Soapbox: Winter thrills in Fox River Grove, saving a life in Glendale Heights, a shooting in Palatine and more.

No fear of flying

The weather-delayed 112th International Winter Tournament at the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove was a hit, especially for the young ski jumpers. The snow might have been manufactured, but the thrills were the real deal. Ten-year-old Maxim Glyvka of Fox River Grove might have spoken for all: "You get to fly around in the air."

High notes

Congrats to mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer, a former Carpentersville resident who won two Grammy Awards last weekend. She was part of the winning team for best opera recording and best engineered classical album for "Corigliano The Ghosts of Versailles" by the L.A. Opera Chorus and Orchestra.

Saving another life

It's not always front-page news anymore, but congrats to a pair of Glendale Heights police officers, Chris Parsons and Nick Santoyo, who recently were credited with saving a woman's life by administering two doses of Narcan, a heroin overdose antidote. The availability of Narcan and our cops' ability to use it are helping save many lives.

Just ask

It's called "polypharmacy" when you take five or more prescribed pills a day, according to a health article we published this month. If you are older, and have been taking certain meds for a long time, it doesn't hurt - and it could be heathy - for you to ask your doctor to see if some change is due.

Good idea to plan ahead

St. Charles North High School will have a new $1.2 million artificial turf field when school opens in August. The booster club is also going to begin putting money aside in the coming months with an eye on replacement costs since these turf fields have a 12- to 14-year life span. Good thinking.

Potholes

Maybe it's not quite pothole season yet, but don't tell that to our cars. It would be great if these holes could be filled, but in the meantime, maybe someone could spray them with orange paint as a heads up so a driver could avoid them.

Very scary mistake

We're mostly immune here to the kind of street gang violence that plagues some neighborhoods in Chicago. Which makes it all the more shocking when one teen shoots another who is not in a gang in the face, doing horrendous damage, in what Palatine police say is a case of mistaken identity. Thankfully, police made a speedy arrest.

Big invention

Round Lake speech language pathologist Amy Maplethorpe invented a chair that is padded with tennis ball halves to help students with sensory issues feel more at ease. News of it is gaining a lot of interest from people in the field who are saying to themselves, "Why didn't I think of that?" Congratulations, Amy.

February Frenzy

The high school girls basketball state playoffs are in full swing. While the boys' March Madness is just around the corner, the girls game delivers the same intense finishes, with win-or-go-home pressure forging some amazing heroines. Find a Class 3A or 4A sectional semifinal game in the coming week and see for yourself.

Read on

If you want to talk especially knowledgably about one of the top issues of the day, go beyond the news. The theme of the Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year is immigration. Local libraries are stocking books especially chosen for adults and young readers. Find out more at suburbanmosaicbooks.org.