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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

  • State Treasurer Earns $1.5 Billion on Investimates February 5, 2026
  • Sprinklers Hold Fire Damage in Apartment Complex Near Post Office to $5,000 February 5, 2026
  • Ponzi Scheme Indictment for James Brothers, Whose Firm Owned Brake Parts February 5, 2026
  • Opponents of Battery Farm Post Billboards February 5, 2026
  • Politico Illinois Reports on 9th District Debate Among Democrats February 5, 2026
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Does the Republican Party Have a Suicide Complex?

Cal SkinnerAugust 20, 2025August 20, 2025

What is the old saying about repeating a mistake? I can’t remember, but having Darin Bailey as the Republican candidate for Governor last time around certainly was a mistake. Now comes this social media post from Bailey: Darren Bailey  pentosorSda495gm971u808 9M7g4s33 m12um0327P  a1ag3:uctAatl42 · A lot […]

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County Trying to Quantify Cost of Storm Damage in Hope of Obtaining Federal Assistance

Cal SkinnerAugust 20, 2025August 19, 2025

From McHenry County: County Urges People to Report Damage from Aug 16-19 Storms The McHenry County Emergency Management Agency is asking residents and business owners who sustained damage from this weekend’s severe weather to report it through an online survey. The EMA […]

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Data Centers and Electric Generators Forced to Close Claimed Reason for High Electric Bills

Cal SkinnerAugust 20, 2025August 19, 2025

From The Freedom Caucus: Senate hearing confirms Illinois’ energy policies failing residents Springfield, Illinois – The Illinois Freedom Caucus says the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee hearing Monday on the high utility bills affecting millions of ratepayers revealed how inept and ill-equipped […]

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Adamczyk Running for GOP Nomination for Secretary of State

Cal SkinnerAugust 19, 2025August 19, 2025

From the campaign of Walter Adamczyk: Adamczyk Running for Secretary of State CHICAGO, IL — Walter Adamczyk, the Republican Committeeman of Chicago’s 29th Ward, is running for Illinois Secretary of State. To reach the goal to get enough signatures to get on […]

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AR-15 Gun Ban Case to Federal Appeals Court

Cal SkinnerAugust 19, 2025August 19, 2025

From The Center Square: State defends gun ban district court ruled unconstitutional By Greg Bishop | The Center Square (The Center Square) − Ahead of oral arguments over Illinois’ gun ban in the federal appeals court, attorneys for the state filed their final […]

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What Pritzker Did to Try to Beat Jan Schakowsky for Congress

Cal SkinnerAugust 19, 2025August 18, 2025

From Cary Caparelli: The Real JB Observation is a component of fact. Honest observation is fact. My late father, who served in the Illinois House from 1971 through 2004, was also a Democrat Ward Committeeman. In reality, my father was a moderate […]

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McHenry Home Burns Leaving It Uninhabitable

Cal SkinnerAugust 19, 2025August 19, 2025

From the McHenry Township Fire Protection District: Structure Fire On Tuesday, August 19th, at approximately 3:16 a.m., the McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD) was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 500 block of Kensington Drive in McHenry. Fire crews […]

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Ten-Foot Fall Sends Marengo Man to Hospital in Helicoptor

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 22, 2025

From the Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts: Elderly Male Airlifted After Fall in Marengo On August 18, 2025, at 2:01 p.m., the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts responded to the 1100 block of Foxglove Lane in Marengo for a report of an […]

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Woodstock Crash Leaves Pickup Dangling over Sewage Tank

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 22, 2025

From the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District: Two-Vehicle Crash Leaves Pickup Dangling Over City Wastewater Tank On August 18, 2025, at 2:56 p.m., the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded to the 1900 block of Tappan Street in Woodstock for a reported vehicle crash. Firefighters arrived […]

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Crystal Lake Grade School District Has This on Its Agenda: “Required Notice under Public Act 96-0434, Public Act 96-0266 and Public Act 97-0609” — What’s That About?

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 18, 2025

Based on the above agenda item for Monday meeting of the Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47 Board of Education, I’d conclude that transparency is not considered one of the district’s high goals. I had to look the Public Acts up on […]

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Capparelli Running for U.S. Senate

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 18, 2025

From Republican U.S. Senate Candidate R. Cary Capparelli: CAPPARELLI TO SEEK REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINATION CHICAGO, IL — International businessman and educator, R. Cary Capparelli, announced he will seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate from Illinois. Capparelli is the son […]

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Crystal Lake Mayor Says the “City Council Will Continue to Monitor Park District Board Activities”

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 14, 2025

From Mayor Haig Halebelian

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Trailer Home Tax Bills Mailed, Due Oct. 14th, Says Office Will Be Closed Oct. 13th for “Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day”

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 15, 2025

From the County Treasurer Donna Kurtz: Mobile Home Property Tax Bills are in the Mail WOODSTOCK, Ill. – Mobile home property tax bills have been mailed, and residents have until Tuesday, Oct. 14 to pay them. Payment can be made by cash […]

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Fox River Grove Discussing Local Grocery Sales Tax at Next Meeting

Cal SkinnerAugust 18, 2025August 14, 2025

From the agenda of the Fox River Grove Tuesday, August 19th, Board meeting is found a discussion scheduled about Non-Home Rule Municipal Sales Tax and Revenue Offset Options The Board will consider a non-home rule municipal sales tax as a way to […]

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Cary Mayor Declares State of Emergency

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 18, 2025

From Cary Village President Mark Kownik: Mayor Mark Kownick has declared the following state of an emergency for the Village of Cary due to severe and damaging weather conditions that have caused and continue to present risk of serious damage, community wide […]

