Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds

Barricade lawsuit on way

Blake Horwitz, a civil rights attorney, will file a federal lawsuit today asking a judge to remove 13 concrete blockades at a Rolling Meadows apartment complex immediately. On June 9, 13 entrances at 12 Oaks at Woodfield entrances were blocked off with concrete barriers and construction horses while two police officers ran a checkpoint in front of the only open driveway. Every driver who entered was stopped and told to roll down the window. Police are passing out pamphlets on crime prevention and social services. They are not asking for identification or drivers licenses, Rolling Meadows officials said. The checkpoints could last throughout the summer and will reduce crime, according to Rolling Meadows officials.

Gun fired in motel room

A Sussex, Wis., man was charged with reckless conduct after he accidentally fired a gun in his Rolling Meadows motel room. According to police reports, the man, John P. Farge, 42, was cleaning his gun around midnight on Thursday when he mistakenly shot a bullet through his hotel room door at the Holiday Inn at 3405 Algonquin Road. No one was injured, police said. Farge's next court date is June 7.

Cut phone bill costs

A consumer workshop to help residents save money on their phone bills will be held at 11:30 a.m. June 24 at Palatine Township Senior Center, 505 Quentin Road, Palatine. The Citizen Utility Board's free phone bill clinic will alert consumers about ways to cut their calling costs, including how to get a $20 long-distance credit negotiated by CUB. Attendees should bring their phone bills so CUB experts can help find ways to save. For more information, call the CUB Consumer Hotline at (800) 669-5556 or go to CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

Summer sounds in Hoffman

Thursday kicks off Hoffman Estates' Arts Commission's Summer Sounds on the Green. The free show starts at 7 p.m. at the Virginia Hayter Village Green at the Prairie Stone Parkway. The Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra, a staple of the legendary Green Mill in Chicago, will bring swinging sounds from the 1930s and '40s. There are six more summer concerts this season, sponsored by the village, the Hoffman Estates Park District, Garibaldi's Italian Eatery and the arts commission. Call (847) 252-5448 or go to hoffmanestatesarts.com for more.