'Rent' speaks to audiences of all ages
HALO Productions, a Plainfield off-Broadway performance company, is bringing "Rent" to Aurora at The Paramount Theatre, and Katie Arko, the theater's director of development, said she is excited about it.

Heart attack survival rates improve in women
Two new studies show that heart attacks have become more common among middle-aged women in the last two decades, but in-hospital survival rates, especially for younger women, are improving compared with men. Both studies were published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Recreation briefs
Recreation briefs: Try your hand at farm chores at Primrose Farm. Meet the farm's animal residents while learning about their care and feeding. Dress for the weather. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Class for ages 4 and up meets from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Primrose Farm, 5N726 Crane Road. Fee is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents.

Rescue is for the birds
An exotic bird owner since 1978, Kathy Forst decided to put her knowledge and devotion to broader use when, seven years ago, she began volunteering for a Northbrook parrot rescue. There, Forst saw the overwhelming need for similar rescues and decided to begin her own.