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December 24, 2024

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Greetings Ivan! 

🗳️ Hometown pride: Vote for Skokie for “Best Suburb.”

🚛 Reminder: There are no changes to trash and recycling collections this week. All collections will occur as normal.

👮‍♀️ Public safety partnership: Attend a Skokie Police Department beat meeting in January.

2024 is almost wrapped! Before we turn the page to 2025, let’s take a moment to relive the highlights from the last 12 months.

Highlight reel: Enjoy the moments – and the music – that defined the year. Watch our 2024 Skokie Wrapped video on Instagram.

Digital report: See all the highlights, photos and videos on our Skokie 2024 Year In Review web page.

Thank you for contributing to the strength and spirit of our community!

Asphalt paving on Old Orchard Road in December. 

Cook County has concluded work on the Old Orchard Road Improvement Project for 2024 and will resume in spring 2025.

Two detours remain in place: Northbound traffic exiting I-94 will not be able to turn onto westbound Old Orchard Road, but can continue to exit onto eastbound Old Orchard Road. In addition, traffic will not be able to enter northbound I-94 from Old Orchard Road.

I-94 work zone removed: Work on the proposed northbound exit ramp is anticipated to resume in late winter/early spring 2025. Bridge work will resume when exit ramp work is completed.

Holiday gatherings, gifts and decorations create wonderful memories – and lots of trash! Celebrate sustainably this season by reviewing the information and services below.

Holiday lighting. You can continue to drop off holiday string lighting and extension cords for recycling at Skokie Public Works, 9050 Gross Point Rd., through January 31.

Christmas trees. We’ll be picking up Christmas trees during the weeks of January 6 and 13, weather permitting. Trees will be chipped and turned into mulch, so please remove all lights and decorations. No bags!

Recycling. Wondering what to do with wrapping paper, gift boxes, bags, cards and more? Review these holiday recycling dos and don’ts.

Food waste. Make “composting” your New Year’s resolution! Bring leftover food scraps to one of our 11 free drop-off sites.

The CTA Holiday Train crosses Main Street on December 23.

The CTA Holiday Train sparkled through Skokie on the Yellow Line on Monday evening.

Built in Skokie: WBEZ’s Curious City detailed the history of the holiday train, including how – and where – it’s put together every year. (Hint: At the CTA Skokie Shop rail maintenance facility on Oakton Street!) 

Washing hands frequently with soap and water is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.

Respiratory viruses, such as whooping cough, flu, RSV and COVID-19, continue to circulate throughout Illinois and specifically in Skokie. 

Stay healthy: Review common symptoms and how you can protect yourself and others this season.

A note about birds: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is monitoring avian flu in waterfowl (such as geese and ducks). Although avian flu generally poses a low risk to humans, avoid contact with any dead or ill bird(s) and report any instances of five or more dead birds to IDNR.

New Skokie Fire Department Incident Command Vehicle.

The Skokie Fire Department recently welcomed a new Incident Command Vehicle (ICV) to its fleet.

How it’s used: The ICV responds to emergency incidents where three or more fire apparatus are dispatched and to emergency incidents that require specialized mitigation strategies.

Why it’s important: The specialized vehicle has resources and communication abilities that help the department better manage complex emergency incidents, enhancing safety for the public and first responders.

For the 3rd consecutive year, Skokie Firefighters Local 3033 and Skokie Fire Department collected toys in support of the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign. 

A new record: Skokie Firefighters delivered 991 new toys in time for holiday distribution. Thank you to all who contributed time, effort and toys to brighten the holiday season for others.