 As
the weather gets warmer, everyone, especially your pets will be excited to get
outside and enjoy it. A great opportunity is checking out the Forest Preserves'
dog parks, including at Duck Farm and Lakewood.
Watch my latest Live
in District 5 video to learn more about the dog parks to keep them active
as well as other County services to keep your pets safe such as the spay and neuter program and pet immunization clinics offered by the Lake County Health Department. Visit the Health Department's
Animal Care and Control website to learn more.
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 Spring pet vaccination clinics begin April 1
The
Lake County Health Department will offer spring pet vaccination clinics
starting April 1 at locations across the county. These low-cost clinics provide
a convenient, affordable way to keep pets up to date with their shots and
rabies tags. Learn
more about the clinics and all upcoming dates.
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The Board approved two significant actions at its March meeting, one that approves a half million dollars to support people with gambling addiction and other behavioral health issues, and another that creates a commission on governmental accountability and reform.
Lake County collects a portion of the revenue generated from video gaming in the unincorporated areas of the county. Consistent with its policy to allocate those funds to support social programs, the Board approved $545,000 in grant funding to several local agencies for gambling addiction and other behavioral health services.
The Board also took action to create a bipartisan commission to evaluate proposed reform measures and report on key findings that enhance accountability to the public, provide for an effective and responsive government structure, maintain strong professional and ethical standards, as well as redistricting reform to mitigate political influence. The group will consist of community members, elected officials, faith leaders, major political party representatives, and other advocates of good government. The action is in response to proposed State legislation that would require a referendum for voters to decide whether they support a countywide elected chairman--fundamentally changing Lake County’s current structure where the Chairman is selected by county board members every two years. Learn more.
 The April
4 Consolidated Election gives Lake County residents
some real voter power as they will be electing their local mayors, presidents,
supervisors, clerks, commissioners, alderman, councilmen, and assessors. Also
on the ballot will be park, library, and school board district candidates along
with eight public questions.
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 Remember that due to construction
activity, some Fox Lake voters will be temporarily moved to a new voting
site for the April 4 Consolidated Election.
Voters
who previously went to the Lakefront Park Building will go to the Fox Lake
District Library, 255 E. Grand Ave. Affected registered voters in the Antioch
and Grant Township precincts will receive a letter via first class U.S. mail
with comprehensive information. After construction is complete, voters will
return to the Lakefront Park Building for the 2018 and all future
elections. Use the polling place locator to find your assigned voting site.
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Online voter registration is available now until March
19 through the Illinois State Board of Elections at ova.elections.il.gov. An Illinois driver’s license or state ID card is required for
online registration.
Today is the last day that grace voter registration will
take place at the County Clerk's Office in Waukegan. For this election
only, registrants who come to the Clerk's Office will receive a ballot by
mail application as ballots will not be printed until March 20. Grace voter
registration also is available at any early voting site March 20 to April 3 and
at the assigned Election Day voting site and the County Clerk’s Office on April
4. Voted ballots must have a postmark no later than midnight on Election Day.
Registered voters are encouraged to log onto LakeVoterPower.info to confirm their registration records reflect their current name
and address.
Vote
by mail
Although March 20 is the first day April ballots will be ready for mailing, registered
voters can request a ballot by mail now until March 30. Voting by
mail is so easy that even a couch potato can do
it!
Early voting
Early voting will begin March
20 and will run through April 3. Vote at any early voting site regardless of
where you live. View
the early voting sites, dates and hours.
Election Day
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 4. Use the polling
place locator to find your assigned voting site.
Preview your ballot
Registered Lake County voters
can now preview their ballot at LakeVoterPower.info after logging in to confirm
their registration status.
Get up-to-date
election information by visiting the County
Clerk’s website as well as by following the County Clerk’s Office
on their Facebook
page and on Twitter.
 Crooks use schemes to defraud
millions of people. They combine technology and tricks to get you to give money
or personal information, pressuring you to make important decisions on the
spot. Stay a step ahead and protect yourself with the latest information as
well as practical tips from the Federal
Trade Commission. Sign up to get scam alerts right to your email.
Be aware of deeds scam in Lake County
The Lake County Recorder’s office has received calls from
residents about official letters they have received regarding the deed to their
home. The Recorder's office is urging you to be cautious, especially if you
recently purchased or refinanced your home. Find out
more
Sheriff's Office warns of telephone scam in Lake County
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has received reports
of residents receiving fraudulent telephone calls from individuals falsely
representing themselves to be from the Sheriff’s Office and serving the caller
with a collection notice to collect money. Residents should be aware the
Sheriff’s Office never calls to solicit money for any reason. Find
out more
Fox Lake Library offers discussions as part of Money Smart Week
Sign
up for three discussions about scams, fraud, identity theft, credit and money at the Fox Lake District Library. These are Protect Yourself from
Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft at 3 p.m. April 24, Pay Yourself
First: Save Money, Meet Your Goals at 6:30 p.m. April 26, and To Your Credit:
Learning the Ins & Outs of Credit at 6:30 p.m April 27. Learn more
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The Lake County Board of Review is seeking additional members to
assist in reviewing property tax assessment appeal cases starting in July
through November 2017.
