Briefs: Stevens wants answers

District 300 school board President Joe Stevens wants to find out why the district receives so few bids for some lucrative contracts. The district often receives only one or two bids after soliciting bids from several vendors, he said. "I don't understand why people would turn down that size of business," Stevens said. The board president wants administrators to contact vendors that withdrew bids or declined to bid and report back on why this is the case. The dearth of bidders is even more curious to Stevens because he is a former purchasing manager for a hospital. "I didn't ever have a lack of vendors," Stevens said. "There were more than I knew what to do with."

Register for basketball

Registration is now open for the Fall Youth Basketball Program at The Centre of Elgin. The fall session runs from Oct. 13 to Dec. 8. All games are played on Saturdays at The Centre, with one additional practice per week. You can register at The Centre, 100 Symphony Way. The deadline is Sept. 15. For more information, call Brett Lind, youth and teen coordinator, at (847) 531-7017.

Cops seek DUI drivers

Illinois State Police and the Elgin Police Department this evening will be on the lookout for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or with suspended or revoked licenses. The roadside safety check is part of the "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose" campaign. Any motorists arrested that night in Elgin also will likely have their vehicles impounded, and have to pay an additional $250 impound fee under a new policy passed earlier this year by the Elgin City Council.