin code chief shares tales of home repairs gone awry
In a presentation for the Elgin Community Network on Tuesday at Gail Borden Public Library, code enforcement manager Vince Cuchetto shared photos — mostly from the city of Elgin, but some he found on the Internet — that show exactly what kind of sloppy repairs they find each year as part of their code enforcement jobs. Read more...
10.21.11
Cook County cigarette bribe allegations net two firings
Two Cook County revenue investigators have been fired for accepting bribes from cigarette vendors, according to an inspector general's report released Thursday. Read more...
10.21.11
Hanover Township seeking residents to serve on Mental Health Board
Hanover Township Supervisor Brian P. McGuire is accepting applications for residents interested in serving on the Township’s Mental Health Board. Read more...
10.21.11
Preckwinkle says layoffs are coming
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says about 1,000 layoffs will be a part of a new budget, along with another small cut in the county’s sales tax. Read more...
10.21.11
Trespassers spark Elgin High School parking ban idea
Elgin School District U46 raised its parking fees from $60 to $100 last school year, part of across-the-board fee increases as the school district attempted to close a $48.3 million budget deficit. Fees had not been raised since 2004. Read more...
10.25.11
Daily attendance drops, truancy rises in U-46
The slight dip in average daily attendance across Elgin Area District U-46 and a spike in truancy numbers during the first month of school are two areas that district officials deem a concern. Read more...
10.25.11
Elgin may charge higher ambulance fees
Higher ambulance fees may be the latest way to recover costs and minimize Elgin's projected budget deficit, which could be as high as $13 million next year. Read more...
10.25.11
Preckwinkle wants to raise Cook County taxes on tobacco, beer, cars
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will ask commissioners to raise taxes on alcohol, tobacco products and cars and to lay off more than 1,000 workers under a budget blueprint she rolled out Monday. Read more...
10.25.11
Sears compromise involving District 300 brewing?
A compromise that could keep Sears Holdings Inc. in Hoffman Estates and placate the complaints of Community Unit District 300 is in the works, but whether the plan finds success on both fronts remains to be seen. Read more...
10.26.11
Hanover Township renovations spurred by growing need for help
The most significant work affects the township’s food pantry, and includes construction of a garage for additional storage and the implementation of a new system that will allow clients to “shop” for their food instead of having it packed for them. Read more...
10.26.11
Hoffman Estates confident in Sears fight despite D300's Springfield visit
Last May, Hoffman Estates officials, fearful that Sears Holding Co. would be lured to another state, launched a high-profile campaign to extend the property tax breaks approved in 1989 that kept the company in Illinois and brought it to the Northwest suburb. Read more...
10.26.11
U46 gets peek at mixed state test results
Statewide results of the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests are to be made available Monday, but in the meantime, the Elgin School District U46 board got a glimpse this week of what to expect. Read more...
10.27.11
Council moves forward on higher ambulances fees
The charge for basic life support transport would go from $355 to $442.74 for Elgin residents and from $444 to $692.75 for nonresidents. Read more...
10.27.11
Hanover Township to recognize historical Streamwood schoolhouse
Hanover Township will dedicate a Heritage Marker this weekend at Streamwood’s Hoosier Grove Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse between 1904 and 1954 that today serves as a museum. Read more...
10.27.11
Imposing a tax for police who already patrol streets
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is threatening residents of unincorporated areas with a property tax hike to help pay for the sheriff’s police who patrol their streets. Read more...
10.27.11
U-46 looks to tackle truancy as numbers rise
The number of students arriving late to class is down by 50 percent, while truancy numbers are at 278, 71 more students than this time last year. Read more...
10.28.11
Couple opens The Sheep & Fiddle Irish pub in Bartlett
Located where Hull’s Pub used to be, the restaurant is cozy with room for less than 100 guests and simple decor that the Staleys hope will make patrons feel at home. Read more...
10.28.11
Trick-or-treat hours in the suburbs
All official trick-or-treat hours in the suburbs. Times are for on Monday, Oct. 31, unless otherwise noted. Read more...
10.31.11
It’s crunch time for a Sears incentive plan
With top Sears Holdings Corp. executives saying they’ll decide whether to leave Hoffman Estates by the end of the year and state lawmakers scheduled to meet just three more days in 2011, the pressure is on to craft a compromise this week to keep the 125-year-old Chicago-area retail institution in Illinois. Read more...
10.31.11
Secrets of Munger Road
Munger Road was one of the first urban legends co-founder Mike Rohr of DeKalb proposed investigating. That’s because, he said, it was the site of “the very first investigation I ever did — 13 years ago now. That’s what got me started in this (paranormal investigation) business.” Read more...
10.31.11
Trick-or-treat hours in the suburbs
All official trick-or-treat hours in the suburbs. Times are for on Monday, Oct. 31, unless otherwise noted.
Read more...
11.01.11
Cook County property taxes due Nov.
The Cook County Treasurer’s Office said the bills, which were mailed last month to more than 1.7 million homes, may be paid at any Chase bank, by mail or at cookcountytreasurer.com. For information, call (312) 443-5100. Read more...
11.01.11
Cook County sends layoff notices to 100
The layoffs are among the estimated 1,055 that Preckwinkle has called for to help close a $315 million budget gap. Read more...
11.01.11
U-46 has top art administrator in state
Terri DeDecker, art coordinator in Elgin Area District U-46, has been named Art Administrator of the Year by the Illinois Art Education Association. Read more...
11.02.11
Cook County to cut 264 voting precincts for 2012 elections
Orr said Tuesday the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved his plan to take the number of county precincts from 1,937 to 1,673. That's a reduction of 14 percent. Read more...
