Briefs: Home damaged in fire
No one was hurt but a home sustained significant damage in an early-morning fire in Hoffman Estates Wednesday. The fire department put the damage estimate at $300,000. The cause remains under investigation. Firefighters arrived at the scene of the single-story home on the 600 block of Alhambra Lane four minutes after a neighbor called 911 at 2:16 a.m. While residents slept, heavy flames ignited in a three-season room in the rear of the house. Damage spread to the utility room, garage and attic. The neighbor who called 911 also alerted the sleeping residents, fire department officials said. Crews took 27 minutes to extinguish the fire. Firefighters from Barrington, Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg and Streamwood assisted.
New Hospice trustees
Two new members have been appointed to the governing boards at the Barrington-based Hospice of Northeastern Illinois. David Van Dam of Barrington has joined the hospice board of directors, while Anne Fortune Stroll of Libertyville has taken a seat on the board of trustees for the Hospice Foundation of Northeastern Illinois. Van Dam is president of Van Dam Dermatology and Laser Center in Barrington. Fortune Stroll has served as a corporate attorney for more than 10 years, in addition to serving as counsel to medical personnel and as a registered lobbyist for the health care industry. For more information, visits HospiceAnswers.org.
Group sponsors blood drive
The Young Professionals group from the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce will launch a six-day blood drive Saturday, with prizes, entertainment and food at the LifeSource Donor Center, 25 W. Rand Road in Arlington Heights. The event will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The center will continue accepting donations through Aug. 22. Young chamber members have hosted a community fundraiser for the last four years, but with the slowing economy they searched for a more affordable way to help the community help those in need. A blood drive fit the bill, the group said, since participation is free. To schedule a donation, call 877-LIFESOURCE, and refer to Code 212.