News Briefs: Early voting begins; Skokie Community Solar milestone; Local educator honor

Early in-person voting for the November midterm elections began Monday, Oct. 19, across Chicagoland with a handful of locations nearby for North Shore voters.

According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office voters do not need a reason to vote early and may vote at any Cook County early-voting site, as long as the individual is a registered voter in the county. 

Early voting is done digitally via a touchscreen. According to the county, the names of the early voters are available to the public and are updated each day during early voting.

New voters or voters changing their address must provide two forms of ID. More information on presenting ID is available at the county clerk’s website, where you can also find information on mail-in voting, as well as view wait times at each early-voting location.

For registered voters in the county, a government-issued ID is not necessary at the polls but, the county says, it may be helpful during check-in and if election judges have any registration questions. 

Locally, early-voting sites open at 8:30 Monday morning, Oct. 19, in Wilmette, Evanston, Skokie, Northbrook and Glenview, among other places. 

The locations are open from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday until Nov. 2. 

For more early-voting information, you can call (312) 603-0900.

Below are details on some area sites. Click here to view all suburban Cook County polling sites and Lake County polling sites.

WILMETTE — Centennial Ice Arena, 2300 Old Glenview Road

EVANSTON — Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. 

GLENVIEW — Glenview Village Hall, 2500 Lake Ave.

SKOKIE — Skokie Courthouse, Room 149. 5600 Old Orchard Road; and Oakton Community College, 7701 Lincoln Ave.

NORTHBROOK — Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane 

HIGHWOOD — Highwood Library & Community Center, 102 Highwood Ave.

Skokie Community Solar surpasses 100 subscribers

The Village of Skokie announced that Skokie Community Solar now has more than 100 enrollees, saying in a press release that the “milestone reflects strong community interest in a simple way to support renewable energy while saving money on electricity without installing rooftop solar.”

Through Skokie Community Solar, the release explains, eligible ComEd customers can subscribe to a share of the electricity produced by an Illinois solar farm. That energy subscription becomes credits on their monthly ComEd bill, resulting in a discount.

“Reaching 100 subscribers is an exciting milestone because it shows what we can accomplish when Skokie residents come together around practical solutions that benefit both their households and community,” said Lisa Sanzenbacher, Skokie’s sustainability coordinator, in the release. “Community solar gives residents an opportunity to save on their electric bills while supporting the growth of clean energy. We are grateful to everyone who has already signed up, and we hope even more neighbors will take advantage of the opportunity while space is still available.”

According to the Village, renters, homeowners and eligible small businesses can all participate in the program. The Village has worked with its community solar partners to expand local awareness through community events, neighborhood organizations and other trusted local networks.

With more than 100 Skokie subscribers already participating, the Village says, only a limited amount of subscription capacity remains available.

As an added incentive, new Skokie Community Solar subscribers can receive a free Skokie hooded sweatshirt as part of the current enrollment campaign.

The director of the local Goddard School was awarded 2026 Goodard School Director of the Year, according to an announcement from Goddard Systems.

The honor went to Arianna Lopez, the executive director of The Goodard School of Skokie — Evanston/Wilmette.

“Arianna Lopez’s outstanding leadership and steadfast commitment to The Goddard School’s mission have made a lasting impact on her school community and exemplify the very best of our system,” said Darin Harris, CEO of Goodard Systems, in a statement. “Arianna, like all Goddard School directors, plays an essential role in creating a supportive, nurturing environment where teachers can succeed and every child can grow into the best version of themselves.”

The release says that Lopez has more than two decades of teaching and leadership experience and joined The Goddard School of Skokie – Evanston/Wilmette when it opened in 2016.

“Arianna has been a cornerstone of our community from the day we opened our doors and is beloved by staff and families alike,” said Mary Fratini, owner of The Goddard School of Skokie – Evanston/Wilmette. “Whether supporting a teacher, welcoming a family or solving a challenge before anyone else has even seen it coming, she embodies the very best of The Goddard School. Arianna is not only an outstanding director, she is the heart of our school. Her leadership, character and commitment make her truly deserving of the Director of the Year award.”

Lopez holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and teaching from DePaul University and a master’s degree in early childhood administration and leadership from Walden University. She also completed the McCormick Institute for Early Childhood’s director leadership program and has served as a program ambassador within The Goddard School system.

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