Scams cost residents more than $10,000


** Bogus security call cost man $7,500

Police report that a Buffalo Grove man was bilked out of $7,500 after receiving a call from a man who said he was with Amazon’s Security Department. Reports say the man was told there was a problem with his account and he needed to purchase gift cards to resolve the problem. The man told police he purchased six gift cards totaling $7,500 before realizing it was a scam.

** Resident out $3,000 in identity theft

A Buffalo Grove man told police $3,000 was transferred from his bank account as the result of an apparent hack to his mobile phone. The man told police that two of his credit cards had also been used, apparently because of the hack. However, the $1,300 lost was credited back to the man’s accounts.

** Homeless man attacked – Police responded to what they thought was a fight between two men in a parking lot at Dundee and Arlington Heights roads. According to reports, a homeless man said he was attacked by a man who claimed to be a “sheriff” telling the man that he did not want to see the homeless man in Aldi again. A motorist in the parking lot told police she heard the commotion and checked on the homeless man after the attacker drove off..

** Catalytic convert swiped

A man told police that he noticed his car was unusually loud when he started it and found it was due to a missing catalytic converter. Police reports say the theft occurred in the 700 block of Weidner Road.

Stupid is as stupid does…

Police issued one ticket for driving on a suspended or revoked license, one for driving an uninsured vehicle, one ticket for driving a motor vehicle without a license and two tickets for speeding.

Village News

Village seeking new website vendor

After suffering what is being called a “catastrophic” hardware and cloud back-up failure of the village’s website hosting vendor, village staff and officials are beginning a search for a new vendor.

            The site, www.vbg.org, failed on Thursday, Feb. 4 and remained down until Tuesday, Feb. 9. A temporary domain with “limited functionality” was activated to provide online access and services for residents.

            In social media posts and eblasts, residents were assured that data was safe and late fees for various payments would not be assessed.

Village Board meets Tuesday

            The Village Board’s monthly regular meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday instead of the usual Monday night because Monday, Feb. 15 is Presidents’ Day. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

Food bank open Sunday

Congregation Beth Am, 1370 Abbott Court, will have its food pantry open from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14.

No identification or financial verification needed. Each household will receive three bags of non-perishable food. This is available to all residents, regardless of religious background. The congregation’s food pantry is open the second and last Sunday of every month.

Stevenson Board OKs tax abatement, refunds

            Residents in Stevenson High School District 125 will see a tax break and a refund of student fees.  Both actions were approved by the D125 Board Feb. 1.

Car seat inspection program resumes

After a temporary halt due to the pandemic, Buffalo Grove police are once again accepting registration for child car seat installations or inspections. The service is performed by BGPD officers who are car seat technicians certified through Safe Kids.

The free service is available to all Buffalo Grove residents every Tuesday by appointment only. Visit this link for more information and to make an appointment.

Village eyes marketing to help businesses

            Retail businesses in Buffalo Grove may not get stimulus checks from the village, but they may get marketing support. According to the Daily Herald, the Village Board Feb. 1 discussed plans to help the retail climate by embarking on a multi-faceted plan that would include eblasts and a website that would focus on business.

Park Board president, staff members honored

            Buffalo Grove Park Board President Larry Reiner received the Illinois Association of Park District’s Chairman’s Citation for his many years of dedication to the field and the impact he has had throughout the state.

The award was presented at the IAPD’s annual conference by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-30). Johnson is outgoing chair of the IAPD’s Board of Trustee and a member of the Buffalo Grove Park District’s Board of Commission.

            Each year the IAPD Chairman selects an individual that he or she wants to recognize for their leadership, support, and inspiration in advancing the field of parks, recreation, and conservation, whether locally and/or statewide. Johnson chose Reiner for his dedication in serving alongside her as a 33-year Buffalo Grove Park District Commissioner and for his many accomplishments in advancing the field, including the creation of the Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies program for veterans with disabilities.

In addition to the IAPD award, several staff members of the Park District staff were cited by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.

Reiner and superintendent of communications and marketing Mike Terson were recognized for their leadership.

Other Buffalo Grove Park District staff members who were acknowledged at the conference were recreation supervisor Allison Oberst, who finished her term on the IPRA Recreation Section Board, and Fitness Center general manager Joe Zimmermann, who is the incoming director of the IPRA Facility and Management Section.

Didech bill targets rec pot sales

            The sale of recreation marijuana in Buffalo Grove could become a reality if the state legislature passed a bill (HB 619) introduced by State Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59) passes. It would allow firms that dispense medical marijuana that move within the same village to sell recreational pot. That’s the dilemma facing Sunnyside which has a medical dispensary in Buffalo Grove and has been approved for a recreational dispensary at 830 Milwaukee Ave. The Daily Herald reports under current laws if a medical dispensary moves it cannot sell recreational marijuana.

            Didech is hopeful the bill, which he says has bipartisan support, will get a favorable vote this spring.

The bill is cosponsored by State Rep. Jonathan Carroll (D-57) of Northbrook.

Schneider bill would aid retailers hit hard by pandemic

Congressman Brad Schneider (D-10) introduced the Retail Revitalization Act to support retailers struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic by enabling more private sector investment in the industry. The bipartisan legislation, introduced with fellow Ways and Means Committee member Congressman Darin LaHood (D-18), provides a business-to-business solution to infuse much-needed capital into the struggling retail industry. Specifically, it would modernize tax provisions to allow real estate investment trusts (REITs) to invest more in their retail tenants.

In announcing the legislation, Schneider’ office said the retail industry has been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than almost any other industry, with some major retailers having already filed for bankruptcy and more on the cusp. Retailers urgently need more capital, but few landlords are willing or able to make a meaningful investment in their retail tenants under current tax provisions. These outdated and restrictive provisions paralyze the private sector from aiding the retail industry during this time of financial crisis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the retail sector, resulting in lost jobs and shuttered doors. Retailers across the county are already facing bankruptcy, liquidation or large-scale job losses. Allowing REIT landlords to infuse more capital into their retail tenants will help offset the retail sector’s devastating losses caused by the pandemic and save jobs,” Schneider said.

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