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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

  • What McHenry County Makes It Difficult to Find November 7, 2025
  • Ex-Crystal Lake Clerk Nick Kachirouibas Learns Prison Sentence Today November 7, 2025
  • Redux of George Ryan’s CDL Scandal Looming? November 7, 2025
  • FOID Card Turned Over to Police November 7, 2025
  • Public Pressure Against Recapturing Property Tax Authority Supposedly Given Away after Passage of the Quarter of One Percent Sales Tax for Mental Health May Be Working November 7, 2025
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“Far-Right” Descriptor Used by Chicago Tribune

Cal SkinnerApril 13, 2025April 13, 2025

It just jumped off the screen in the Chicago Tribune story entitled, “Trump’s affinity for coal can’t compete with market realities.” “Far-right” to describe the United States Supreme Court. Reminded me again that I can’t ever remember reading anything in the Tribune […]

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LaHood Introduces Affordable Housing Credit Legislation

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 8, 2025

From Republican Congressman Darin LaHood: LaHood, DelBene, Bipartisan Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Support Affordable Housing Washington, D.C. – Tuezay, Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) reintroduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support the financing and development of affordable housing across […]

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The Personal Feelings of the Tribune’s Editorial Cartoonist

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

Tribune Editorial Cartoonist Scott Stantis also writes the cartoon strip “Pickle Cityj.” He is virulently anti-Trump, which he makes clear today:

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Bill Mahar Eats at White House

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

Gateway Pundit posted the Bill Mahar explanation of what went on when he had dinner with President Donald Turmp. It had me laughing at several points. I think you might enjoy it.

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Ballots Still To Be Counted, Does Lou Ness Have a Chance of Winning Woodstock Council Seat?

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

From McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio: The other 22,517 have not been returned. Here are the numbers that former County Board member Lou Ness, who ran a write-in campaign for City Council have to beat: Are there 850 or more write-in votes […]

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Redlight Camera Bribery Trial Reveals Numbers

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

I’m not following the Federal bribery trial of Emil Jones III closely, but did read today’s Tribune story summarizing the testimony of an intern Jones got a no-work $15 an hour job for with the FBI mole who bribed to get relight […]

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Chevron Fights California’s High Gas Tax

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 10, 2025

One gasoline company has a strategy to fight California’s really high gas taxes. Chevron puts this sign next to its pumps:

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Home School Government Regulation Bill Did Not Pass the House This Week

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

From State Senator Chris Balkema: Deadline Week Comes and Passes – Homeschool Bill Stopped for Now This week marked the final week for Senate and House bills to pass out of their original chambers and move over to the other chamber for […]

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Child Porn/Animal Sex Arrest in Lake in the Hills

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 11, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Schakowsky Attends Last Saturday’s Protest, But Not in Algonquin, Criticizes GOP -Controlled Congress

Cal SkinnerApril 12, 2025April 12, 2025

From Algonquin Township’s Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky: The energy I felt last weekend at the Chicago Hands Off rally was off the charts. The American people made it loud and clear: they want stability, freedom, and fairness, not a wannabe dictator. We do […]

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Three-Car Crash Sends Three to Huntley Hospital Down the Road

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Polilce:

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McHenry Cocaine Drug Arrests Send Outsiders to Prison

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 12, 2025

From the State’s Attorney: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO A COMBINED TWENTY YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR POSSESSING OVER $400,000 WORTH OF COCAINE The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that Cristian Chavez-Salgado, 27, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to […]

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Democrats Should Congratulate Themselves for Making It Impossible for Relatives of Detained Illegal Immigrants To Visit Them Locally

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 10, 2025

The Trump Administration is seeking proposals to build $45 billion in detention centers for illegal aliens. None will be built in Illinois, however, because of a 2019 law prohibiting companies from doing such in Illinois. It was called the Private Detention Facility […]

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UPDATE: Barricaded Man with Gun on Crystal Lake’s West Side Shot and Killed by SWAT Team Deputy IDENTIFIED, WBBM-TV IMAGE

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

From the Coroner: McHenry County Coroner, Dr. Michael Rein, announced that his office was contacted on April 11, 2025 at around 5:30 am by MIAT (McHenry County Major Investigative Assistance Team) to investigate an apparent shooting death at the 300 block of […]

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UPDATE: Legislators Start Talking about Electricity & WATER Sucking Threat of Data Centers

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

Crain’s Chicago Business has an article reporting some members of the Illinois General Assembly are finally talking about data centers sucking up of electricity may threaten ordinary users’ supply. I don’t subscribe to Crain’s so can’t tell you more than the email […]

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End to Drivers’ License Test Discrimination Against Old Folks Passes the Illinois House without Dissent

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 10, 2025

Advanced unsuccessfully last year by State Rep. Jeff Keicher, a bill to make the Illinois drivers’ license law similar to those of all other states passed Thursday with the help of a Democratic Party colleague. The bill raising the age of road […]

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Ness Reflects on National Issues, Says It Shouldn’t Be “Use vs. Them”

