To help keep local roads safe, state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, passed legislation this week expanding the use of alcohol-detecting ignition locks ensuring that DUI offenders cannot get behind the wheel intoxicated again. “Too many innocent lives are put at risk by the reckless decisions of those who choose to drive while intoxicated,” D’Amico said. “I want to make sure that DUI offenders will be monitored and reported to the authorities should they continue to make such dangerous decisions.” D’Amico introduced Senate Bill 627 in the House, which increases the use of Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIID) for DUI …

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, recently passed legislation prohibiting counties and municipalities from charging residents for using emergency services related to their disabilities or cases of domestic violence. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes,” DeLuca said. “While crime free housing was designed to make it easier for landlords to terminate leases due to criminal activity, it should not be used as a way for cities and counties to make money in emergency situations.” There are over 100 counties and municipalities across the state that allow “crime free” or “nuisance” property ordinances. Complexes under these ordinances work with …

Samuel J. Cascio, D.D.S., received the Marshall H. Smulson D.D.S. Humanitarian Award at the Ed Kelly 41st annual Giant Awards in June. A U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II, Dr. Cascio earned his D.D.S. degree from Loyola University. He has held leadership positions in the Chicago Dental Society, the Academy of General Dentistry on the state and local level, the Arcolian Dental Arts Society, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Loyola School of Dentistry. Dr. Cascio has been honored by St. Mary’s University, Loyola, the Illinois State Dental Society and the Knights of Columbus to …

  How good is your homemade wine? To find out, sign up for the fourth annual Battle of the Vino. Hosted by Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, the event will be staged on Aug. 29 at the grocery chain’s new Carol Stream store, 520 E. North Ave. Home winemakers are invited to vie for a $250 Caputo’s gift card and other prizes; learn new tricks from Caputo’s resident wine experts; and sample wines, cheeses and deli meats as they put their own wine to the test. (630-620-4444, ext. 1034; www.caputomarkets.com)  

  Ballet Légere will hold auditions for its 31st annual production of “The Nutcracker” on Aug. 15 and 16 at Légere Dance Centre in River Forest. Parts are available for girls ages 4-1/2 and up with heights ranging from 45 to 61 inches; boys ages 5 to 12; gymnasts and tumblers; and male and female dancers, both teen and adult, for pointe and non-pointe roles. Callbacks will be held Aug. 22 to 30. Ballet Légere has been performing “The Nutcracker” annually under the direction of Donna Vittorio since 1985. (773-237-1874, www.balletlegere.org)  

  “We Gotta Bingo” is the latest interactive theatrical event to take Chicago by storm. Slated to open for an extended run on Aug. 3 at the new Chicago Theatre Works on Belmont Avenue, the show is set at a fundraiser for a pair of Catholic parishes — one mostly Italian, one more Irish — that are about to merge. The audience interacts throughout the evening with a cast of characters that includes local actors Jane Allyson-D’Arienzo, Mitch Conti, Jerry Marzullo and Jennifer Pompa. (wegottabingo.com)

  The view out of the Kemper Building at 1 E. Wacker Drive is magnificent, sprawling out to an eagle’s view of the Chicago River and the Loop. But when Deanna Cairo Arthur, now an associate at Goldberg Weisman & Cairo Ltd., would visit her father’s office as a child, it wasn’t the window that drew her attention. It was a desk chair. “I just remember being little and being in my dad’s office, sitting in his chair and always hoping someday it would be my chair,” she says. Her father is Louis C. “Lou” Cairo, senior partner at Illinois’ …

  This year marked another great feast in honor of Saint Joseph at Dominican University. Under the supervision of Prof. Tonia Triggiano, students and volunteers fed more than 200 people, raising a record-breaking $1,195, which was gifted to Catholic Charities. Such foods as gelato, fine cheeses, pastas and Italian sweets were donated by local kitchens and eating establishments. None of it would be possible without the collaborative help of the students, faculty, staff and alumni who call themselves “Gli Amici di San Giuseppe.” The Dominican University community played a big role in putting together the table. Michael Meranda, a Dominican …

  What a fabulous year the American Association of Teachers of Italian-Midwest Chapter has had! Our current membership stands at 50 with an increased number of 16 from 2014. Four of these members are from Indiana and Ohio. There are ommittees currently in progress working on an Immersion Day scheduled for February, 2016, in collaboration with College of DuPage and to create a “Why Take Italian?” brochure for parents and students in the middle school. On November 7, 2014, the AATI-Midwest held its second annual Fall Conference, “Oltre ai Limiti,” with partial sponsorship by Italidea-Midwest. There were 39 colleagues from …

The Chicago office of AFS-USA is looking for host families who are willing and able to take in several Italian students this summer. AFS-USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world through independent, nonprofit AFS Organizations, each with a network of volunteers, a professionally staffed office, and headed up by a volunteer board.  We’ve been exchanging students throughout the world for more than 65 years. That’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service to students, parents, and educators. Ilaria (17) …