Briefs: City Skate rink now open

City Skate, Elgin's outdoor ice rink, now is open for the season. The ice rink on the civic center plaza between the Hemmens Cultural Center and city hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ice skate rental is $4. There is no fee if you bring your own skates. Warming shelter hours are Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (847) 931-6140 or visit www.cityofelgin.org.

Elgin cracks down on DUI

The Elgin Police Department is stepping up its DUI enforcement in advance of the holiday season. Starting today, the department is adding extra patrols, paid for by the Kane County DUI Task Force and county coroner's office. Police said alcohol is the most common factor in highway deaths and injuries with more than 17,000 people killed each year and many more injured in alcohol-related crashes.

91 U-46 kids get AP honor

The College Board has named 91 U-46 high school students AP Scholars in recognition of their achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Examinations. Two U-46 students, Brenda Willemsen from Elgin High and Jaclyn Tennant from Larkin, qualified for the highest distinction, AP National Scholar Award, by earning an average grade of four or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken and grades of four or higher on eight or more of these exams.

District 158 sets tax levy

The Huntley Unit District 158 school board has approved its 2007 tax levy request. The district's tax levy request will be about $64.8 million, a 30 percent increase over last year's actual collection of $49.9 million. However, the district will actually collect much less than this because it can only increase its collection by the rate of inflation and the amount of new growth. The district's estimated tax rate for 2007 will be $4.53 per $100 of equalized assessed value. A hearing on the tax rate is scheduled for December.