LANSING

District 158 plans open houses at three schools

Lansing Elementary District 158 has scheduled open houses. Each takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

They are as follows:

-- Thursday: Oak Glen Elementary School

-- Sept. 18: Coolidge Elementary School

-- Sept. 25: Lester Crawl Primary Center

Open houses already have taken place at Memorial Junior High School and Reavis Elementary School.

THORNTON

Village to reduce phone lines, save some money

The village will cut back on the number of telephone lines at its facilities -- and its phone bill.

Village Administrator Jason Wicha told the Village Board that he and AT&T found 20 phone lines that were billed to Thornton but not used. The village was billed for 54 phone lines but used just 34.

"It was not easy to determine exactly where these lines went, and the phone company was not very cooperative in finding that out," Wicha said. "The phone company could give us an address, but that's it."

High telephone bills were raised as an issue by Trustee Paul Tomasik, who argued that the village facilities were billed for too many lines.

"This should reduce our phone bill pretty dramatically," Wicha said.

GLENWOOD

Days for village's branch pick-up service change

Glenwood Fire Chief Kevin Welsh, who also serves as interim village administrator, has announced changes to the village's branch pick-up program.

"The east side of town gets their branches picked up the first Monday of the month," Welsh said. "The second Monday of the month, the west side of town gets picked up."

Branches should be no larger than 5 inches in diameter and less than 8 feet long.

Residents should place branches on parkways no sooner than the Sunday before the scheduled pickup date.

CALUMET CITY

Car, motorcycle show planned at River Oaks

The Calumet City Chamber of Commerce's annual Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 14 in the east parking lot at River Oaks Shopping Center, 159th Street and Torrence Avenue.

The event will feature food, music, raffles and awards. Vendor applications are available, and the chamber is seeking sponsorships and donations for raffle prizes.

Registration is from 10 a.m. to noon, with judging at 1 p.m. The entrance fee is $20. A dash plate will be given to all entrants.

For more information, call the chamber and leave a message at (708) 891-5888 or visit www.calumetcitychamber.com.SPRINGFIELDHearing on community colleges to be Monday

SPRINGFIELD

Hearing on community colleges to be MondayThe possibility of community colleges closing classes, capping enrollments and raising tuition has prompted the Illinois Community College Board's Budget and Finance Committee to hold hearings to look at the effects of the state budget on the two-year institutions.The second of three scheduled hearings is set for 1 p.m. Monday in Rooms 212C/D of the main building at Illinois Central College in East Peoria. The last hearing is Sept. 18 at John A. Logan College in Cartersville.The committee will hear testimony from college representatives, including students, administrators and faculty. State legislators will receive invitations to attend and participate.The entire board will hear a report from the committee on its hearings at the board's meeting Sept. 19.Illinois community colleges serve about a million students each year in credit and noncredit course offerings.

The possibility of community colleges closing classes, capping enrollments and raising tuition has prompted the Illinois Community College Board's Budget and Finance Committee to hold hearings to look at the effects of the state budget on the two-year institutions.

The second of three scheduled hearings is set for 1 p.m. Monday in Rooms 212C/D of the main building at Illinois Central College in East Peoria. The last hearing is Sept. 18 at John A. Logan College in Cartersville.

The committee will hear testimony from college representatives, including students, administrators and faculty. State legislators will receive invitations to attend and participate.

The entire board will hear a report from the committee on its hearings at the board's meeting Sept. 19.

Illinois community colleges serve about a million students each year in credit and noncredit course offerings.