Halloween is just around the corner!  Halloween fun starts for little ones with “Trick or Treat on Main Street”  on Friday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Libertyville. Participating stores will have a bright orange pumpkin sign on their door or window. I love seeing all the young trick or treaters walking around in their adorable costumes during this afternoon event.

Official Halloween hours in Libertyville, Vernon Hills and Mundelein will be on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. Please only visit homes with their porch lights turned on. All trick or treaters should use caution when walking, especially when crossing streets. Flashlights and reflective clothing are important if going out after dark.

Halloween can be difficult for children with food allergies. The Teal Pumpkin Project is a simple way to make trick or treating safer and more inclusive for children living with food allergies. Placing a teal pumpkin on your porch signals that nonfood trinkets and treats will be available for children with allergies.

See below for the Lake County Clerk’s “I Voted” sticker design contest for an exciting opportunity for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade to design the official “I Voted” sticker for the 2024 elections. The winner will be chosen on Dec. 6 and get to have their design on the sticker handed out to all voters in the election next year.

Happy Fall!

Lake County Government News  

The budgeting process for the Fiscal Year 2024 is underway, and the Lake County Board is scheduled to hold its budget hearings beginning Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Lake County Administrative Complex in Waukegan. View the FY2024 recommended budget

All County Board and committee meetings, including the budget hearings, are streamed live in their entirety, and available for viewing afterwards at lakecounty.tv.

Learn more about the county budget 
View the complete meeting schedule

Lake County Board members joined Pace and local government officials to celebrate the expansion of the Round Lake Area On Demand service. The change more than doubles the service area and adds more vehicles to the program, providing additional flexible weekday service to a larger portion of western Lake County. Learn more

Pace also has a second On Demand region in Lake County that serves Vernon Hills and Mundelein. Pace On Demand services provides curb-to-curb bus service to the public within a specific geographic area.

Residents can book trips via our online portal or by calling the specific phone number for each service area. On Demand service operates between 6 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. Monday through Friday and rides can be scheduled as soon as one-hour prior all the way to seven days in advance.

Learn more about the Vernon Hills Mundelein On Demand service.

Austin McFarlane has been appointed by the Lake County Board as the Director for the Lake County Public Works Department. 

McFarlane assumes the role following more than 30 years with Lake County Public Works, which provides water and sanitary sewer service to about 40 percent of Lake County's population, primarily the unincorporated areas. 

Learn more

Environmental News 

Halloween is soon approaching. While the holiday is filled with treats and fun spooks, the waste generated by costumes, candy and decorations do not need to create a scary sight too!

Making costumes out of recycled fabrics, using natural elements for decorations and composting your pumpkin are all ways to make your Halloween spook-tacular.

Check all our environmentally-friendly Halloween tips

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County is making its third and final stop in this year's mobile household chemical waste collection schedule to the Round Lake Beach Metra station from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.

Items you can bring include CFL bulbs, unwanted prescription, over-the-counter medicines and supplements (people and pet), household cleaners, gasoline, garden chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paints and varnishes. View acceptable and unacceptable items

The mobile HCW collections are now by appointment. The appointment scheduler works online and on mobile devices allowing you to book an appointment at your convenience.

Schedule your appointment 

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and City of Highland Park will host a Shoes, Shred and Seeds Event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the shared parking lot at 1201 Park Ave. W.

Bring confidential documents to be shredded, shoes that can be reused or recycled and get a packet of seeds for plants that will benefit pollinators. The event is open only to residents.

Learn more

Health News 

Mental Health First Aid is a free course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Lake County Health Department’s Mental Health First Aid initiative is now offering classes virtually. This includes a two-hour self-paced course, followed by four hours of instructor-led training delivered virtually. The virtual course curricula includes expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care.

View Upcoming Classes and Register

Transportation News

Changes to federal railroad crossing regulations required inspections along the CN/Metra rail line - home to the Lake County Quiet Zone. Inspections performed along the 10 Quiet Zone communities determined the need for improvements at several railroad crossings.

Until improvements are completed at all locations throughout the entire Quiet Zone, a temporary suspension of the Quiet Zone has been put into place meaning trains are expected to sound their horns when approaching crossings.

All impacted communities are working swiftly to complete the required improvements and anticipate the Quiet Zone to be reinstated by the new year. View a map of the impacted rail lines.

