The County
Board recently approved the 2018 budget that spends $437 million on core services, including transportation and infrastructure, health services,
courts and public safety. The budget is up less than 2% from last year. The
county board maintains a strong track record of practicing fiscal
responsibility, which means making prudent, data-driven decisions, using
resources efficiently and maintaining sustainable, financial operations. As a result,
this budget is balanced and Lake County is fiscally stable. The
County has been able to hold the line on its budget because across the
organization, departments are implementing operational efficiencies, leveraging
technology, and sharing services that are making a difference to our bottom
line.
Learn more by visiting our
online Budget
Story, and watch the budget presentation and discussion from the
board meeting by going to lakecounty.tv and clicking on items 60
& 61.
Delivering Exceptional, Financially Sustainable Services Lake County works to
improve the quality of life in Lake County and provide services that benefit
more than 700,000 Lake County residents. Our mission is to deliver exceptional,
financially-sustainable services that promote a safe and healthy community
while enhancing economic vitality. Our core values of fiscal responsibility,
exceptional service, operational excellence, leadership and environmental
stewardship influence everything we do. Watch this
video to see how we are delivering on our mission and values
every day!
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This Thanksgiving, you can get everything you
need by shopping local! Lake County has more than 30,000 businesses and you may
be interested to learn how some have a surprising connection to Thanksgiving
and preparing a fabulous dinner! Watch video
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Thanksgiving is time to think about all that we’re thankful
for and enjoy a home-cooked meal with family and friends. But sometimes the
meal can contain unhealthy amounts of calories and fat. You can enjoy the
holiday season and be healthy too! Here’s some tips from Elizabeth, a dietitian
from the Lake County Health Department.
- Find recipes which are carbohydrate controlled, low
sugar, low sodium, and low fat.
- Eat a light snack, such as raw vegetables or a piece of
fruit, and consume adequate water to help prevent overindulging at parties
and family gatherings.
- Find fun ways to incorporate physical activity with the
family both indoors and out. Go on a walk together, try lunges and chair
exercises, or play charades with the family.
- Go to the health department’s Healthy Eating Active
Living page
to find more tips to eat healthy and stay active all year long.
Here’s some healthy holiday recipes that you can make for
your Thanksgiving table.
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Experience an afternoon
discovering the gifts we receive from nature as you walk a designated trail
searching for clues on Nov. 19. Afterward, enjoy a hot beverage. This activity
is self-paced. Arrive anytime between 1 and 3 p.m. to begin. Learn
more
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Thanks to an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 0.7 miles of new trail will be developed at 229-acre Spring Bluff Forest Preserve in Winthrop Harbor, converting an existing asphalt roadway to a recreational trail. The new trail will connect to existing trails at adjacent Illinois Beach State Park via the 7th Street bike lanes. The project also includes building a wildlife education and observation deck and completing habitat restoration work within the preserve. Spring Bluff is primarily wetlands with oak savanna and prairie.
The land being restored is part of a greater ecological complex that supports multiple natural landmarks, including the recent designation as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance, nine endangered plant and animal species, and 114 bird species. The expected project completion is late 2018. View map
Homeowners and business owners impacted by the July 2017 flooding
in Lake County may be eligible for loan assistance from the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA). A Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open Thursday, Nov.
16 at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center, 1303 Milwaukee Ave.,
Libertyville where SBA customer service representatives will issue loan
applications, answer questions and help individuals complete
applications. Find
out more by viewing this SBA news release.
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Property owners residing in unincorporated Lake County may be eligible
to save an average of $271 a year on their flood insurance policies. Through
the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating System program,
residents who meet certain requirements are eligible for up to 20 percent
savings on flood insurance premiums. Property owners should contact their flood
insurance agent to obtain individual savings information. Visit the FEMA Flood Smart
website as well as the county’s flood
information website to find more resources.
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Making sure that Lake County roads, bridges and bike
paths are safe for the traveling public is the top priority of the Lake County
Division of Transportation (LCDOT), local government agencies and police
departments. Together, we have formed a multi-jurisdictional Safety Task Force
to look for opportunities to enhance safety for Lake County residents.
We can study the crash data and look for engineering
improvements or enforcement strategies to make roads safer, but we need your
help. As a road user, there are decisions you make and actions you take that
have an impact on the safety of everyone around you. Many serious injury or
fatal crashes are the result of driver behavior and can be prevented. Watch this video to learn ways you can help make our roads safer.
The Lake County Division of Transportation wants your
input too! Take
this survey to share your concerns about road safety.
