Originally appeared in the December 9, 2012 edition of CookCountyHHS.org With the Holiday season in full force, it is timely to encourage everyone to enjoy celebrations with family and friends, but to do so responsibly. Impaired driving is a serious public health threat. In one year, nearly 1.5 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the U.S. (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration). Keep these points in mind during this season and always: Designate a non-drinking driver if you intend to drink.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced today the start of a major construction project at the Cook County Department of Corrections and the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) that will improve building standards, increase energy efficiency and realize significant energy savings. The three-year, $34 million dollar project will replace critical heating, cooling and control systems, install new insulation and upgrade lighting systems for a total of 17 Energy Conservation Measures throughout the campus.

Originally published November 30, 2012 at the Forest Preserve website The Forest Preserve District of Cook County has opened portions of the new Oak Forest Heritage Preserve to the public. The 176.3 acre preserve is located on 159th Street, east of Cook County’s Oak Forest Medical Center campus.

Originally published December 6, 2012 at the Cook County Clerk's website Clerk David Orr today unveiled a time and labor-saving delinquent property tax online search tool that provides instant information on all Cook County properties with sold, forfeited or unpaid taxes in the last 20 years. The delinquent property database contains 222,670 properties with more than $912 million in delinquent taxes. With this new search tool, property owners can learn instantly if they owe back taxes, Orr said.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the Commissioners, Agency heads and Bureau chiefs all gathered in the lobby of 118 N . Clark St. to light the Cook County Holiday Tree.  The event was hosted by Robert Jordan of WLS-TV Channel 7.

We often think of the holiday season as a time for giving-to our families, our friends and our larger communities. But what about giving back to the earth? The tallgrass prairies and savannas of Cook County are rarer and more threatened than the tropical rainforests. After nearly two centuries of urban development and farming in the region, they've been reduced to a tiny fraction of their former range.

Originally appeared in the November 29, 2012 edition of the Cook County Forest Preserve's website Wetlands are lands that are wet for at least part of the year. They provide critical feeding, resting and breeding habitat to many kinds of waterfowl, amphibians and reptiles, fish, small mammals and dragonflies.

Originally published on the Commit to Cook website, November 27, 2012 On November 20, President Preckwinkle welcomed a delegation of 25 high-level government officials from Nanchang, China, hosted by WorldChicago, who were interested in gaining knowledge on economic development and energy in the United States. The meeting, held at 69 W. Washington, 35th Floor, included a formal presentation by Herman Brewer, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Economic Development, on economic development and growth within Cook County.

Originally appeared in the November 19, 2012 edition of Commit to Cook The Interfaith Housing Development Corporation, along with the Village of Oak Park, and the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development gathered with others in the community to start the rehabilitation of 820-832 West Madison, Oak Park to affordable housing. Formerly used for industrial purposes, the Village of Oak Park approved the required zoning for this transition to occur . The project received a $2,000,000 HOME loan coordinated through the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development.

The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management (DHSEM) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) received $47 million in Homeland Security Grant Funding to continue the development, training and allocation of resources for securing the public and critical infrastructure in the event of an emergency or disaster. The Chicago Urban Area was the fourth highest recipient of Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funding which is critical to the sustainment of public safety and to homeland security initia