Lake County in 60 seconds
Fire safety kits for grads
Countryside Fire Protection District is providing fire safety kits to graduating Vernon Hills High School students. The kits to be distributed after graduation rehearsal Wednesday include a smoke alarm, a flameless candle, a DVD about dorm room fires, FEMA literature, a First Aid kit and other items. Students will be encouraged to participate in the Campus Firewatch Media Project. Students who share their experience and get their story published are awarded a $500 stipend. Visit www.campus-firewatch. Statistics show at least 129 college students have died in student housing fires the past nine years, and each year there are an estimated 150 fires in fraternity and sorority houses.
Vernon Hills officer remembered
The Vernon Hills Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 34 has awarded the first two scholarships in honor of Officer Jesse W. Goldsmith, who died a year ago. Hillsboro High School senior Kaitlyn VanOstran and Vernon Hills High School senior Neil Desai each received $1,000 to pursue academic interests. VanOstran will attend SIU; Desai will attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and wants to major in business/history. Both were chosen for their academic record, community service and financial need. The scholarship was created by Goldsmith's friends and co-workers.
Swine flu update
The Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center reported Monday there are approximately 100 cases of H1N1 swine flu in Lake County, but officials say there are probably many more unreported cases. In Woodland Elementary District 50, nine cases of swine flu have been confirmed, three of which were reported May 29. No school buildings will close because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends shutting down. District 50 is working with the health department to contain the virus. The health department has activated an H1N1 flu hotline for county residents to obtain more information on flu prevention, symptoms and treatment. The number is: (847) 377-8350. More information can also be found on the CDC Web site: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ and the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site: www.idh.state.il.us/.
Get ready for Gurnee cameras
Gurnee will officially start a 30-day warning period for its red-light camera system Saturday, June 6. Motorists who violate the photo enforcement will receive a warning letter, but not a citation and $100 fine. The fines for registered vehicle owners will stick starting Monday, July 6. Retired Lake County Circuit Judge Henry Tonigan will hear appeals at Gurnee village hall, if requested. Red-light cameras will be on east- and westbound Grand Avenue at Route 21, Hunt Club Road and Dilley's Road. There also will be a camera on both sides of Route 41 at Delany Road. Proponents say the photo enforcement will make intersections safer. Opponents contend it's more about making money than safety. Questions about the system may be directed to the Gurnee Police Department's photo enforcement office at (847) 599-7171 or photoenforcement@police.gurnee.il.us.
Antioch youth charged with eight burglaries
Riding a stolen bicycle, a 15-year-old boy couldn't pedal fast enough to escape Antioch Police officers last Friday. Police responded to a call about someone breaking into a car in the 1100 block of Waterview Court a little after midnight, Cmdr. Jim Ruth said. The owner of the car confronted the youth who ran from the scene. Minutes later officers spotted the boy making a getaway on a bike he stole from the same neighborhood. The boy was arrested and questioned. Investigators have linked the teen to at least eight car burglaries and a residential burglary in the Hidden Creek subdivision. Police recovered cell phones, iPods, a GPS unit and assorted jewelry. The youth was charged with theft, residential burglary, and burglary to a motor vehicle. He was transported to the Depke detention center near Vernon Hills, Ruth said.