Cook County briefs
Health care forums Wed.:
Two separate groups are hosting forum on health care reform Wednesday in Elk Grove Village and Lincolnshire, respectively. A grass-roots group called We The People plans what it says will be a nonpolitical forum at 7 p.m. at the Elk Grove Village Public Library, 1001 Wellington Ave. Dr. Roger Weise, medical director of the Alexian Brothers Older Adult Institute, and insurance consultant Blair Farwell will speak and audience members can ask questions. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. Also at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at United Auto Workers Hall, 680 Barclay Road, Lincolnshire, the Illinois 10th Congressional District Democrats and WCPT radio will host "Reforming Health Care: Can We Afford the Status Quo?" Speakers include Concord Coalition chief economist Diane Lin Rogers and regional director and policy analyst Sara Imhof; Dr. Quentin Young, co-founder of the single-payer advocacy group Physicians for a National Health Program; and David Dranove, health industry management professor at Northwestern University. Both events are free and open to the public.
District 220 budget dilemma:
Barrington Unit District 220's school board Tuesday will face the task of approving its annual budget while a new teachers contract is still pending. The law requires school districts to approve their budgets before a rapidly approaching deadline, but officials can amend these budgets later. A federal mediator has been called in to help District 220 and its teachers union work out a new contract, with the last pact having expired Aug. 30. The school board meets at 7 p.m. today at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St. in Barrington.
Schaumburg cops promoted:
Schaumburg Police Chief Brian Howerton has announced the promotion of Sgt. David Wermes to lieutenant and Officer Thomas Greenaway to sergeant. Wermes joined the department in 1989 and worked in the Patrol Division until 1994. He was then assigned to the Special Operations Group and later the Special Investigations Bureau. In 1999, he was promoted to sergeant and served as a supervisor in both the Patrol Division and the Special Investigations Bureau. He completed the 10-week Staff and Command Course at Northwestern University's Center for Public Safety in 2007 and also served as commander of the Surveillance Team for the Major Case Assistance Team from 2007 to 2009. His new assignment will be as a Patrol Division watch commander for the midnight shift. Greenaway joined the department in 1997 and served for three years in the Patrol Division before being assigned to the Traffic Bureau. In 2006, he was selected to serve as a class supervisor for new police recruits at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy. Greenaway returned to the patrol division in 2007. He has two adult daughters and his new assignment will be as a field supervisor for the Patrol Division on the afternoon shift.