 The Lake County Board will update its strategic plan next
year. This plan serves as a road map for our county government and influences
how we prioritize and invest our resources. Take a look at our
strategic plan and read about the progress we’re making.
As we get ready to update our plan, we want to know what is
important to you. Please submit your thoughts and ideas to make our county even
better through our “Community
Voice” forum. It’s easy to join the conversation by signing in and sharing
your ideas for a better Lake County!
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 Voter registration will be available Election Day
Grace Voter Registration will be available in
all Lake County precinct voting sites for the Nov. 8 election.
The U.S. District Court, Northern
District of Illinois, recently responded to a federal lawsuit that challenged
the Illinois law allowing counties with a population of 100,000 or more to
conduct registration (along with voting) in every precinct voting site on
Election Day. As a result, the Court granted the requested preliminary
injunction, which prohibited in-precinct Election Day registration in counties
with a population in excess of 100,000.
This was appealed by the Illinois
Attorney General’s Office, and on Oct. 7, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
stayed the previous U.S. District Court order enjoining Election Day
In-Precinct Registration – which means counties with a population of 100,000 or
more are required to provide voters with the option of registering at voting
sites on Election Day.
Watch this to
learn more about the Nov. 8 election, including dates you should remember such
as when
early voting starts as
well as how results are processed and reported
on election night. Make sure to also preview a
personalized ballot, and explore your voting options on the County
Clerk's office Nov. 8
General Election web page.
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Vote Like a Couch Potato!
Voting by mail is so
easy that even a couch potato can do it! Avoid the long lines on November 8 by
filling out your ballot from the comfort of your own sofa. Here’s
how to request a ballot by mail:
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When voters go to the
polls in November, they will see a proposed amendment to the Illinois State
Constitution on the ballot. The amendment will ask voters if all revenues from
various transportation-related taxes and fees should only be spent on
transportation projects and expenses. If approved, the amendment calls for
putting transportation revenue in a “lockbox” that can only be used for
transportation purposes. This would include highway construction and
repair, mass transit, enforcing traffic laws, and other transportation expenses
such as paying off debt on transportation projects. While protecting against
the diversion of transportation funds for other purposes, the proposed
constitutional amendment does not provide any new capital funding for
transportation in Illinois. It is estimated that Illinois must spend an
additional $43 billion on transportation infrastructure in the next ten years
to bring highways and bridges into good condition. Learn more.
Lake
County government is investing in various improvement projects across the
county – including road, water/sewer and stormwater projects and facility
expansion projects like the new court tower in Waukegan. To help residents see
and learn about the projects we’re working on, we’ve developed the easy-to-use
Lake County Capital
Improvement Projects web portal.
Visit the new Maps Online, which is now
easier to use, can be used on any device, including cell phones and tablets,
and has more functionality. One of Lake
County’s most frequently visited web applications, Maps Online allows users to
search and customize maps to include administrative boundaries, cities, water
features, parks, landmarks, highways, buildings and more. Check It Out Today!
Provide
Your Feedback:
Our GIS Division welcomes comments on the new Maps Online. To provide your
feedback, send an email to gis@lakecountyil.gov.
 Fall is here! Featuring 170 lakes and
rivers, miles of hiking and biking trails and many family attractions, Lake
County is a wonderful place to spend a fall weekend. Check out this list of
upcoming events for ideas on how to spend the perfect
fall weekend.
Win Four Guest Passes to the Lost Paradise
Indoor Waterpark at KeyLime Cove!
Among the county’s fun and exciting attractions is KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort. You
could win four guest passes to the Lost Paradise Indoor Waterpark at KeyLime
Cove if you tell us your favorite thing about biking in Lake County, and send a
picture that shows it! Enter by commenting your answer and attaching a picture
on Lake County, IL
Government’s original Facebook contest post. Entries will be accepted
until 11 a.m. Oct. 17.
