Lake County briefs

H1N1 vaccination clinic delay:

An H1N1 public vaccination clinic scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22 at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire has been postponed. Stevenson High School District 125 spokesman Jim Conrey said the effort is intended for residents living in southern Lake County, not just the high school students. Conrey said the planned H1N1 inoculation offering was postponed because a sufficient amount of vaccine is not available. He said school district officials and the Lake County Health Department are working on an alternate date, likely in December. Stevenson's nursing staff is encouraging families to contact their physicians if they are immediately seeking the H1N1 vaccine. Conrey said District 125 officials began working with the health department in October on trying to set up a public vaccine opportunity.

Ethics complaint in state's hands:

The Legislative Inspector General's office is looking into an ethics complaint filed against Lake County Board member Linda Pedersen last week. Officials in the Springfield office say it may be weeks before they decide if the complaint warrants an investigation. Inspector General Tom Homer said the case will be presented to the ethics commission sometime in December. If they determine there is sufficient basis for an investigation, the case will be pursued, he said. The charge against Pedersen was filed by Eighth District Democratic Central Committeewoman Nancy Shepherdson. She claims Pedersen used Republican State Rep. JoAnn Osmond's office phone number to accept RSVPs for a fundraiser for County Board Chairwoman and Republican state Senate candidate Suzi Schmidt. Pedersen and Osmond deny they intentionally used the phone number, saying it was listed accidentally.

Mundelein Fire Chief heads association:

Mundelein Fire Chief Timothy Sashko is the new president of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. He was sworn in last month during a conference in Peoria. Sashko has been a member of the association for 13 years and has served on the board as an area representative since 2003. Sashko has been in the fire service for more than 30 years and has served as Mundelein's chief since October 2007. The association aids fire chiefs and fire departments in their efforts to promote more effective fire prevention and educational opportunities, planning for disaster preparedness through education among other initiatives, officials said.