Nearly a quarter of Cook County adults lack physical activity and over a quarter are obese.
A recent study lists Cook County residents as some of the least healthy in the state. We rank 78th healthy out of 102 counties, according to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report also provides a snapshot of health statistics for Cook County. Here are a few: The survey was based on several factors, including length of life, quality of life, clinical care, health behaviors, socioeconomic factors and physical environment.
Information on unidentified bodies, including photos will soon start appearing on the Cook County Medical Examiner's website.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office is teaming up with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System’s website to publish information about unidentified bodies, including photos in some cases, the Chicago Tribune reports. The county recently tried the tactic with a few bodies and they’ve already seen success, specifically with one instance of identifying a Michigan woman killed on the North Side. The changes are being ushered in with a revamped, more user-friendly website, most of which is already published. Information on unidentified bodies may go live as soon as Wednesday. Get the rest of the story by the Chicago Tribune
2:59 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I think it is a good idea but I hate that people have to rely on the internet to find ther missing family members. I hope that this helps those who have been looking for people. more ›
The county hopes to help smokers quit the habit and raise more money with this recent tax hike.
Cook County smokers will have to shell out more than ever after last Friday’s $1 cigarette tax hike. This comes on top of an additional $1 jump on the state level last June. The county is hoping to receive an extra $25.6 million from the increase, but historic examples suggest the figure might be wishful thinking, according to the Chicago Tribune. In additional to the estimated revenue, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle hopes the initiative will deter youths from smoking and help current smokers kick the habit. Get the rest of the story by the Chicago Tribune.
9:03 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2013
This is one of the ways to make sure folks travel to Indiana like I do. Way to go Cook County, More revenue loss. more ›
Over 40 percent of Illinois homes contain dangerous levels of radon gas. For less than $10, you can find out if your's is one of them.
How much would you pay to protect your family? Radon gas is a silent, odorless threat to over 40 percent of Illinois homeowners, according to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The EPA reports this naturally-occuring radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Luckily, the state is offering an inexpensive solution for residents to test their homes and protect their families. For less than $10, radon test kits are now available to Illinoisians via this website. Cook County also offers radon test kits for $7. Residents can obtain one by mailing a $7 check or money order to: Cook County Dept. of Environmental Control 69 West Washington Street, Suite 1900 Chicago, IL 60602. Inexpensive radon test kits are also…
1:42 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Over insulating a home traps that poison in! Let a few air leaks save your life! more ›
Judge Cynthia Brim, who has a long history of mental illness, was found not guilty at her Monday misdemeanor battery trial, according to a Sun-Times Media report.
Cook County Judge Cynthia Brim was found not guilty Monday by reason of insanity after a misdemeanor battery trial, the Sun-Times Media reports. Judge Brim was in court for shoving a Sheriff’s deputy back in March after he asked her why she decided to throw her keys at a security checkpoint at the Daley Center, according to the report. She was dressed in hospital scrubs and a fur coat at the time of the confrontation, and allegedly off her medications. Brim has a history of bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder that predates her move up to the bench in 1994, the Sun-Times reports, and she’s been hospitalized five times since 1993 for psychotic episodes. Nonetheless, Brim won re-election for her $182,000 yearly position last …
12:38 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
That explains a LOT. I hope she doesn't tarnish the family good name. more ›
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 …
11:36 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Six Sensible Gun Control Laws First- let’s try actually enforcing ALL the existing laws on the books now. That would but a big dent in illegal guns. No plea bargains on any handgun charges. If they have possession of an illegal handgun charge them for every law they violated. (Underage possession, stolen gun, un-registered gun, no FOID card, concealed, discharged in city limits, add all the years… more ›
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…
12:32 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Adopt a pet from a nonprofit animal welfare organization such as South Suburban Humane Society (Chicago Heights) or Animal Welfare League (Chicago Ridge). These animals are already "fixed" and the adoption costs are very low. If you have an unaltered pet, make an appointment with your Vet or with a nonprofit spay/neuter clinic such as South Suburban Humane Society's Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic in… more ›
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 …
8:52 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
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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 …
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 …
5:09 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
When we lived in Chicago, every year or every half year, I can't remember, we would get a homeowner's exemption card to fill out and we did so. Since moving to Oak Lawn in 2001, we have never received a homeowner's exemption card. Were we supposed to be getting one all these years? more ›
Laura Dion-Jones
4:39 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2013
It doesn't really matter whether any of us thinks this is right or wrong - the problem remains: We're one of the most obese counties in the whole country. And about 65% of the entire nations population is overweight or chronically obese. I had an AM talk radio show, "The Laura Dion-Jones Show: Lose Weight Fast, Get Rich Quick, Look Young Forever," in Elgin that I recently put on hiatus. Through … more ›