In an effort to raise awareness about human trafficking, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, along with the Commission on Women’s Issues, is sponsoring a public hearing, “Ending the Exploitation of Women & Girls.” The event takes place at 9:00 am on Thursday, September 19. It will be available to live-stream online as well. Two featured speakers, Marian Hatcher and Brenda Myers-Powell are local survivors of the sex trafficking trade.

Cook County Department of Public Health officials remind residents that bats are active this time of year, which means the possibility of exposure to rabies is increasing. Five bats have tested positive for rabies so far this year in suburban Cook County. Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. A person may contract rabies through a bite, scratch, or saliva from an infected animal. A bat bite or scratch may not be seen or even felt by the injured person due to the small size of its teeth and claws.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is hosting its second annual photo contest.

This month's Law Library Brown Bag Lunch Discussion topic is Voting Rights, a particularly timely issue as this month marks both the 48th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the Voting Rights Act and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Voting rights continue to be very much in the national spotlight, and this session will explore relevant questions around the issue. Join Mary Schaafsma, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, in a discussion and conversation on voting rights at noon on Thursday, Aug.

According to the Cook County Commission on Women's Issues, there are more people being bought and sold at this moment than in the entire 300-year history of the Atlantic Slave Trade. This public hearing on the efforts of Cook County Government to end the exploitation of women and girls will take place on Thursday, September 19 in the Cook County Board Room, 118 N Clark, Room 567. The hearing begins at 9:00 am. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Peggy A .

Originally published at the Bureau of Economic Development website, August 21, 2013. Speaking to a full house, President Preckwinkle gave the Keynote Address at Opportunities for Investment in Chicago’s Southland, an event sponsored by IceMiller, LLP, that brought together the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) municipalities and partners including the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago Community Loan Fund, Enterprise Community Partners and the Metropolitan Planning Council.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, visited the Cook County Building on Aug. 16, touring the Cook County Recorder of Deeds’ Veterans Service office and filing her DD-214 military discharge papers with the Recorder. Duckworth also met with county officials including Recorder Karen Yarbrough, Cook County Director of Veterans Affairs Bill Browne, Brian Cross of the Recorder’s Veterans Service Office and Al Zaragoza, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County. Rep.

The Illinois Partners for Clean Air and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency have issued an Air Pollution Action Day Alert to individuals and businesses in the Chicago Metropolitan area. Air pollution levels are expected to reach the “Orange” or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category on the national Air Quality Index on Tuesday, August 20th. This will be the 1st Action Day issued for 2013.

Lobbyists were paid $1.46 million during the first half of 2013 as they attempted to influence Cook County elected officials and high-ranking employees, Cook County Clerk David Orr announced Tuesday. The 195 active lobbyists in Cook County earned $1,456,675 and reported 517 lobbying contacts from January to June. The number of reported lobbying contacts is the lowest since online filing began in 2010 (See Chart 1). “From the activity reported, we know county officials were lobbied about firearms, taxes and landfills,” Orr said.