Island Lake hires top cop

Dan Palmer has been hired as Island Lake's police chief. Palmer has had the post on an interim basis since September. The village board approved a contract with Palmer on Thursday night. The vote was 4-0; trustees Jennifer Villareal and Howard England were absent. Under the two-year deal, a copy of which was shared with the Daily Herald, Palmer will collect an $85,400 annual salary and will be up for a pay review in May 2020. He'll also receive benefits including health insurance, dental insurance and a department-owned vehicle for his commute from home. Palmer is a veteran police officer who long served as Bartlett's chief. In Island Lake, he replaced Anthony Sciarrone, who was placed on leave and then fired by the village board last fall. Sciarrone is running for a seat on the board in the April 2 election.