Lake County Election Results 

Call Before You Come 

In its first year of service, 2-1-1 received 6,760 calls and texts to its contact center, and more than 49,000 visits to the 211LakeCounty.org website. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, more than half of the calls and texts have been related to COVID-19, with the top needs related to housing and shelter, utilities, food and mental health. Requests for help have come from every zip code in Lake County.  

To meet some of those needs, Lake County has responded by increasing funding for rent and utility assistance through the COVID Housing Relief Program 
(CHRP). The 2-1-1 center is centralizing and streamlining the rental assistance screening process to make it easier for individuals and families facing financial hardship to access resources. 

Dozens of community leaders and stakeholders tuned in to a recent webinar that discussed 2-1-1's measurable impact, and featured success stories of how 2-1-1 has made a real difference in Lake County for community members, employers, agencies and local government. Watch the recording. 

Where do I recycle this? Do you have old electronics, holiday lights, household chemicals, batteries or other materials that can’t be put in a recycling bin? Visit SWALCO’s web page  to learn where you can bring your items.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on the economy, Lake County Partners—a public/private partnership for economic development in Lake County, reports that there are some bright spots to celebrate in Lake County: 

• In Grayslake, Medline’s new 1.4 million sq. ft. distribution facility is under construction in the 600-acre Cornerstone development. Once complete, it will be the fifth largest such facility in the world. 
• In Waukegan, Bridge Development Partners reached a long-term lease agreement with Waukegan-based national logistics company Visual Pak, to occupy the entire 189,000 sq. ft. facility recently completed at the Bridge Point North Business Park. The building is one of four being constructed as part of the project’s third phase, which will add a total of 919,281 sq. ft. to the 225-acre campus and solidify Lake County’s position as a premiere location for state-of-the-art industrial space.  

Learn more at www.lakecountypartners.com 

The VHP makes personal accounts of American veterans accessible for future generations. Watch the video of this year's VHP, co-chaired by Judges Charles W. Smith and Elizabeth M. Rochford.

The VHP will resume an in-person celebration on Veterans Day 2021.  For more information on the Court's activities, please visit the Court's website. 

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 page. 

• Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Round Lake High School, 800 High School Drive, Round Lake  
• Wednesday, Nov. 25,  9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Highwood Public Library, 102 Highwood Avenue, Highwood (Walk-up only; no drive-through)  

Testing is free and open to all regardless of symptoms. A phone number and name are required in order to receive testing results. Photo identification and proof of insurance are helpful, but not required. High demand for testing may result in long wait times.   

Other Testing Options  

The state of Illinois operates the following testing sites, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Testing at these sites is free.  

• Waukegan, 102 W. Water Street
• Arlington Heights, 2000 W. Euclid Ave.

For more information, visit the IDPH website at 
https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-sites.  

Many healthcare providers in Lake County also have COVID-19 testing available. Please contact your provider or the facility to ask about testing criteria and appointment availability. Residents without a healthcare provider or insurance can contact the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center for an appointment at (847) 377-8800.  

Learn more 

Contact Tracing: Answer the Call

The contact tracers then reach out to those close contacts to notify them of their possible exposure and request that they quarantine. The identity of the infected person is NOT shared with their close contacts. 

These calls and text messages come from 312-777-1999 and may show up on your caller ID as “IL COVID HELP.” Please answer the call to help slow the spread of COVID-19.  Call back right away if you receive a message from the Health Department, and provide the information requested to help protect others in your household and community. 

Place: College of Lake County, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, Parking Lot 5 on the southeast side, accessible off Lancer Lane

Volunteers are needed to staff the pop-up markets. To sign up for a shift, visit 
www.SolveHungerToday.org/Volunteer, or call (630) 443-6910.  

For a Pop-Up Market calendar, visit the Northern Illinois Food Bank website:
https://solvehungertoday.org/get-help/popups/  

Read more 

Please wear a mask, stay in your car at all times, follow the traffic volunteers, open your trunk, and the boxes will be placed in your trunk. 

The Lake County Community Action to Combat Hunger (CATCH) Program is still taking new clients.

CATCH is a coalition of local organizations that connects families who are in need of food to resources. If you need to quarantine or isolate and can’t access food, the CATCH program can help. Call 211 to be connected. 

Customers who need help paying their outstanding ComEd balances and energy bills should contact ComEd's customer care team at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334- 7661), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.      

• New Program: ComEd announced a new program, Helping Hand, to offer immediate aid to eligible customers most in need during the pandemic. This program offers expedited, one-time financial assistance up to $300 for a limited time to help limited-income customers facing financial hardships. Learn more and apply online.
• Customer Hardship Grants: Residential customers facing financial hardship may be eligible to receive one-time CARE grants from ComEd to help them get back on their feet.      
• Bill Payment Assistance Program: A one-time bill assistance credit of up to $500 is available this year for income eligible households with a past-due balance. Learn more about eligibility requirements and how to
  apply at ComEd.com/BillAssistance.      
• Flexible, Extended Payment Arrangements: For a limited time, residential customers may be eligible for flexible payment arrangements.  

Learn more at ComEd.com/Support.    

The National Recreation Trails program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, in conjunction with a number of federal and nonprofit partners. It recognizes exemplary existing trails that connect people to federal, state and local resources and improve their quality of life.  

The DPRT is a recreational treasure in Lake County and one of the crown jewels of the forest preserve system. Acquiring the land and building a continuous 31.4-mile trail along the Des Plaines River’s edge took 57 years and 133 separate land purchases to achieve. Being added to the National Trails System is a significant achievement of this work. Learn more » 

Winter Recreation 

To maintain proper social distancing, the number of persons permitted to attend will be limited. Public comments can also be submitted by email and phone call. Learn more    

To see a current schedule of board and committee meetings, click here.  

All meetings are recorded, and are posted on the Lake County website. Here are links to the most recent board and committee meetings, including the video recordings and agendas:  

Lake County Board: Nov. 10 

Committee of the Whole: Nov. 6  

Financial and Administrative Committee: Nov. 5 

Public Works, Planning and Transportation Committee: Nov. 4