Fox Valley briefs

NIU gets broadband grant:Northern Illinois University announced Tuesday it has been awarded the largest grant in its history, a $68.5 million grant to fund the development of a broadband Internet network throughout northwest Illinois. The grant includes $46.1 million in federal stimulus money; the rest is from state and local sources. The money will enable NIU, which has campuses in DeKalb, Hoffman Estates, Naperville and Rockford, to build a high-speed network in the following counties: Whiteside, Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, Carroll, Winnebago, Boone and LaSalle. The network will connect to existing hospitals, schools and government bodies. Officials expect the network to be in place in about two years.Buy a brick at Sherman:Sherman Health Foundation has kicked off a new "Celebration Brick Program" through which community members may buy engraved bricks that will be installed on the lakefront terrace on the hospital's new campus at 1425 N. Randall Road, Elgin. Funds raised in the program will support the work of the hospital. Bricks purchased by Friday will be installed in October. For more information, call Bonnie Wolinski at (224) 783-3021 or visit shermanhealthfoundation.com.Buy Hossa's old cabinets:Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley ReStore and Murco Recycling will host an action of high-end furniture and home improvement materials on Saturday, with a kitchen cabinet set and vanity sinks donated by Chicago Blackhawks star Marian Hossa. The live auction will he held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Habitat's Restore office, 800 N. State St., Elgin, with a preview beginning at 9 a.m. Hossa recently bought a condo in downtown Chicago and donated his old cabinets, granite countertops and two bathroom vanity sinks. ReStore accepts donated construction materials and resells them to help fund Habitat's mission. For more information, call (847) 742-9905 or visit restoreelgin.org.New parent group at U-46:Elgin Area School District U-46 is seeking volunteers for the new Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute. The group is open to bilingual parents of children in grades three through eight who are interesting in getting more Hispanic parents involved in Elgin schools. Sessions will be held once a month for eight months during the 2010-11 school year. Informational meetings will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 20 and at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23 in Room 236 at U-46 district offices, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin. Call (847) 888-5000 ext. 4211.