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I wish you all a new year filled with good health and happiness.
The new year will bring more than 200 new laws to Illinois that may affect you.
Read the story below to see the complete list of new laws.
Before we jump into 2018, let's also take a look at recent county
board decisions. Watch the video to see how the decisions made by the Lake
County Board are impacting public safety, transportation, infrastructure and
more. Also, learn about the County's Mental Health Coalition, which recently
completed its first year of work.
A new year brings more than 200 new laws that will go into
effect beginning Jan. 1, 2018. This includes lowering the organ donor registry
age, allowing motorists to pass bicyclists in a no-passing zone, and a new law
that protects consumers who leave negative online reviews. See the complete list. |
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Lake County property owners can make a prepayment for the
2017 tax year to the Lake County Treasurer’s Office. Due to the high interest in
the prepayment program, changes to the process have been made to make it easier
for taxpayers to submit a prepayment. This includes accepting online bill
payments made through a bank's online pay service, and mailed prepayments that
are postmarked by Dec. 29, 2017, will now be accepted. Learn more about the prepayment program.
The Lake County Board makes
policy and budget decisions each month that touches many areas, from economic development and human services to law
enforcement and public safety, along with transportation and infrastructure. In
this new video series, we wrap up recent County Board actions. Watch
now. |
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Beginning Jan. 1, 2018,
the minimum legal sales age to purchase tobacco
products will increase to 21 years old in unincorporated Lake County, following
an ordinance approved earlier this year by the County Board. Lake County
is the first county in Illinois to raise the minimum legal sales age to 21 in
unincorporated areas.
The
Lake County Health Department provides FREE
one-on-one and group counseling with a certified tobacco treatment
specialist for adults looking to quit smoking or other their tobacco
use. Learn more
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Lake County property owners who sustained flood damage from
the July 2017 flood may be eligible to claim an income tax credit worth up to
$750 under a new law recently approved by the Illinois Legislature and signed
by the governor. If eligible, the income tax credit may be applied to the
resident’s 2017 Illinois income taxes. Learn
more |
Lake County is on the front lines of addressing the mental
health crisis impacting our country and our communities. Over the past
year, the Lake County Mental Health Coalition has been
working diligently to study this issue at the local level and make
recommendations on how to better serve this vulnerable population in order
to maintain their health and well-being. Watch this video to
learn more. |
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Donate your holiday tree to the Lake County Forest Preserves, and we’ll recycle it into
wood chips for trails and landscaping at forest preserves throughout Lake
County. Bring your tree to a drop-off site now
through Feb. 1. |
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Every year, volunteers participate in a Point-In-Time Homeless Count to search for,
interview, and offer help to unsheltered people experiencing
homelessness in Lake County. We need
volunteers to help document the need in our communities and serve as the “boots on the ground” to
connect individuals with the resources they need.
Date: January 24, 2018
Time: 10 p.m. (into
the early morning hours)
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Returning citizens and individuals with a criminal background can learn
the skills needed in today’s workplace through a new program the Lake County
Workforce Development will launch early next year called Revive Lake County. Individuals who successfully
complete the program may be eligible to receive financial aid for job training
or a paid work experience. Interested
individuals must attend a Job Center information session by Dec. 29. View the schedule. |
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 The
19th Judicial Circuit recently honored the Guardians Ad Litem, from both the
private bar and from the Lake County Public Defender’s Office, for safeguarding
children through the adoption process. The Guardians Ad Litem serve as the eyes
and ears of the court and make the recommendation as to whether adoption is in
the best interest of the child. Throughout the month of November, courts and
communities all over the country participated in finalizing thousands of
adoptions of children from foster care as part of Adoption Awareness
Month. Watch this video to learn more.
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 Forest Preserves News
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 Experience Winter’s Beauty
Hiking across the snow. Tracing figure eights on the ice.
Feeling the tug of a fish below the frozen water. Zooming downhill on a
snow-packed surface. These experiences and more await winter outdoor
enthusiasts at your Lake County Forest Preserves, where breathtaking scenery
goes hand-in-hand with exercise and fun. Before heading out, check online for current trail, snow and ice
conditions for sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, and
cross-country skiing.
Take an Evening Hike on Solar-Lit Trails
With small solar lights to
guide the way, hikers, skiers and snowshoers can get some evening exercise
along the 1.3-mile fitness trail at Old
School Forest Preserve in Libertyville, and along a 1.65-mile hilly section of the
Millennium Trail adjacent to the Winter
Sports Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. Though regular preserve hours are 6:30 am to sunset,
the illuminated trails and adjacent parking lots will remain open after sunset
until 9 pm, daily, through Sunday, March 11, 2018. Learn more
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Lake County History Symposium–Call for Papers
On April 29, 2018, the Dunn
Museum (Libertyville) will host
the fourth Annual Lake County History Symposium. The Symposium is open to the
public and aims to bring together those interested in and actively researching
the history of Lake County. This year’s theme is History from Objects.
Proposals for presentations and posters are requested. Submissions are due on
or before February 1, 2018. Submit
yours today. |
 As always, I welcome your feedback. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please sign up to continue to receive news about Lake County and District 20.
Thank you,
Sidney Mathias
Mr. Mathias, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 20th District:
Ad Hoc Legislative Committee, Co-Chair
Ethics and Oversight Committee, Vice Chair
Planning, Building and Zoning Committee
Public Works and Transportation Committee
Lake County Forest Preserves, 20th District:
Diversity
and Cultural Awareness Committee, Chair
Planning Committee, Vice Chair
Rules Committee
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