Briefs: Police warn of phone scam

Elgin police are warning residents about the "*72" phone scam in which victims are duped into allowing their calls to be improperly forwarded and illegally billed. Police said the scam begins with someone posing as a phone technician who calls the victim's house and says he was on his way for a service call but was arrested for driving on a suspended license. The caller then asked the victim to dial *72 and his wife's number to say he'll be home late. The *72 feature enables calls to be automatically forwarded and the scammer can accept collect- and third-party calls from anywhere. For more information, call police at (847) 289-2700.

Dist. 158 taps negotiators

The Huntley Unit District 158 school board has appointed board President Shawn Green and board member Aileen Seedorf to the district's negotiating team for the upcoming teacher contract discussions. The district's contract with Huntley Education Association, the teachers' union, ends June 30. The move to appoint Green and Seedorf was unusual because the two board members are often on the opposite sides of contentious issues. Seedorf said the appointment came as a surprise to her. "I'm still my own person," she said.

District 300 OKs bell times

The Community Unit District 300 school board has approved new bell times for the 2008-09 school year. High schools will remain the same, starting classes at 7:40 a.m. and ending at 2:55 p.m. Middle schools will shift 25 minutes earlier and go from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Elementary schools will either go from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. or from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. District officials said the changes will enable the district to transport students with fewer drivers and buses and get them to after-school activities earlier. The district plans to notify parents at the end February.