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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
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Recent Posts

  • Man Arrested for Hitting Female Federal Employee in the Head Outside Courthouse on Jackson Boulevard June 27, 2025
  • Crystal Lake Main, Lake in the Hills and Wonder Lake Beaches Closed June 27, 2025
  • Armed Robber of Mailman Convicted June 27, 2025
  • ISIS Supported Convicted, 130 Years Mazimum Sentence June 27, 2025
  • Stories You Don’t See in McHenry County June 27, 2025
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LaHood Seeks Extension of Indictments of Unemployment Comp Fraudsters

Cal SkinnerFebruary 22, 2025February 19, 2025

From The Center Square: Measure would allow for more prosecutions of unemployment benefits fraudsters (The Center Square) – An Illinois congressman is calling for the adoption of legislation that would allow for more time to pursue COVID-19 pandemic-era unemployment insurance fraudsters.  The Pandemic […]

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Drain Replies to Shorten

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 21, 2025

From incumbent Nunda Township Supervisor Leda Bobera-Drain: Another clarification for Mike Shorten Mike Shorten, let me clarify some things for you again. General Assistance is a statutory requirement under 60 ILCS 1/85 -13 paragraph A. The manual written by the State is […]

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Court Lays Out Details of Dan McConchie Replacement Appointment

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 21, 2025

From the McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk:

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Suicide Drug Importer Pleads Guilty

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 21, 2025

From thr U.S. Attorney: Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Importing Suicide Drug into the United States from Mexico CHICAGO — A man pleaded guilty today in Chicago to a federal drug charge for illegally importing the drug Pentobarbital into the United States from […]

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The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 5

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 17, 2025

Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy “My Way or the Highway” Funk was censured by the Algonquin Township Board nine times. I know of no other public official that has even come close to that disapproval by his or her governing board. Running in […]

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Steve Reick Takes Down Pritzker for Nazi Labeling

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 21, 2025

From The Center Square: Fallout continues after Pritzker’s Nazi comments during budget speech By Greg Bishop | The Center Square (The Center Square) – The fallout over comments Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made about Nazis during his budget address spilled onto the House […]

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Groundwater Pollution Plume from Grove Plating in Fox River Grove Leads to Downtown Ban on Wells

Cal SkinnerFebruary 21, 2025February 20, 2025

The Village of Fox River Grove is instituting a ban on wells in a fairly large area around the now-closed Grove Plating factory. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are no identified wells used for potable water within […]

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The Chances of Ethics Reform in Illinois Summed Up by Champaign News-Gazette Columnist Jim Dey

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 20, 2025

From the Champaign News-Gazette comes this pithy summary of what will happen now that Madigan has been convicted of assorted wrong-doing: “People who study these things say grief consists of five stages: “Illinoisans’ grief over the state’s fallen status follows a similar […]

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Mike Shorten Continues His Campaign for the February 25th Republican Nomination for Nunda Township Supervisor

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 21, 2025

From McHenry County Board member and former Nunda Township Trustee Mike Shorten: Mike Shorten, Candidate for Nunda Township Supervisor, Exposes Incumbent’s Alleged Violations of State Laws  Crystal Lake, IL –  Mike Shorten, Republican candidate for Nunda Township Supervisor, today disclosed alleged violations […]

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Pritzker Following Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels’ Playbook

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 20, 2025

Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it. That’s not a direct quote from Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, but it’s close. “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe […]

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The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 4

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 17, 2025

Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy “My Way or the Highway” Funk was censured by the Algonquin Township Board nine times. I know of no other public official that has even come close to that disapproval by his or her governing board. Running in […]

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Judges Go to Schools

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 19, 2025

From the McHenry County Circuit Court: MCHENRY COUNTY JUDGES VISITSCHOOLS IN HONOR OF LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY 9 Local Judges Participate in Annual “Judges Go to School” Program with Illinois Judges Association WOODSTOCK, IL — In conjunction with the February celebration in honor of […]

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Pritzker Four-Year Junior College Proposal Will Hurt Four-Year State Universities

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 19, 2025

Found among the proposals set forth by Governor JB Pritzker yesterday is one which will end up hurting state universities, already hurting for students: A Capitol Fax commenter called Donnie Elgin expresses my thoughts: =The Community College Baccalaureate Degree Program would enable […]

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Indiana About to Pass Real Property Tax Relief

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 15, 2025

Found on the Chicago Tribune: = = = = = I brought the tax deferral idea to Illinois.

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Deer v. Car in Lake in the Hills

Cal SkinnerFebruary 20, 2025February 19, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Do Over Scheduled for Meeting to Replace State Senator Dan McConchie

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

The filing of a suit in McHenry County questioning whether Dan McConchie has Republican credentials has apparent spooked GOP biggies. Notice of 2/21 Meeting for 26th Legislative District Committee 19 February, 2025 HONORABLE KEITH BRINREPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN FOR LAKE COUNTYFebruary 18, 2025 To:Hon. Jeff […]

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Ed Zimel: “Get the Funk Out”

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

Found on Facebook: Attention Algonquin Township residents: February 25, 2025 End the FUNKY BUSINESS LIES, LIES AND MORE LIES EXPOSE THE CORRUPTION Township Supervisor Randy “Funky Business” Funk is using your taxpayers dollars to attempt to smear the current Board of Trustees […]

