Fox Valley briefs

Additions to career program:

Elgin Community College's Pathways to Health Careers Program has added four certificates to allow more students to enter the program, obtain grant funding to pay for their tuition, books and fees and attain skills quickly for employment in health care. A basic vocational specialist in clinical laboratory assisting and phlebotomy, vocational specialist in histotechnology and vocational specialist certificate in massage therapy are the new study options added to the program. They join current associate degree offerings in clinical laboratory technology, physical therapy assisting, histotechnology and radiography, along with a vocational specialist certificate in dental assisting. For details, call (847) 214-7956 or log on to pathwaytohealthcareers@elgin.edu.

Grant to help DNA backlog:

Illinois State Police have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce the state's current DNA evidence backlog. The funding will provide overtime compensation to employees directly engaged in the handling, screening and analysis of DNA forensic evidence, and to purchase supplies for the state police forensic science laboratory system.

Purchase Metra tickets online:

Metra is now accepting credit card payment for ticket purchases made online. Using a new Web feature, My Metra, commuters will be able to create an account to more easily manage and order tickets online. The feature also will allow them to view ticket order history, create a customized view of their train schedule and set up personalized e-mail alerts. For details, visit metrarail.com.