Church blood drive Nov. 7

First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, 302 N. Dunton Ave., will hold a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the church. The drive is in the Fellowship Hall. Use the Eastman Street entrance. For an appointment, go to lifesource.org (Code: AH14) or call (847) 956-1724. Walk-ins are welcome.

Area gets new ambulance

The Prospect Heights Fire Protection District has placed a new ambulance in service at Station 9, the headquarters fire station, located at 10 E. Camp McDonald Road. The ambulance was purchased for $146,000, using a $100,00 interest-free loan from the Illinois State Fire Marshals Office. The loan will be paid back over a three-year period, using the reimbursement money the district receives from Medicare and insurance companies for the transportation of patients. The ambulance is replacing a 9-year-old vehicle sold to a private ambulance company in Utah. The district has three ambulances.

District gets high bond rating

The Buffalo Grove Park District recently received the highest municipal bond rating of "AAA" from Standard & Poor's, an independent rating agency in New York. Bond ratings are utilized by investors who purchase municipal bonds and they measure the district's ability to repay its debt. The higher the rating, the lower the interest rate the district will pay on its bonds. Rating factors include reserve levels, financial management practices and net debt burden. The district is the only one in Illinois with an "AAA" rating from S&P, although Northbrook and Highland Park park districts have received that rating from another agency.