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McHenry County Blog

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About

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

  • Danielle Penman, Hopeful of Succeeding Don DeWitte in State Senate, Appears Before McHenry County GOP Central Executive Committee December 23, 2025
  • McHenry County State’s Attorney Keeps Still Another Man from Getting SAFE-T Act Get Out of Jail Free Card December 22, 2025
  • A New Revenue Idea for Balancing Chicago’s Budget December 22, 2025
  • Feds Take On Another Chicago Street Gang December 22, 2025
  • U.S. Senate Hopeful Don Tracy Appears Before McHenry County GOP Central Executive Committee December 22, 2025
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Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk Reports Phone Call During Board Meeting

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024

Algonquin Township Supervisor did something observers have never seen before at an Algonquin Township Board meeting in November. He made a phone call in the middle of the meeting. Initially, the Freedom of Information Officer reported there were no such records, but, […]

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Dad Gives Elevent Year Get Out of Jail Free Card to Hunter Biden

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024December 2, 2024

Noteworthy is the breadth of the pardon President Biden issued his son: Not only did the president pardon Hunter for the gun and tax charges for which he awaits sentencing, but for every other crime he “committed or may have committed or […]

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Drugs Still Getting into Illinois Prisons – What a Surprise

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024November 27, 2024

When I served on the Illinois House Prison Reform Committee, I repeatedly chastized prison officials for allowing drugs to get behind the walls. The drugs either came in with the guards, visitors or vendors, I figured. I was also told at one […]

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Fire Destroys Crystal Lake Country Woods Home

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024December 2, 2024

From the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department:Structure Fire – 5024 Meadowlark Ct, Crystal Lake IL 60012 Structure Fire – 5024 Meadowlark Ct, Crystal Lake IL 60012 Crystal Lake, IL – The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded to a reported structure fire […]

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Crystal Lake Set to Impose New Tax

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024November 30, 2024

The Crystal Lake City Council has announced the imposition of a new tax–this time one on those who use storage units. The memo states, The Storage Facility Rental Tax is a tax imposed upon the privilege of renting or leasing any self-storage […]

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Federal Threats to Withhold Money to Sanctuary Cities & States – The Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Precedent

Cal SkinnerDecember 2, 2024November 27, 2024

Fifty years ago, the Federal government was threatening Illinois with the loss of highway money if it did not enact a mandatory motor cycle helmet law. Fox River Grove’s Ed Armstrong, a member of A.B.A.T.E., lobbied me in opposition (Armstrong was later […]

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Eric Sivertsen Announces Candidacy for McHenry Township Supervisor at the Tuesday GOP Caucus

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024December 1, 2024

From Eric Sivertsen: Supervisor on Tuesday! I would like to ask for your support this Tuesday at the McHenry Township GOP Caucus at the McHenry Township Hall at 3703 N Richmond Rd, Johnsburg. IL 60051 at 7pm. I have submitted my name […]

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024

From the Illinois Policy Institute’s Eric Allie:

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Not in Illinois

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024December 1, 2024

From the Chicago Tribune comes this image of what is not happening in Illinois:

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Marengo Fight Leads to Jail

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024December 1, 2024

From the Marengo Police: At approximately 11:36 AM on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at Kindred Hospital (Chicago North), the Marengo Police Department arrested Colton M. Howell, 26, of 15 Garden Place Circle Apt. F, Cary, IL, for the following alleged offense(s); Colton […]

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Home Burns in McHenry

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024December 1, 2024

From the McHenry Township Fire Protection District:: On Saturday, November 30th, at approximately 7 p.m., the McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD) was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 2900 block of W. Parksi Ave. in unincorporated McHenry. Fire crews […]

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Pole Barn Burns on Haligus Road

Cal SkinnerDecember 1, 2024December 1, 2024

From the Crystal Lake Fire/Rescue Department:: Structure Fire – 5719 Haligus Rd. Woodstock, IL. Crystal Lake, IL – The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded to a reported structure fire at 7:54 pm at 5719 Haligus Rd. that was called in by […]

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Former Sheriff Art Tyrrell, First Democrat Elected Countywide in McHenry County, R.I.P.