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Cary Fire Department Finds Many Storm-Related Hazardous Situations

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 22, 2025

From the Cary Fire Protection District: Cary Fire Protection District Responds to Storm-Related Incidents On the evening of Saturday, August 16, 2025, two strong storms moved through the Cary Fire Protection District, which includes the Village of Cary, Oakwood Hills, and Trout […]

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Tribune Article on Blackface Performance Takes Me Back to my Easton, Maryland, Youth

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 13, 2025

My father was President of the Easton Town Council, head of the city’s legislative branch. He took the family to a variety show at the Armory down the street. I’m guessing because he was an elected official he thought he had to […]

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Road Rage Pot Carrying Mercedes Driver Arrested in Marengo

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 17, 2025

From the Marengo Police: Call at Indian Oaks Park and the Subsequent Traffic Stop at Casey’s Gas Station in Marengo On August 16th at approximately 12:50 PM, officers from the Marengo Police Department were dispatched to the Indian Oaks Park for what […]

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Revenue Estimates for $66 & $75 Crystal Lake Park District Monthly Membership Fees Should HealthBridge Be Purchased

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 17, 2025

Pursuant to a Freedom of Information request, the following income and expenditure estimates were projected by the Crystal Lake Park District staff using two different monthly membership fees: No mention is made concerning remodeling and repair costs. The Sage YMCA monthly membership […]

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Pritzker’s Juvenile Detention Centers Send Press Release to Deflect from Sex Abuse Suits

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 13, 2025

The really bad press about the rape and other sexual abuse in juvenile detention facilities has probably stimulate that department to issue the positive press release below. From the JB Pritzker Administration: Youth in IDJJ custody earn vocational certifications From solar installation […]

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Primary Election Candidate Preview

Cal SkinnerAugust 17, 2025August 18, 2025

It’s petition passing time, even for Precinct Committeepersons. Only ten signatures needed, but get twenty to discourage a challenge. Here’s what’s up: Republican U.S. Senate candidates (some of these people may not make it to the ballot but they have filed FEC paperwork) Republican […]

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Kane County Republican Troubles

Cal SkinnerAugust 16, 2025August 16, 2025

From Marc Avelar: Kane County Republican Party “Coup Attempt” of August 5 On the August 8, 2025, Smoke-Filled Room (SFR) podcast host Collin Corbett pointed out there was a “coup attempt” for control of the Kane County Republican Party, formally known as the Kane […]

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Crystal Lake Park Board Member Cathy Cagle’s Script for the Agenda Items She Initiated at the Last Board Meeting

Cal SkinnerAugust 16, 2025August 16, 2025

From a text from Park Board veteran Cathy Cagle: meeting notes 7/21/25 Approval of agenda a. Remove IX: Annual Rollover Bond Information from the agenda i. We’re a 18 million dollar organization ii. Bonds are a complicated and sophisticated issue iii. We […]

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Blowback from Those Saying Crime in DC Is Down

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 15, 2025

A website that I found recently called “Not the Bee” has captured replies to a post asking people to tell how good the crime situation is in the District of Columbia. Maybe the captured posts are selective, but they certainly are vivid […]

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Fall Citizens Police Academy Announced by Sheriff

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 12, 2025

From the Sheriff: Now Accepting Applications for Citizens Police Academy The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting applications for its 10-week Citizens Police Academy (CPA), an interactive program designed to give community members a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement. When & Where: […]

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Republican Bill Preventing Back-Billing Signed into Law

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 15, 2025

From State Rep. Joe Sosnowski: Sosnowski, Syverson bill protecting utility customers from unfair back-billing signed into law SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation extending protections to residential and commercial utility customers from unfair back-billing practices was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on Friday. House […]

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Man Arrested for Falsely Reporting His Vehicle Stolen

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 15, 2025

From the Cary Police:

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Price of Algonquin’s Presidential Park Rises

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 14, 2025

The total cost now is $5,311,784.96.

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Anderson Goes after Double-Dippers

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 14, 2025

From Wonder Lake’s Bob Anderson: Double-Dipping Dear every unrespected and over taxed every day Illinois citizen, take notice, you are being hosed, or have been, by many elected officials that you have voted into office.  All eyes should be focused on the […]

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The Venezuelan Solution to Illegals in the United States

Cal SkinnerAugust 15, 2025August 15, 2025

Last December I shared the advice of a friend from Venezuela on an inexpensive way to induce people form his country to return home. Now Politico has run an article advancing his solution, but missing the ancillary benefit of inducing Venezuelans in […]

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Recent Comments

  • Craig Wilcox Follows Darby Hills’ Example Offering $20 per Hour Internships - McHenry County Blog on Senator Darby Hills Offers $20 per Hour for Spring Interns
  • Steve Reick Adds More Information about Battery Farm Approval Sought in His District – Part 3 - McHenry County Blog on Reick Starts 3-Part Commentary on Proposed Battery Farm on Behan Road – Part 1
  • Senator Darby Hills Offers $20 per Hour for Spring Interns - McHenry County Blog on Newly-Appointed State Senator Darby Hills’ Summer Interns Knock on 20,000 Doors
  • Two Big Banks Announce They Will Match the $1,000 the Federal Government Will Put in Trump Accounts - McHenry County Blog on Dells Making Capitalists Out of McHenry County Kids Who Don’t Live in Cary, Ringwood or Barrington Hills
  • What Caused Steve Reick To Have No Fall Opponent - McHenry County Blog on State Rep. Steve Reick’s Democratic Party Opponent Thrown Off the Ballot
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