Maine Township looking for nomination for late Cook County deputy sheriff award
Maine Township is accepting nominations for a resident to receive a community accolade in honor of a sheriff's deputy who lived in and was 'deeply involved' in the township.
Nominations are being sought for the 2025 Sgt. Karen Lader Memorial Good Citizen's Award, officials announced in an electronic newsletter to residents, which will be presented to a Maine Township resident who has shown support and dedication to the community.
The winner will be given a plaque and recognized at the Maine Township Annual Town Meeting on April 8, according to the newsletter post.
Township officials started the honorarium in 2011 in tribute to Lader, who was from Des Plaines and was a 15-year veteran of the Cook County sheriff's office. She lost her battle with cancer in 2010, the post explains.
She is credited with being 'deeply involved' with township residents, especially in the Neighborhood Watch Program. The post explains that Lader was also active in the National Night Out Against Crime event held annually in August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.
'Sergeant Karen Lader was not only a caring police officer, her life was an example of what it means to be a good citizen,' Maine Township Clerk Peter Gialamas stated in the post. 'She was someone who truly cared about making a difference. I am proud to have known her.'
Nomination forms may be submitted online or picked one up in person at Maine Township Town Hall, 1700 Ballard Rd., Park Ridge, during regular business hours. The deadline for submission is Friday.
Those who have a 'formal or informal relationship to any Maine Township elected official or Township staff member is barred from nominating someone or receiving the award,' the post states.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
The race to find a thief: Berlin police investigating after Torch Run signs were stolen
BERLIN, Conn. (WTNH) — Anticipation and excitement surround the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics each year in Berlin. Year after year, students line the route in front of their school to cheer on the officers. Annual Special Olympics Torch Run begins in Connecticut This year, there was also disappointment. The signs, which usually line Veterans Way, were stolen sometime between Monday when they were placed there, and Wednesday, when Mark DePinto, the officer who organizes Berlin's leg of the run, realized they were gone. 'He works very hard for this to come out perfect and that was like a setback to him,' Carmen DePinto, Mark's wife, said. It was too late to replace the signs before Thursday's torch run. The signs show the businesses and organizations which support the torch run and the Special Olympics. DePinto's daughter Christine is one of the athletes. On the day of the race, she rides in the truck which leads the police officers through town. 'She gets excited to be part of it every year,' DePinto said. 'She gets so excited she don't even want to go to her job.' 'It's just… it's hard to understand why somebody would pull those signs out and take them for a cause as good as the Special Olympics,' Berlin Deputy Police Chief Drew Gallupe said. Berlin police have launched a full investigation and say whoever is responsible will face larceny charges. 'We're reviewing video from surrounding businesses and we would ask anyone that has information or saw someone taking the signs or knows who took them if they would call us at the Berlin Police Department,' Gallupe said. Berlin police say there were about a half a dozen signs stolen from Veterans Way and because of that, those businesses and organizations didn't get the recognition they deserve for supporting this worthy cause. One of them was a local fire department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police chief backs regionalization for departments
LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The possibility of another regional police department in our area is coming soon. The Wyoming Area Regional Police Chief is in full support of regionalization for other departments looking to make the change. He says it creates a more efficient, effective, and resourceful police force; one he now leads. Rain Rally raises money for Special Olympics Chief Michael Turner is still finding ways to utilize all the space in his police department. In the basement are rooms with resources he's never had before in a police station. Upstairs, most of his leadership team even have their own offices. 'It is the best thing that has happened in this area by far.' That 'best thing' happened in 2023, that's when the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department formed, combining five individual police departments -Exeter Township, Exeter Borough, West Pittston, West Wyoming, and Wyoming Borough. Chief Turner says it's provided a stronger foundation for his guys and the nearly 20,000 residents they serve. The regional department is now stacked with 19 officers who are equipped with more tools, assigned to specific areas of crime, and designated to serve in specific zoning areas across 37 square miles. 'It's a no-brainer. The end game is to provide the best services you can to your community. The best thing to see is when departments work together.' Some reports indicate Edwardsville Borough Police and Larksville Police Department could be coming together in the near future, and Chief Turner gives the idea the thumbs up. But with change comes challenge, and Chief Turner says staying within the budget is the toughest challenge. 'There are challenges with everything, but we spend on what we need, not what we want'. Five stars for five communities, green and gold to represent a local school district, and the Water Street Bridge make up the patch ironed on Chief Turner's sleeve. A reminder of the new commitment to service. 'Regionalize, it's the answer to law enforcement.' We reached out to both Edwardsville and Larksville police departments, who told us the regionalization plan is in the early stages and couldn't release details. Chief Turner says after securing more funding, he purchased body cameras, dash cameras, stun guns, and new vehicles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Illinois State Police, rifle association disagree amidst FOID system upgrades
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Two Illinois organizations are at odds over a temporary shutdown of the FOID card system. The Illinois State Police said the system they use for FOID is 11 years old and in need of an upgrade. But the Illinois State Rifle Association is arguing that the shutdown has suspended '2nd Amendment rights in Illinois for 26 hours.' Illinois House passes carbon sequestration protections for Mahomet Aquifer Access to purchasing ammunition in Illinois is unavailable from 2 p.m. on May 20 through 4 p.m. on May 21. State Police also said the upgrade will lead to a better — and safer — system overall. 'While enhancements have been made over the years, the system will be down temporarily for an overall upgrade that will help us ensure law enforcement, firearms retailers, and residents are able to access FOID information expeditiously,' Illinois State Police said. The ISRA said firearms dealers might not be able to sell guns during this time. And they added that when they brought their concerns to State Police about the shutdown, they decided to continue anyways. Urbana Police data shows overall crime is down, but homicides up in 2025 'Make no mistake, what's being labeled as 'system maintenance' is a suspension of Illinois citizen's 2nd Amendment rights,' the ISRA wrote in a statement on Facebook. The Illinois State Police has refuted the idea that firearms dealers will not be able to sell guns during the system maintenance. They said when an agreement for a purchase is made between a firearm dealer and a purchaser, there is a 72-hour timeframe before the purchaser can acquire the firearm. During the system upgrade, Illinois State Police assured the public that firearms dealers can still sell during this period, and that the sales will be processed during the 72-hour timeframe. Cop on a Rooftop raises $1.2M for Special Olympics Illinois Illinois State Police also said they began notifying users on May 7 that their system would be down between May 20-21, allowing people to purchase ammunition ahead of time. 'We appreciate the public's patience while we make this necessary improvement to ensure our system is operating efficiently to provide the best customer service,' Illinois State Police said. The system is expected to be back up and running by 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