11.02.11
U-46, Channing in compliance with NCLB
Less than a month after learning Channing Memorial Elementary School had violated parts of the No Child Left Behind Act, Elgin Area District U-46 administrators and staff took corrective action, district leaders said. Read more...
11.02.11
Work starting at Route 20, McLean
The Illinois Department of Transportation will install two concrete retaining walls and temporarily widen Route 20 at McLean Boulevard in preparation for the interchange project. Read more...
11.03.11
Bartlett board OKs plans to build Chase branch
Before voting the only no, Arends asked Shipman why he changed his mind. He said it was a result of recent correspondence with Home Depot and a personal reconsideration. Read more...
11.03.11
Freight train derails near Elgin
Some reports indicated two trains may have struck one another, however Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron said only one train is involved. Read more...
11.03.11
Round 2 of road work along Route 20 in Elgin
Just as drivers along Route 20 through Elgin were getting ready to say “Whew!” about the near completion of this summer’s repaving project there, the next three-year construction project began along the highway this week. Read more...
11.04.11
Derailment raises old fears of EJ&E/CN merger
It's a common occurrence that generally goes unremarked until an incident such as Thursday's derailment of a Canadian National train in Bartlett that involved two tankers containing sodium hydroxide, or lye, and ferrous sulfite. Read more...
11.04.11
Freight train derails near Elgin, closes down Metra service
Except for a limited bus-shuttle connection, Metra rail service to Elgin will remain out of commission until at least Friday morning after a fiery freight-train wreck on an intersecting line totally blocked the commuter service’s Milwaukee West Line before dawn Thursday. Read more...
11.04.11
Preckwinkle backs off charging residents in unincorporated areas for sheriff’s policing
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is backing off — at least for now — a controversial plan to charge residents living in unincorporated stretches for sheriff’s policing services. Read more...
11.04.11
U46 issues call to action vs. property tax legislation
On Thursday, Elgin School District U46 put out its own call to action on its website about another proposed law — House Bill 3793 — that would affect property taxes collected by all Illinois school districts. Read more...
11.10.11
Sears deal getting put off?
Lawmakers appear set to leave Springfield Thursday without a bundle of tax breaks to offer Sears Holdings Corp. as an incentive to keep the company in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
11.10.11
Streamwood seeking armed robber after restaurant holdup
Streamwood police are investigating an armed robbery Tuesday night inside a restaurant in the 1000 block of Schaumburg Road.
Read more...
11.10.11
Township to host Alzheimer's workshop
On November 17, Hanover Township Senior Services will host a presentation, “Knowing the 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease” conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association at the Hanover Township Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59 in Bartlett.
Read more...
11.14.11
Annual Township craft and bake sale approaching
On November 18 & 19, Hanover Township will host Handmade in Hanover at the Township Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59 in Bartlett. On both days from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, attendees will be able to purchase items such as quilts, honey and other crafts from over 40 local artisans. Read more...
11.14.11
Feeding Greater Elgin open in new warehouse space
The Elgin nonprofit got its first influx of food from the Northern Illinois Food Bank Wednesday and plans to ease into regular distribution over the next couple weeks before a grand opening Dec. 3. Read more...
11.14.11
Lawmakers, Sears, leaders still hoping for deal
The major players trying to finish a deal to keep Sears Holdings Corp. in Hoffman Estates wanted to present the company with a tax-incentive package by the end of last week, originally scheduled as the 2011 close of business for the Illinois legislature. Read more...
11.15.11
Boys and Girls Club braces for city aid shortfall
Discussions on how the city might plug a $10 million to $13 million hole in its budget will continue Wednesday, and suggestions offered at last week’s initial city council session have the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin concerned about how it will continue to operate. Read more...
11.15.11
Elgin nonprofits predict closure without city funding
At least two Elgin organizations are looking at the real possibility of closing their doors if Elgin City Council members approve a proposed budget that would eliminate funding for outside agencies. Read more...
11.15.11
Hoffman Estates voters will decide future of power bills
Hoffman Estates voters will have an opportunity early next year to approve a referendum question that would allow the village to take action in obtaining a lower price for the community’s supply of electricity. Read more...
11.15.11
Police: Intoxicated, unlicensed driver hits Bartlett squad car
A Bartlett police officer was injured when an intoxicated driver drove onto a median and struck the squad car head-on Saturday night, according to police. Read more...
11.16.11
Elgin police see spike in burglaries
Elgin police have taken notice of the 22 percent spike in city burglaries from January through October compared to the same period in 2010, and are urging residents to be vigilant as the holiday season approaches. Read more...
11.16.11
Preckwinkle backs down from plan to slash $2 million payment to CTA
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is backing off a proposal to slash a $2 million subsidy the county sends to the Chicago Transit Authority. Read more...
11.17.11
ECC weighs in on EDA bills; D300, HE, Sears finally meet
It came as no surprise that representatives of Community Unit School District 300 appeared at Wednesday’s House Revenue & Finance Committee meeting at the State Capitol in Springfield. Read more...
11.17.11
Elgin talks taxes, fees to fix budget gap
A refuse fee to pay for a new 911 system, a higher sales tax to pay for street improvements, a sin tax on liquor and alcohol, vehicle stickers — Elgin City Council members discussed all of these possibilities in brainstorming ways to close a budget gap that could reach $13 million. Read more...
11.22.11
Bartlett: Hanover Twp. Drive Underway
The annual Hanover Township Toy Drive and Sponsor-A-Family programs are underway and help is needed. Read more...
11.22.11
Cook County budget passes; layoffs, tax hikes coming
Almost 800 government workers will be laid off, and Chicago-area residents will need to dig a little deeper in their pockets as sin and luxury taxes rise under a 2012 budget package approved Friday by Cook County commissioners. Read more...
