Fox Valley briefs

Agency fears cuts:

Officials at Little Angels, an Elgin facility that provides long-term care for the severely disabled, has joined the ranks of service agencies that fear the state's "50 percent" budget could have a catastrophic effect on their operations. Little Angels officials said the state's budget could cut Little Angels funding by 20 percent to 30 percent. Also, state funding has remained stagnant since 1993. "We need legislators to support a state budget that restores the cuts to human services. And we need a permanent solution to the state's budget crisis," center officials wrote in a prepared statement.

District 26 OKs bond policy:

Cary Elementary District 26 has approved a policy that bars the district from issuing bonds unless voters approve the bond sale. "We won't issue any bonds ... without voter approval," said Chris Jenner, District 26's finance committee chairman. Illinois law allows school districts to issue certain types of bonds without voter consent. District 26's policy also requires voter approval for any action that increases the tax rate or extends the repayment of a bond issue. District 26 voters in April rejected a request to issue $17 million in bonds to improve operations and facilities.

ECC student writers lauded:

Two Elgin Community College students had a strong showing in the 2009 Skyway Conference Writers Festival in April, placing first and third in their categories. The event is a juried writing competition for students submitting poetry, short fiction, non-fiction and drama for evaluation by professional writers. Ryan O'Connell of Elgin won first place in the fiction category for "The Ticking in the Crocodile," a story about growing up with his brother and father over several years without their mother. Clarissa Koch of Elgin won third place in the non-fiction category for her piece, titled "Salvation." ECC competed against seven other schools in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.