Cook County briefs
Plumbing work causes fire:
No one was injured in a Thursday morning fire in a Palatine home on the 0-100 block of south Winston Drive. Crews responded around 10:15 a.m. and found smoke coming from the eaves and roof vents of the single-family home. Authorities determined the fire was caused by a worker using a torch to do plumbing work in the upstairs bathroom. The fire did not spread beyond the bathroom. Damage estimates were unknown on Thursday.
Indency charge dropped:
Maine East Assistant Principal Michael Pressler, 48, is permanently back on the job after the Cook County State's Attorney's Office dropped a misdemeanor public indecency charge against him. The case was dismissed this week after Pressler complied with a court order to serve 25 hours of community service, said Tandra Simonton, state's attorney's office spokeswoman.
Township to pick up branches:
Schaumburg Township's highway department will continue to pick up brush and branches from the approximately 700 unincorporated homes in the township on the first and third Monday of each month. Highway Commissioner Robert Fecarotta said he didn't want unincorporated residents to be confused by the village of Schaumburg's recent cancellation of such services. The township will make wood chips for landscaping from the branches it collects.
Oil change benefit for cancer:
DJ's Auto Service at 495 Estes Ave. in Schaumburg will hold its annual oil change benefit for the American Cancer Society from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28. All the proceeds from the $25 oil changes will go directly to the American Cancer Society as staff are donating their labor and NAPA is donating the materials. The event is held in honor of owner Dan Origer's mother, who died from cancer in 2005. There also will be raffles for prizes and donated food from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last year's event raised $2,900.
New garbage pickup contract:
A new contract with ARC Disposal & Recycling for residents of unincorporated Schaumburg Township will go into effect April 1 under the existing monthly collection rate. Township Supervisor Mary Wroblewski said that as the village of Schaumburg's refuse contract will expire in the next 15 months, the township board chose to go for a short-term contract itself in hopes of obtaining better rates for unincorporated residents at that time. Each home in the unincorporated area will receive a 95-gallon cart for refuse and a 35-gallon cart for recycling, delivered at no additional cost in April. Seniors with special needs may request a smaller refuse cart. Residents currently renting a cart will no longer pay a separate monthly fee for it.
Forum to be televised:
The candidate forum presented last Saturday in Arlington Heights by the League of Women Voters will be rebroadcast this weekend in Arlington Heights on Comcast cable Channel 17 and Wide Open West (WOW) Channel 6. The candidates for mayor and trustee will be broadcast at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 21, and the candidates for Northwest Suburban High School District 214, Wheeling Township, and the Arlington Heights library and part district will be broadcast at 8 p.m. The schedule will be the same on Sunday except that the mayor and trustee candidates will be at night and the other offices in the afternoon.