Briefs: CASA seeks volunteers
The Lake County Court Appointed Special Advocates organization will hold its first public recruiting meeting to bring in volunteers looking to help abused and neglected children. Officials from CASA said two sessions will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Waukegan city hall council chamber at 100 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. The group is looking for another 250 to 300 advocates because many children are assigned to the program by juvenile court judges, CASA officials said. People interested in the program can contact CASA at (847) 808-9154.
Preparedness open house
The Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich hosts a free open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on safety, disaster awareness and community preparedness. Representatives from the Lake Zurich Fire Department; Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods and Kildeer police departments; the American Red Cross; Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital; the Coast Guard; Illinois/Wisconsin Search and Rescue Dogs; and other community organizations will be on hand to answer questions and provide information. The will be free Culver's custard, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., free key chain flashlights given out to the first 500 attendees, and hourly raffles. The event includes Touch-A-Truck, sponsored by the fire department, and a LifeSource blood drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blood drive appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted. To schedule an appointment, call (847) 438-3433. Activities include police K-9 unit demonstration; Illinois/Wisconsin Search and Rescue Dogs demonstration, 1 p.m.; and safety and basic first aid presentations, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For a schedule, visit the library's Web site www.eapl.org or call (847) 438-3433.
Drill volunteers still needed
Officials are looking for volunteers to play victims in today's emergency preparedness drill at the Sears Centre arena in Hoffman Estates. Volunteers will be given scripts to follow. They don't have to register and should just show up. The event starts at 10 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m. at the arena, near the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and Route 59. Organizers hope to draw 1,000 to 3,000 volunteers, who will take part in a fictitious bioterrorism scenario and stand in line waiting for emergency officials to distribute medicines. The event will draw more than 200 emergency workers from more than 20 departments across the suburbs and is being put on by the Cook County Department of Public Health. The more volunteers who show up to play victims, the better prepared firefighters, police and other first-responders will be in the event of a real disaster. Volunteers will be given a voucher for a free ticket to a Chicago Shamrox lacrosse game.
MCC garners awards
The McHenry County College president, an instructor and a pair of students received honors at the 2008 Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in Philadelphia recently for their service and leadership. Earth science teacher David Elder received the distinguished chapter adviser award for the fourth time since 1999. Students Diane Hanks and Leslie Frailey received the distinguished member award. MCC President Walter Packard was handed the group's Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction for supporting the group's projects at the school and for its Illinois region. This marks the first time an MCC president has received the award since the school's chapter was charted in 1971.