Briefs: Geography bee winner
David Jin, an eighth-grade student at Wright Junior High School in Lincolnshire, was named winner of the school's geographic bee. Seventh-grader Laura Hefner took second place and eighth-grader Jeffrey Smith took third. David has taken the exam necessary to qualify for the statewide bee, which will be April 4. The winning student at the state level will proceed to Washington, D.C., for the National Geographic Bee May 20 and 21.
Relay For Life to start
The 2008 American Cancer Society GLMV (Green Oaks, Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills) Relay For Life will hold its official opening ceremony and celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago North Shore, 510 E. Route 83, Mundelein. Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back is the theme of this year's Relay For Life, which will take place at Mundelein High School from 6 p.m. on June 7 until 6 a.m. on June 8. The startup event will include a pizza party, martial arts demonstrations and a vendor fair. Door prizes and raffles will also be part of the evening. For more information, call Nikki Furrow at (847) 317-0025 or e-mail her at nicole.furrow@cancer.org.
Spelling bee time
Cotton Creek Elementary School in Island Lake will hold its fourth- and fifth-grade spelling bee on from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Jan. 22 in the school gym. More than 30 students are expected to compete in the bee.
Township dinner planned
The Grant Township Republican Club will hold its annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 2 at Maravella's Banquet Hall on Washington Street in Fox Lake. State Sen. Dan Rutherford of Pontiac will be the guest speaker. While serving the 53rd District, he is the ranking Republican and spokesman serving on the Financial Institutions Committee and is a member of the Environment and Energy Committee and the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Tickets are $40 each and must be purchased in advance. For tickets or more information, call Nancy Kubalanza at (847) 587-5954 or Rich Stueber at (847) 546-1879.
Police warn of burglars:
Buffalo Grove police are urging residents to keep alert for suspicious noises, cars or people after a rash of burglaries. Police said there have been 18 residential burglaries since November. On Thursday, police received reports of an attempted burglary on Palatine Avenue where the homeowner found a small window slightly open. That same day, a resident on Vernon Lane found muddy footprints in the house and her dog locked in the master bedroom. The burglaries have been occurring during the afternoon and evening hours, and thieves have been entering homes through rear and side windows and doors of homes, police said. Jewelry, laptops and cash have been stolen. Buffalo Grove police said the department has increased patrols but officials also are asking residents to remain vigilant.