The Park Ridge Park District will host Hinkley Fest from Aug. 11-14 at Hinkley Park, 25 Busse Highway.

Cook County

Grant nets Dist. 214 new labs at three schools

A report stated that Township High School District 214 recently received a $100,000 grant from The Coleman Foundation to transform classrooms into innovative laboratories with an entrepreneurial environment. The grant helped to redesign three classroom spaces to enhance learning for nearly 6,200 students at John Hersey (Arlington Heights), Rolling Meadows and Buffalo Grove high schools during the 2015-16 school year. The labs feature movable desks and chairs, laptops, Genius Bars, TV display panels and monitors to facilitate group work and collaboration, and to simulate a real-world business atmosphere. The classroom spaces will continue to promote entrepreneurship and career pathways, including business management and administration, APP development and coding, manufacturing, engineering and the arts. For more information, call (847) 718-7600 or visit www.d214.org.

Hoffman Estates

Village to host recycling, document shredding event

The village, in partnership with the Solid Waste Agency of Cook County (SWANCC), will host a recycling drop-off and document destruction event form 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Susan H. Kenley-Rupnow Public Works Center, 2305 Pembroke Ave. Accepted electronics items include computers and computer-related equipment, printers, scanners, copy and fax machines, microwaves, small home appliances, cell and land line phones, answering machines, tablets, stereos, MP3 players, cameras and camcorders, power tools and cords, TVs (no wood), VHS, DVD and CD players, converter boxes and video game consoles. Large home appliances (including humidifiers/dehumidifiers, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners and refrigerators) and materials from businesses, schools and institutions will not be accepted. All paper (including medical records, bank statements and retired tax forms) will be shredded on-site by Accurate Document Destruction. Metal binders and clips should be removed. Residents will be limited to six grocery bag-sized paper bags or file boxes of documents (no plastic bags). The event is free; proof of residency is required. For more information, call (847) 882-9100 or visit www.hoffmanestates.org/green.

Woodridge

Business park to add environmentally friendly structure

Village officials, along with representatives from Lakeview Realty Investors, SKJN Architects and Krusinski Construction Co., recently broke ground in the Wood Hill Crossing Northeast Addition Business Park for a 84,678-square-foot building, located at the southwest corner of Katherine’s Crossing and Davey Road. The building will be the first LEED-certified structure in Woodridge. The LEED certification process is designed to implement innovative solutions that are environmentally friendly. The new building at Wood Hill Crossing will have shaded surfaces, and will utilize high-reflectance materials for paved surfaces to reduce heat absorption. In addition, the building will use a highly efficient irrigation system, designed to reduce water consumption. The project is one of four Woodridge office/warehouse developments under construction this summer, representing a total of nearly 500,000 square feet. For more information, call (630) 852-7000 or visit www.vil.woodridge.il.us.

Mount Prospect

Police Dept. offers Citizens Police Academy

The Mount Prospect Police Department is accepting applications for its Citizens Police Academy. The academy is open to any village resident or village employee who is at least 18-years-old and free of any criminal history. Classes will be held at the Mount Prospect Police Department, 112 E. Northwest Highway — and various locations throughout the village — from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Mondays, beginning Sept. 12 and concluding Nov. 21. Participants will get a firsthand look at police operations, and an opportunity to experience police work from the officers’ point of view. Topics include traffic enforcement, crime scene processing, field training and criminal law. Academy students also will be allowed to make simulated traffic stops and arrests, and use the department’s pistol range as well. Applications are available at the police department’s front desk, and on the village website at www.mountprospect.org/police. All applications must be submitted by 9 a.m. Aug. 24. For more information, call Police Officer Greg Sill at (847) 870-5650.

Hickory Hills

City Clerk earns pair of scholarships

The city announced that Hickory Hills City Clerk Dee Catizone recently received the 2016 Frank German Memorial Scholarship (provided by the American Legal Publishing Corporation) and the Bertha Eleanor Rohrbach Scholarship (provided by the Municipal Clerks of Illinois) to attend the 2016 Municipal Clerks of Illinois Academy, in Springfield. Catizone earned the scholarships for her accomplishments as City Clerk, and for her continuing work to support the Municipal Clerks of Illinois organization. For more information, call (708) 598-4800 or visit www.hickoryhillsil.org.

Oak Park

Police Dept. names Ambrose as new chief

The village announced that Oak Park Police Department veteran Anthony Ambrose has been selected as the new Chief of Police. Ambrose, who has served as Deputy Police Chief since 2005, will succeed Rick C. Tanksley, who will retire on Sept. 1 after nearly 33 years on the force. Ambrose joined the Oak Park Police Department as a patrol officer in 1984. Prior to his role as Deputy Chief, Ambrose oversaw the department’s community policing operations, including the Residential Beat Officer program. Ambrose holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Lewis University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University.

Park Ridge

Park District to host four-day Hinkley Fest

The Park Ridge Park District will host Hinkley Fest from 4-10 p.m. Aug. 11, 4-10:30 p.m. Aug. 12, noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 13 and noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at Hinkley Park, 25 Busse Highway. The event includes carnival rides and games, children’s entertainment, food vendors, craft beer and wine, and daily live music. “Back to School Night” (Aug. 11), includes performances by The Hustle, a garage band featuring Main South High School students, at 5:30 p.m., and Otherwise Civilized, a high-energy rock band featuring Carpenter School Principal Brett Balduf, at 8 p.m.. Beatles tribute band American English will headline at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 12; alternative rockers Mike & Joe headline at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13; and country rock band Hillbilly Rockstarz headline at 6 p.m. Aug. 14. Admission is free. For more information, call (847) 692-5127 or visit www.parkridgeparkdistrict.com.

–Cook County News Briefs–