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Eighteen Years on Three Kilograms of Heroin Charge

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

From the State’s Attorney: Jose Zuniga-Olivas Sentenced to Eighteen Years for Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that Jose Zuniga-Olivas, 55, of Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced to eighteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. […]

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UPDATE: Reactions to Governor’s Budget Talk

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

Governor JB Pritzker gave his budget address today under this backdrop from the bipartisan finance oversight commission: “Illinois will underperform the region and the U.S. in 2025, with gross state product, employment, and income increasing less than elsewhere.” The Chicago Tribune has […]

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Pritzker Proposes Easier Township Government Consolidation, Plus Abolition of Township Assessors in Townships Under 5,000 Population

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

Found in Governor JB Pritzker’s speech today is a township government consolidation proposal. The graphic appears below: The would lower the petition signature requirement for a referendum to abolish a township from 10% to 5%. More interesting to me is the proposal […]

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Feds Indict Man for Gun and Drug Charges

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

From the U.S. Attorney: Federal Indictment Charges Suburban Chicago Man With Trafficking Firearms and Drugs CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a suburban Chicago man for allegedly trafficking firearms and drugs. An indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago […]

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Covid Crook Gets Five Years

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

From the U.S. Attorney: SUBURBAN CHICAGO MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR $1.5 MILLION COVID-RELIEF FRAUD Fraud CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a suburban Chicago man to more than five years in prison for fraudulently obtaining […]

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Algonquin Township Integrity Trustee Team Mail

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

From those running against the Randy “My Way or the Highway” Funk slate: This appears on the back: This post card features For Clerk – Millie Medendorf For Trustee: Also endorsed on the sample ballot are

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UPDATE on Fatal Route 14 Head-On Crash North of Dean Street

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 19, 2025

From the Sheriff’s Department: Sheriff’s Office Investigates Fatal Crash near Woodstock A 33-year-old Elgin man was pronounced dead, and five others were injured following a three-vehicle crash on US Route 14 west of Dean Street, in unincorporated Woodstock.  On Sunday February 16, 2025, […]

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The Censures of Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk – Part 3

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 17, 2025

Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy “My Way or the Highway” Funk was censured by the Algonquin Township Board nine times. I know of no other public official that has even come close to that disapproval by his or her governing board. Running in […]

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Irony Concerning ComEd Profit and Mike Madigan’s Conviction

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 18, 2025

I don’t subscribe to Crain’s Chicago Business, so all I can share is the headline that came in Crain’s email: Certainly a coincidence, which I believe has a causal connection.

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Robotic House Building Inaugurated in Southwest Florida

Cal SkinnerFebruary 19, 2025February 17, 2025

With fears being raised that the expulsion of illegal aliens will cripple the housing industry, an Australian firm is using robots to lay concrete blocks in Southwest Florida. In the Know: Australians coming to the rescue of SWFL’s housing market SW Florida first […]

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McHenry County Administrator Peter Austin Gets 5.3% Raise

Cal SkinnerFebruary 18, 2025February 19, 2025

While the increase in Cost-of-Living was only 2.9% this past year, the McHenry County Board voted Tuesday night to increase his salary to $250,000, a 5.3% hike. Speaking against the increase were Board members Terri Greeno and Matt Kunkle. The vote was […]

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Because Secret Service Clearance Is Required Wednesday Deadline to Buy Tickets to See Lara Trump at McHenry County/Joe Tirio Fundraiser

Cal SkinnerFebruary 18, 2025February 18, 2025

Last call for tickets to the inaugural AMERICA FIRST LEADERSHIP DINNER with LARA TRUMP! This Friday FEB 21 in Addison, IL.  All tickets must be secured by noon on Wednesday as all attendees must be vetted by Secret Service by Friday, noon.  Secret […]

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Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Danijela Sandberg’s Opponent Prematurely Declares Victory

Cal SkinnerFebruary 18, 2025February 18, 2025

I’ve never seen this before. There is a Republican Primary Election next Tuesday in which folks in Algonquin and Grafton Township are facing off. (In Nuda Township, there is a similar situation, but only for the Supervisor spot.) The winners will be […]

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Recent Comments

  • Northwest Herald Pours Gasoline on Crystal Lake Park District’s Newly-Elected Majority as New Board President Shares His Phone Number - McHenry County Blog on DEI Supporters Keep Up Pressure on Crystal Lake Park Board, Conflict of Interest Charged for New Attorney, Pitch Made for Purchasing HealthBridge, Lake Advisory Committee Discussed
  • Pastor Corey Brooks Declines $200,000 in Legislative Pork for Project H.O.O.D. - McHenry County Blog on Florida and Illinois Black Leaders Trade Places
  • Liberals Demonstrate in Front of McHenry Library - McHenry County Blog on Dems Promote McHenry “Save Our Libraries” Demonstration
  • DEI Supporters Keep Up Pressure on Crystal Lake Park Board, Conflict of Interest Charged for New Attorney, Pitch Made for Purchasing HealthBridge - McHenry County Blog on Crystal Lake DEI Policy
  • John Collins Replies to Tim Beck’s Column - McHenry County Blog on Tim Beck’s Response to John Collins’ Rebuttal to Terri Greeno’s Opinion Piece
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