11.22.11
Hoffman Estates passes resolution to protect local TV programming
The Hoffman Estates village board passed a resolution Monday urging Congress to support an act that would protect local television programming in the village and across the country. Read more...
11.28.11
Hanover Township seeks toy donations
The annual Hanover Township Toy Drive and Sponsor-A-Family programs are under way. From now until Saturday, Dec. 17, new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the township office, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett, and the Astor Avenue Community Center, 7431 Astor Ave., Hanover Park. Read more...
11.29.11
New Elgin budget plan calls for user fees, liquor tax
A new “balanced approach” to the 2012 Elgin budget hopes to address some of the city council and community’s concerns with previously presented plans to balance the city’s budget, officials said Monday night. Read more...
11.29.11
Suspect INS wanted held but Cook Co. released skips court
A child sex offender charged with burglarizing an Elgin home with a young girl inside apparently has fled after Cook County authorities refused to honor an immigration hold request on him and allowed him to bond out of jail, according to police. Read more...
11.29.11
U-46 School News for Week of Nov. 28
On Thursday, band students will present a concert at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is $1 per student, $2 per adult and $6 per family. Senior citizens 62 and older who live within U-46 boundaries may attend for free with proof of age and address. Read more...
11.29.11
Youth Leadership Award nomination forms available
Youth nominees must live within the township. All award recipients will be recognized at a banquet to be held at the township on Jan. 17.
Read more...
11.30.11
Lawmakers adjourn without Sears deal
The Illinois legislature adjourned Tuesday with no agreement on a tax-break package that includes Sears Holdings Corp., raising questions about the company’s future in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
11.30.11
PACE programs still up in the air for Elgin budget
The first budget proposal Elgin City Council members considered included more than $300,000 worth of cuts to social service and arts organizations, PACE programs and youth sports grants. Read more...
11.30.11
Preckwinkle confronts 'hard truths' in first year
Toni Preckwinkle runs the second- largest U.S. county, a storied sewer of corruption whose embrace of the dark side began more than 140 years ago when commissioners accepted bribes for a contract to paint the seat of local government in Chicago -- with whitewash. Read more...
12.01.11
Elgin council one step to a finished budget
Elgin City Council members gave preliminary approval Wednesday to six major parts of the 2012 budget, wrapping up the bulk of discussions that started almost three weeks ago. Read more...
12.01.11
Hoffman Estates mayor: Sears relocation not an empty threat
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod doesn't think Sears Holdings Corp.'s threat to move out of town if it doesn't get more tax breaks is a bluff. Read more...
12.02.11
As Illinois debates Sears tax break, Ohio ups the ante
Ohio is holding out $400 million in incentives to lure Sears’ corporate headquarters away from Illinois, far more than Illinois was preparing to offer to keep the retailer in Hoffman Estates, a spokeswoman for Illinois’ governor told an Ohio newspaper. Read more...
12.02.11
Bartlett’s Bilyeu operated with intelligence
To 17-year-old Bartlett senior AJ Bilyeu, the parallels between his recently completed role as high school quarterback and his future occupation as a doctor are many. Read more...
12.02.11
Get ready for the cold and snow, FEMA says
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is advising Midwesterners to start preparations now for freezing rain, sleet and other wintry offerings as temperatures bottom out for the season. Read more...
12.05.11
Driver misses stop for U46 preschooler
A preschooler was left on a bus for two hours last week before a School District U46 bus driver discovered the boy at the district garage in an incident the district called “very regrettable.” Read more...
12.05.11
Non-profit groups worried over grant process
Social service groups in Elgin are hopeful after hearing funding was set aside for them in the proposed city budget, but are still wary of the new grant system next year. Read more...
12.05.11
Preckwinkle garners positive reviews
As she prepares to begin year two Tuesday, Preckwinkle can bask in the accomplishments of passing two tough spending plans by overwhelming margins and attempting to institute a new culture throughout a county government long criticized for bureaucratic bloat and unresponsiveness to taxpayers. Read more...
12.06.11
Clare Oaks retirement community in Bartlett files for bankruptcy
Clare Oaks retirement community in Bartlett filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday but will continue to operate, according to the not-for-profit organization’s board president. Read more...
12.06.11
Elgin’s newest nightspot already closed ... for now
Grove Central Station, billing itself as Elgin’s newest nightspot, was shut down just a week after its official grand opening, the owner confirmed Monday. Read more...
12.06.11
U46 considers second bond issuance
The School District U46 Board of Education once again discussed the possibility of issuing up to $20 million in working cash fund bonds Monday at its regular meeting. Read more...
12.06.11
U46, D300 easing way for students going into middle school
The study, part of the Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series at Harvard University, found that many students moving from an elementary to a middle school — traditionally in grade six — suffer a sharp drop in achievement in that transition year. Read more...
12.07.11
Kaptain outlines challenges, goals in State of City address
Elgin must subscribe to different philosophies in how it finds revenue and where it looks for new business, Mayor David Kaptain said Tuesday during his State of the City address. Read more...
12.07.11
Library features local art
Patrons of the Gail Borden Public Library can peruse a hallway dedicated to sculptures, paintings and other creations of local artists. Read more...
12.07.11
Michael Airdo named Bartlett's interim president
The Bartlett village board, after hearing statements from a handful of upset residents, appointed Trustee Michael Airdo as acting village president Tuesday. Read more...
12.07.11
U-46 considers funding for long term repairs
Elgin School District U-46 officials will consider issuing $20 million in bonds to fund ongoing capital repairs over the next four to five years. Read more...
