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
Michael Divincenzo faces eight misdemeanor charges related to reports of physical assaults at Maine West High School in Des Plaines in 2012, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
A former varsity boys soccer coach and teacher at Maine West High School faces multiple criminal charges related to reports of bullying and hazing, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez stated on Wednesday. Michael Divincenzo was charged with eight misdemeanor counts including three counts of battery, one count of hazing and four counts of failure to report abuse as mandated, in incidents on June 1, 2012, Aug. 31, 2012 and Sept. 26, 2012, according to court documents. Divincenzo is accused of threatening freshmen students to have the varsity players stick their thumbs up their buttocks if they did not communicate properly during a soccer drill, according to the charges. Freshmen team players were held down by varsity players against …
The following arrest information was supplied by the Des Plaines Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
The Des Plaines Police Department provided the following reports. Criminal Damage to Property, Graffiti Police found a sign at the former Schwake Stone building, 1313 E. Rand Road, was vandalized with graffiti while on patrol at 9:26 a.m. on May 10. The graffiti was photographed, police stated, and a work order to clean it up was completed. Theft of Gas An unknown male subject left the BP gas station, 800 S. Elmhurst Road, after pumping 11 gallons of fuel and leaving without making a payment at 5:45 p.m. on May 11, according to a police report. Property loss was estimated at $45.82. Vehicle Theft A purple Honda Civic coupe with gold rims was reported stolen on the 1400 block of Marshall Drive early Sunday morning, police stated. A witness …
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Safety at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue would improve with a new traffic signal, Des Plaines aldermen said.
At the direction of Des Plaines aldermen, public works and engineering workers conducted a traffic volume study at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue last week. Traffic at the intersection has increased since 2010, the last time the study was done, said Derek Peebles, civil engineer. The data is being prepared to send to the Illinois Department of Transportation with an explanation that the city is interested is a permit for a traffic signal at that intersection, Peebles said. The opening of Boston Fish Market and other new development, and traffic from the Aldi grocery story and Advance Auto Parts store may be contributing to the increase in traffic volume from 2010 to 2013. In the video above, shot between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on May 13, …
Eastbound traffic on E. Forest Avenue increased almost 60 percent between 2010 and 2013, according to data collected and analyzed by staff in the City of Des Plaines Public Works and Engineering Department.
At the direction of Des Plaines aldermen, public works and engineering workers conducted a traffic volume study at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue last week. Traffic at the intersection has increased since 2010, the last time the study was done, said Derek Peebles, civil engineer. The data is being prepared to send to the Illinois Department of Transportation with an explanation that the city is interested is a permit for a traffic signal at that intersection, Peebles said Now, we want to know what you think. Vote in our poll above and share your thoughts about this issue in the comments section below. Related:
Traffic volume data recently collected by the City of Des Plaines indicated the intersection of Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue may qualify for a new traffic signal to be constructed.
The City of Des Plaines is steering toward constructing a new traffic signal. Aldermen voted to direct city staff to complete a traffic count study at the intersection of Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue at a meeting on May 6. Fifth Ward Alderman James Brookman said the intersection was in his ward, and he supported a traffic signal to be installed. “I’m very interested in pushing for this for a long time; I think this definitely is needed,” Brookman said. Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Walsten, who was acting Mayor on May 6, said a traffic signal at Lee Street and E. Forest Avenue was necessary. “That’s a very dangerous intersection,” Walsten said. “I’ve seen people backed up four-to-five cars, and somebody’s going to get hurt — I’m telling you …
The following arrest information was supplied by the Des Plaines Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
The Des Plaines Police Department provided the following reports. Criminal Damage to Property, Graffiti Newspaper boxes, an electrical box and signage at the Cumberland Metra depot, 485 E. Northwest Highway were vandalized with graffiti, and reported to police at 8:44 a.m. on May 10. The graffiti was photographed, police stated, and a work order to clean it up was completed. Criminal Damage to Vehicle The rear window of a vehicle was smashed with a golf-ball-sized rock while it was parked in a parking lot on the 900 block of Beau Drive sometime between 10 p.m. on May 10 and 9:30 a.m. on May 11, police stated. Property loss was estimated at $150. Disorderly Conduct Frank P. Klupta, 57, of North Barrington, was charged with disorderly …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Expanded café, façade construction, a new clock, more in store for the train depot on Miner Street in Des Plaines, according to city documents.
The downtown Des Plaines area will have a new look before the end of the year, and the Metra train depot is included in the comprehensive plan. Des Plaines City Council approved awarding a bid of almost a half-million dollars to remodel the train depot at a meeting on May 6. New doors, windows, an expanded café area, a clock in the center, changes to the façade and more are planned for the Metra depot, according to city documents. The work will be completed this construction season, by the fall, in conjunction with the extensive streetscape construction currently underway in the downtown area, said Michael Bartholomew, city manager, in an interview with Patch. “I think this is an exciting space,” Bartholomew said. “When you go up and down …
The following arrest information was supplied by the Des Plaines Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
The Des Plaines Police Department provided the following reports. Theft A 6-foot by 3-foot black grill was reported stolen from a church on the 2300 block of Dempster Street at 2 p.m. on May 9, police stated. A witness told police a scrapper truck was seen taking the grill from the area, according to the report. The grill was recently donated to the church, according to the report, and property loss was estimated at $400. Attempted Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property Police were dispatched for a report of a burglary in progress on the 2000 block of S. Eastview Drive at 8:53 p.m. on May 10, police stated. A witness told police the doorbell was heard ringing multiple times at the house before a window was heard breaking, according to the …
Laura Wagner
2:55 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
There are a lot of things missing in this article. How does she own a home--does she have mortage payments or is it paid off, and how much did the home cost? How much does she pay for her high-speed Internet service (when I tried to pay less by cancelling cable TV and just getting Internet, the company gave me both for a dollar more than the Internet alone cost)? And the big one: How did she get … more ›