Cook County briefs

Shred personal documents:

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County and the Village of Arlington Heights invite residents to shred documents free of charge, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W. Central Road. Enter the site from New Wilke Road where workers will check for proof that you live in a SWANCC-served community. The industrial shredders can handle staples and paper clips, but you should separate all paper from binders. Shredding sensitive documents that contain personal information like your name, bank account or credit card numbers, is an effective way to protect yourself from identity theft. No materials from businesses, schools or institutions will be accepted. swancc.org.

Panel discussion on Sudan:

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center presents "Witness to Genocide: Voices of Sudanese Survivors," at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10 at the Center's Goodman Auditorium, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie. The event is a panel discussion on the war and genocide and efforts to raise awareness about continued atrocities. Panelists include representatives from the Sudanese Community Association of Illinois and the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of more than 27,000 boys who were displaced by the civil war. It is presented in conjunction with the Museum's current and first traveling exhibition, "Darfur: Photojournalists Respond," which opened Aug. 26.

Personal finance panel:

A panel of financial experts will hold a free public conversation about sticky economic topics and their relevance to suburban Chicagoans at "Personal Finance and the Economy: An Assessment," a Harper College-sponsored discussion 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9 in the J Building Theatre. Parking is available in Lots 4, 5 and 6 on Harper's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. The panel will have a certified financial planner and investment adviser, a financial adviser, the founder of the Investor Education Institute and the President of Capture Trends, Inc., a market analysis Web site and newsletter. The moderator is Kayce Ataiyero, a consumer issues columnist for the Chicago Tribune. harpercollege.edu/ce.