12.08.11
Chamber: Elgin’s economic development pact paying off
Representatives of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce showed how just two of the projects underway through the chamber’s economic development agreement with the city have resulted in a big return on the city’s investment during a presentation at Wednesday’s city council committee of the whole session. Read more...
12.08.11
ECC lounge a Stress-Free Zone ahead of final exams
The spa treatments were just one of many stress relievers in the Stress-Free Zone marked off Wednesday in the Jobe Lounge at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. Read more...
12.08.11
Hanover Township holiday Open Gym set to begin
With the holiday season in full swing and winter vacation a snowball’s throw away, Hanover Township’s Open Gym Program must be right around the corner. Read more...
12.09.11
Bartlett’s new president says time will heal political wounds
When Michael Airdo moved to Bartlett in 1999, he never dreamed of being a village trustee, much less acting village president — the position he was appointed to earlier this week by his fellow board members. Read more...
12.09.11
Hundreds turn out for comptroller’s employment expo at Elgin college
The Elgin Employment Expo in the Spartan Events Center at Elgin Community College was the comptroller’s second in a series of employment expos, following an event in Rockford last month. Read more...
12.09.11
New goal for juvenile center: Clear it out
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is pitching a new approach for a juvenile justice system that as recently as four years ago was so broken, a federal judge brought in an outsider to take it over. Read more...
12.09.11
Relay For Life of Bartlett/Hanover Park/Streamwood Receives American Cancer Society Relay All Star Award
Relay For Life of Bartlett/Hanover Park/Streamwood was awarded the American Cancer Society’s prestigious Relay All Star Award at the Society’s recent Relay Leadership Summit in Itasca, Ill. Read more...
12.12.11
Another Sears showdown getting underway
Agreements have been reached in the Senate and among House leaders, but, as Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod says, “there's 177 people that have to vote on it.” Read more...
12.12.11
Bartlett High begins fundraising effort for own stadium
Less than six months after South Elgin High School broke ground on its first football and multi-use stadium, Bartlett High School has kicked off fundraising efforts for its own stadium. Read more...
12.12.11
Hanover Township open gym program starting
Youth who attend Open Gym can get exercise by playing basketball, soccer, dodgeball and other recreational activities. Arts and crafts will also be plentiful and the game room will feature chess, checkers, Connect Four and other games. Read more...
12.12.11
Hanover Twp. toy drive, Sponsor-a-Family programs under way
From now until Saturday, Dec. 17, donations of new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the township offices at 250 S. Route 59 in Bartlett, the township’s Astor Avenue Community Center at 7431 Astor Ave., in Hanover Park or at any of the 20 drop-off locations in Streamwood, Elgin, Bartlett or Hanover Park. Read more...
12.13.11
Former McDonald's executive keeps food flowing as chief of Northern Illinois Food Bank
For years Pete Schaefer was an executive at McDonald's Corp., jetting back and forth to booming markets in Asia. Today, he runs the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and a road trip to Rockford counts as a notable departure. Read more...
12.13.11
Hoffman Estates officials hopeful Senate will pass Sears bill
Hoffman Estates officials, while extremely pleased the Illinois House approved major tax breaks for Sears Monday, said they can only remain hopeful that the Senate will continue to push the bill forward Tuesday. Read more...
12.14.11
Cook, suburban counties seeing outbreak of Whooping Cough
Illinois public health officials are alerting residents to a series of pertussis outbreaks in Cook County and the suburban counties. Read more...
12.14.11
County wants to crack down on vacant buildings despite Fed’s fight
Cook County commissioners are pushing ahead with a proposed crackdown on owners, lenders and any entity with a financial interest in vacant properties blighting communities across the region, undeterred by a federal lawsuit filed this week against the city of Chicago over a similar measure. Read more...
12.14.11
Sears will stay in Hoffman Estates if Quinn signs tax breaks
Sears Holdings Corp. CEO Lou D'Ambrosio told employees in a memo Tuesday that if Gov. Pat Quinn signs a massive package of tax breaks into law as expected, the Hoffman Estates-based company will stop shopping for a new headquarters location out of state. Read more...
12.14.11
State to release $8 million for Elgin's Riverside Drive promenade
The state awarded the city $8 million in October 2010 but has continued to hold the money while it asks the city to properly account for $100,000 of an unrelated Elgin project funded by the state. Read more...
12.15.11
Christmas tree to blame for house fire
Firefighters responded to the fire in the 1300 block of Sheffield Drive in Elgin around 11:49 a.m., finding the tri-level, single-family home’s living room engulfed in flames, said Battalion Chief Timothy Michaels. Read more...
12.15.11
Hanover Twp. hosts meeting for input on former golf course
Representatives from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County will give a brief presentation on the progress of the Rolling Knolls Golf Club property at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, at the Hanover Township Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59, Bartlett. Read more...
12.15.11
Mortgage help on the way for veterans
Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday announced a program aimed at helping veterans and active-duty military members purchase homes by providing $10,000 grants for down payments and closing costs. Read more...
12.15.11
One killed in Bartlett crash
Dawn Domrose of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department said all lanes of traffic have been closed on Army Trail Road between Route 59 and Munger Road while police investigate the crash. Read more...
12.16.11
Cook County commissioners approve forest preserve budget
The $195 million spending plan includes more than $10 million for land acquisition. With real estate prices low, district officials have said they want to snap up property to add to nearly 69,000 acres. Read more...
12.16.11
ECC receives award for serving the community
The Hanover Park Chamber of Commerce recently named Elgin Community College its Business of the Year. The announcement was made at the chamber’s awards dinner on Dec. 9. Read more...
