From exploring a winter wonderland to playdates with cold-blooded creatures to escaping reality in snowy murals, Lake County is the place to indulge in frosty festivities. Check Visit Lake County’s guide to winter festivals to warm yourself up.

The Lake County Board meets monthly to approve funding and make policy decisions that have an impact on various public services and programs, from health to transportation to courts and public safety. In this month’s County Board Wrap-Up, find out how grants are a critical funding source to improve residents’ mental and physical health, and learn about a new study that aims to help users of Lake County bike and walking paths find their way.  Watch Video.

The Lake County Clerk’s Office is seeking election judges to process voters in their neighborhood Election Day voting site during the April 2 Consolidated Election! Sign up today by filling out this application.

Election judges are paid based on successfully completing a three-hour in-person training class and their Election Day assignment. Contact the Lake County Clerk’s Election Judge Department for details on class times, locations, and availability at electionjudge@lakecountyil.gov or 847-377-2408. For job descriptions and pay rates, visit the election judge web page.

Already an election judge? Provide your availability to the County Clerk’s Office as soon as possible and don’t forget to invite a friend to be an election judge!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” As we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, help serve your community. There are many opportunities to volunteer with Lake County government!

• Adopt A Highway: Help keep Lake County highways and bike paths clean by adopting a section of a county highway that you and your group commit to cleaning twice a year. Learn more, including the available sections and sign up online! The deadline to apply is Feb. 1.
• Government boards, agencies and commissions: Apply to serve on various boards, commissions, and other special purpose units of government ranging from drainage and fire districts, transportation services and human services boards. Learn more
• View all volunteer opportunities

Last weekend’s winter storm was a sign that the mild temperatures and trace of snow from early winter are gone, and winter is here. There are things you can do to keep yourself safe this winter.

• Monitor Lake County PASSAGE for local road information. View traffic cameras to see real-time road conditions before your travel.
• Stay back 50 feet from the snow plows so our LCDOT snow plow drivers have room to do their jobs. Learn more by watching this video.
• Make sure your car is ready for the extreme conditions, such as keeping an emergency kit. Put together your vehicle’s emergency kit.
• Dress for the weather! Avoid prolonged time outdoors in the extreme cold. If you must spend time outside, here’s a guide to follow on how to most effectively dress in varying levels of cold.
• Consider going to a warming center if you do not have access to heat. Before going to a center, please call in advance to make sure the desired location is open.

Starting to make your travel plans this year? Make sure getting or renewing your passport is part of your plans! Apply for or renew your passport at one of the several Mobile Passport Events the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office will host this year. View the full schedule.

Passport applications also are processed from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Circuit Clerk's Office in Waukegan. View application requirements, including fee information.

Did you know more than one in seven jobs in Lake County is in the manufacturing industry.  In fact, Lake County manufacturers employ more people than any other private sector industry. Find out more in Lake County Partners’ latest economic update.

Forest Preserve News

Meet the Author
Join us on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 10:30 a.m. at the Dunn Museum to explore the life of Civil War drummer boy, Orian Howe of Waukegan. Author Marlene Brill will read from her children’s book, Diary of a Drummer Boy. Following the reading, there will be crafts, activities and a book signing. Learn more »

New Special Exhibition at the Dunn Museum
Celebrate African American History Month by learning about the Booker T. Washington Progressive Club, an African American-led civic organization located in Zion, IL, from 1936–1982. The Club’s mission was to unite individuals “interested in promoting the cause of good citizenship, better civic relations and any topic that improved local relationships.” This special exhibition runs  through Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Dunn Museum (Libertyville). The Dunn Museum is located in the General Offices of the Lake County Forest Preserves at 1899 W. Winchester Road and is within walking distance from multiple Pace bus stops. Plan your visit today »

Dunn Museum’s Collections Significant to Native Artists
Last summer, the Dunn Museum’s collections staff welcomed traditional Native artists and researchers, Pat Kruse, of the Red Cliff Band of Superior Chippewa Indians (descendent of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), and Terri Hom, of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Ojibwe). Kruse was one of eight accomplished artists awarded the 2018 Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) Mentor Artist Fellowship. Kruse began a yearlong mentorship with apprentice, Terri Hom, to create birch bark quill art. Kruse and Hom researched the Dunn Museum’s Native American collection with special focus on 19th and early 20th century artifacts with cultural ties to their heritage and use of beadwork, quillwork and birch bark. Learn more about the Dunn Museum and its collections »