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The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Service will be sending out new Medicare cards to
individuals with Medicare benefits beginning in April 2018 without Social
Security numbers. But scammers are taking advantage of this change, especially
during Medicare open enrollment. Medicare will never ask for your personal
information, and the new cards will be free. Visit
the Federal Trade Commission's website to
learn more. |
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To increase efficiency and make the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office
more accessible to the public, the office will now accept payments online for
certain criminal and traffic cases. Individuals who owe outstanding fines and
court costs may pay online by visiting the Circuit Clerk’s website.
The website offers instructions in over 50 languages, and the service is
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more |
Telephone
Scam The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is receiving reports of Lake
County residents getting fraudulent telephone calls from individuals
representing themselves to be from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Learn more
Join
Town Hall Meeting The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will discuss issues such as
the opioid crisis, “A Way Out” program and other programs offered by the
Sheriff’s Office at a town hall meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Woodland
Elementary School West cafeteria, 17371 W Gages Lake Road, Grayslake. The event is free and open to the public. For information, send an email
to RepSamYingling@gmail.com or call 847-231-6262.
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To better address veteran
homelessness and veterans in need and in crisis, the Lake County Sheriff’s
Office has partnered with the Veterans Assistance Commission and other county
resources to ensure nobody is left behind.
To address the
challenge and ensure crisis services are available after hours, select
Sheriff’s Office employees received training on issues of veteran homelessness
and veterans “in crisis” as well as transport, shelter, and referral options
for immediate assistance. Watch this
video to learn more about the Veteran Ambassador Program.
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In Lake County, we
appreciate the dedication and commitment of the men and women who have served
in the United States Military. To honor their service, we offer resources to
help veterans and their families. To learn more, visit the Veterans Assistance
Commission website,
and sign
up for their monthly newsletter.
Recorder of Deed's
Office Offers Information to Our Veterans
The Lake County Recorder of Deed's Office offers
various services to our veterans and their families. This includes being
the official keeper of veteran’s military records, or DD214. The Recorder’s
Office is happy to provide veterans a free copy of this form upon the
completion of a request for discharge record.
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There’s no better way to support the election process than
by being an election judge. Election judges are responsible for administering
the proper and lawful conduct of all elections by serving in local voting
sites. Watch this
video as election judges share why they love the job, and learn how you can
join them. |
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Forest Preserve News
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2017 Hike Lake County Challenge Get active outdoors for your good health by taking our Hike
Lake County Challenge. Complete seven of the hikes through Nov.
30 to earn a commemorative shield. View the 2017 hike location on our interactive trail map, or visit our website for more information.
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Shelter Update Plan early for your family
reunion, company picnic or other group gathering to ensure your first choice of
shelter and date. Reservations for 2018 picnic shelter rentals are now being accepted. Purchase permits online, by
phone, or in person.
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Engaging Volunteers for
Nature Walking through Greenbelt
Forest Preserve in North Chicago this fall, you can’t miss the changes.
Where there was once a dense wall of buckthorn, you can now look out
across a rare combination of prairie, interspersed with native shrubs
and small trees. This unique scrubland habitat draws migrating birds such
as eastern kingbird, northern flicker, and brown thrasher.
People are flocking to enjoy
Greenbelt and to help with restoration efforts. In 2016, a $100,000 grant from
the Illinois Coastal Management Program
supported this restoration work and funded project partner,
Audubon Great Lakes, to engage the community. From April 2016 to April
2017, nearly 400 volunteers logged more than 1,000 hours cutting and burning
brush, weeding, shrub and seed planting, and seed collecting. On one
workday, 30 students from Abbott Middle School donned work
gloves loppers, and saws to cut buckthorn. Become a volunteer
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Drivers are reminded to be cautious of deer during the fall
breeding season. Deer will be more active and visible throughout the state,
especially at dusk and dawn. The risk
for crashes involving deer greatly increases from October through December. Follow these
safety tips.
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Protect yourself and fight the flu by getting a flu
shot. The
Lake County Health Department offers the flu vaccine by appointment at the
Immunizations Clinic, 2303 Dodge Ave., Waukegan. Learn more, including cost. Retail clinics, pharmacies, and individual
healthcare providers also provide flu shots. Visit the Flu
Vaccine Finder to
find a convenient location.
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The 2017 Lake County Summer Youth Employment Program
recently wrapped up another exciting summer as more than 200 youth gained
meaningful work experience while earning a paycheck. Funded by the Lake
County Board, the program matches youth with local worksites that offer a paid,
part-time work experience. Learn
more about the Summer Youth Employment Program. |
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More
than 96,000 Lake County students from 142 schools participated in this year’s
Fall Attendance Competition. The top 10 schools in weekly attendance rate
recently were honored by the Lake County Regional Office of Education. Watch this video to learn more about
the competition. |
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