12.16.11
Nelson resigns as Elgin Area Chamber president
Leo Nelson, president of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, announced his retirement at the Thursday morning meeting of the chamber board of directors. Read more...
12.19.11
Alarm network draws early opposition in Elgin
After a flurry of backdoor opposition to a proposal that would alter how fire alarms are monitored in Elgin, city council members are set to move forward next month on a toned-down version of the plan. Read more...
12.20.11
Bartlett graduate killed in crash
Michael Coleman and Justin Blazek, who both graduated in 2010, were about 35 miles from Galena when a driver in front of them lost control on an icy two-lane highway, causing a wreck that killed Coleman, according to the Stephenson County sheriff’s department. Read more...
12.20.11
New taxes, higher fees set for some Elgin services
Elgin City Council members should approve a host of new and updated taxes and fees Wednesday as the 2012 budget discussions officially draw to a close. Read more...
12.21.11
Despite spending $250 million, more suburban bridges ‘deficient'
Roughly $250 million in federal and state taxes were spent this past fiscal year to fix or replace 91 bridges in the six-county Chicago and suburban region, according to IDOT officials. Read more...
12.21.11
Incentives for public facilities to switch lights
Schools, state offices and other public facilities around Illinois can get money if they participate in a program to install energy efficient lighting. Read more...
12.21.11
Streamwood health worker charged with abusing disabled boy
An employee at a Streamwood mental health center was charged with criminal sexual abuse after police said he was caught on camera inappropriately touching a mentally disabled patient. Read more...
12.21.11
Woman pleads not guilty to killing newborn in Salvation Army restroom
A 19-year-old Hanover Park woman pleaded not guilty in Cook County Circuit Court Dec. 21 during an arraignment on charges that she killed a newborn baby she delivered in a restroom at a Streamwood Salvation Army store. Read more...
12.22.11
Bartlett teen is a radio host, country singer
If not for that boredom, the Bartlett teen wouldn't have gone online and found a couple of friends looking to start an Internet radio show. Josie wouldn't have discovered she had knack for hosting. And she certainly wouldn't have become the voice of two productions that at last count boasted more than 2 million listeners combined. Read more...
12.22.11
Cook County Highway Department accused of dumping waste
For years, Cook County highway workers have been dumping roadway and sewer waste at two work yards, creating large mounds that potentially could be contaminating the environment, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday. Read more...
12.22.11
Elgin Council OKs 2012 city budget
Performing the final act in a drama that began at a retreat in June, continued in early fall with a resident budget task force, and culminated with a series of meetings in November and December, Wednesday night the city council approved Elgin’s $268.5 million budget plan and various measures related to it. Read more...
12.28.11
Bartlett to host blood drive Dec. 29
The Village of Bartlett and Bartlett Police Department will be hosting their annual blood drive from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29, in Heartland Blood Centers’ mobile coach vehicle that will be parked in the village hall parking lot located at 228 S. Main Street. Read more...
12.28.11
Cook County weighs Rolling Knolls’ future
After sitting vacant for about a year, ideas for how to bring new life to 55 acres that once made up the Rolling Knolls Golf Course are being tossed around by the Cook County Forest Preserve District and nearby residents.
Read more...
12.28.11
Crespo seeks committee members
State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, is seeking local residents for participation in his community advisory committees, including: education, veteran services, disability services, economic development, senior services, women’s issues and health care. Read more...
12.28.11
Hanover Park buys aging shopping center for $2.8 million
Tired of waiting for another developer to come along and invest in an aging strip mall, Hanover Park officials have decided to take control of the stagnant situation. Read more...
12.29.11
Cook County picnic permits on sale Tuesday
People like to buy permits early to guarantee they’ll get the grove they want, Vaughan said. Last year, 1,044 permits, approximately 13 percent, were sold on the first day, she said. Read more...
12.29.11
Cook County reviewing dumping at Palatine Twp. Site
Recent revelations that Cook County Highway Department workers have long used a site near Palatine as a dumping ground for potentially environmentally hazardous waste has “highlighted a need for modernization and reforms,” according to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Read more...
12.29.11
Suburban Cook County courthouses closing on weekends
Starting Jan. 7, all five of Cook County’s suburban courthouses will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The county is working to consolidate its weekend bond court by requiring that all weekend hearings take place at the criminal courts building at 26th and California in Chicago. Read more...
12.30.11
Grant to help ECC with new adult ed strategy
ECC is one of eight community colleges in Illinois to receive grant money from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other leading philanthropies to help adult students complete post-secondary education and training. Read more...
12.30.11
Hanover Park woman charged with neglecting elderly father
Paulette A. Rhody, 56, of the 7000 block of Hanover Street in Hanover Park, was arrested earlier this week and charged with one felony count of criminal neglect of an elderly person and a felony count of financial exploitation of an elderly person, Mount Prospect police said in a news release. Read more...
12.30.11
Public input needed on proposed bike path
Elgin’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will hold a public input session next week to give residents a chance to weigh in on a plan for a new bike path. Read more...
12.30.11
Saturday weddings at Cook County suburban courthouses ending
In the coming weeks and months, marriage and civil union ceremonies will no longer be performed at the Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood and Bridgeview courthouses on weekends. Read more...
01.03.12
Alcoholic beverage tax worries Elgin business owners
With a handful of new taxes set to take effect this year, some small business owners in Elgin are bracing for the backlash from one in particular — a 3-percent alcoholic beverage tax. Read more...
01.03.12
Change for Cook County in 2012
The next time you dine out or buy a big screen television in Cook County, you should find a little extra change in your pocket. cent. In most parts of Chicago, the combined city, county and state sales tax rate falls from 9.75 percent to 9.5 percent on all retail purchases except groceries. Read more...
