One officer in favor of medical marijuana
A former police officer who lives in Wheeling is taking a stand on medical marijuana.
Jim Ware, who survived stage-4 cancer in 2005, said medical marijuana helped him get through the debilitating after-effects of chemotherapy.
"Instead of lying in bed vomiting and having unexpected diarrhea and really thinking this could be the end, in 10 or 15 minutes, I could be back on my feet and feeling almost normal," said Ware, who was an officer in Anchorage, Alaska.
Ware created a video for the Marijuana Policy Project and has written letters to Illinois lawmakers to show his support of a bill that could be considered soon in the Illinois legislature that would protect seriously ill patients from being arrested for using medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.
"Look at the drugs that are administered now," he said. "Morphine is highly addictive, isn't it? And yet, when I was recovering from liver surgery, I'm pretty sure I was on some sort of morphine drip that alleviated my pain."
To watch Ware's video, visit youtube.com/watch?v=lH4JNoOd7aU.
Welcome home: A Buffalo Grove family is hoping to welcome a soldier who's expected to return from Iraq this week.
Paul Graf has been in Iraq with the Army for 14 months on his second tour, said his father Larry Shapiro.
"God willing, he's on a plane today," Shapiro said.
Graf was expected to leave Baghdad on March 11, but that was delayed to Tuesday. He's expected to be back in the U.S. today.
He'll first go to his base and then will get a 48-hour pass to come home. After some more time on his base, he'll return to his home for a month.
Graf, 24, is active in the Army through next spring. He worked as personal security detail for his lieutenant colonel in the First Infantry Division, 28th Infantry Regiment in the Fourth Brigade.
"My wife has 40 e-mails just yesterday of people waiting for him to return," Shapiro said Tuesday.
Breast cancer fundraiser: The Olive Tap in Long Grove and Long Grove Cafe are sponsoring a spring fundraiser for "The Beaubifuls," a team of women from Long Grove and Buffalo Grove who'll be participating in the 2008 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
The event will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today at the Cafe, 235 Robert Parker Coffin Road.
The evening will include a wine and olive oil tasting as well as hors d'oeuvres and desserts.
Donations are $35 per person at the door. For more information, call Renee Clark, the team captain, at (847) 612-0027.