 I recently joined fellow Lake County Board
Members, judges in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, and others that have been a
part of the Lake County Courthouse Expansion Project to sign the last beam of
the new court tower before it was put into place. The expansion project in
Waukegan includes an approximately 200,000-square-foot court tower and a tunnel
connecting the jail and current courthouse. The project will increase the
efficiency of the justice system and support growth of the justice agencies for
many years to come. Watch this video
to learn more about the project.
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It’s the time of year to take precautions against ticks, which can be most active during the warmer weather and can carry diseases such as Lyme disease. Once considered a rare illness in Lake County, Lyme disease is becoming more common in the area. The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center provides tips to help protect yourself from exposure to ticks:
- Clear leaf litter under trees, and keep the ground clean under bird feeders
- Keep grass near playground equipment short.
- Install a wood chip or gravel barrier between lawns and wooded and tall grass areas.
- Minimize wood piles as these are attractive to small mammals such as mice, which can carry ticks.
 How to remove a tick
Whether it’s rubbing alcohol, nail polish, or a burnt
match, there’s a lot of misguided folklore when it comes to how to remove a
tick. Watch
this video as Lake County Health Department Senior Biologist
Mike Adam explains the proper techniques to remove a tick.
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 Caterpillar recently announced that it will be moving its
corporate headquarters to Deerfield, joining 11 other Fortune 500 companies
that call Lake County home. This move will add high quality jobs and a new
global brand to Lake County’s bustling economy. Watch this video where I talked with Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal and Lake County Partners President
Kevin Considine to welcome Caterpillar to Lake County.
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 If you’re starting your spring cleaning, think recycle first, trash last. The Solid
Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) offers many options to recycle your shoes,
clothing and textiles, and household chemicals.
Household chemical waste: Bring your unwanted pesticides, cleaners, batteries, gasoline,
fertilizer and other household chemical waste items to be disposed as the Solid
Waste Agency of Lake County holds a mobile household chemical waste collection
from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at the Vernon Hills Metra station. SWALCO plans public
drop-off events at their Gurnee facility throughout the year as well as mobile
collection events across Lake County. These collections are for
residential waste only. Learn more, including
acceptable items and additional collections scheduled.
Reuse-A-Shoe: Don't throw away your unwanted shoes! Make sure they get recycled
or reused! Drop off your shoes at one of several locations across Lake County. View Drop-Off
Locations
Clothing and textiles: Did you know 85 percent of clothing ends up in the landfill?
Instead, bring your new, gently used, and used clothing to be reused or
recycled. Even clothes with stains or holes will be taken. Learn more, including what is
acceptable and where to drop off your items.
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 The Solid Waste Agency
of Lake County, Stormwater Management Commission and Lake County Forest
Preserves will hold their annual rain barrel, compost bin and native plant sale
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13. The compost bins and rain barrels both are made
with recycled plastics. Learn about the benefits of composting and harvesting
rain water. Watch demonstrations, and meet experts to answer your
questions. Learn more
Also, don’t miss as
the native plant sale continues, just in time for Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. May 14. Find all this at Independence Grove Forest Preserve's North Bay
Pavilion in Libertyville. Learn the value of planting native species and find a
variety of flowers, plants, shrubs and trees. View list of available plants.
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 Bring your electronics, such as monitors, laptops, cell phones,
televisions, and small appliances to be recycled at Recycle-O-Rama from 9 a.m.
to noon May 20 at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills. Bring documents (limit two
boxes per vehicle) to be shredded, and bring latex paint to be recycled for a
small fee. There will be no household chemical waste recycling at this event. Learn more
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Did you know that
landscaping your yard with native plants is one of the best things to do for
the environment, and this can save you time and money? In fact, native plants don’t
require fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides and eliminate the need for a lot
of watering.
Citizens for
Conservation and Conserve Lake County are hosting their annual plant sales, a
great way to shop for native plants including perennials, grasses, trees and
shrubs. Conserve Lake County’s native plant sale will take place May 19 to
June 3 at Almond Marsh. Learn
more
Citizens
for Conservation will sell plants Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 at Good Shepherd Hospital. Learn more
 Forest Preserve News
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 Marina Open Weekends at Independence Grove
The marina at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville is now
open weekends only through May 21 and will be open daily May 27 to Sept. 4. Before heading out to the preserve, check
here for
status updates on swimming, the marina, summer concerts, and more.
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 Check Status of Trails and Preserves
Preserve improvements,
construction projects, controlled burns and weather-related events sometimes
result in temporary detours or closures of trails, preserves or facilities to
ensure public safety. Before heading out, check the
current status of trails and underpasses. Also find construction
alerts, preserve
improvement projects and controlled burn sites.
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Vernon Hills begins annual road rehabilitation project
The Village of Vernon Hills' annual Road Rehabilitation Project has begun and is expected to be completed by July. Learn more about the 2017 project, including weekly updates.
Hawthorn Woods Police offers women's self-defense class
The Hawthorn Woods Police
Department will offer its next women's self-defense class from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays beginning June 12 at the Village Barn. Learn to defend yourself with confidence in this
interactive program, which provides training in recognizing dangerous
situations and techniques for defending against attacks. For information, call 847-438-5500.
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