01.03.12
Suburban police chiefs seek compromise with Cook County
The county estimates it will save $1.9 million this year by consolidating weekend hearings from the Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham courthouses and holding them all at the Cook County criminal courts building at 26th Street and California Avenue in Chicago. Read more...
01.04.12
ECC work continues with new library, future Burlington center
Students returning to Elgin Community College this month will see a new library – three times the size of the old building – among other improvements as a $178 million long-term capital plan continues. Read more...
01.04.12
Grant to makeover Eastside Recreation Center
Besides installing air conditioning, the work will make the bathrooms and other aspects of the building comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and replace an aged boiler system, among other projects, said Randy Reopelle, Parks and Recreation Director. Read more...
01.05.12
Cook County's Saul Chavez moment
Preckwinkle and supporters characterized it as a way to save taxpayers money, and she put out figures insisting that it cost $15 million per year to detain suspected illegal immigrants at federal request, without the county receiving reimbursement from the feds. Garcia said it was all about "ensuring the fair treatment of all people." Read more...
01.05.12
Two Elgin police supervisors named in wiretap suit
Former Elgin Police Lt. Greg Welter and his business associate, Debra Seitz of Elburn, filed a federal lawsuit last summer claiming a John and Jane Doe had hacked into Welter’s email that he used for personal use and for a real estate firm in which he and Seitz were two of six partners. Read more...
01.06.12
Bartlett Library District looking for new trustee
The Bartlett Public Library District has an opening for a library trustee to fill out the remainder of a term ending in May 2013. Read more...
01.06.12
New Leadership at Elgin Opera
The not-for-profit opera company proudly announces its new leadership team: Interim Executive Director and Assistant Music Director Katherine Dalin of Elgin, Artistic Director and Music Director Susan Dennis of Bartlett, and, Executive Producer and Publicist Kimberly Albrecht of Barrington. Read more...
01.06.12
Schaumburg woman attacked by man with stun gun
Police said a man rang the woman’s doorbell on the 300 block of Falbrook Court, near Barrington and Old Church roads, about 7:15 a.m. He claimed to be a neighbor, and asked to use the bathroom as his own toilet was broken. Read more...
01.09.12
Elgin explores outsourcing ambulance services
As contract negotiations with Elgin Association of Firefighters Union Local 439 get under way, the city has posted a request on its website for qualifications from ambulance companies potentially to provide round-the-clock paramedic-level service for Elgin. Read more...
01.09.12
Feds find failures in Cook Co. homeland security project
The failed Cook County initiative was replete with equipment that failed to work, missing records and untrained first responders according to a report by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Read more...
01.10.12
Elgin council to consider block grant projects
Ten organizations and the city of Elgin have submitted applications for Community Development Block Grant money available this year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read more...
01.10.12
Hoffman Estates board hears proposal for 19-home subdivision
The property, which the previous owner lost to foreclosure, is between Kingston and Chamber Drives in unincorporated Cook County, adjacent to the Colony Point subdivision. Read more...
01.10.12
U-46 closer to $20 million bond sale
Elgin Area School District U-46 has taken initial steps toward issuing up to $20 million in working cash bonds to cover capital improvement projects across the district. Read more...
01.10.12
Woman drives into Hanover Park pond
A woman was treated for mild hypothermia after driving her vehicle about 40 feet into a Hanover Park pond early Monday evening, according to fire department officials. Read more...
01.11.12
Elgin casino revenue drops by 14% in 2011
In just under six months of business, the new casino generated about $177.5 million compared to the $256.9 million the Grand Victoria grossed for the entire year. Read more...
01.11.12
South Elgin High teacher injured trying to break up fight
A 17-year-old from Bartlett faces felony charges that she injured a teacher at South Elgin High School who was trying to break up a fight. Read more...
01.11.12
U46 closer to issuing bonds for second year
U46 still must hold a public hearing — and a second vote ¬— before issuing those bonds, spokesman Tony Sanders said. The school board voted Monday night to set that hearing for its meeting 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, at the U46 Educational Services Center, 355 E. Chicago St. Read more...
01.12.12
Bartlett woman who scammed employer gets five more years (
A Bartlett woman, already serving a 10-year sentence for making up a story about the deaths of her daughter and supposed FBI agent husband in an insurance scam, was sentenced to five more years Wednesday on an identity theft charge, according to prosecutors. Read more...
01.12.12
Durbin visits S. Elgin, gets schooled in readiness
U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres told Durbin that he first wanted to focus on college preparation but found there was a need for workforce development. Read more...
01.12.12
Preckwinkle stands firm on not holding illegal immigrants in jail once bond is posted
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle called Wednesday to say she is not backing down from a new county ordinance that some are blaming for allowing an illegal immigrant accused in a fatal drunk driving accident to skip the country. Read more...
01.12.12
Prison for Streamwood man convicted of fraud
Federal prosecutors said Keskes sold nearly 80,000 items over a variety of online retail sites and pocketed roughly $4.6 million between 2006 and 2009, despite knowing that most of the items were stolen from retailers. Read more...
01.13.12
Bartlett seeking community input on video gambling
Village Attorney Bryan Mraz told the board he believes if the village bans video gambling after an establishment invests in gambling equipment, it will affect the licensee’s property rights and the video gambling license may need to be grandfathered in. Read more...
01.13.12
Federal immigration chief: Cook County jail policy may be illegal
“I just got this letter last night, and we’re crafting a response to Mr. Morton, and we will be happy to talk to him,” Preckwinkle said. “I will just tell you I have not heard a word from him — not a phone call or letter in the last four months — so it’s fascinating I get this in the last few days.” Read more...
