Deerfield Insider

Have you ever considered being one of the “cool” parents that allow their kids to invite friends over for a party, in which you provide the alcohol?  Well, think again.

Deerfield Police are cracking down on drunk driving, especially teenage drunk driving.  After the death of teenagers Danny Bell and Ross Trace last October, who were killed in a traffic accident while drinking and driving, Deerfield police knew there had to be something done about the problem.

Last Friday, police charged Jeffrey and Sara Hutsell with five misdemeanors in connection with a party and the death of Bell and Trace.  Warrants for their arrest had been issued, and the Hutsells turned themselves into police.

They were charged with two counts of violating the Deerfield liquor control act, one count of endangering the health of a child, and two counts of attempting to obstruct justice.

The first count was in relation to failing to control a party that was in their own home.  They were home during the party and were fully aware of their son having a party as well as several dozen kids coming and going from their home.

The arrests were made with hopes of cracking down on drunk driving, as well as an attempt to save the lives of others.  The arrests came after months of detailed investigations.  The Hutsells posted $5,000 bond each and are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 10

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According to the Deerfield police blotter, three thefts occurred recently involving three different people.  First, a man named Frank Pirrucello is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 20 for theft and criminal trespass of a motor vehicle he was charged with and arrested at his home two Friday’s ago.  According to Deerfield police, Pirrucello stole an unlocked car parked in a driveway of a residence near the Poets Corner neighborhood, and used the car owners credit card at the Amoco on Waukegan Rd.  Police reviewed the videotape from the service station and were able to match it with Pirrucello.  He was released on a $50,000 recognizance bond.

The second theft is one that annoys me.  Lindsay Strean, an employee at the local Jamba Juice, was charged with misdemeanor theft on Sept. 19.  Strean stole $600 out of the safe and claimed she needed it to pay her rent.  She is set to appear in court Oct. 19.

Last but not least, don’t leave your car unlocked and out in the open.  It doesn’t matter where you live in, who your neighbors are.  Someone will come along, realize the car is unlocked, and proceed to steal everything you own inside it.  Two Nintendo Gameboys with 12 games were stolen, a pair of Kenneth Cole sunglasses worth $200, a wallet with food gift cards and cash, a digital camera and a $100 digital assistant were all taken from an unlocked car in a driveway on Carriage Way.

Lock your doors!

Technorati Tags: Deerfield, theft, police blotter

The chances of being bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile in Deerfield is even greater this year.   In fact, it’s up by 40 percent, and rising.  27 percent of mosquito pools the district sampled, tested positive for the virus.  As if a simple mosquito bite wasn’t bad enough, now we all have to worry about West Nile 40 percent more than ever before.  Deerfield, along with other Lake County communities including Highland Park, Riverwoods, Highwood and Bannockburn are experiencing an increase in mosquitoes testing positive.  The increase is up even from June.  At the beginning of summer, only 15 percent of samples tested positive, but in the first week of August, it’s up to 47 percent.  To make matters worse, this summer’s dry, hot weather is nothing but an ideal breeding ground for those pesky mosquitoes.  There have been about 25 dead birds that have had the virus across the area, from Lincolnwood to the Cook County line.

So far this summer, the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District has collected about 25 dead birds that had the virus across its area, which runs from Lincolnwood north to the Cook County line.  They are spraying the area on a regular basis, which is just about the most they can do.  So, needless to say, use precautions and stock up completely with OFF or whatever brand of repellent you may use.  Never run short of citronella, and so forth.  Stay away from standing water! Three people in the Cook County area have tested positive with the virus, so be careful!

Technorati Tags: Deerfield, Lake County, Cook County, mosquitoes, West Nile virus