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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

  • Pritzker Replaces Lost Subsidies for Planned Parenthood with State Money December 24, 2025
  • State’s Attorney Again Succeeds in Keeping Arrested Man in Jail December 23, 2025
  • More Federal Gun Charges December 23, 2025
  • Downstater Reacts to Chicago Transit Bailout from Road Fund December 23, 2025
  • What Caused This Cary Pot Citation? December 23, 2025
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State Rep. Hopeful of Replacing Jan Schakowsky Hassled by ICE

Cal SkinnerOctober 22, 2025October 22, 2025

That’s what 9th Congressional District Democratic Party candidate Hoan Huynh, a State Representative, is saying. He even got free advertising on ABC: Hoan Huynh on Channel 7. The Chicago Sun-Times story is here.

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County Board Proposes 13% Tax Levy Increase

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 21, 2025

The McHenry County Board placed on public view its proposed tax levy for the year starting on December 1st. $73,802,726 is the amount requested. Compare that to last year’s levy: $65,208,205.21 That’s a 13.2% increase. Truly remarkable, considering the Board promised to […]

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Vehicle Crashes into Lakemoor Business

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 21, 2025

From the Fire Protection District: At approximately 2:40 p.m. today, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD) responded to areport of a vehicle that had crashed into a building in the 400 block of Scotland Road in the Village ofLakemoor. Crews arrived […]

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Dems Threaten to Eliminate Darin LaHood’s District Through New Gerrymandering

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 21, 2025

From Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy: Don Tracy Denounces House Democrats’ Gerrymandering Scheme Targeting Rep. Darin LaHood SPRINGFIELD –  With less than two weeks until the candidate filing deadline, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Washington Democrats are pushing a mid-decade redraw of Illinois’ […]

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Alcohol May Have Contributed to Cars Hitting Farm Equipment

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 21, 2025

From the Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff’s Office Investigates Crash Involving Farm Equipment A 36-year-old Hebron man was seriously injured following a vehicle crash involving farm equipment on Thayer Road west of Illinois Route 47 in unincorporated McHenry County. On Monday, October 20, 2025, […]

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Lake in the Hills Summarizes Enhanced Enforcement Grant Results

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 20, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police Department: Lake in the Hills Police Department awarded IDOT traffic enforcement grant We are proud to announce the Lake in the Hills Police Department has been awarded a federal fiscal year 2026 Sustained Traffic Enforcement […]

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DeWitte Summarizes Pritzker Budget Shortfall

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 20, 2025

From State Senator Don DeWitte: Illinois Faces New $267 Million Deficit Illinois is confronting a growing fiscal challenge as newly released projections reveal a $267 million shortfall in the fiscal 2026 budget. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget’s (GOMB) report warns […]

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“He’s Trying to Take Our Kid”

Cal SkinnerOctober 21, 2025October 20, 2025

From the Marengo Police Department comes this report of an Indian Oaks Park incident that led parents to leave tricycle, food and sippy cup at picnic table to flee in their vehicle: Wade through the charges made against Brandon Kanehl to the […]

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Dabrowski Leads Bailey by Twenty Percentage Points in Cook County GOP Dinner Straw Poll, Tracy Ahead of Goodman by Thirty Points

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 21, 2025

From a Friend of McHenry County Blog comes these straw poll results: At the Cook County GOP Republican Dinner in Palatine at The Cotillion tonight, the straw poll results for  Governor U.S. Senate:

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Crystal Lake Park Board Votes to Tax to the Max

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 21, 2025

It was almost ten as I arrived home after Monday night’s Crystal Lake Park Board meeting. The big news is that by a 6-1 vote, with only Board President Fred Tiesenga voting in opposition, the Board approved increasing its levy by the […]

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Vaping at Marlowe Middle School

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 20, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police;

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A Critic of No Kings Demonstrations

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 20, 2025

Posted by “Catturd” and picked up by the Daily Signal:

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DeWitte Reports on What Dems Are Up To in Springfield Veto Session

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 20, 2025

From State Senator Don DeWitte: State lawmakers were back in Springfield last week for the first two days of the annual fall Veto Session. During the 2025 spring session, 436 bills passed through both chambers of the General Assembly and were sent […]

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Marengo Park Trespass Puts Man in Jail

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 20, 2025

From the Marengo Police: At approximately 3:15 PM on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Johnson St, the Marengo Police Department arrested Brandon Kanehl, 35, of Johnson St, for the following alleged offenses relating to an incident from October 7th, 2025; Brandon Kanehl […]

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Two at Crystal Lake No Kings Demonstration Hope for Trump’s Death

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 18, 2025

Remember when James Comey got in trouble for publicizing an “8947” message on a beach near his home? The same message showed up on two signs at the Crystal Lake No Kings demonstration.