01.13.12
Former Soviet leader Gorbachev to speak in Elgin
Gorbachev will be the keynote speaker at Judson University's World Leaders Forum. He led the former Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. Read more...
01.13.12
Schneider: Revise county law on jailed illegal immigrants
Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider of Bartlett hopes to amend the new ordinance that allows the county to release suspected illegal immigrants from jail without notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even if they are charged with a felony. Read more...
01.17.12
Cook commissioners want to halt court closings
Last month, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans issued a notice to suburban law enforcement officials that the Bridgeview courthouse would no longer operate on the weekends starting Jan. 7. Read more...
01.17.12
IDOT meeting will address Sutton Road project
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will host a public meeting Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the Bartlett Hills Golf Club, 800 W. Oneida Ave. in Bartlett, to discuss the study for the proposed improvement of U.S. Route 20 at Route 59 (Sutton Road) interchange in Cook County. Read more...
01.17.12
Township grateful for resident support
On behalf of the Hanover Township officials and all the staff and volunteers of our Welfare Services department, I would like to thank the community for their outpouring of support during this past holiday season. Read more...
01.17.12
U-46 science expo could have 1,000 displays this year
The 2012 Discovery Science Exposition, set for Saturday, April 14 at Gail Borden Library in Elgin, is gearing up to be the district’s largest event with more than 800 proposals already submitted, said Jennifer McDonnell, the district’s coordinator of science, math, planetarium and instructional technology. Read more...
01.18.12
Bears’ Garza to visit health-conscious U-46 students
Parkwood Elementary School in Hanover Park and Eastview Middle School in Bartlett were the only schools in Illinois to score a “touchdown” in the Fuel Up to Play 60 challenge, sponsored by the Mid-West Dairy Council and the National Football League. The program is also a part of first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign. Read more...
01.18.12
Grant helps Bartlett improve water monitoring
The new system will increase monitoring capabilities, and allow village staff to access information from the village’s 21 lift stations and well sites from a single computer at the wastewater treatment plant. Read more...
01.18.12
PBS documentary highlights Elgin’s green activity
Elgin took center stage Tuesday night at the Midwest premiere of “Designing Healthy Communities,” a four-part, PBS series that focuses on improving public health by restoring and redesigning the toxic environment we’ve already built. Read more...
01.19.12
Cook County plans hearings for law on jailed illegal immigrants
The Cook County Board will hear from law enforcement leaders about its controversial decision to ignore federal officials’ requests to detain possible illegal immigrants who might otherwise be eligible for release from jail. Read more...
01.19.12
Pillars of Honor coming to Elgin
The upcoming “Pillars of Honor” program — set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Gail Borden Public Library — provides an ideal time to reflect on the contributions of Elgin citizens during World War II. Read more...
01.19.12
Weekend Cook County court closings under scrutiny
A proposal to have Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans present alternatives to closing the county’s suburban courthouses on weekends is headed for a county board committee debate. Read more...
01.20.12
Bartlett moves ahead with Brewster Creek flood control project
The Bartlett village board has approved a resolution for an intergovernmental agreement that divides responsibilities for the approximately $5.3 million Brewster Creek flood control project between three parties. Read more...
01.20.12
Crespo hosts college prep day at Streamwood High School
State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, is partnering with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to hold College Preparedness Day on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Streamwood High School, 701 W. Schaumburg Road. Read more...
01.20.12
Preckwinkle fires back, defends jail policy to U.S. immigration chief
In a strongly-worded letter to the nation’s immigration chief, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says the controversial new jail policy she championed doesn’t put public safety at risk and didn’t pave the way for a suspect in a deadly drunken driving crash — believed to be living in the U.S. illegally — to bond out of jail and disappear. Read more...
01.20.12
Streamwood family grateful for plumbers’ good deed
Martin, Schuler and two of their workers spent more than seven hours Monday excavating the Dvorsky’s front lawn, removing the broken sewer line and replacing it with new pipes. They covered all the expenses, and the village of Streamwood waived the fee for a permit. Read more...
01.23.12
Preckwinkle assigns staff member to monitor morgue
The head of the Cook County Board has assigned a senior staff member to the Cook County medical examiner’s office after recent reports of problems there. Read more...
01.23.12
Woman dies after being struck by vehicle in Elgin
Ana Ordonez, of the 0-99 block of Liberty Street, was crossing at Summit Street about a block east of Dundee Avenue when she was struck at about 6:10 p.m., said Elgin Fire Batallion Chief Bryan McMahan. Read more...
01.24.12
Cook County Clerk announces new military, mail voting projects
Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office reports: Last week, the clerk announced new projects to improve military voting, vote-by-mail operations and polling place accessibility for suburban Cook County, funded entirely by federal grants. Read more...
01.24.12
Elgin casino wants to up its game against Rivers
Owners of Elgin's Grand Victoria Casino, which until last year was the hottest casino in Illinois, are teaming up with the city of Elgin to explore whether to build a multipurpose entertainment facility that could help them better compete with the new Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Read more...
01.24.12
Two Elgin High seniors honored for leadership
It is an honor for anyone to be recognized as a leader. However, to earn this recognition as a high school student is quite an accomplishment. Two Elgin High School seniors were honored by the Hanover Township Committee on Youth as outstanding leaders at the high school level. Read more...
01.25.12
Cook County on board for cameras in courtroom
Cameras will be allowed in Illinois trial courtrooms for the first time in the state’s history as a way of making legal proceedings more transparent, the Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday. Read more...
01.25.12
Elgin looks to pare its special events backing
Mayor Dave Kaptain floated the idea last July of consolidating special events held by nonprofit groups that the city has been sponsoring. Read more...
