Palatine Prepares for More Snow: Over Six Inches Expected

Another winter storm is headed our way and Palatine public works is ready and waiting.

As another winter storm is expected to hit early Tuesday, the Palatine Public Works Department has already taken steps to be as prepared as possible. "We have pre-treated the main roads in all six districts with a salt and beet juice mixture, and we have crews ready to come in by 3 a.m. to start scouting the roads," said Matt Barry, public works director.  A winter storm warning has been issued for all of Cook County Tuesday and is expected to affect morning and evening rush hour traffic. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Palatine should be hit hard by around 10 a.m. with heavy snow expected to fall through midnight.  "We will have the bulk of our crews out when snowfall is expected to be heaviest starting at 10 a.m.," Barry…

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Sequestration Budget Cuts Data: Which IL Counties Have the Most Federal Employees?

More than 24,000 federal employees who work in Cook County could potentially be affected by sequester, which is slated to start Friday.

  CLICK ON THE COUNTY, ABOVE, AND THE BAR GRAPH WILL ADJUST Unless Congress reaches a last-minute agreement on the sequester by Friday, the huge budget cuts slated to kick in have the potential to affect more than 24,263 federal employees working in Cook County. Barring any kind of deal, the Obama administration will have to impose $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts to military and domestic programs on Friday, according to The New York Times. Those cuts would be the start of $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade. The numbers in the graph above show the number of federal employees in Illinois by county in 2012, according to the latest figures from Eye on Washington, a DC-based lobbying firm that tracks federal employment. It …

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Jobless Rate Increases in U.S.; Palatine's Unemployment Rate Also Rises

The unemployment rate is currently at 7.9 percent in the U.S. and has been relatively unchanged since September.

Unemployment rates in the United States increased slightly in January as economic growth remains slow. Employees added 157,000 jobs last month throughout the United States. The nation's current jobless rate of 7.9 percent—which is up .1 percent from December—has remained relatively unchanged since September, according to United States Labor Department numbers released Friday.  And while retail trade, construction, health care, and wholesale trade employees added jobs over the month, employment numbers for transportation and warehousing employees decreased, according to the Labor Department report.  There is currently 12.3 million U.S. residents who are unemployed and even with the addition of 181,000 new jobs in 2012, the economy has seen …

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Cook County Real Estate Database

Want to see who sold their home in Cook County? Patch has compiled a searchable ongoing list of property sales in Cook County, based on data from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds.

Want to know how much that house down the block sold for or how many million dollar home sales there were in your community last year? Patch has put together a searchable real estate database of Cook County property sales that is updated twice a month as new data is received from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. You can search by address (the field will fill in automatically as you start typing, but be patient — it may take a moment to catch up with you), or search a full town or a specific price range within a town. You can also search by the buyer or seller's name (and those fields will fill automatically as well). If no price is listed, or other information is missing, it is because it was not included in the information from the …

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County Offers Roadside DUI Death Markers

On what may be the biggest drinking "holiday" of the year, Cook County announces a new plan for roadside DUI death memorials.

The night before Thanksgiving is known as the biggest party night of the year. Almost a holiday unto itself with a name of its own, Black Wednesday is a night to rival New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day for overindulgence in alcohol.  In many communities, extra officers will be on patrol and local officials warn bar owners not to overserve their patrons. So it's not a coincidence that Cook County this week announced a new DUI Memorial Program. For $150, families of anyone killed in a DUI fatality can purchase a roadside memorial marker to be placed alongside any highway under the county's jurisdiction.  The marker includes a “Please Don’t Drink and Drive” sign and an optional commemorative plaque with the deceased loved one’s name and …

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Free delivery improves residents’ access to rain barrels in Cook County

Drought season increases need of rain barrels.

Palatine Gas Station Drops Prices

Drivers flock to one Palatine gas station to save at least 20 cents per gallon.

The parking lot of the Marathon Gas Station at the corner of N. Rand and Plum Grove Roads in Palatine is full of drivers waiting to fill up. “This gas station is always packed,” Frank Brago said as shoved the gasoline nozzle into the tank of his truck. The owner of a landscape company, Brago said he goes out of his way to stop at this Marathon station at least two or three times a week. “The people here are so friendly,” Brago joked as he stared up at the pump, “No, people come here because it’s cheaper.” For about $200, Brago filled up two trucks and four gas cans to fuel his landscape company.  $4.09 for a gallon of regular gasoline may not be cheap but it is the cheapest price in town, saving drivers at least 20 cents a gallon. …

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Tax Bills Help Nail Down District 211’s Tentative Budget

Township High School District 211’s 2012-2013 tentative budget is set, ready to be presented to board members on Thursday, Aug. 13.

This year, with money from the Cook County Tax bills already in the bank, Township High School District 211's tenative budget is set and more solid than in years past.  “A great change for us to see that,” said David Torres, Associate Superintendent for Business for District 211. “Actually, in my entire career that’s the earliest I’ve seen that, that’s a long number of years.” Torres is right; this was the first time in more than 30 years that the second installment of the Cook County Property Tax bills were mailed on time. A welcomed change that will save school districts across the state of Illinois millions of dollars. Torres said just a couple years ago, the district received tax bills as late as December. Without the second …

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July 3 Rabies Vaccine and Microchip Clinic in Palatine Cancelled

The next nearby clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11 in the parking of Jewel, 1860 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights.

Due to a heat advisory, Cook County’s Rabies Vaccine and Microchip Clinic scheduled for Tuesday, July 3 in Palatine has been cancelled. The next nearby clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11 in the parking of Jewel, 1860 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights.      Pets can receive a one-year vaccine for only $7 or a three-year vaccine for $21. Ferret vaccines cost $9. Microchips cost $10 for dogs and cats. The clinic is one of 37 low-cost, mobile clinics the county’s Department of Animal and Rabies Control will host through October at various locations across the county. For a full schedule of the 2012 clinics, visit the county website at www.cookcountygov.com, click “Agencies,” and then scroll down to “Animal & Rabies Control…

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Cook County’s Energy Reduction Initiative Earns National Achievement Award

The award was presented in May by the National Association of Counties in recognition of Cook County’s successful efforts to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Cook County earned a national achievement award for saving a whopping $2.5 million dollars in energy costs. The award was presented in May by the National Association of Counties in recognition of Cook County’s successful efforts to significantly reduce energy consumption. The county won in the category of “Environmental Protection and Energy” for its innovative Energy Reduction and Cost Saving Initiative, launched by President Preckwinkle in partnership with ComEd in March 2011. “The award recognizes that we’re achieving—and even exceeding—our goals of saving tax dollars and building a greener Cook County,” said President Preckwinkle in a news release. “The real winners are the taxpayers and the environment.” The energy-saving initiative …

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