COUNTY

New homeowners should check to see if they owe property taxes

New homeowners are encouraged to check to see if they are responsible for any real estate taxes this year.

Christine J. Johnson, DeKalb County Treasurer, encourages suggests that new homeowners check their real estate closing documents, or with their title company or attorney, to see if they owe 2017 property taxes that are due this year.

If they find that they do, Johnson recommends that they contact her office for a duplicate bill. By acting quickly new homeowners can avoid delinquent taxes and penalties. For more information about DeKalb County real estate tax bills, call the Treasurer’s Helpline at (815) 895-7337. 

DeKALB

Pritchard leaves Springfield for seat on NIU board

Former Illinois Rep. Robert Pritchard is the newest member of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees.

Gov. Bruce Rauner named Pritchard to fill the seat of Robert Boey, who retired earlier this year. Pritchard assumed his new role July 1, the same day he resigned from the Illinois House, where he served for 15 years.

Pritchard’s wife, Mary, has spent most of her career in education at NIU as a teacher, administrator and interim dean.

Library hosts video gaming club

The DeKalb Public Library’s Video Gaming Club continues in July, with meetings to be held from 3-5 p.m. Mondays in the Teen Room.

Teens and tweens are invited to try new or retro games each week. There will be tournaments and gift card prizes. This month’s tournaments will be as follows:

• July 9 – Mario Kart
• July 16 – Naruto
• July 23 – ATV-Motor Cross
• July 30 – NBA 2K18

The club is free and no registration is required to participate. The club’s activities will be held in conjunction with the Gaming Goat, and is intended for students in grades six to 12.

For more information, email susang@dkpl.org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 3400. The library is at 309 Oak St., DeKalb.

Work to begin on nature trail

The DeKalb Nature Trail restoration project received a $41,000 boost when the DeKalb Park District Board of Commissioners approved a bid for improvements.

DeKalb-based Encap had the winning bid of $40,866.50 to make improvements on the side of the trail that has ComEd power lines. A schedule will be determined once the contract’s signed, and the goal is to start cleaning out invasive plants by Sept. 15. Work also will include native-plant seeding late this fall or early next spring.

The district park received funding for the project through several grants, including a $10,000 grant from ComEd, a $2,000 grant from the DeKalb Rotary Club and a $5,000 grant from the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

STATE

Tickets for bicentennial celebration on sale July 6

Illinois is the Land of Lincoln and of the Ferris wheel, cellphone, zipper, skyscraper, dentistry, the NFL and the Tootsie Roll. All of these accomplishments and more will be celebrated Dec. 3, during the state’s 200^th birthday party.

The bicentennial celebration will be held at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. The evening will honor the people, places and things that were born and bred in Illinois.

Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. July 6 at the United Center box office and ticketmaster.com, and will cost $50 and $75. The celebration is part of a yearlong commemoration of the anniversary that includes a U.S. Route 66 motorcycle ride, festivals and more.

The gala will be emceed by television journalist Bill Kurtis, and will feature talent including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Styx, the Chicago Bears, Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and actor Joe Mantegna.

Legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy, who came to Illinois almost 61 years ago to pursue a music career, will perform in the grand finale of the evening that will also feature historic moments and figures such as the birth of the NFL, the four presidents who hailed from the Prairie State and state military veterans.

Nominations for 200 Illinois veterans to be honored for their service will be accepted through Aug. 31.

Nomination forms and additional events celebrating the milestone can be found on the Illinois Bicentennial’s website, illinois200.com.

–DeKalb County News Briefs–