01.25.12
Hanover Township targets Kelly to recoup stolen funds
Hanover Township trustees last week voted to proceed with claims against former Supervisor Michael Kelly in an attempt to recoup more than $700,000 they say was stolen under his watch. Read more...
01.25.12
U46’s chief of equity, social justice speaks about position
Creating the position of the chief of equity and social justice was the “next step” after making the elimination of achievement gaps a priority for the school district, U46 Superintendent Jose Torres said in a written statement when Shah was hired in July. Read more...
01.26.12
Elgin to keep business license program
Chuck Keysor and Craig Mason are co-founders of Elgin OCTAVE, a political group that has been dedicated to forcing a repeal of the business license since the group’s inception in April 2011. While Keysor was shocked no one voted against the program, Mason said he wasn’t surprised at the way it turned out. Read more...
01.26.12
Seniors can defer property tax payments
The tax deferral program is essentially a loan from the state for property taxes that must be repaid with simple interest of 6% when the house is sold. To ensure that the money is repaid, a lien is placed on the senior’s home that will prevent the home from being sold without full repayment. Read more...
01.26.12
Townships band together for discount prescription drug program
Elgin, Hanover and Algonquin townships have joined a prescription-discount program that backers say saves an average of 50 percent on the cost of prescription drugs for people who don’t have insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover specific medicines prescribed by their doctors. Read more...
01.27.12
Elgin asst. fire chief resigns, takes Streamwood job
Baker, who currently serves as the assistant fire chief of administration, is starting a new job as the deputy fire chief of Streamwood on Monday. Today is his last day working for Elgin. Read more...
01.27.12
Elgin serious crime lowest in 40 years
Despite some high-profile homicides and a rise in the number of burglaries, the number of serious crimes reported in Elgin dropped by more than 7 percent in 2011 compared to the number for 2010, Police Chief Jeff Swoboda announced Thursday. Read more...
01.27.12
Neighborhood profile: Little Creek Farm
Bordering Streamwood and Little Creek Farm on the north, Poplar Creek Forest Preserve contributes to the community’s beauty and natural atmosphere. It also offers recreation galore including hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking and fishing in its streams and lakes. Read more...
01.27.12
Preckwinkle takes aim at morgue
After weeks of bad press and macabre photographs circulating from the morgue, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Thursday clamped down on practices there and put employees on notice they would be held accountable for further problems. Read more...
01.30.12
Bartlett High reveals plans for its own stadium
Its current plans would develop the existing track and field area at Bartlett into a stadium for high school and community events, according to Berna. Bartlett teams currently play “home” games at Streamwood High School’s stadium.
Read more...
01.30.12
Metra fare increases begin Wednesday
Starting Feb. 1, one-way tickets will increase an average of 15.7 percent across all fare zones, while 10-ride tickets will go up an average of 30 percent. Monthly passes will increase an average of 29.4 percent, according to a Metra release.
Read more...
01.31.12
Preckwinkle to meet with worried ministers about morgue mess
Morgue employees told the Sun-Times earlier this month there were so many bodies that the storage trays were full and in some cases had more than one body on them. Read more...
01.31.12
School districts say proposed state aid hikes not enough
The Illinois State Board of Education is recommending a $265.2 million, or 3.9 percent, increase in state education funding. Read more...
02.01.12
Alexian Brothers receives $1 million donation
Canadian National, one of the largest railroads in North America with extensive operations in Chicago’s suburbs, has donated $1 million to the Alexian Brothers Foundation to support construction of Alexian Brothers Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates. Read more...
02.01.12
Tefft Middle School lauded for excellence in education
The Elgin Area District U-46 school received the Spotlight Award, which is given to schools where more than 50 percent of the students are designated low income. At Tefft, it’s 64 percent. The school also must make adequately yearly progress for three years straight. Read more...
02.02.12
Elgin principal considered for McHenry Co. schools post
Jeffrey Schleff, of Island Lake, currently principal at Lords Park Elementary School in Elgin, will by considered for appointment by the county board at its meeting Tuesday morning. Read more...
02.02.12
Hanover Township salutes youth leaders
The Hanover Township Committee on Youth recently presented Youth Leadership Awards to five individuals in three different categories at a dinner in Veterans Hall at the Township Senior Center. Award recipients included: Jacqueline Mash of Canton Middle School in Streamwood, Junior Leader; Drew Bloomquist of Elgin High School, High School Leader; Cassie McLaughlin of Elgin High School, High School Leader; Justin Behrman, Streamwood Park District Employee, Community Youth Leader and Teresa Perez of the Streamwood Falcons Football and Cheerleading, Community Youth Leader runner up. Read more...
02.02.12
Rep. Crespo hosts Shred Day
State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, hosted a Community Shred Day Saturday outside his Streamwood Constituent Service Office to give local businesses and residents an opportunity to securely dispose of confidential information to help prevent identity theft. Read more...
02.03.12
Cook County Board of Review candidates talk goals, experience
Now the incumbent District 1 commissioner, Patlak said he’s running for re-election so that he can build on initiatives he helped bring about during his first years on the board — the introduction of online appeals and the publication of the board’s first-ever annual report among them. Read more...
02.03.12
ECC names library after first president
Naming the new library after Renner continues a tradition of including his name on campus, officials said. Renner Hall in downtown Elgin was ECC’s first home. When the college moved to its present location in 1970, the library in the Student Resource Center was named the Renner Learning Resources Center. Read more...
02.03.12
Suburban cheerleading teams headed to state
In coed, an increasingly competitive division, the Buffalo Grove and Barrington squads won at Rolling Meadows. Lake Park, the defending champion, is also going back downstate, with Streamwood, Palatine and Elk Grove on its heels. Read more...