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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

  • Charlie Kirk Dies from Gunshot September 10, 2025
  • 77-Year Old Man Killed in Head-on Collusion on Ringwood Road Identified September 10, 2025
  • A State Senator Looks at Electricity Costs September 10, 2025
  • Wednesday Seminar on McHenry County Water September 9, 2025
  • Six-Year Immigration Fraud Earns Two Years, $650,000 Fine September 9, 2025
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UPDATE: Crime Under Control in Chicago

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

Right. And, from “Not the Bee”:

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Feds Offer Bounties for Local Law Enforcement for Assisting in Finding Illegal Aliens

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

From the Department of Homeland Security: DHS Announces New Reimbursement Opportunities for State and Local Law Enforcement Partnering with ICE to Arrest the Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Funding from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill supported the expansion of […]

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Five Years for McHenry Druggie Parolee

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

From the State’s Attorney: DANIEL M. SCHLINDER SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese announces that on August 27, 2025, Daniel M. Schlinder, 41, of McHenry, Illinois, was sentenced […]

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Another Reason Not to Visit Chicago

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

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Tax Eaters in Search of Another Mass Transit Bailout

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025

From The Center Square: Chicago-area transit needs an intervention, not another fix If Illinois were a family, it would have 1,313 siblings – its cities, towns and villages. One of them is a trainwreck, repeatedly in crisis, addicted and constantly asking the […]

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Sales Tax Hike on Fox River Grove Agenda Tuesday Night

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025August 28, 2025

From the agenda of the Fox River Grove Village Board’s September 2nd Board meeting: The Board will consider the approval of an ordinance that would implement a 1% Non-Home Rule Municipal Retailers’ Occupation Tax and Non-Home Rule Municipal Service Occupation Tax effective […]

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Democrats at the Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025August 31, 2025

On my way to my picture taking spot near the Bark Park, I not only took photos in the staging area of the Republicans, but also the Democrats. Leading the Democratic Party contingent was a couple with a little girl, the man […]

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Gun Charge in Woodstock

Cal SkinnerSeptember 2, 2025August 29, 2025

From the Woodstock Police:

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Lake in the Hills Police Assist in DCFS Visit

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025August 29, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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McHenry Home Uninhabitable Even Though Fire Extinguished in 15 Minutes

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025September 1, 2025

From the McHenry Township Fire Protection District: MTFPD Structure Fire On Monday, September 1st, at approximately 8:14 a.m., the McHenry Township Fire Protection District (MTFPD) was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 1200 block of Capri Terrace in McHenry. Fire crews […]

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Cary Takes Transient with Outstanding Warrant to Jail

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025July 31, 2025

From the Cary Police:

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If One Is Going to Have Pot in One’s Car, Don’t Run a Stop Sign – Take 2

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025August 29, 2025

From the Woodstock Police:

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Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce Helps Restaurant Pay for Door Criminals Broke

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025September 1, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce: Chamber Foundation Awards First ALERT Fund Grant to The Annex After Break-In ALGONQUIN/LAKE IN THE HILLS, Il. — The Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber Foundation today announced its first ALERT Fund grant, awarded […]

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GOP in the Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025September 1, 2025

No handicapped parking at the Bark Park this year, so I had to park a half a mile away. Entering the staging area west of the skate park, I encountered McHenry County Board member Matt Kunkle’s entry. Later I found out he […]

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Fox River Grove Plans Subsidies to Two Downtown Businesses

Cal SkinnerSeptember 1, 2025August 28, 2025

From the agenda of the next Fox River Grove Village Board meeting: Business Capital Assistance Program Grant Agreement, Lord of Beers The Board will consider authorizing the Village Administrator to execute an agreement with The Neela Restaurant Group, Inc. to provide a […]

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County’s Use of AI to Write Committee Minutes Puts Filming of “Groundhog Day” in Crystal Lake

Cal SkinnerAugust 31, 2025August 29, 2025

Funny, I remember most of “Groundhog Day” being filmed in Woodstock. Read this from the minutes of the Planning, Environment & Development Committee: “Committee members discussed the differences between a zoning change and a permit process. Several members stressed that filming does […]

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerAugust 31, 2025August 31, 2025

From Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist Eric Allie: But the beer should be Bud Light.

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Ted Dabrowski, Knowledgeable Republican, Running for Governor

Cal SkinnerAugust 31, 2025September 1, 2025

“Knowledgeable” is the word I would use to characterize Ted Dabrowski, founder of Wirepoints, an analytical website. The Chicago Tribune features a page two article Sunday. He will be able to hold his own with Pritzker.

