Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Among the items on the upcoming Village of Skokie budget hearings is a "Mobile Police Substation," which acts as a command post that can move from location to location.
The Village of Skokie Board of Trustees will review the proposed fiscal year 2014 (FY14) budget at several upcoming hearings this May. The proposed operating budget is $51 million, representing a 1.9 percent increase, or approximately $970,000, from the previous year. Plans for a "police manpower study" and funding to return the village’s police manpower to prerecession levels are included in the budget, according to a press release issued Tuesday. Also included is the purchase of a vehicle that acts as a community outreach police substation, also known as a command post vehicle. Unlike a police sub-station in a fixed building, this mobile police facility can be moved to where it is needed and will create a visible, convenient community …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Skokie Park District was one of only 26 agencies out of 180 in the nation to receive the 5-star award for their efforts in 2012.
Skokie Park District’s lifeguard staff has been given the 5-Star Award in risk management and rescue preparedness, the highest award from Starfish Aquatics Institute, a nationally recognized certification agency, according to Skokie Park District’s website. “Very few aquatic facilities qualify to receive this honor,” Leslie Donavan, president of SAI was quoted saying on the district's website. “It represents a tremendous commitment to safety and training, as well as exceptional performance when on duty.” Skokie Park District was one of only 26 agencies out of 180 in the nation to receive the 5-star award for their efforts in 2012. This is the second year in a row that the district has received the award. In addition, 23 individual …
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Skokie Park District
9300 Weber Park Pl, Skokie, IL
/articles/skokie-lifeguards-receives-award-for-risk-management-rescue-preparedness
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Mayor George Van Dusen and village trustees – along with the public – will be celebrating a “groundbreaking ceremony” regarding the new Touhy Marketplace on May 1.
Read our latest coverage here ~ Touhy Marketplace – a 195,000 square foot shopping center set to be anchored by a Super Walmart – is scheduled to be complete in spring 2014, the village announced Monday. This Wednesday, Mayor George Van Dusen, village trustees, as well as Touhy Marketplace developers Clark Street Development, will be on site to celebrate what they’re calling a “groundbreaking ceremony” at 1 p.m. The shopping center will be located at 3600 W. Touhy Ave., or near the intersection of Touhy and St. Louis avenues. Village trustees voted on Touhy Marketplace in April 2012. Of the 195,000 square feet, the Super Walmart is said to consume about 150,000 square feet of space. Next to the retail giant will be a Chase Bank with four-…
New law increases senior homestead exemption, general homestead exemption.
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Tuesday, April 30
Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation that will reduce property tax bills for seniors across Illinois. Senate Bill 1894 raises the senior homestead exemption from $4,000 to $5,000 – potentially saving seniors up to more than $200 annually. This new exemption for seniors takes effect for Cook County this year. “The new law will reduce property tax bills for seniors across Illinois,” Governor Quinn said. “This boost in savings will relieve some of the financial burden faced by seniors and working families, and help ensure no one struggles to stay in their home.” Sponsored by Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) and Representative John Bradley (D-Marion), SB 1894 increases the Senior Homestead Exemption – property tax breaks for …
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists and three victim's advocates recently received accolades relating to their service to victims of drunk and distracted driving crashes, along with their families.
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Saturday, April 27
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) was presented with several Victim Service Awards from Anita Alvarez Cook County States Attorney as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week on Tuesday, April 23. The Cook County State’s Attorney Office recognizes teams, individuals, programs and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service in support of crime victims and victim services. Three AAIM advocates and the organization were recognized for promoting the rights of crime victims, and advocating on their behalf with compassion and commitment for victims of impaired driving. AAIM Honorees were: Twyla Blakely, Cathy Stanley and Sharon Johnson. Accepting the award on behalf of AAIM was Board of Director Bob Cebrzynski. “We …
Friday, April 26, 2013
According to the American Lung Association's 2013 "State of the Air," Cook County gets an "F."
This week, the American Lung Association released its 2013 "State of the Air" report card and Cook County received an "F." Lake County also received an "F" but the other Chicago area collar counties (McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will) all received B's. On Monday, the Sierra Club, along with a coalition of other organizations, will be speaking to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a hearing in Chicago to support the EPA's proposed "Tier 3" tailpipe standards to reduce the amount of sulfur in gasoline. Public comment The public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. in LaSalle Ballroom 2 of the Doubletree Magnificent Mile, in Chicago. There will be a pre-event rally and group photo at 9:30 a.m. Residents can also submit comment to the EPA …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The village is preparing a report of recent flood damages to submit to the Cook County Emergency Management Association.
In an effort to demonstrate qualification for federal and state disaster funds and public assistance reimbursement, the Village of Skokie is preparing a Preliminary Damage Assessment Report of recent flood damages to submit to the Cook County Emergency Management Association. Even if residents have already called the village, the village is still recommending residents who have been affected by the April 18 flooding to complete the survey online. (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N7PLVQP) The survey is to report experiences during the recent flood event and it is not an application for reimbursement. The information will help the village document the flood experience and assist regional and local officials in requesting disaster …
The Marketplace Fairness Act would give states the ability to collect online sales taxes.
The Senate cleared the way this week for the passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act, which requires businesses with more than $1 million in Internet sales to pay sales taxes to the state where the buyer resides, Slate reported. While a 1992 Supreme Court decision allows for taxing online sales, states don’t collect online sales tax unless the buyer voluntarily sends it. In 2012, states collectively lost an estimated $23.3 billion in sales tax revenue due to online sales according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Huffington Post reported. Michael Mazerov of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the Marketplace Fairness Act would make tax collections slightly more progressive, since poorer Americans are less …
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart releases a surveillance video that purports to show a corrections officer didn't slip and fall as he claimed in a workers compensation claim.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart wants you to know he's keeping an eye on the "duty injury king" — a corrections officer known among his peers for submitting false injury claims while on the job — and others like him. The sheriff's office released a video tape Wednesday that purports to show the time and location where a corrections officer claimed he slipped and fell, injuring his back on Nov. 20. The officer is now suspended without pay, and the sheriff wants to press criminal charges. The sheriff's office's claim about the video states: On November 20th of last year a Correctional Officer submitted a false injury report claiming that he sustained a back injury while returning from transporting a detainee. He reported to other staff the he …
Monday, April 22, 2013
The Secretary of State office at Niles' Four Flaggs Shopping Center will shut down Wednesday, and a temporary facility will open May 21 in Morton Grove.
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Monday, April 22
If you need to get your driver's license renewed, you may want to get to the Secretary of State's office at Four Flaggs Shopping Center in Niles on Tuesday or Wednesday by 5 p.m. That office will be permanently closing Wednesday at the end of the day. You'll have to go to Elston Avenue, Deerfield or Schaumburg to renew your driver's license or license plates until a temporary office opens on Golf Road in Morton Grove on Tuesday, May 21. The following is a statement from the Secretary of State's Office: Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that a new, temporary full service Driver Services facility will open in Morton Grove on May 21. The facility will be located at 7927 Golf Rd. In the meantime, the Driver Services …
Lisa Lipin
6:56 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013
A few weeks ago, the police were called to the 4600 block of Davis in the early afternoon on weekday because of a complaint of "shots fired." Several officers were in the area walking in the alley behind an apt building but no evidence was found so the incident seems to have just been buried. I followed up on this since it happened within a block of my home. It seems that "shots fired" calls are … more ›