Monthly Archives: January 2020

Bookworm Jamboree Celebrity Reader

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Mayor Buckley kicks off the Bookworm Jamboree at Goddard School. The school is conducting a book drive in partnership with Bernie’s Book Bank. The 20+ Chicago-land Goddard Schools have a goal of collecting 25,000 books by February 14, 2020. Over the last 6 years, The Goddard Schools have collected and distributed over 200,000 books to children-at-risk in Illinois, birth through 12 years. Read the full article here!

Are you ready for an emergency?

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In 2020, resolve to stay alert and be prepared for any emergency!  Here are a few tips to get started. Visit the Ready.gov website for more information.

  • Discuss emergency plans with your family, including a family evacuation plan and a meet up location if you get separated. 
  • Start and grow an emergency savings account. 
  • Reach out and connect with your neighbors, as being connected helps keep your neighborhood safe. 
  • Learn basic safety skills, including first aid, CPR & how to shut off utilities to keep you and your loved ones safe.

 

   

      

New Year, New Laws

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More than 250 new state laws went into effect in Illinois on Jan. 1st.  These new laws will impact nearly all Illinois residents.  Here are some of them. 

  •  Marijuana: The recreational use of cannabis for persons 21 and older will be legal, but individual municipalities may choose to ban its sale within their boundaries. Cannabis will be taxed in a manner similar to alcohol.        
  • Minimum wage: On Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Illinois will increase by $1 to $9.25, and on July 1 will increase by another 75 cents to $10 per hour. Tipped workers can still be paid 60% of the regular minimum wage.
  • Salary history: Employers may no longer ask potential employees to share information about their wage or salary history.
  • Sexual harassment training: All employers will be required to provide annual sexual harassment training to their employees.
  • Cat owners: Pet cats will be required to get rabies inoculations.
  •  Public diaper changing stations: Every public building with a public restroom will be required to have at least one safe, sanitary, convenient and publicly accessible diaper changing station.
  •  Gender-neutral restrooms: Single-occupancy public restrooms can no longer be labeled by gender.
  • Distracted driving: It will be illegal to watch or stream video while behind the wheel.
  • School buses: Passing a stopped school bus can result in a $300 fine for the first offense, and $1,000 for the second offense.

Click here for the complete list

Code RED

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Have you signed up for Code RED? The Lake County Public Works Department uses CodeRED to notify its customers by telephone, text message and email about upcoming project work, boil water orders, water main breaks, and other potential service disruptions.  You can also use receive alerts via the CodeRED Mobile Alert app. The app is free and available for both Android and iPhone users. 

Canadian Geese

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Have you noticed the large amount of Canadian geese on the lakes this year? They are enjoyable to watch, however they can be very loud (especially at 2 a.m.) and geese that are no longer migrating can cause problems with the quality of the lake. There are a few things that you can do to help both the geese and the lake. The most important is do not feed the geese. Read the linked article for more information.

Canada Gees and Your Lake