0 Politics & Government Two in-house candidates applied for the top position. The village plans no search. David Giuliani Patch Staff Posted | Updated Reply WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – The Western Springs Village Board has settled on a replacement for Village Manager Ingrid Velkme, who is retiring. After a closed session Monday, President Alice Gallagher announced that the board has directed her to enter negotiations with one of two in-house candidates who have applied for the post. She did not name the candidates. "We decided that there is no justification to spend extra money and time looking for a candidate outside the candidates we have here in Western Springs," Gallagher said. The board expects to appoint the new manager at its Sept. 27 meeting, she said. This process resembles the closed one that the village followed in 2017 when it hired Velkme. Then-Manager Patrick Higgins privately informed the … [Read more...]

9 Politics & Government A federal judge found the law banning concealed carry license holders from having firearms in the Cook County Forest Preserves is too broad. Jonah Meadows Patch Staff Posted | Updated Replies CHICAGO — A state law that bans the concealed carry of firearms in the Cook County Forest Preserve District is unconstitutionally broad, according to a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Robert Dow issued a ruling Monday that found a section of the Illinois Firearm Concealed Carry Act violates the Second Amendment by forbidding people with concealed carry licenses, or CCLs, from carrying guns anywhere in the 70,000-acre forest preserve district. But Dow's ruling does not permit CCL holders to immediately start bringing guns into the Chicago Botanic Garden and Brookfield Zoo. That's because the judge stayed enforcement of his order for six months to give state lawmakers time to amend the … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government The Cook County unemployment rate improved somewhat during the summer. Local Data Patch Staff Posted Reply LAKE VIEW, IL — The U.S. economic recovery slowed in August, particularly in the job market, as the coronavirus' delta variant spread across the country. Nationally, non-farm payroll employment rose by 235,000 jobs in August, which was tepid compared with the 1.1 million jobs added in July and 962,000 in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 percent in August. The latest available local unemployment figures are for July; the rate improved since June in the Lake View area, and continues to be much lower than the beginning of the pandemic. The Cook County unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in July, down from 10.0 percent in June. That reflected significant improvement from June 2020, when the … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government The Schmidt-Burnham Log House, the oldest log structure in Cook County, is celebrating its reopening on October 2 from 2-4 PM. Guests wi ... Press Release Desk News Partner Posted Reply Press release from the Village of Winnetka: September 12, 2021 The Schmidt-Burnham Log House, the oldest log structure in Cook County, is celebrating its reopening on October 2 from 2-4 PM. Guests will enjoy new exhibits, fascinating artifacts, a scavenger hunt, old-timey games, and more. All ages are welcome at this free event; masks are required. The Log House will be open for self-guided tours from 2-4 PM beginning October 2 through November 21, 2021. About the Schmidt-Burnham Log House Built c. 1837, it was the longest occupied home in northern Illinois until the daughter of Anita Willets-Burnham gifted it to the Winnetka Historical Society in 2001. The Log House first opened to the public in … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government The Cook County unemployment rate improved somewhat during the summer. Local Data Patch Staff Posted Reply WINNETKA-GLENCOE, IL — The U.S. economic recovery slowed in August, particularly in the job market, as the coronavirus' delta variant spread across the country. Nationally, non-farm payroll employment rose by 235,000 jobs in August, which was tepid compared with the 1.1 million jobs added in July and 962,000 in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 percent in August. The latest available local unemployment figures are for July; the rate improved since June in the Winnetka-Glencoe area, and continues to be much lower than the beginning of the pandemic. The Cook County unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in July, down from 10.0 percent in June. That reflected significant improvement from June … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government See the latest announcement from the Village of Winnetka. Press Release Desk News Partner Posted Reply Press release from the Village of Winnetka: September 15, 2021 During Fire Prevention Week in Winnetka (October 3-9, 2021), public, private and parochial students are given fire safety presentations by our firefighters/paramedics. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced this year's theme is "Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety." Is there a beep or a chirp coming out of your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm? Knowing the difference can save you, your home, and your family! Make sure everyone in the home understands the difference between the sounds made by smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and how to respond to each. A general guide to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms follows, but learn the specifics of yours by checking the user guide or searching for information about … [Read more...]