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

From State Rep. Sue Ness: We can demand better During the last great recession that started in 2007-08, I started writing a blog called “Inspiration Station.” I started it to counter the daily bad news that kept being reported. Writing that post […]

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1965 Palm Sunday Crystal Lake Tornado Look Back Sunday, Sixty Years Ago Today

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 11, 2025

From the Crystal Lake Historical Society: Sixty years ago today, a tornado tore through Crystal Lake ripping up homes in Colby’s Subdivision behind the Crystal Lake Plaza, going through the shopping center across Route 14 into the Goss farm, now Coventry Subdivision. […]

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If Driving in Cary with Only One Headlight, Don’t Have Open Pot

Cal SkinnerApril 11, 2025April 10, 2025

From the Cary Police: Arrest Date: 4/8/2025, Arrest Time: 8:15 PM Arrest Location: INDUSTRIAL DRIVE//CARY-ALGONQUIN ROAD Arrestee Name: GONZALEZ-CONTRERAS, STACY, Sex: F, Race: W, Age: 26 Address: Mary Lane, Cary Charge:

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Another Problem at LITH’s Marlowe Middle School

Cal SkinnerApril 10, 2025April 9, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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Democrat Claims Victory in Dundee Township Supervisor Race

Cal SkinnerApril 10, 2025April 10, 2025

From Dundee Township Supervisor-Election Shefali Shah: SHEFALI SHAH CLAIMS VICTORY INDUNDEE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR RACE SHEFALI SHAH CLAIMS VICTORY IN DUNDEE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR RACE EAST DUNDEE – Shefali Shah (D, East Dundee) announces she’s claiming victory in the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election […]

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Woodstock Middle School Teachers’ Lounge Flaming Light Fixture Prompts Evacuation of Basketball Practice

Cal SkinnerApril 10, 2025April 10, 2025

From the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District: Fire Response at Creekside Middle School On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 8:59 p.m., the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded to Creekside Middle School, 3201 Hercules Road, for a reported structure fire. Initial reports indicated a possible electrical […]

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Partisan Majority on Illinois Supreme Court Explains Remap Decision

Cal SkinnerApril 10, 2025April 10, 2025

From the Chicago Tribune:

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Young Folks’ Turkey Takes

Cal SkinnerApril 10, 2025April 10, 2025

From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Illinois youth turkey hunters set new harvest record SPRINGFIELD – Illinois youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary record total of 2,091 birds during the 2025 youth turkey season, breaking the previous harvest record of 2,010 set […]

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Home School Registration Bill Advances

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 10, 2025

From the Illinois Freedom Caucsus: IL Freedom Caucus: Home School moves forward despite intense opposition Springfield, IL – The Illinois Freedom Caucus is calling out far left lawmakers for ignoring the wishes of thousands of Illinois families by pushing a measure to force […]

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Funk Finks Out for Second Algonquin Township Board Meeting Since GOP Primary Trouncing

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

Here’s the email Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk sent to members of the Township Board seven hours before the beginning of the meeting: “I will not be at tonight’s meeting. I appoint Thersa Fronczak to Chair the meeting.” Primary election results are […]

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Coroner Identifies Capron Corvette Driver Who Flipped His Car West of Chemung

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

From theCoroner: McHenry County Coroner, Dr. Michael Rein, announced that his office was contacted on April 5, 2025, at around 5:30 pm by McHenry County Sheriff’s Office to investigated a single person car accident around the 24700 block Rt. 173 in unincorporated […]

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Tuesday Evening Crystal Lake Domestic Fight Sends Both to Hospital

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

From the Sheriff: Sheriff’s Office Investigates Domestic Incident near Crystal Lake At approximately 7:47 p.m. on April 8, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the 5000 block of Terra Cotta Road in unincorporated Crystal Lake for reports of a domestic incident. […]

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When Even Patch Is Covering Tariffs, Here’s a Comparison of Where Car Parts Originate That Might Be of Interest

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

From The Economist:

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Real Estate Fraudster Gets Four Years

Cal SkinnerApril 9, 2025April 9, 2025

From the U.S. Attorney: Chicago Real Estate Broker Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Bilking Investors out of More Than $3 Million                 CHICAGO — A Chicago real estate broker has been sentenced to more than four years in […]

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Recent Comments

  • Public Pressure Against Recapturing Property Tax Authority Supposedly Given Away after Passage of the Quarter of One Percent Sales Tax for Mental Health May Be Working - McHenry County Blog on Crystal Lake Park Board Votes to Tax to the Max
  • McHenry County Board Finance Chairman Mike Skala Not Running for Re-Election - McHenry County Blog on County Board Proposes 13% Tax Levy Increase
  • McHenry County Board Finance Chairman Mike Skala Not Running for Re-Election - McHenry County Blog on 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
  • McHenry County Democratic Party Precinct Committee Candidates Vastly Outnumber Republican’s, 90-67 - McHenry County Blog on Does the McHenry County Republican Party Have a Death Wish?
  • Possible Reasons the State’s Attorney Dropped the Lakemoor Hemp Case - McHenry County Blog on Hemp Criminal Case Goes Up in Smoke
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