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McHenry County Blog

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Cal Skinner

This is a journal of news and opinion designed to bring to light matters of public interest and to encourage public participation in the governmental process. Emphasis will be on McHenry County, but Illinois state news will be covered. Articles and photos are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without explicit written permission.

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About Cal Skinner

About Cal Skinner
Email Cal Skinner

Recent Posts

  • Tribune 2026 First Baby Story Doesn’t Mention the $1,000 Trump Account for Which He Is Eligible January 1, 2026
  • Fox River Grove Creating A New Tax Increment Financing District January 1, 2026
  • Vehicle Crashes into Johnsburg Home January 1, 2026
  • Marengo Attic Fire Leaves Marengo Home Uninhabitable January 1, 2026
  • Young People Find Fraud Across the USA January 1, 2026
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Tribune 2026 First Baby Story Doesn’t Mention the $1,000 Trump Account for Which He Is Eligible

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From the Chicago Tribune:

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Fox River Grove Creating A New Tax Increment Financing District

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026December 31, 2025

From the Fox River Grove Board agenda: Ordinance 2026-01, Setting Public Hearing for Downtown Tax Increment Financing District #3 The Board will consider the approval of an ordinance setting the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed establishment of […]

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Vehicle Crashes into Johnsburg Home

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From the Johnsburg Police deprtment: Johnsburg Road home hit by Vehicle At approximately 8:19 a.m. today, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD)responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed into a house in the 2500 block of W.Johnsburg Rd. […]

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Marengo Attic Fire Leaves Marengo Home Uninhabitable

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

Fromthe Marengo Fijre and Rescue Districts: Fire Damages Home on Paulson Drive  On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 9:17 p.m., the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts responded to the 7000 block of Paulson Drive in Marengo for a reported house fire. Upon arrival, […]

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Young People Find Fraud Across the USA

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From Nort the Bee comes this update on daycare fraud from around the country. Most of the citizen reporters seem to be in their twenties. Americans all over the country are knocking on doors to find daycare fraud. Videos here. From theses […]

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Illinois Labor Department Rolls Out Accomplishments

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026December 31, 2025

From the Illnois Department of Labor:Illinois Department of Labor Highlights Key Worker Protections and Enforcement Actions in 2025 SPRINGFIELD – As 2025 ends, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is proud to share a year of impactful enforcement actions and successful resolutions that protected […]

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Another New Years Day Cartoon

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist Eric Allie:

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Home Burns in Cary, Dog Missing

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From the Cary Fire Protection District: Working Fire at Mulberry Lane Residence  On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 3:55 p.m., the Cary Fire Protection District was dispatched to the 1300 block of Mulberry Lane in Cary for a reported residential structure fire. […]

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Sprinklers Put Out Fire at Woodstock Walmart

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026

From the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District On Wednesday, December 31, at 7:22 p.m., the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District was dispatched to 1275 Lake Avenue for reports of a fire inside the Walmart store. Firefighters arrived to find the store being evacuated. Employees advised crews […]

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How Are New Year’s Resolutions Like Campaign Promises?

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026
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An Illinois New Year’s Day Cartoon

Cal SkinnerJanuary 1, 2026December 28, 2025

From Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist Eric Allie:

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Bruce Leon “Pauses” Campaign for 9th District Democratic Party Congressional Nomination

Cal SkinnerDecember 31, 2025December 31, 2025

Found on the front page of the Chicago Tribune:’ Here is what Leon emailed this morning: I want to thank you for your support and interest in my campaign. I have made the decision to temporarily suspend my campaign for one week. […]

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New Public Health Laws, Including Assisted Suicide

Cal SkinnerDecember 31, 2025December 30, 2025

From the Illinois Public Health Department: New Laws Impacting Public Health to Take Effect in 2026 New law to improve reporting of overdose information among the initiatives enacted for the New Year SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that […]

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UPDATE: What’s Going On in Richmond Township? Supervisor, Clerk, Office Administrator RESIGNED A WEEK AGO

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 30, 2025

My only update is what is in the headline. The meeting last night was set to accept the resignations. From a Friend of McHenry County Blog comes this photo of the agenda posted at the Richmond Township Hall:

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New Requirements for SNAP, a.k.a., Food Stamps

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 30, 2025

From McHenry County: Online portal allows SNAP recipients to check eligibility SNAP recipients can now check online to see if they are meeting new work requirements – and check if they are eligible for exemptions. The portal can be found on the […]

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60-Year Old Marengo Woman Dies in Harvard Crash

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 31, 2025

From the Coroner: The woman is Kirsten Harmon and she died in a single car crash in the 600 book of North Division in Harvard on December 29th. Division Street is better known as Route 14. The Coroner’s press release follows: McHenry […]

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Second Set of New Laws

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 22, 2025

Looks as if the Senate Republican staff wrote article about laws taking effect on New Yer’s Day. The first set came from Senator Don DeWitte. Now comes the second half from Senator Craig Wilcox: In the second part of the summaries of […]