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 Forest Preserve News
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Take the Des Plaines River Trail Challenge
Travel the entire 31.4 miles of the Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) by Nov. 30 and be rewarded. The final section of the DPRT was completed in 2015 and now spans the length of the county. Help celebrate this amazing gem by using it. Bike it. Boat it. Walk it or run it. Or, you can make a donation to help the Forest Preserves keep it clean and safe. Learn more.
If you’re biking the DPRT Challenge, or enjoy biking any of the Forest Preserve trails, why not take part in this fun contest? Make sure to share your Challenge “selfie stop” photos!
Come to Hawkfest
Experience the fall hawk migration and see live raptors at Hawkfest from 1:30
to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve in Lake Forest. Join official raptor counters as they scan
the skies and share their tips for identification. Help spot migrating raptors,
and visit bird education stations to learn about raptor adaptations, the
amazing world of woodpeckers, and waterfowl identification on Lake Michigan.
The event is free and open to all ages. Learn more. |
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Fall Horizons magazine available online
Horizons is a free quarterly
publication featuring articles on Lake County wildlife, nature
and history, Forest Preserve news, and a calendar of events. In the
fall issue, learn about the Discovery Museum’s move to its new home in Libertyville and our Des
Plaines River Trail Challenge. Read Horizons online, or subscribe to
receive it for free in print form.
 College
students and their parents can get help applying for college financial aid by
attending the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) workshops at
locations across Lake County through late January. All college-bound high
school students and their parents along with current college students are
invited to attend a free workshop.
The
following are upcoming dates: Oct. 15 at Waukegan
High School-Brookside Campus, Oct. 18 at Zion-Benton Township High
School (this workshop only open to Zion-Benton students) and Oct. 22 at the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan. View the complete
list of workshop dates.
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The
University Center of Lake County is collaborating with Northern Illinois
University to bring their “Bullying: How Schools Can Respond” conference
to Lake County. The conference will take place simultaneously in DeKalb
and Grayslake from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Oct. 26. The sixth annual conference is
designed to educate administrators, teachers, counselors, and staff about how
they can respond to the issue of bullying in their schools. Learn more
 The
most important step that you can take to protect yourself against the flu is to
get an annual flu vaccine. The Lake County Health
Department and Community Health Center urges those who should get the vaccine. This
includes anyone six months of age or older, especially children younger than 5,
adults 65 years old and older, and those with conditions such as asthma or
diabetes.
Flu
shots through the Lake County Health Department are available as well as
through retail clinics, pharmacies, and individual healthcare providers. Watch this
video and learn more.
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 The new Lake County Courthouse will be eight
stories tall and is expected to be completed in spring 2018. This expansion is
designed to help increase efficiency of the justice system and help the county
prepare for population growth. Watch this video to
take a tour, and see the progress being made on the expansion project.
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Lake County senior
citizens are invited to attend Senior Law Day, an educational forum from 1 to 3
p.m. Friday, Oct. 14 at the Park City Branch Court. Learn about jury duty and elder law
from Lake County judges. Join a discussion on how to avoid criminal scams with
the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office will
address security in your home, on your computer or in the courthouse. Learn
more
 Residents in unincorporated Lake County may be
able to save up to 20 percent on their flood insurance policies. Lake County is
recertified each year through FEMA based on our floodplain and building code
regulations and community information and education. With this rating, there is
a potential savings of up to $257 per policy, saving Lake County residents $253,413
annually. Visit the County’s flood information page to determine if you
are located in a floodplain and learn more about floodplain regulations. To see
if you qualify, contact your flood insurance agent.
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 The
Lake County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded the Federal Justice and Mental
Health Collaboration Program Grant, totaling $250,000 to expand the response
to mental health incidents in Lake County. As part of this grant, over 300
police officers will receive training over a three-year period. The long term goal is
to develop a county-wide program that will provide crisis intervention team
training to all law enforcement officers as well as compatible crisis
intervention team training to service providers and those who have community
contact with persons suffering from mental illness and/or substance abuse
issues. Learn more
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