Local News and Info

As the name implies, local news and information

De-stress with Nature

Covid-19, General Information, Local News and Info, Science / By /

Spring is my favorite time of year. I love all the flowers, ornamental trees, and seeing everything turn green. I find spending time in nature definitely helps lower my stress level. This year, because of the pandemic, many natural areas are closed or restricted, but there are still many open.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the following state parks in Northeastern Illinois remain open for limited day use: “Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park / North Point Marina, Chain O’ Lakes State Park, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail (includes Buffalo Rock, Channahon, Gebhard Woods, and William G Stratton), Kankakee River State Park, Moraine Hills State Park, Silver Springs State Fish & Wildlife Area, Volo Bog State Natural Area.” “Parks will be open from sun-up to sundown. Guests will be allowed to engage in activities such as wildlife observation, hiking, biking, equestrian use and fishing (both from the bank and boats with a limit of two persons per boat. For additional information on recreational boating, please see guidance issued by DCEO) and mushroom hunting. All visitor centers, campgrounds, playgrounds, shelter reservations, interpretive educational programs, beaches, special events and concessions will remain closed; turkey hunting will remain suspended at state parks.” Remember to social distance and to only gather with members of your household.

Some of the Forest Preserves of Cook County are also open for day use, with restrictions that are currently in place until May 31st. “We urge you to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask when in the forest preserves.” They also ask that you only visit with members of your household, do not use the picnic tables, and if you need to, step off the trails to maintain 6 feet of distance from others. For more information on their restrictions and for a list of closures, please refer to the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s Covid-19 news page. You should also know that other counties may be restricting usage to residents only.

I wish I had a spring photo of the geese at Saganashkee Slough, but this one from March will have to do.


Illinois Appears to be Making Progress in Flattening the Curve!

Covid-19, In the Headlines, Local News and Info / By /

According to the chief analytics officer at Rush University Hospital, the stay-at-home order in Illinois appears to be working. He and others at Rush built a Covid-19 forecast model that they made for hospitals, but is available for the general public here. We need to continue to hunker down if we want the curve to flatten more so please continue to stay at home to protect yourself and the people in our community! #stayathome #flattenthecurve






Illinois’ primary election continues through today

Election information, General Information, In the Headlines, Local News and Info / By /

The March 17, 2020, Illinois primary election includes voting for the Democratic presidential primary, the race for Cook County State’s attorney, the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and the Democratic primary for Illinois Supreme Court, plus others. To register on election day, residents must bring two forms of identification, one with a current address, to your polling place for same-day voting. Polling places throughout Illinois are scheduled to be open until 7:00 PM today.

Outbreak Support: Student & Faculty Services Pages

Information Literacy, Local News and Info / By /

As classes have moved from face-to-face to online, our librarians have been working to put together resources for students and faculty. Please visit this pages:

Library online services remain open! 

  • Librarians are answering questions via chat, email and text during hours of operation. 
  • Librarians are ready to work with students in online courses! 
  • The online library is open 24/7 with 1000s of ebooks, articles, and online video. 
  • The Library’s social media accounts will be sharing resources. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Library Extended Break Hours

Local News and Info / By /

As Moraine Valley Community College is adjusting hours and preparing to move classes online, the MVCC Library will continue to be available to students and faculty in-person, by phone (708-974-5234) and online at our Ask a Librarian page to help support you in your coursework.  The MVCC Library’s updated hours can be found on our hours page. Events updates can be located on our events page For more information on Moraine Valley’s break schedule and resumption of classes visit the college homepage.?

2020 Census Update: Census Invitations are Coming!

Census, Community Enagement, General Information, Local News and Info / By /

The 2020 Census is a bit different from previous Census years. For the first time, it is possible to submit your household’s Census response online! Beginning on March 12th, households will receive an invitation from the 2020 Census to respond online, by phone, or to request a paper response form. 

The invitation your household receives in the mail should look something like this and include a Census ID number to use in your household’s response. 

If you are unsure about any correspondence you receive related to the 2020 Census, check out this article from the U.S. Census Bureau on verifying Census-related mailings, surveys, or contacts.

The U.S. Census Bureau–and any people or correspondence related to the 2020 Census–will never ask for your Social Security Number, bank account details, or passwords. 
You can also contact the Chicago regional office by phone at 800-865-6384, the national Census Bureau helpline at 301-763-4636, or check out ask.census.gov.

Prepare for the Primary: Find Your Polling Place and Research Candidates

Election information, General Information, Local News and Info / By /

The Illinois Primary Election is next week on Tuesday, March 17th! Here are a few links that may be useful as you prepare to vote:

Want to do even more research? Check out our Voting Research Guide!

The Future of News in Chicagoland

Information Literacy, Local News and Info / By /

Are we watching the final death knell of news in Chicago? We have already witnessed the collapse of suburban papers, and, now, we may be witnessing the end of the Chicago Tribune. The Trib has been a regional leader but in recent decades, it has been fighting to stay alive.

Now two veteran reporters from the Tribune, David Jackson and Gary Marx, are sounding an alarm with an op-ed they wrote in the New York Time. You can read it here, “Will The Chicago Tribune Be the Next Newspaper Picked to the Bone?”

They note that the hedge fund Alden Global Capital is now the Tribune‘s largest shareholder. Alden is famous for buying news groups and stripping them down for profit. Jackson and Marx note,

“Alden’s strategy of acquiring struggling local newsrooms and stripping them of assets has built the personal wealth of the hedge fund’s investors. But Alden has imposed draconian staff cuts that decimated The Denver Post and other once-proud newspapers that have been vital to their communities and to American democracy. Those newsrooms, which put a spotlight on local political corruption, have served as forums for community voices and have driven the coverage of regional television, radio and online outlets…”

They continue,

“The alternative is a ghost version of The Chicago Tribune — a newspaper that can no longer carry out its essential watchdog mission. Illinois’s most vulnerable people would lose a powerful guardian, its corrupt politicians would be freer to exploit and plunder, and this prairie metropolis would lose the common forum that binds together and lifts its citizens.”

You can read the entire editorial in the MVCC Library’s New York Times database.

Veterans Day

General Information, Local News and Info / By /

November 11 is the day that America honors its military veterans. MVCC is “committed to being a veteran-friendly campus, and the office of Veterans Services is the go-to resource for veteran students.”

The Moraine Valley Library is another source for veterans to use. Here are some helpful titles.

There are numerous local events that will take place on November 11 to honor our vets. Palos Heights Library, Village of Homer Glen and Brookfield Zoo Veterans Day Celebration will pay homage to the men and women who have served our country.

Real ID

In the Headlines, Local News and Info / By /

If your drivers license or IL state ID expires BEFORE October 2020, you’ll need to decide whether to renew it for a regular drivers license/state ID or get a “Real ID.”

This video explains a little bit about the new Real ID.

“Complete this simple interactive checklist to find out exactly what documents you will need to bring to apply for a REAL ID DL/ID before visiting a Driver Services facility.“–Illinois Secretary of State website ( https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/ )

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