Lake County briefs
Financial forum at Woodland
Woodland Elementary District 50 in Gurnee will host a community forum regarding an advisory committee's suggestions to fill a $3.5 million budget shortfall projected for the 2010-11 academic year. The forum will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Woodland Intermediate School, 1115 N. Hunt Club Road, Gurnee. The evening will include an opportunity to provide feedback to elected Woodland board members and a question-and-answer session. The proposed spending cuts and new ways to generate revenue to fill the tentative $3.5 million budget hole were made by the 65-member financial advisory community task force.
Candidate forum in Zion
Meet the Democratic candidates for Lake County sheriff, judge and the county board on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Zion-Benton Public Library, 2400 Gabriel Ave., Zion. The gathering will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. To RSVP, call (847) 550-8631.
Substance abuse centers get boost
The Lake County Health Department has received a state grant of $147,513 to supplement its substance abuse treatment services, which were reduced in 2008 due to state funding cuts. The funding will be used to hire new staff and provide support for the Women's Residential Services and the youth counseling component of the Substance Abuse Program. The grant will increase access to care and underscore prevention programming, health officials said. This funding will enable the department to hire several new youth counselors to rebuild its presence at several high schools. The counselors will work with adolescents affiliated with the juvenile justice system who have substance abuse problems. The grant will also be used to hire more evening and weekend staff at the Women's Residential Services program in Vernon Hills, where women receive addiction treatment in a residential setting.
Pink is hot at Warren High
Members of the Future Business Leaders of America club and the Warren Township High School girls basketball team are teaming up for an American Cancer Society fundraiser. Plans call for a Pink Out varsity girls game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 at the school's Almond Road upperclassmen campus, between Washington Street and Gages Lake Road. Pink Out T-shirts are being sold for $10 apiece, with half of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Raffles also are planned for Saturday's contest involving the Blue Devils' girls squad. About $3,000 was raised for the society in a similar effort last year that included T-shirt sales and raffles. One side of this year's student-designed shirt reads "Pink Out 10." The other side says, "Pink, it's the New Blue." Prior to Saturday's game, Warren's sophomore girls play at 5:30 p.m.