Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Cook County still considers traffic signalization project at Southwest Highway and Central Avenue a priority, Commissioner John Daley says.
Cook County Commission John Daley (11th District) made a surprise visit at Tuesday’s village board meeting to clarify remarks made by an Oak Lawn trustee that the county no longer considered the traffic signalization project at Central Avenue and Southwest Highway “a priority.” Sign up for Oak Lawn Patch breaking news alerts. Daley said he had received several calls after the Jan. 22 village board meeting that the county was no longer committed to installing a left turn lane at Central Avenue and Southwest Highway. The village has about $7 million left in Build America bonds, part of which was to be used for building a left turn lane northbound on Central Avenue turning west on to Southwest Highway. Oak Lawn trustees previously passed a …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Cook County passed an ordinance Tuesday afternoon mandating any lost weapons be reported to the Sheriff within two days.
Gun owners who sell, lose, destroy, transfer or have a firearm stolen in the county are now legally required to report it to the Sheriff’s office within 48 hours thanks to a new Cook County ordinance. The new law, passed Tuesday afternoon, will require firearm owners report the make, model and serial number of the stolen firearm, along with the date and location of purchase. Individuals who fail to comply will be subject to an initial $1,000 fine, followed by $1,500 for each gun on the second offense and $2,000 for each subsequent violation, according to a press release from the county. Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle applauded the passage of the ordinance. She says it’s a step in the right direction. “We are giving law …
Monday, February 4, 2013
All Cook County pet owners are eligible for a rebate program for having their pet spayed or neutered during National Spay and Neuter Month.
Cook County is offering all residents a $40 credit for having their pet spayed or neutered throughout February—National Spay and Neuter Month. So why should you get your pet fixed? Spayed and neutered pets tend to live three to five years longer than those which aren’t, according to a press release from the county. If that’s not convincing enough, consider the millions of dogs and cats euthanized every year as a result of unwanted pregnancy. “The procedure not only helps your pet live a longer, healthier life, it benefits the community because it reduces the number of strays and unwanted animals in our neighborhoods,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a press release. “Communities spend millions of tax dollars every year…
Thursday, January 31, 2013
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 …
Friday, January 18, 2013
The Cook County Assessor's Office recently mailed a reminder to county senior citizens to file for 2012 property tax breaks. Forms must be completed and mailed to the Assessor's Office by Wednesday, Feb. 6.
Senior citizens in Cook County eligible for property tax exemptions have until Wednesday, Feb. 6, to file the proper paperwork to receive their tax break, according to a mailing sent out by the Cook County Assessor's Office. Residents over the age of 65 should have received the mailing in early January, but residents who just turned 65 may not have gotten them yet, according to an email from the office. Those individuals are encouraged to drop by the Worth Township Office to pick up the forms and information necessary to receive the senior benefits. The forms are also available online at www.CookCountyAssessor.com. The applications are for 2012 property taxes, which are to be paid in 2013. The savings will be shown on the second …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Solicitors are asking taxpayers to hire them to fix property value errors. Here's what you need to know.
Double-check all calls from the Cook County Assessor's Office because the contact may be a scam, a release from the office warns. People claiming to work at the assessor's office are calling residents, saying they have missing exemptions. The scammers then ask taxpayers to hire them to file Certificates of Error on their behalf. The certificate changes a property's assessed value for a past year, correcting the tax bill after the assessment is finalized. Kelley Quinn, communications director for the assessor’s office, said real employees never solicit taxpayers. Many of these so-called tax reps tell people they can get residents more money. "What they don't tell you is... they take 30 to 40 percent of that amount," Quinn said. "The …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Chicago and its surrounding suburbs are seeing a steady rise in flu cases.
Area health agencies are reporting that this year's flu season is particularly intense. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring "widespread" influenza activity in Illinois this year. According to the Cook County Department of Public Health the number of people experiencing influenza-like symptoms continues to increase in the suburbs. Those suffering from the illness are showing symptoms that are much more severe than in previous years. Drug manufacturers have also been feeling the effects of the increased number of cases. The makers of Tamiflu, which slows down flu symptoms, reported a shortage of the drug, according to Reuters. The CDC is reporting that the Great Lakes region is the nation's hardest hit with …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The 2013 does not include property tax increases or possible fees from Advocate Christ Medical Center.
The Oak Lawn Village Board passed the 2013 general budget at a special village board meeting on Monday. Residents will not see a property tax increase for village services. The village is requesting an 11-percent levy of the Cook County property taxes collected for 2011 in Oak Lawn. Sign up for the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. The $49,579,455 budget is less than the 2012 budget by $925,281. Part of the reason for the $13 million budget increase for 2012 was the rollover of such special funds into the general fund, including refuse, special events, the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, and the sidewalk and streetlight fund. The village was able to come under last year’s budget because of reductions in certain …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Oak Lawn-resident Sarah Dynia wins award from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart recognizing her volunteer service.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Early voting is now in effect for the 2012 Presidential Election from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3. Grace period voter registration is also now in effect.
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Monday, October 22, 2012
If you’re going to be out of town or can’t handle the pressure of voting on election day—Nov. 6—early voting is now in effect for Cook County voters. Early voting will take place form Oct. 22 through Nov. 3. Voters do not need to give a reason why they cannot make it to the polls on Election Day. They only need to fill out an application at the early voting site. State laws require early voters to provide a valid photo ID to an election official before receiving a ballot to vote early. Valid forms of ID include a current driver’s license, a driver’s license of state ID, university/college ID or another government-issued ID with a photo, such as a passport. Voters may vote anywhere in Cook County where early voting is available. Early …
High Hopes for OL
5:24 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I go by there everyday and its an accident ready to happen. With the School right there and kids it is a no brainer. more ›