Lake Forest residents are invited to a town hall meeting with Mayor Don Schoenheider and the city's aldermen  7-9 p.m. on Thursday at the Croya Student Union. The first hour will be dedicated to updates from the city on finances, budget, capital projects, Lake Forest trees, the Laurel Avenue development, and wintertime road maintenance.

The Lake County Division of Transportation will hold public hearings on Wednesday to get input on two upcoming development projects. The first meeting, 5-7 p.m. at the Village of Hawthorn Woods Aquatic Center, will consider proposed improvements to the intersection of Gilmer and Midlothian Roads in Hawthorn Woods and unincorporated Lake County.

In response to questions from residents, Mundelein officials recently posted an update on several business projects in progress or about to commence. Rosati's Pizza is expected to open early next year in the former Applebee's location. The town also has been contacted by a business owner who is interested in opening a restaurant in the former Pizza Hut building.

The Mundelein Board of Trustees and Mayor Steve Lentz have invited dozens of World War II veterans from Mundelein to a World War II Veterans' Recognition Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, before the board's regular meeting at Village Hall, 300 Plaza Circle.Approximately 40 WWII veterans have been invited, but veterans from all wars are invited to attend.

The Village of Gurnee Board of Trustees held its first regular November meeting on Monday night.The agenda included a presentation on the Gurnee Legion of Craft Beer Fest and a presentation of the police department's Four Pillar Awards by Police Chief Kevin Woodside.

The Village of Mundelein will put a green light in the Village Hall clock tower to participate in the national Green Light a Vet program honoring veterans' contributions. The campaign has over 421,000 supporters counted on its website and urges people around the country to change one lightbulb in a visible location, such as a porch or office window to green, then share images or video of their green bulb on social media platforms, using #greenlightavet.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Dist. 14) said on Monday that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded approximately $48 million in grants to Illinois' state and local governments to fund affordable-housing projects. More than $43 million will go to the state, with the remaining funds going to Kane and Will Counties.

U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-Dist. 10) visited Holmes Middle School in Wheeling on Monday to promote an amendment he authored that would prevent the state from using federal education funds intended for aiding in-need students to pay down unrelated past pension obligations.

State Rep. Carol Sente (D-Dist. 59) met with several local school administrators in Vernon Hills recently to discuss educational needs in Illinois and legislative proposals that aim to improve schools."I'm glad to resume this ongoing dialogue focused on maintaining the strongest standards for education, keeping our children safe and protecting funding for local schools,” Sente said.

U.S. Reps. Randy Hulgren (R-Dist. 14) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) filed an amendment to the pending Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3763) on Tuesday that would reinstate a previous law preventing the Department of Transportation from accepting any payment to lobby for legislation at any level of government.

As winter nears, the Village of Deerfield is promoting its TeenConnect matchmaking program that links teens willing to do yard work, including snow removal, for residents who could use the help. TeenConnect is the village's name for its growing list of local teens who have made themselves available for leaf raking, lawn mowing, snow shoveling and other outdoor maintenance jobs.

The Village of Lake Bluff Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on the property tax levy  at 7 p.m. on Nov. 23 in the Village Hall Board Room, located at 40 East Center Ave. Village Administrator R. Drew Irvin said this may be the only opportunity for public input on the levy, as the trustees have reserved the right to revise and pass the levy without any further public inspection, notice or hearing.

In face of alleged corruption scandal, wife is still entitled to substantial benefits.

The Village of Deerfield has adopted a $58 million budget for the 2016 calendar year. Village Manager Kent Street introduced the budget in an introductory budget message to the budget, available as a PDF: www.deerfield.il.us/assets/1/village_government/15-95_Ord__Adopting_2016_Budget.pdf.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Dist. 14) took to the House floor this week to call for a more equitable share of transportation funding for suburban communities from the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, which the House passed on Thursday.

Highland Park will hold a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Highland Park Fire Department, 1130 Central Avenue, Station No. 33.The drive will be managed by the blood-collection company LifeSource. To donate blood, participants must show proof of identification, be at least 17 years old (16-year-olds may donate with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 lbs.

The Greater Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association (AA) will hold an educational program featuring U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-Dist. 10) and Illinois State Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Dist. 31) 1:30-3 p.m. on Friday at the Zion Park District's Senior Center, 2600 Emmaus Avenue in Zion.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said on Tuesday that Illinois will receive over $67 million in federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for programs that provide affordable housing and other services for those in need.

The Village of Lake Bluff's Committee of the Whole will meet today at 6 p.m. in the Village Hall Board Room, 40 East Center Ave.The Committee of the Whole is a joint meeting of the Board of Trustees, Joint Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals, Architectural Board of Review and Historic Preservation Committee.

The U.S. House passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 late last week, with U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Dist. 14) voting with the majority.Hultgren had been a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and has been an active proponent of a long-term highway-funding deal throughout this year.