DuPage County briefs

Wheaton police nab forger:

A 20-year-old Wheaton man was arrested on forgery and drug possession charges, police said. Keith R. Wessman is being held at the DuPage County jail in Wheaton in lieu of $175,000 bond. He was arrested last week after Wheaton police responded to complaints by relatives that he had forged two checks earlier in the week for $100 each. He was in possession of heroin when he was arrested, police said. Wessman is currently on probation after pleading guilty to drug possession stemming from an arrest in March and he has a driving under the influence of drugs charge he's facing from an incident in February in Wheaton. A court date for his latest charges has not been set.

DuPage insurance rates rise:

More than 500 DuPage County employees with Preferred Provider Organization health insurance coverage will pay more than $850 each in the coming year to keep that package. About 80 percent of the county's 3,048 employees participate in the county's insurance program. The majority subscribe to an HMO program and will see no rise in their rates in the coming year. County board members debated covering the PPO shortfall for the employees, but settled on reducing the out-of-pocket maximum from the suggested $5,000 to $2,500. It's still a $500 increase over this year's rate, but it saves the employees about $49,000.

Dentist offers healthy treat:

A Bensenville dentist, Dr. Cary Blumberg, literally hopes to show youngsters how to "put your money where your mouth is." This Halloween, trick-or-treaters can bring candy they've collected to Blumberg Family Dental Care, 229 W. Grand Ave., Suite W, and receive $1 for each pound. For each dollar he gives kids, Blumberg will send a matching donation to UNICEF. The collected candy, meanwhile, will be sent to our troops serving overseas. For details, call (630) 860-5544.

Writer wins spot in anthology:

A freelance writer from Warrenville, Margaret McArthur, had an article selected to appear in the anthology "Best Food Writing of 2009," which arrives in bookstores and on amazon.com at the end of the month. McArthur says her piece, "Eggs Enough and Time," describes her "obsessive attempts" to perfect the simplest of cooking tasks: the perfect soft-boiled egg.

Letters from Santa:

Children can receive letters from Santa this holiday personalized with their name. The cost is $5 and delivery is guaranteed before Christmas Eve. Proceeds benefit special needs Girl Scout Troop 200 to help pay for a camping trip to White Pines Ranch. For details, contact Cathy Riehs at (630) 848-1080 or ccejriehs@yahoo.com, or Jessica Griffin at (630) 681-0962 or jessicag@wdsra.com.

Halloween food drive:

Glenbard East High School students wearing orange identification tags will "trick or treat" for nonperishable items from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Lombard. Donations of canned goods, spaghetti sauce, diapers, paper towels, rice, cereal and similar items are needed to replenish supplies at the York Center Food Pantry. The Lombard Fire Department will deliver the items. Residents who want students to stop by should leave a porch light on to indicate there are items to be picked up. Not all neighborhoods will be covered because there aren't enough volunteers to collect from every home in Lombard.