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SURVEY

Daywatch: COVID-19 vaccine confusion in Cook County, U. of I. saliva test moves closer to FDA approval and a real estate ‘frenzy’ in Illinois

A survey on the website initially appeared to be open to all Cook County residents, and many filled it out over the weekend and on Monday, thinking it might help them understand when it would be their turn to receive vaccines. But county health department spokesman Don Bolger told the Tribune early Monday afternoon that the survey was intended only for some health care workers.

chicagotribune.com

71% parents plan to spend more on Halloween to make up for COVID year, survey finds

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Nearly three out of four parents plan to spend more money on Halloween in 2020 to make up for a year filled with missed opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Lending Tree Survey. In a new survey conducted by Lending Tree, one of the country’s largest lending marketplaces, most parents surveyed with children under 18 say they plan to spend more on Halloween because they have already missed out on other celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing has been factored into play dates, if they happen at all,” the company said in a statement. That, and more has made 2020 a downright difficult year for both parents and their little ones.”Additionally, 54% of parents surveyed said they spent more on Halloween than they could afford at some point in the past. In fact, some parents will even go into debt to help spread holiday cheer, according to survey data.

Home values growing at record pace, Zillow reports

SAN ANTONIO – A new market report released by Zillow, an online real estate database company, says home values are growing at a pace not seen since the market was recovering from the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009. “Inventory for the week ending Oct. 10 plumbed new lows, down 36.4% year over year, while median list price rose 11.6% above 2019,” the company said. As of the week ending Oct. 10, the number of homes on the market was down 27.8% from last year. Additionally, according to the company, typical U.S. rents dropped slightly in September to $1,756 after sustaining a 0.5% monthly decline in August. “Persistent strong demand drove inventory to record lows, down 36.4% year over year, and list prices up 11.6% above 2019 in the week ending Oct. 10.”To read the survey in full, click here.

Survey says majority of teenage students are concerned about attending in-person classes this fall

One thousand teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 were surveyed earlier this month to see how they felt about attending school classes in-person for the incoming school year. The survey said 66% of students are concerned about attending school in-person this fall. The survey also revealed 26% of students said they prefer in-person learning five days a week, while 36% would like a blended schedule and 30% prefer online classes only. More than half of all respondents rated the quality of their online classes in the spring as fair or poor and 49% of students said the quality of their education will suffer due to the pandemic. RELATED: UTSA survey: Students less engaged during distance learning

San Marcos crowdsourcing community priorities for new chief of police

SAN MARCOS, TX The City of San Marcos is asking residents for input about who should be the citys next chief of police. City leadership published an anonymous survey to gauge city residents priorities in a candidate for the vacant position. San Marcos shuffled in a reorganization effort following the retirement of assistant city manager Collette Jamison. Stapp said the survey offers residents an opportunity to voice concerns and contribute to the departments vision going forward. The city of San Marcos said in a press release that it expects to hire a new chief by the years end and has worked with recruitment agency Ralph Andersen & Associates to help with the search.