Briefs: Lake County wants your opinion
A Web site improvement will make it easier for the public to deal with Lake County, and the public is invited to help shape it. The goal is to make it easier for people to do business with the government from home. Those interested in participating in a group question and answer session should e-mail communications@co.lake.il.us. Participants are asked to commit no more than two hours. Day and evening sessions will be held in early September.
Open house at Mundelein
Parents or guardians of Mundelein High School students can attend an open house at 7 p.m. Aug. 30 at the school, 1350 W. Hawley St. They can learn about students' courses and meet teachers and administrators. A special program for parents of freshman athletes is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Boat races in Wauconda
The village of Wauconda will host its sixth annual Cardboard Boat Races on Sept. 1. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with on-site building starting a half-hour later. Inspections get under way at noon, and the races start at 1 p.m. There will be an adult division for those 12 and older, a children's division for 11 and younger and a family division for teams of at least one adult and one child 11 or younger. For a registration form or a list of rules, visit www.lindyslanding.net and click on the music and events schedule.
New sex offender law
Sex offenders who are required to register annually with their appropriate law enforcement agency must supply additional information under the Sex Offender Internet Identity Act. Sex offenders now will have to provide e-mail addresses and instant messaging, chat room or other Internet identities they use or plan to use. Sex offenders also will be required to report all Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that they use or are registered for, as well as blogs and other sites they maintain or to which they have uploaded any content or posted any messages or information. The bill, signed into law last week, was sponsored by state Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake.
Hotel tax doubled
The Buffalo Grove village board Monday approved doubling the town's hotel and motel tax. The board surveyed about 30 other towns in the area and found the average tax rate at 5 percent. The village has had a tax of 3 percent since 1986. The board unanimously agreed to raise the tax to 6 percent, effective Jan. 1, at the village's two hotels. Last year, at 3 percent, the hotel tax brought in about $116,000. The board had previously talked about the increase in a finance committee meeting in July.
Motorcyclist dies in crash
A motorcyclist was killed in Lindenhurst Tuesday. Cary Cardelli, 55, of Schiller Park, was pronounced dead around 3:30 p.m. at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville Tuesday, Lake County coroner Dr. Richard Keller said. Cardelli crashed near Grand Avenue and Granada Boulevard earlier Tuesday and was not wearing a helmet, Keller said. Lindenhurst police are investigating, but did not release any information about the crash late Tuesday.
Quiet zone idea progresses
Buffalo Grove on Monday approved an agreement on train whistle quiet zones that will affect nine towns along the Canadian National rail line. Village Manager Bill Brimm has taken the lead on establishing the quiet zone along the corridor, although some efforts have been hampered because of issues in other towns. However, Brimm said he hopes the zone can be in effect by Oct. 1. The other eight communities -- Antioch, Lake Villa, Round Lake Beach, Grayslake, Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Wheeling -- along with Lake County also will vote on the agreement this month. The zone also requires federal approval.