Briefs: Asbestos ruling upheld

The Illinois Appellate Court has affirmed a previous Cook County circuit court ruling that Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 failed to notify its insurance company in a timely manner of asbestos removal efforts carried out from the mid-1980s through the early '90s. According to court documents, the school board learned of a need for asbestos removal in June 1983 and began preparing a plan to do so within months. By the time the project at all five schools was completed in 1994, the total cost was more than $17.5 million. But the insurance company was notified by the board only in July 1991, eight years after the original discovery. The insurance company claimed such late notification prevented its own inspectors from assessing the problem.

Calling all writers:

Both aspiring and experienced writers should stop by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library at 7 p.m. on Wednesday for the "The Writing Place" program -- a monthly group for writers ages 18 and older. The two-hour program provides a supportive environment for writers of all genres and abilities, from the novice to the experienced, to collaborate, critique and network with other writers in the community. The group meets about twice a month. The meetings are free and open to the public. Register on the library's Web site at www.ahml.info or by calling (847) 392-0100.

Open house for Sgt. Kukla

The public is invited to an open house at 7 p.m. Friday for Army Sgt. David Kukla, a 28-year-old Bartlett native who recently returned from his second 15-month tour in Iraq. The 2007 Elgin High School graduate served as a sniper with the 1st Calvary Division. Friends, family and the Bartlett VFW Post 11018 will be on hand to honor Kukla, who's on a monthlong leave before returning to Fort Hood, Texas. The event will take place at the Bartlett Fire Barn, 220 S. Main St.