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Twenty-Somethings with Controlled Substances Arrested in Marengo

Cal SkinnerAugust 31, 2025August 31, 2025

From the Marengo Police: At approximately 2:37 AM on Saturday, August 30, 2025, in the 100 block of South State Street, the Marengo Police Department arrested Edwin Saavedra-Flores, 22, of 2nd Avenue # , Harvard, IL, for the following alleged offense(s); Driving […]

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Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade Has First Labor Union Entry

Cal SkinnerAugust 30, 2025August 31, 2025

For at least a fifteen years I have been attending the Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade. Saturday was the first time I saw a labor union float. It was from the IBEW, Local 117. When I saw the float at […]

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Little Boy Run Over by Lawnmower in Cary in Critical Condition

Cal SkinnerAugust 30, 2025August 30, 2025

From the Cary Fire Protection District: Child Airlifted After Traumatic Injury in Cary On Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 12:41 p.m., the Cary Fire Protection District responded to the 28700 block of West Kristy Lane for a reported traumatic injury involving a […]

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Enterprise Zone Accomplishments Dertailed

Cal SkinnerAugust 30, 2025August 30, 2025

From McHenry County: Enterprise Zone racks up continued successes Congratulations to the City of Woodstock, which announced last week that Action Packaging will be relocating its headquarters to the McHenry County Enterprise Zone! Action Packaging was recently named by Crain’s Chicago Business […]

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McLaughlin Schedules Property Tax Appeal Workshop

Cal SkinnerAugust 30, 2025July 23, 2025

From State Rep. Marty McLaughlin: Rep. Martin McLaughlin Hosting “Don’t Overpay!” Property Tax Appeal Event in August BARRINGTON, IL – State Representative Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington) will host a free “Don’t Overpay!” Property Tax Appeal event on Friday, August 1st, at the Barrington […]

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Rabid Bat Found in Cary Bedroom

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

From McHenry County: Bat in McHenry County tests positive for rabies, first human exposure of 2025 season MCHENRY COUNTY, IL – The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has confirmed that a bat collected from a Cary home on August 28 has tested […]

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Grooming Arrest in Woodstock

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

From the Woodstock Police: John Luna

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Storm Damage Teams Coming Started Wednesday

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 28, 2025

From the Pritzker Administration: Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments Teams to Visit Cook, Will, Boone, and McHenry Counties in Early September SPRINGFIELD–In order to verify damage from the storms and flooding that occurred August 16-19, preliminary damage assessment (PDA) teams will go door-to-door […]

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Joe Cervantez Seeking To Be Republican Candidate for Illinois Attorney General

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

Republican Candidate for Illinois Attorney General Joe Cervantez sends this announcement: Statement of Candidacy The Illinois Attorney General’s Office plays a vital role in supporting law enforcement, protecting ourchildren, and securing Illinois prosperity. The Attorney General is the chief legal advisor of […]

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Pickup Crash into Tree Sends Impaired Driver, Injured Critically, to Hospital via Helicopter, Passenger Also Airlifted, But Stable

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

From Crystal Lake Polilce: Crystal Lake Police Conduct Crash Investigation Crystal Lake, IL – On Friday, August 29, 2025, at approximately 12:52 AM, Crystal Lake Police and Fire/Rescue responded to Crystal Ridge Drive and Carmella Drive for the report of a single […]

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Commentary on Pitches Made to “Take Back the Republican Party”

Cal SkinnerAugust 29, 2025August 25, 2025

From a Friend of McHenry County Blog: Another view on Republican precinct committeemen There is currently a Republican “grassroots” slate that is trying to take over the state party next year.   You will hear more about them in coming months — some […]

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Huntley Police Stop Fraudster

Cal SkinnerAugust 28, 2025

From the Huntley Police: Huntley Police Stop $25,000 Scam Attempt – Arrest Made Huntley, IL – On August 20, 2025, a Huntley resident received a fraudulent email claiming a $499 subscription renewal had been charged to his PayPal account. When he called […]

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Recent Comments

  • How Block Club Chicago Downplayed ICE Arrests of Criminals SAFE-T Act Let Out of Jail - McHenry County Blog on ICE Announces Illinois “Operation Midway Blitz,” Lists Alien Criminals Not Turned Over from Cook County Jail
  • Real Estate Taxes Due Wednesday - McHenry County Blog on New Count on Real Estate Taxes Exceeding $10,000
  • Spike Lee Didn’t Name His Movie about Crime in Chicago “Chi-Raq” for Nothing - McHenry County Blog on Retired Chicago Police Chief Says Johnson and Pritzker Afraid to Ask Feds In “Because It Might Work” While Stats Show Crime Down
  • Odds of Catalina Lauf Wheatley Winning Bryan Donalds’ Congressional Seat Get Lower - McHenry County Blog on Catalina Lauf (Wheatley) Gearing Up To Run for Congress in Southwest Florida?
  • Pritzker’s Juvenile Detention Centers Send Press Release to Deflect from Sex Abuse Suits - McHenry County Blog on Rape and Other Sexual Abuse Charged in Illinois’ Juvenile Facilities
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