Protect yourself & your funds

Although precautionary driving is always wise, it is obligatory to keep your wits about you during winter weather. You will benefit physically and financially.

Your Self.  

Question: Protecting the children of our communities should be our number one goal. Do any new Illinois laws advance this goal?
 

Question: Can you fill me in on any important new laws that go into effect this year? Like most of us, I don’t have time to keep up on the laws I’m bound to follow.
 

Question: My friend was somehow ticketed for not disposing of his Christmas tree properly. Are there Christmas tree rules I don’t know about?

Question: I heard about a special tax just for Christmas trees, but I don’t remember paying one. Was that just a rumor?

Question: When my employer hired me, he told me that I was guaranteed a job for at least three months.
One month later, I was laid off for reasons they said were “beyond our control.” In truth, I think my position was eliminated due to budget cuts. I didn’t sign a contract. Do I have any recourse?

Question: I live in Rockford in a single-family home and have a well-kept yard. I take pride in my landscaping. My neighbor, on the other hand, waits until his weedy grass is out of control before he mows.

It has gotten to the point where I’m too embarrassed to even sit outside and enjoy the weather (especially when I have guests). Can I do anything legally to have him mow his lawn?
 

Question: My friend swears it’s illegal to drive in Rockford while talking on the phone without a hands-free device. Is that right? I don’t have a headset for my cellphone, and I’m really not interested in buying any more expensive accessories.

Answer: Your friend is correct, but only in part. The Illinois Vehicle Code prohibits drivers in school zones or construction zones from using a cellphone, unless the driver has both hands free during the phone conversation.

Chrysler and the United Auto Workers Union have yet to strike a deal on a four-year contract, the details of which were expected yesterday morning. Union leaders from across the nation gathered in Detroit this week in anticipation of a deal between Chrysler and the primary union representing American autoworkers (UAW).