Briefs: Streamwood convenience store robbed
A man carrying a small gun robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store at 305 N. Barrington Road in Streamwood at around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, police said. According to police reports, a man wearing dark mask walked behind the counter and tried unsuccessfully to open the cash register. The 58-year-old male clerk opened the register and placed money into a plastic bag, reports said. The robber tried but failed to open a locked safe under the counter and a locked office, reports added. The offender then filled the bag with cigarettes and candy and told the clerk to stay inside or he'd shoot him, reports said. A value estimate was not available. The robber left and disappeared before officers arrived. An Elk Grove Village police dog tried to track him but lost the scent, reports indicated. The robber was described as 25 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and wearing a white tank top, gray pants and gloves.
Benefit for quake victims
Operation Phoenix, a giant garage sale benefiting Chinese earthquake victims, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Blackhawk Community Center's gym, 1685 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross, which will send donations to victims of the May 12 earthquake that claimed almost 70,000 lives. Clothes, DVDs and stuffed animals are among the items available.
Consultant hired for search
Schaumburg Township District Library trustees have hired Northbrook-based Miriam Pollack & Assocs. to help conduct their search for a new library director. The firm will help solicit candidates and serve as a consultant through the end of the selection process. A replacement for Director Michael Madden, who is retiring on Dec. 31 after more than 40 years as chief administrator, is expected to be named by late October. The consulting firm has previously worked for local libraries in Arlington Heights and Barrington and as far away as Cleveland. The firm's contract is for $16,000.
Wheeling to hold TIF hearings
A public hearing on two Wheeling tax increment financing districts will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18. A joint review board, made up of affected taxing bodies, discussed the expansion of the north TIF and the creation of the southeast TIF Friday. The group unanimously recommended the expansion of the north TIF, but two of the seven taxing bodies present voted against the creation of the southeast TIF. Wheeling finance director Michael Mondschain said Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 officials said the creation of another TIF would be detrimental to its purpose. The Indian Trail Library District wanted a guarantee through the joint review board to return money from an area of the new TIF, but Mondschain said that guarantee has to come from an intergovernmental agreement and couldn't be done at Friday's meeting. For more information on the TIF's, visit vi.wheeling.il.us.