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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul Argues Gun Owning Pot Users Present “Unique Dangers”

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 30, 2025

Legal Newsline reports there is “a federal law that prohibits “habitual” users of marijuana and other drugs from possessing guns.” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has weighed in on a U.S. Supreme Court case in which a man quite sympathetic with Iran […]

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Property Tax Deferral Allowed for Seniors with Household Income less than $75,000

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 19, 2025

From the County Treasurer’s Office: Application Period Opens for Senior Tax Deferral Program WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The application period to participate in the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program will open January 1, 2026, McHenry County Treasurer Donna Kurtz announced. The […]

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The Way Politicians Think

Cal SkinnerDecember 30, 2025December 29, 2025

From The Prism: The Politician’s Syllogism We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.” It’s more important for a government to be seen tackling an issue than to actually solve it, so governments often implement simplistic policies that […]

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Chicago Crime Comes to Barrington

Cal SkinnerDecember 29, 2025December 29, 2025

From the campaign of State Rep. Martin McLaughlin: Downtown Chicago Crime Reaches Bucolic Barrington Barrington, IL — Cook Street in downtown Barrington is a quiet, tranquil, family-centered area where residents gather with their children, walk their dogs, and support local small businesses. […]

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Accidents Throughout McHenry County, One Dead

Cal SkinnerDecember 29, 2025December 29, 2025

From Public Information Officer for many Fire Protection Districts Alex Vucha: Joint Statement on Winter Weather Related Crashes Snow and ice covered roadways, combined with strong winds, created hazardous travel conditions across the area throughout the morning commute and into the late […]

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Pekin Woman Cited for Pot and Alcohol

Cal SkinnerDecember 29, 2025December 29, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Belvidere Woman Arrested for Having Both Pot and Alcohol in Vehicle at 1 AM

Cal SkinnerDecember 29, 2025December 29, 2025

From the Marengo Police: At approximately 1:05 AM on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at West Van Buren Street//North State Street, the Marengo Police Department arrested Jackelyn Rosas, 7, of Christi Lane, Apt # , Belvidere, IL, for the following alleged offense(s); Jackelyn […]

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Test Scores, Costs for McHenry County School Districts, Link to All Illinois Districts

Cal SkinnerDecember 29, 2025December 27, 2025

From the Illinois Policy Institute: comes financial and educational information: In Illinois, just over half of public school students could read at grade level and 39% were proficient in math on 2025 state assessments – after the state loosened the standards. The cost for this […]

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Two-Vehicle Crash North of Marengo on Rainy Route 23 and River Road

Cal SkinnerDecember 28, 2025December 28, 2025

From the Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts: Five Injured in Route 23 Crash On Sunday, December 28, 2025, at 10:19 a.m., the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts were dispatched to the intersection of N. Route 23 and River Road in unincorporated Marengo […]

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerDecember 28, 2025December 28, 2025

From Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist Eric Allie:

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The Fraud in Minnesota

Cal SkinnerDecember 28, 2025December 28, 2025

Found this 42-minute video put together by Nick Shirley about fraud in day care, home health care and non-emergency transportation in Minnesota. It’s really incredible how this young man in cooperation with a tenacious older researcher uncovered $110,000 million that most surely […]

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Assisted Suicide Commentary from a Pro-Life Legislator

Cal SkinnerDecember 28, 2025December 22, 2025

From State Rep. Regan Deering (R-Decatur): DEERING DISAPPOINTED BY GOVERNOR’S DECISION TO SIGN PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE INTO LAW On December 12, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation allowing assisted suicide to become law. The legislation, SB 1950, faced significant objections from coroners, medical experts, […]

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Irony in the Movie “A Christmas Story”

Cal SkinnerDecember 28, 2025December 26, 2025

The Leviathan publishes a tightly-reasoned argument that “A Christmas Story” represents a precursor to today’s message that one cannot rely on oneself. One must take the advice of government officials, educators, mainstream media, etc. Concluding, And now, in a nation of Ralphies […]

Posts pagination

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Recent Comments

  • - McHenry County Blog on The Fraud in Minnesota
  • Examples of Homeowners Who Lost Equity Through the Property Tax Sale Process - McHenry County Blog on McHenry County Taxpayers May Be on the Hook for $13 Million to Repay Home Equity Lost in Tax Sales
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Calls Out Illinois for Refusing to Stop Taxing Tips - McHenry County Blog on Senate Republicans Seek to Mirror Federal End to Tax on Tips
  • A Democratic Party Governor Favoring School Choice Financed by Private Donations - McHenry County Blog on County Board Proposing Referendum to Put Pressure on Pritzker to Opt Into Federal School Choice Plan
  • Correction: Riley Grade School District Announces 103% Tax Increase - McHenry County Blog on Riley Grade School District Cutting Taxes by 46%, a One-Year Cut to Spend Down Excessive Balance, Back Up the Next Year
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