The Lake County Division of Transportation is hiring 11 temporary road maintenance workers, often called “snowbirds” to join the team this winter.

Snowbirds operate trucks with plows and salt spreaders and perform a variety of maintenance and traffic tasks to preserve and upkeep the County’s highways, bridges, drainage structures and more. 

Apply online

Veterans are invited to register and join the 2023 Veteran's History Project, hosted by Lake County's Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court.

On Nov. 10, veterans will be interviewed by volunteers and have their oral histories recorded by official court reporters who will produce written verbatim transcripts. The typed transcripts will be archived at The Library of Congress, making their personal accounts accessible to future generations. The registration deadline is Oct. 27.

Learn more and register

Kindergarten through twelfth grade students are invited to channel their inner artist and help design the 2024 “I Voted” sticker.

The Lake County Clerk’s Office’s sticker design contest is open now through Nov. 30. Students may submit entries online, in person at the County Clerk’s Office or by mail.  

The grand prize winner will receive a gift card and the honor of having their design transformed into the official Lake County “I Voted” sticker for the 2024 elections. The winner be chosen Dec. 6.

Submit your design

In a continued effort to expand outreach to all, the Job Center of Lake County has deployed two kiosks at the Waukegan Public Library and the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus. 

Attend an open house from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 31 at the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus to learn about the features available on these kiosks, including access to job search workshops and events, featured job opportunities, partner resources, and an application for WIOA training or a paid work experience.  

Learn More

The Job Center of Lake County can help you to transition careers, identify job opportunities and connect with employers.

Watch this video to learn more about the virtual and onsite resources that are available to all job seekers through the Job Center partners. And view the full Job Center calendar to learn about various upcoming events and resources.  

Check Hire Lake County
Check Hire Lake County for information about job opportunities and businesses vetted by the Job Center’s business service team.

If getting or renewing a passport is part of your travel plans still this year, don’t miss the mobile passport event, offered by the Clerk of the Circuit Court office from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Grayslake Area Public Library.

Before you attend, follow these important tips.

Passport applications also are processed from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Circuit Clerk's Office in Waukegan. View application requirements, including fee information.

Get Help  

Finding the help you need may be three numbers away. If you need help finding food, healthcare, shelter, or other services, call 211 or text your zip code to 898211 to speak with someone who can help 24/7. Speak to a live person in English or Spanish when you call. The 211 team will also interpret more than 150 languages. The service is free and confidential. Learn more 

Forest Preserves News

Love history? Professional, amateur and student historians are invited to submit proposals by November 6 for presentations at the Lake County History Symposium, an annual gathering of people interested in the history of Lake County.

This year’s theme, “Good Neighbors: Making a Difference in Lake County” shares stories of individuals and organizations that made significant contributions to society and continue working to improve their communities today. The Symposium takes place virtually on Zoom on January 4 and 18, 2024 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Learn more »

During fall, winter and spring, our professionally trained crews conduct prescribed burns across hundreds of acres throughout your forest preserves. Prescribed burns are considered a natural resource manager’s most cost-effective tool available for managing natural communities.

Mailed notifications will be discontinued after this fall. If you would like to receive a digital, phone call or email notification when a prescribed burn is happening near you or if you have special health concerns, complete this contact form » 

The popular Halloween Hikes take place Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21. Join a group hike along a candlelit path to watch fun, nature-themed skits at Ryerson Welcome Center in Riverwoods.

The program is not scary and suitable for all ages. Total distance walked is about 1.5 miles and should take about 90 minutes. Tickets are required for the program that fills up quickly. Register here»

Community Events & News

As the leaves turn from vibrant greens to hues of fiery reds and golden yellows, Lake County transforms into a captivating canvas of fall magic. Amidst the crisp air and the scent of pumpkin spice, there's no better time to capture the essence of the season than now.

Join a picturesque journey as Visit Lake County unveils the most festive fall photo locations in Lake County.

Watch All County Board and Committee Meetings 

All Lake County board and committee meetings can be viewed on lakecounty.tv and on cable television (Comcast channels 18 or 30, depending on where you live, and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99).

The public also is welcome to attend all meetings in person at the Lake County Administrative Tower, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan or may attend meetings remotely using the registration link on the front page of each meeting’s agenda.

Individuals attending meetings in person or remotely may present their public comments during the meeting. Those not in attendance may provide written public comment via email or by mail. View the current meeting schedule. All meetings are recorded and are posted on the Lake County website.