Briefs: Cameras likely coming

Streamwood officials are preparing to be the next Northwest suburban community to use automated red-light cameras for traffic enforcement. The cameras are tripped when vehicles disobey red lights at intersections and are used to identify offenders. On Thursday, the village board held the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the use of such cameras in Streamwood. Final approval is planned for July 17, when a contract to install the cameras may be ready for approval. Trustees Thursday also approved the use of credit cards for residents' payment of bills at the village hall. Specific locations for the cameras have yet to be determined.

Barrington crossing open

After clogging traffic in the area for several days, rail crossing work in Barrington that shut down Northwest Highway was completed Friday. Northwest Highway between Route 59 and Lake-Cook Road reopened about noon following the work on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line. "Everything went according to plan," Barrington Public Works Assistant Director Mark Werksman said. The crossing, east of Route 59 and north of Lake-Cook Road, closed Monday for what EJ&E spokesman John Armstrong called routine maintenance on the rail line. Thanks to good weather, Werksman said, the work was wrapped up about four hours early. With 26,000 vehicles using the crossing on a daily basis, traffic was snarled throughout town all week as traffic was rerouted.

Man charged with abuse

A 51-year-old Hoffman Estates man is accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl, police said. Rigoberto Santos-Torres, of the 1700 block of Monticello Road, has been charged with felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse, Hoffman Estates police Sgt. Gregory Poulos said. Police said he told the girl he wanted to teach her about sex and touched her inappropriately on June 12. The girl pushed Santos-Torres away and ran out of the house, Poulos added. She told a neighbor what happened, who called police. Santos-Torres was given a $75,000 bond. His next court date will be July 11.

Summer book sale on

The Friends of the Barrington Area Library's annual summer book sale is this weekend at the library, 505 N. Northwest Hwy. The event runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The sale includes books for readers of all ages. The group, established in 1956 to support the library through fundraising and volunteering, has a second book sale planned for Oct. 18 and 19. For more information, call the library at (847) 382-1300.

Rainbows debut tonight

Rainbow Hospice will unveil 53 new public art sculptures from 6:30 to 10 tonight at Rainbow Hospice, 444 N. Northwest Hwy., Park Ridge. It will be the start of a summerlong public art display in Des Plaines, Niles and Park Ridge of rainbows decorated by local professional artists, families or school children from the area and sponsored to support the Good Mourning bereavement program for children. The program, in its 20th year, has worked with 3,000 bereaved people. Rainbow was founded in 1981 in Des Plaines at the First United Methodist Church.