In order to be eligible for such an appointment, one must be
qualified by experience and training in property appraisal and property tax
administration. Persons who meet the real estate experience condition for
eligibility must also successfully pass the state examination, which will be
administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue at 9 a.m. April 12 at the
Kane County Government Center in Geneva.
Seating for the examination is limited. To register for the
examination or for questions on the location, contact Sandra Orlando at
630-208-3818. For questions related to Board of Review service in Lake
County, contact Martin Paulson at 847-377-2191 or send an email to mpaulson@lakecountyil.gov.
On March 7, the Lake County Health Department announced an official mumps
outbreak after the third case of mumps was confirmed at Barrington High School.
The Health Department continues to monitor suspected and probable cases of the
disease in the county. The Health Department will regularly be updating its mumps web
page, where you can find the current status of mumps
in the county, information about mumps, and helpful resources related to mumps.
 Please
join the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in recognizing National Crime
Victims’ Rights Week on April 4 at the College of Lake County A wing lower
level auditorium in Grayslake. The resource fair will run from 5:30 to 6 p.m.,
and the program will follow. This year’s theme of National Crime Victims’
Rights week reflects a vision for the future in which all victims are
strengthened by the response they receive. Organizations are resilient in
response to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and
healing.
Essay contest
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is hosting an essay contest in
conjunction with its National Crime Victims' Rights Week program. Any
student who has been a victim of a crime is invited to nominate someone who
served as a "hero," helping them regain strength, resilience, and/or
justice during this time. The deadline to submit the essay is March 22. The
selected essay will be featured during the Victims' Rights Week program on
April 4. Learn
more about the essay contest.
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 Find Help
Lake County is a single point of access that connects individuals with health
and human services in Lake County. You can search for services for free. The
website has a user-friendly guided search to help narrow results, and the
database is available in 10 different languages. Individuals also can search
for volunteer opportunities.
Be a Link. Pass the Link
Help
make sure that everyone that needs help, finds it. Today is the last chance to retweet information on Find Help Lake County from @unitedwaylakeco, and be entered into the Be a Link. Pass the Link Contest to win a Visa gift card.
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 Forest Preserve News
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 Trout season opens April 1
Banana
Lake at Lakewood Forest
Preserve in
Wauconda opens for rainbow trout fishing on April 1, following the release
of roughly 500 to 600 rainbow trout. For details and a free Fishing Guide,
visit LCFPD.org/fishing.
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 Move more in April
Every April, the American Heart Association celebrates physical activity and
encourages all Americans to commit to being more active on a regular basis.
Your forest preserves are the perfect place to hike or stroll while improving
your health. Join an Rx for Health walk, bringing together naturalists and health professionals
for guided tours of some of Lake County's most breathtaking scenery. Learn more
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 There are exciting
paid internship opportunities at Lake County Stormwater Management Commission
(SMC) for summer 2017! If you are interested in watershed planning and workshop
coordination, if you have experience using ArcGIS software, or if you have a
strong background in wetland sciences and plant identification, there are positions
available that could be for you. Visit the Lake County career page to learn more and apply.
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 The University Center of Lake County will hold a free open house from 6 to 8 p.m. March 30 at the University Center's Grayslake facility, 1200 University Center Drive. The event will showcase the 130 academic programs available in Lake County for adults who wish to complete a bachelor’s degree, earn a graduate degree or pursue professional certificates. Register for the event, or call 847-665-4400.
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Boaters reminded to get Fox Waterway Agency sticker
All boats on the Chain
O’ Lakes must display a Fox Waterway Agency sticker. Its use is required by law. The sticker is valid from March 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Besides
the Fox Waterway Agency sticker, all boats must display a current
Illinois Department of Natural Resources sticker. This can be purchased or
renewed through their Illinois Department of Natural Resources website or by calling
800-382-1696.
Seniors may apply for RTA Pass
Seniors ages 65 and over may apply for the RTA Pass. The RTA Reduced Fare Permit allows older adults and qualified people with disabilities and Medicare recipients to ride all RTA fixed-route services (regularly scheduled CTA, Metra and Pace buses or trains in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties) at a reduced fare. For information, call Grant Township at 847-740-2233.
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