GHOST TRAIN RIDES PLANNED FOR TROLLEY MUSEUM
Tickets are on sale for ghost train rides being offered on Saturdays in October at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 365 S. La Fox St., South Elgin.
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Rides will take place at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, 17 and 24, according to the museum’s website.
The family-friendly event will feature scary stories and spooky songs around a campfire and treats from Margie’s Girls Kitchen. Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Tickets are $20.
For tickets and more information, go to foxtrolley.org/visit/special-events/ghost-story-train.
TICKETS BEING SOLD FOR HISTORIC ELGIN HOUSE TOUR
Tickets are on sale for the 44th annual Historic Elgin House Tour, being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12-13.
The tour will feature five homes on the city’s northeast side and the first floor of Pratt’s Castle on the Fox River, according to a social media post for the event. Harold Pratt built the castle in 1937 and modeled it on one he saw along the Rhine River while serving in World War I, according to the Historic Elgin website.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for anyone 65 or older or 18 and under. Tickets purchased the day of the event will cost an additional $5.
For tickets and more information, go to historicelginhousetour.com.
DUNDEE-CROWN FOOTBALL PLAYER UP FOR NFL AWARD
Dundee-Crown High School senior Alejandro Gonzalez is a nominee for the NFL Latino Heritage Youth Leader Award.
Gonzalez will be recognized during the Chicago Bears game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, Sept. 28, at Soldier Field in Chicago, according to a School District 300 social media post. He represents the Bears in the award program.
Each of the NFL’s 32 teams can select one male and one female high school senior football player representative, according to the NFL website. A panel will choose eight finalists, one each for the league’s eight divisions.
Each finalist will receive a grant to be put toward college tuition — $25,000 for the male and female national winners and $5,000 for each of the six other finalists. The final eight will participate in special events being held during Super Bowl Week.
“We are incredibly proud of Alejandro and the way he represents Dundee-Crown High School,” DCHS football coach Michael Steinhaus said in the post. “His character, leadership, commitment to serving others and dedication to our football program make him truly deserving of this recognition.”
For more information, go to www.nfl.com/videos/2026-latino-youth-honors-sizzle.
ECC OFFERING NEW TRANSFER INITIATIVE WITH U OF I
Elgin Community College is taking part in Transfer Drive, an initiative with the University of Illinois that helps ECC students transfer to the Urbana-Champaign school to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Eligible students can receive up to $2,000 in performance-based funding, personalized support and peer mentoring, according to a news release.
The effort is a partnership between ECC, U of I and One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit. The program is open to eligible ECC students who are college district residents, qualify for state or federal financial aid, are in good academic standing and plan to transfer in fall 2027 or fall 2028.
Applications are due Friday, Sept. 25.
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To apply and for more information, go to www.uillinois.edu/transferdrive or send an to [email protected] .