Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Donating money to organizations that help victims is quick and easy.
Americans across the country are reacting with shock to the devastation caused by a 2-mile wide Tornado in Oklahoma. Dozens have died, and President Obama has declared the path of the tornado a major disaster area. If you would like to help, you can do so from your computer or mobile device right now. Patch will be posting stories of locals who are working to help victims from afar. If you know of someone local was affected by the tornado or who is working to help the victims, please contact your local editor.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit. Some say it would save lives. Others say it's unreasonable.
One drink could be the standard for drunken drivingat least for some people if the National Transporation Safety Board has its way. On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent. About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year. Officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having one drink. We reached out to readers of our Downers Grove, Darien, Lemont and Woodridge sites and asked them: should the DUI limit be lowered to 0.05 percent? Here’s some of the responses we got: Lori…
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Some people are destined to draw more attention than others, apparently.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Here's the story of Marlene Konkoly, who found creative ways to spend less and save more so she can retire at 50. This story is the first in our series about Extreme Savers.
Americans may be living longer, but our retirement plans aren’t keeping up. Which means people are living longer with smaller bank accounts. But Marlene Konkoly will retire at age 50. How did she do it? She contributes a whopping 45 percent of the gross annual income she earns as a procurement officer for an automotive finance company to her retirement—all while owning a home and remaining debt-free. Konkoly is actually well ahead of the retirement savings curve compared to many of her fellow Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, fewer than half of Americans even know how much money they would need to retire. And nearly a third of employees who had access to a defined contribution plan such as a 401(k) did not participate …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
It's been a long week. You need a pick-me-up.
Friday's here. Thank goodness. One more day of work, and that's it. Here's a little inspiration to get you through to Saturday. For more than a month now, Patch and Grape-Nuts have teamed up to present stories about your neighbors, neighbors who have faced challenges that would seem insurmountable to many of us. But not to the people we've featured in this series, Journeys. Not surprisingly, the stories have generated dozens of comments on Patch and on Facebook: "Great story..." "Thanks for sharing..." "So wonderfully inspiring..." And, so, here they are again. Great stories shared to inspire. Take a look at what these people have faced. Then click on the story to see their responses. And feel better about your tough week. Pit Bull …
Someone looks pretty spiffy. What's this pup thinking?
Patch readers, you're up! We need your wit, creativity and animal psychic abilities to craft the perfect caption for the next edition of our pet photo caption challenge! Suggest your caption in the Comments section below. Comments will close at 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. The winner will be announced Thursday, May 23. The author of the winning caption and pet owner can find a Patch-branded version of the photo, with the caption inserted included in the next week's edition. Congratulations to ALLEN CALVIN SR, who won last week's edition, Caption This: A Pup Cools Off. The paparazzi are always hounding me. Have a photo you'd like captioned in future editions? Add it to our collection and your pet will be featured in weeks to come! Remember:
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.
Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Chris Roethel, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Cubs, Sox Island cartoon: Sox fan: 'How can you sit so patiently and wait to be rescued?' Cubs …
As part of our new Smart Spending series, Patch wants to uncover the true going rate for various goods and services in town, so you'll know exactly how much you should pay for what you need. Help us out by replying in the comments.
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Wednesday, May 15
This week: How much do lawn services cost? How much do you pay for your lawn service? And what does that cover - just mowing, or does it cover weeding, pruning, planting? Please share in the comments below - we promise we won't judge you! And if you've got a lawn service you love, tell us that too. Here's a sampling of a few DuPage County lawn-care services: This is the first of an ongoing series, "What's the Going Rate for..." where Patch seeks to uncover how much things cost so you never have to ask again. - - - - - - - - - - There are plenty of ways to keep up with the news:
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Why doesn’t Metra have wireless internet on its trains yet? Mostly because it would be enormously expensive and a technological challenge, too. But should they?
Should Metra get Wi-Fi? Even if it’s expensive and hard to implement and maintain? The commuter-rail network is considering the possibility, the Chicago Tribune and other news agencies report, but price and technology continue to be two major barriers, despite that a DePaul University report shows 48 percent of Metra riders use personal electronic devices during their commutes. According to the paper, it could cost over $70 million to install wireless internet on all 11 Metra lines over five years—though some of that could perhaps be recouped by paid plans or sponsorships—and there’s a fear that the technology might quickly become obsolete or go unused by customers who prefer other connectivity, like smart-phone hotspots or air-cards. "(…
It's Police Week in the United States; in that spirit, we asked our local readers in DuPage County what they appreciate most about their local force.
Did you know that this week—May 13-20—is officially Police Week in the United States? According to PoliceWeek.org: In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. In the spirit of the week, we reached out to our DuPage County readers on Facebook and asked what they appreciate most about their local police departments. Here’s some of what readers shared with us: Carol Gog: “Back in the nineties, I locked my keys in …
Stan Marciniak
7:55 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Does it really matter if it's .05 or .08? Does anyone know of any DUI that has had his/her license revoked for any significant period of time? Until and unless our judicial system begins to take DUI's seriously, nothing will ever change. The conviction for a DUI is predicated entirely on the attorney you can afford, thus making the DUI nothing more than a source of revenue for municipalities. Our… more ›