District 200 will improve their advanced placement programs, beef up their library resources and power a rooftop garden through solar power with the help of three recently awarded grants.

The Illinois State Board of Education gave the district $50,000 to put toward advanced placement and pre-advanced placement programs. The money will help the district bring more low-income and disadvantaged students into those programs, according to a release from District 200.

The district's libraries will soon be stocked with a greater volume of non-fiction to support a new geography curriculum and Common Core Language Arts Standards. Money for those resources will come from a $5,000 grant from the Illinois State Library.

Additionally, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation awarded Woodstock High School $8,000 to power a new rooftop garden built by the school's Green Club, Enriothon Team and environmental science classes. The grant covers the installation of a single 1 kW Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panel System, the release said.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District will be honored for the teamwork, professionalism and decision-making skills it displayed in handling a 2012 motorcycle crash with multiple patients.

The department earned the 19th Annual Scene Call of the Year Award from Flight for Life-McHenry Base. The organization will present the award at 7 p.m., Wednesday at Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Station #3, 2900 Raffel Road, Woodstock.

During the accident, Flight For Life was put on standby prior to the fire department arriving on scene. That decision allowed Flight For Life to arrive earlier, resulting in a ground time of less than 20 minutes, according to a release from Flight For Life and Woodstock Fire/Rescue.

Guidelines developed by the American College of Surgeons provide the basis for judging applicants for the award. Submissions are examined for scene safety, triage decisions, complex planning and accident scene management, integration of the helicopter into the call, and use of skills that go beyond the "call of duty" to treat the patient.

McHenry County Sheriff's Deputies, Woodstock Police dispatchers and Flight For Life personnel who participated in the call will join Woodstock Fire/Rescue at Wednesday's ceremony.

Clay Academy won first prize in Illinois in the Keep America Beautiful Recycle Bowl Competition.

The school received $1,000 from Nestle Waters for its efforts recycling paper, plastic, cans and other materials used at school.

The school collected 585 pounds of recycled material in all.

More than 1,500 schools across the country took part in the competition.

The school plans to put the money toward building an indoor greenhouse to grow fresh vegetables.

Conversation at this month's Coffee with the Chief will center around crimes against the elderly.

Permanent Beat Officer Adam Schraw, who covers beat #22 in the Northwest corner of Woodstock, will speak along with Cindy Bock of Senior Services.

The monthly event will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the Woodstock Police Department, 656 Lake Ave.

For more information, call Tamara Reed at 815-338-6787.

Spanish speakers caring for Alheimer's patients now have a place to talk over the stresses of the situation.

Family Alliance will begin offering an Alzheimer's caregiver support group on Monday, May 13.

The group will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Family Alliance, 2028 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock.

The group aims to provide information, connection and emotional, educational and social support to caregivers, according to a press release from Family Alliance.

For more information, call Cheryl Levinson at 815-338-3590.