Tuesday, June 25

New service

[JUNE 25, 2002]  An online service to simplify and speed up the retrieval of data for residential, agricultural, industrial and commercial properties was unveiled June 12 by Logan County Treasurer Mary Bruns, County Clerk and Recorder Sally Litterly, and Supervisor of Assessments Rosanne Brosamer.

The system will allow real-estate agents, appraisers, banks, title companies, taxpayers and other interested parties to access Logan County’s tax information via the Internet

People can visit the Logan County website at www.co.logan.il.us and click on "treasurer," "tax search" and "property search" or go directly to http://loganilpropertymax.governmaxa.com.

Access to the service is currently being offered at no cost.

For users of this information, the ability to access property valuation and real estate tax information data in an easy-to-use format is a great advantage over a trip to the courthouse offices. Placing it on the Internet moves the county closer to a "virtual courthouse," which makes the best possible use of our human technological resources.

The system has been in the works for the past couple of months, being customized to the needs of Logan County.

The development was in coordination between Logan County and Governmax.com, the Internet division of Manatron of Portage, Mich., which is the county’s real estate tax software vendor. Governmax.com is an industry leader in Web-based system designs for local government applications across the nation. Governmax.com is also a leader in e-commerce applications for local government, making the future of a virtual courthouse available to the taxpayers today.

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All changes in the data will be updated nightly. Users will be able to download or print out detailed information on the almost 17,000 parcels in Logan County. On a residence, for example, data would include parcel ID number, owner, address, legal description, recording information and tax bill information, including current taxes due, installment paid amount and date paid; also assessment information, including exemptions, assessed value for land/lot, building and total assessment; and sale information.

The system offers great functionality and utilizes user-friendly searching capabilities on parcel ID, name or address. The possibilities for the future are exciting. With new technology just around the corner for the county, possible enhancements to this public service could include the ability to do sales searches for properties in a certain price range or location or for comparable properties and also an opportunity to view digital images of the comparable properties.

The county will work with Manatron representatives from the Springfield regional office to continue to provide information in a user-friendly, cost-effective manner.

[News release]

[JUNE 25, 2002]  OAKBROOK TERRACE — Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough will announce the new Teen Leadership Program of the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant at the preliminary Miss Illinois competition on June 26. The state affiliate of the Miss America organization will hold the event at 8 p.m. at the Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. For tickets, call (217) 653-1257 or (630) 833-4607, or download the ticket form from the Miss Illinois website, www.missil.org.

The teen program will focus on developing leadership skills for young women ages 13-17 by requiring each participant to create a community service project benefiting the Dorough Lupus Foundation, a nonprofit organization started by Dorough shortly after his sister succumbed to the disease in 1998. Other areas of competition will include personal interview, fitness and on-stage presentation.

The community service projects will aim to raise awareness and funds for lupus research, education and financial assistance for individuals living with lupus who cannot afford treatment, as well as teach the skills required to develop grassroots support necessary to make a difference.

"The disease took my sister from my family," said Dorough. "It means the world to me to have the support of family, friends and the public to help find a cure for lupus. Hopefully, in the near future, a cure will be found and no other family will have to endure such a tragic loss as our family has endured."

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria and other foreign materials. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself.

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The new Miss Illinois Teen Leadership Program will combine the popularity of Howie D. and the Miss Illinois Program to empower young teen girls to develop their leadership voices while competing for scholarships. The visibility of these two partners will raise awareness of lupus and the tremendous work being done by the Dorough Lupus Foundation. By tapping into "teen power" the lupus story can be told and the disease placed on the path toward a cure.

Chloe Lewis, a 13-year-old eighth-grade student at the Latin School of Chicago and teen spokesperson for the new program, states, "By teaching girls at a young age how to be leaders, we can call our generation to action and tackle any number of problems facing the world." Miss Lewis calls on teens across the state to enter the program and join with Howie D. and the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant to communicate the hope for a cure.

For information about entering the new teen program, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Miss Illinois Scholarship Program, Inc., P.O. Box 301045, Chicago, IL 60630-9998, or click on the "Teen Program" icon at www.missil.org for more information.

[News release]

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