 The recent heavy rains have caused flooding in some areas of Lake
County, including the Fox River. There are steps you can take to protect
yourself and your family when flooding occurs to make sure everyone is safe. Go
to Ready.gov so you can learn the
risks and how to create an emergency plan. Also, view the manual, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to learn how to protect your home and property from flood damage.
County has resources to help you
Lake County has many resources to help. Read this to understand flood terms as well as what you can do during and after a flood to keep you safe. You also can learn more about keeping your sump pump operating properly and the importance of checking and clearing nearby storm sewers.
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 Learn how to properly fill and stack a sandbag
Believe it or not, people make a lot of mistakes when they fill and stack sandbags. These mistakes can lead to serious flood damage to your home or business that could be avoided. Watch this video to learn how to properly fill and stack a sandbag.
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Keep informed
Lake County has resources to keep you informed when weather changes. Watch this video to learn ways to receive emergency alerts. One way is have alerts sent to your mobile device or email through Alert Lake County. You can also stay alert by visiting Lake County government Facebook and Twitter pages.
You also can visit the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission's Facebook page, which includes flood status updates and helpful tips and the Fox Waterway Agency website for valuable information on flooding and boating conditions on the Chain O'Lakes and Fox River.
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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 Join the final public information meeting on May 10 to provide your feedback on proposed preferred alternatives to the intersection of IL 59 and Grand Avenue. The Lake County Division of Transportation has been studying this intersection to look for opportunities to address safety and congestion, and at this meeting will present the alternative, share the project schedule, answer questions, and gather feedback. View the project website to learn more. If you can not attend the meeting, you can contact the project manager to also provide feedback.
When: 5 to 7 p.m. May 10 (open house format)
Where: Fox Lake District Library, 255 E. Grand Ave.
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 Property tax bills have been mailed and are on their way to
your mailbox. Tax bills are for the 2016 tax year and are due in two equal
installments on June 6 and Sept. 6. Visit the Treasurer’s Office
website to view
your property tax bill, get answers to frequently asked questions, and learn how
to make a payment. Keep in mind, while you send your payment to Lake County,
the County only keeps a small portion (about 7%), and the rest is distributed
to many other taxing districts. Visit Lake County’s
property tax information page to see
what Lake County does with its portion.
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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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Preventative maintenance is key to ensuring your water well
system continues to function properly and safely. The Lake County Health
Department provides water testing kits and recommends that you collect a water
sample from the well at least once a year to test for coliform bacteria and
nitrates, which are two primary indicators of drinking water safety. Learn more
about preventative measures you can take, and email your request to receive a
water well testing kit.
 Learn how to improve your resume, perfect your job
search, overcome barriers and much more at the series of workshops offered this
month by the Job Center of Lake County. The center also hosts various job fairs as well as ongoing services including
adult education, disability services, and legal services. View
the Job Center’s May schedule to learn more.
Join
Lake County government’s workforce
Lake County government offers career opportunities that cover a wide spectrum
of fields including law, law enforcement, corrections, nursing, finance and
budgeting, highway maintenance, and much more. View the
current job opportunities available.
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 Unveiling a new vision, Healthy
Choices. Healthier People. Healthiest Communities, the Lake County
Health Department plans to use data to maximize resources and work with local,
state and federal leaders to shape policy, improve systems and advocate for
environmental change in the county. Watch this video to
learn more about the department’s exciting direction.
Free Health Fair
Learn more about hepatitis
prevention, care and treatment as well as information regarding overall health
at a free health fair from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 18 in the County Building
lobby, 18 N. County St., Waukegan. Free hepatitis C and HIV tests also will be
offered the day of the fair at the Lake County Health Department Sexually
Transmitted Infections program’s office, 2400 Belvidere Road, Waukegan. Learn more
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 Learn
to Manage or Prevent Diabetes
The Lake County Health Department offers a variety of
diabetes prevention and treatment programs, which help people with diabetes
learn how to take care of themselves and reduce their risk of developing
complications. Program staff provide group and one-on-one instruction, and
services are available in English and Spanish. Watch this
video to learn more.
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Shred it and forget it
Bring your secure documents such as IRS returns, old checks and
credit card statements to be shredded at the Shred It and Forget It event from
9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 6 at the Grant Township Center parking lot. Learn more
Visit the Antioch Art Crawl
Join the 11th annual Antioch Art Crawl on Saturday, May 6 in
downtown Antioch. Browse the talent of Antioch’s students, and stop by the bandshell for live entertainment. For
information, call 847-395-2233.
Join next astronomical society meeting
Save the date for the next meeting, hosted by the Lake County
Astronomical Society from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 19 at the Volo Bog State
Natural Area. Enjoy a free program as well as an opportunity to observe
outside, weather permitting. For information, send an email to contact@lcas-astronomy.org.
Fox Lake fishing tournament May 21
Join Fox Lake's annual fishing tournament May 21 at Port of Blarney in Antioch. Enjoy fishing, live entertainment, raffles and more. Learn more
Take a vet fishing event May 21
Veterans are invited to join a wonderful opportunity to go fishing at a special one-day event May 21 on the Fox Chain of Lakes. In addition to fishing, the day will include a veterans memorial ceremony and honor ceremony as well as lunch. Volunteers also are welcome to make the event a success. Learn more
Save date for inaugural Fox Lake Spring Triathlon
Save the date for the inaugural Fox Lake Sprint Triathlon on June
4. Featuring a 1K swim, 20K bike and 5K run, the event will be held on the
shores of Nippersink Lake. Learn
more
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