Cal SkinnerNovember 30, 2024November 30, 2024

Back in 1970, former Chicago Policeman and Illinois Crime Commission investigator decided he wanted to run for McHenry County Sheriff. When I asked him in the Courthouse why he didn’t run as a Republican, he told me he was told he couldn’t.. […]

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9% Tax Hike Sought by Richmond Fire Protection District

Cal SkinnerNovember 30, 2024

Black Box ad from the Richmond Fire Protection District:

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Harvard Fire Protection District Seeks 15% Tax Hike

Cal SkinnerNovember 30, 2024

Black Box ad from Harvard Fire Protection District:

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Two-Car Crash North of Woodstock

Cal SkinnerNovember 29, 2024October 6, 2025

From the Woodstock Fire/Reacue Doistrict: Thanksgiving Crash on Charles Rd near Woodstock On Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 7:23 p.m., the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District was dispatched to a reported two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Charles Road and N. Queen Anne Road […]

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Riley Township Asks for 8% Higher Property Tax

Cal SkinnerNovember 29, 2024November 29, 2024

Black Box ad from Riley Tonship:

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Riley Township Road District Seeks 10% More

Cal SkinnerNovember 29, 2024November 29, 2024

Black Box ad for the Riley Township Road District:

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Crystal Lake Man Arrested in Lake in the Hills Fight

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024November 27, 2024

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Recording of Madigan Making Insurance Business Pitch for His Son

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024November 28, 2024

In a repeat of the first Mayor Daley’s assistance to his son’s insurance business, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan can be seen and heard seeking similar assistance:

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McHenry County Deer Take Lower Than Last Year

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024

From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: More than 54,000 deer harvested during first weekend of Illinois firearm deer season SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 54,661 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season between […]

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No Illinois Town Makes U.S. News & World Report’s Ranking of Top 100 Places to Live

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024November 27, 2024

With residents voting with their feet, perhaps it is not surprising that Illinois cities are not rated among the best places to live. Rockford did come in at 105. You can take a look at the rankings here.

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Thanksgiving Belt Tightening

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024November 24, 2024

From the Illinois Policy Institute’s Eric Allie:

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From a Sanitation Point of View, Where Should You Go Out to Eat?

Cal SkinnerNovember 28, 2024November 27, 2024

Articles periodically show up in Florida about how many restaurants and food trucks fail health department inspections Not so in McHenry County. If one looks at the McHenry County Health Department’s A-to-Z Topic List for MCDH, one can find Restaurant Inspections  (Food Facility […]

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NIU Sued for Race & Sex Discrimination

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 27, 2024

From Legal Insurrection, reprinted with permission: Race and Sex Discrimination At Northern Illinois U Center for Black Studies Challenged By Equal Protection Project “It’s possible to help disadvantaged students without creating racial barriers…. Our hope is that NIU will change these programs, […]

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Thanksgiving Political Threat

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 27, 2024

From the Chicago Tribune: We’ll have cranberry sauce and talk politics.

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13 Years for Harvard Man Convicted of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 27, 2024

From the State’s Attorney: CESAR C. ORTIZ SENTENCED TO THIRTEEN YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that Cesar C. Ortiz, 40, of Harvard, Illinois was sentenced to 13 years […]

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Trump Tariff Threats Bear Fruit

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 27, 2024

Future President Donald Trump’s threats to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada have already paid off. Contrary to the critics of these threats, the price of goods coming from south and north of the border will not increase. Why? Because the […]

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Petition Challenge Time

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 27, 2024

Another article tells of the election petition challenges to three Harvard School Board members. Election challenges in municipal contests are harder to track because they are not conducted not at the county level, but by village board or city council members. In […]

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Our Woke Illinois Supreme Court

Cal SkinnerNovember 27, 2024November 26, 2024

So the Illinois Supreme Court backs up Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in her ridiculous treatment of Jesse Smollett’s fake hate crime. Here’s Special Prosecutor Dan Webb’s reaction: The Illinois Supreme Court reached this decision notwithstanding the fact that the Cook […]

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Recent Comments

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  • 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
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  • 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
  • Democrats Trying to Out-Left-Flank Each Other in 9th Congressional District Which Covers All of Algonquin Township - McHenry County Blog on Rocio Cleveland Gains More Free Publicity in Quest to Win GOP Nomination in Jan Schakowsky’s 9th Congressional District
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