Briefs: Two face animal cruelty charge

Two people were charged with cruel treatment to an animal the same day police were called to a Des Plaines apartment for a domestic disturbance and discovered marijuana. Police arrested Frank Cinquegrani, 35, 721 S. Elmhurst Road, Apt. D, Des Plaines, around 1:20 a.m. Friday and charged him with possession of marijuana, police said. Around 9:30 a.m. that same day, police returned to the apartment with Cinquegrani so he could retrieve some belongings. Police then discovered a malnourished dog in a cage littered with waste in the kitchen, police said. Cinquegrani and his roommate, Tammi S. Gomez, 37, both were cited for cruel treatment to an animal, and their court date was set for Oct. 24. Cinquegrani is scheduled for court on the marijuana charge Nov. 14.

Another armed robbery

Schaumburg police reported that a man in his late 20s or early 30s, carrying a silver handgun, robbed a woman around 9:50 p.m. Thursday as she stood outside her car on the 1200 block of East Higgins Road. According to reports, the woman had her car door open when she heard the man say something she couldn't understand. She yelled for help, at which point the man reached into the car through the open door, grabbed her purse from the center console, ran to a silver SUV and drove away toward Thacker Lane, police said. The purse contained a cell phone, driver's license, social security card, three credit cards, one debit card, two checkbooks and $10 in cash.

Suburban officers awarded

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart awarded Mount Prospect officers Anthony Addante, William Roscop, Michael Meister and Det. Robert Riordan the county's 2008 Law Enforcement Award of Merit at a ceremony held last week at the Chicago Cultural Center. They were among 46 officers from around the county who received the honor for exceptional performance, commitment to community and outstanding professionalism. Other Northwest suburban officers so honored were Des Plaines Deputy Chief Richard Rozkuszka and Commander Daniel Niemann, Barrington Hills Lt. Richard Semelsberger, Bartlett Officer William Naydenoff, Buffalo Grove Officer Frank Horbus and Hanover Park Officer Matthew Riedel. Honorees from the Cook County sheriff's police were James Pacetti, John Pradun and Joseph Rosenau.

Salt price spirals upward

The Des Plaines City Council approved contracts for 3,000 tons of salt at average prices more than three times what the city paid last year under a group buying program with the state. Even at prices ranging from $105 to 137 a ton, the city is getting less salt than it wanted. With reserves, the city will have 3,800 tons of salt, versus the 4,500 tons used in the average year and 6,000 last winter. A variety of factors were cited for the high price. The city will experiment this winter with alternative treatments and also plans to seek bids independent of the state next year to cut costs and usage, city officials said. The council also approved $62,558 worth of upgrades to the city's data processing systems.

Schaumburg High fall concert

Schaumburg High School's concert and symphony orchestras will perform their annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. today at the school's Weimer Auditorium. Works to be performed include songs by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, "Andante Festivo" and the tone poem "Finlandia." Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for students.