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Robb Tadelman Petition Party at McHenry Golf Club October 22nd

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 16, 2025

From Sheriff Robb Tadelman: Join Sheriff Robb Tadelman and show your support for local and state candidates by signing and circulating petitions for the 2026 election- Wednesday October 22nd!

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A Failed Transit-Oriented Development

Cal SkinnerOctober 20, 2025October 20, 2025

Democrats in Springfield propose taking control of local zoning from municipalities and giving it to a newly-named Regional Transportation Authority. Zoning being a local governmental power is ingrained in Illinois tradition. True, the Dems have pretty much taken it away for solar […]

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FOID Card Seizures

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 17, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Van Burns Under Tollway Overpass

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 19, 2025

From the Huntley Fire Protection District: Vehicle Fire Beneath Hennig Road Overpass On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 3:21 p.m., the Huntley Fire Protection District was dispatched to eastbound Interstate 90 in the area of mile marker 44.5 for a reported vehicle […]

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 19, 2025

From Eric Allie, Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist:

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Youth Deer Takes in McHenry County

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 17, 2025

From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Illinois sets new record for youth deer season harvest SPRINGFIELD – Illinois youth deer hunters set a new record for the season, harvesting a preliminary total of 4,714 deer Oct. 11-13. Top harvest counties include Randolph, […]

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Three Arrested on Drug Charges at Coventry and Route 14 in Crystal Lake

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 17, 2025

From the Crystal Lake Police:

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We The People, McHenry County, Urges Contact with County Board Members to Remind Them of the Promise to Cut Property Tax Levy in Exchange for Voting for Mental Health Sales Tax

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 19, 2025

From We the People, McHenry County: ACT NOW! Contact McHenry County Board Reject FY26 Tax Levy and HONOR the Mental Health Property Tax Relief You Promised! Broken Voter Trust: McHenry County Board Reject FY26 Tax Levy and HONOR the Mental Health Property […]

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Good Thing I Wasn’t in Pennsylvania in 1955

Cal SkinnerOctober 19, 2025October 19, 2025

Take a look at what Pennsylvania did to a mother who allowed her 13-year old to babysit: When my parents were away for a weekend while we lived in Salt Lake City, I was twelve. My two sisters were ten and two. […]

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New York Post Covers Couple’s Death on Route 14 in Harvard

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 18, 2025

Just in case you might be interested in a New York paper’s interest in a Harvard double shooting, here is the link.

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Don Tracy Reports $2 Million in Bank for U.S. Senate Run

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 17, 2025

From Don Tracy, running for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate: Don Tracy For Illinois Q3 Financial Report  SPRINGFIELD – Campaign spokesperson Kathleen Murphy announced today that the Don Tracy campaign for U.S. Senate ended the third quarter of 2025 with $2,052,251.66 cash […]

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Hundreds, Maybe More Than a Thousand, Demonstrate Disaffection with Trump on Route 14 in Crystal Lake, More Photos Than You’ll Find Anywhere Else

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 19, 2025

Traffic was heavy going eastbound on Route 14 from Virginia Street Road on. There was a pickup truck heading west with flags typically displayed by conservatives. The demonstration started just past Herlsberg Diamonds and stretched to the Nissan dealership past Sam’s Club. […]

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Cartoonist Asks If We Get a Tax Break from Government Shutdown

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 14, 2025

Found in the Daily Herald:

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Fox River Grove Petition Event on October 21 in El Sombrero

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 18, 2025

Sponsored by Blair and Danijela Sandberg is this petition event is open to all:

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Republican Don Tracy Goes After Pritzker and Potential U.S. Senate Opponent Stratton

Cal SkinnerOctober 18, 2025October 18, 2025

From the campaign of U.S. Senate hopeful Don Tracy: Pritzker / Stratton Betrayed Illinoisans By Spending More on Non-Citizen Healthcare than Roads, Foster Care, Seniors  SPRINGFIELD –  A new report surfaced this week highlighting how this past fiscal year Governor JB Pritzker and […]

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Recent Comments

  • 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
  • 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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