Briefs: Health risks in budget plan

Proposed budget cuts in DuPage County will hurt more than 1,000 women who rely on free screenings for breast and cervical cancer, health department officials warned Thursday. The county is considering making $50 million in spending reductions to balance its budget, including giving $2.6 million less to the DuPage County Health Department. "Early detection screenings are critical in fighting both breast and cervical cancer," health board President Linda Kurzawa said.

Itasca home unlivable

Police transported the residents of an Itasca home to temporary housing Thursday to give the owners a chance to fix conditions that made the house unlivable. "There were a number of housing and building code issues over there which were rendering the home uninhabitable," said Itasca police chief Scott Heher, including plumbing and structural issues. The department found housing for the 81-year-old resident and her two children, Heher said. Animal control also took away some cats and a dog temporarily. Heher said the department will assess the repairs necessary at the home on the 300 block of South Home Avenue.

Chamber director resigns

Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kay Kendall announced her resignation Thursday and indicated Feb. 29 will be her last day. Kendall is resigning due to family circumstances that will require frequent travel in 2008, according to information from the chamber. She will continue to focus on the chamber's fall events, including Halloween Fun in Glen Ellyn on Oct. 27 and the Holiday Walk on Nov. 23. Kendall and chamber officials were not available for comment. The chamber is forming plans to search for a new executive director and information will be posted at www.glenellynchamber.com.

Man found guilty of abuse

A DuPage County jury deliberated for about two hours Thursday before convicting a man of molesting two young boys in Glendale Heights. Jesus Nunez Carrasco, 29, was convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Carrasco molested the boys, both younger than 13, in the fall of 2006. DuPage Circuit Judge Kathryn Creswell will sentence him later this year.

Job training, GED programs

The Early School Leaver Program in Addison is accepting applications for its 2008 spring semester that begins in mid-January. Informational meetings are at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at the Technology Center of DuPage, 301 S. Swift Road. The program offers free GED preparation, workplace skill-building, and career training on weekdays for DuPage residents ages 17 to 21. For details, call (630) 691-7577 or visit www.tcdupage.org/esl.html.

Fire at Yorktown theater

No one was hurt this week when a worker accidentally started a fire at the Yorktown Cinema Theaters in Yorktown Center. The employee used a lighter to burn off a piece of a mop head, then put the mop head back on a storage room shelf and left. Thirty minutes later, at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Lombard Fire Department got an automated call from the theaters. Sprinklers put the fire out; officials estimate the blaze caused $30,000 in damage.

Sanitary work to begin

Lombard's public works department will begin work next week to remove and replace the sanitary manhole at the intersection of Ahrens Avenue and Madison Street. The intersection will be closed for about 30 days, and a detour will be put in place during the construction period. Residents still will have access to their driveways during the project. For details, call (630) 620-5740.

Addison Parent University

A Parent University will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 3 at Addison Trail High School, 213 Lombard Road. Register at the school between 8 and 9 a.m. The free event begins with an opening address by Lourdes Ferrer, Hispanic academic achievement specialist. Four 45-minute workshops follow. Parents can choose from topics that include navigating the educational system, parenting a teen, homework help, substance abuse, and human growth and development. Each topic will be presented in English and repeated in Spanish. Care for children ages 3 and older is available. The event is funded by the village of Addison, the Addison Public Library, Addison School District 4, and DuPage High School District 88. For details in English or Spanish, call Marco Gasca at (630) 458-4114.

Senior program expands

The DuPage Senior Citizen Council's Community Dining Program plans to expand its popular sandwich buffet program next month. Currently, the sandwich buffet only is offered Tuesdays at Peace Memorial Manor, 3737 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. It now will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Nov. 1. The program also will be launched Nov. 27 at Castle Towers, 325 S. York Road, Bensenville, and Nov. 29 at York Township Senior Center, 1502 S. Meyers Road, Lombard. The DuPage Senior Citizen Council is a not-for-profit, volunteer-driven agency that provides programs and activities for residents 60 and older. Call (630) 620-0804 or visit www.dupageseniorcouncil.org.

Walk raises $5.8 million

More than 35,000 walkers filled five Chicago-area walk sites last Sunday to participate in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Illinois' 29th Annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes. This year's event raised more than $5.8 million for diabetes research. The Illinois chapter is the largest fundraising chapter in the country, donating more than $15 million annually to diabetes research. Information on the 2008 walk will be available on the Web site at www.jdrfillinois.org.