The briefs

Deer Park sales tax debate

The Deer Park village board will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday to present information and answer questions on the sales tax increase referendum question that will be on the Feb. 5 primary ballot. The village is asking residents to approve a 0.5 percentage point sales tax increase, or an additional half-cent on the dollar. A second meeting to discuss the issue is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 9. Both meetings will take place at the Vehe Barn, 23570 W. Cuba Road.

New city hall rising

Prospect Heights' new, $2.8 million city hall is on track to open next spring, city officials said. Steel trusses recently were installed, and the roof is expected to go up by the end of December, said City Administrator Pam Arrigoni. The city also recently accepted a bid for city hall water service for about $15,700. The former city hall was destroyed in a fire.

Another new Starbucks:

A new Starbucks Coffee drive-through will open in Hoffman Estates on Friday at 2071 N. Barrington Road, near Hassell Road. The coffeehouse will create about 18 jobs. The public is invited to a grand opening from 2 to 6 p.m. Jan. 11, when complimentary drinks and food will be served. Donations to a local food pantry also will be accepted during the event.

Barrington's holiday shows

The Barrington High School fine arts department is in full holiday mode and two holiday concerts are scheduled for the community. The school's concert and symphonic bands will present a holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the school's Richard C. Johnson Auditorium, 616 W. Main St. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the school's orchestras will take the stage for their holiday concert in the school's auditorium. Both concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, call the fine arts department at (847) 842-3214.