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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

  • County Board Set to Approve 3% Automatic Annual Raises Starting in 2030, End of Free Family Health Insurance for Those Elected in 2028 November 29, 2025
  • If the Pilgrims Had a Lawyer November 28, 2025
  • Seeing President Truman November 28, 2025
  • Lakewood Holding Town Hall on Wake Boarding November 28, 2025
  • Reminding Me of My Favorite Oberlin College Professor November 28, 2025
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Redux of George Ryan’s CDL Scandal Looming?

Cal SkinnerNovember 7, 2025November 6, 2025

Remember the two immigrants named Singh from India who killed people in Florida and California driving semis? And “No name” licenses from New York State? Well, Illinois is doing so well either. From “Overdrive“: “The state of Illinois has paused issuance and […]

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FOID Card Turned Over to Police

Cal SkinnerNovember 7, 2025November 5, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police:

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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

Cal SkinnerNovember 7, 2025November 7, 2025

The goal of a two and a half hour McHenry County Board Finance Committee meeting whose main topic was next real estate taxes was stated by Vice Chairman Brian Sager: “I hope we s a committee can come together to a consensus […]

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Farmers Markets Moving Inside

Cal SkinnerNovember 7, 2025October 28, 2025

Bad weather will not keep customers from browsing at farmers’ markets.

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Fire in Commercial Condo on Prairie Street in Crystal Lake

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 6, 2025

From the Crystal Lake Fire Department: Structure Fire – 370 Prairie Street Crystal Lake, IL – The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was dispatched to a multi-unit commercial building for a smoke investigation at 6:11 am. Upon arrival on scene, fire crews […]

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8.74% Property Tax Hike Sought by Huntley Park District

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 6, 2025

The Black Box ad from the Huntley Park District:

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Another Incident at Chezek Elementary School

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

From the Lake in the Hills Police;

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Pritzker Beats New York City to Government-Financed Grocery Store

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

From Governor JB Pritzker:; Gov. Pritzker Breaks Ground on New Grocery Store in Venice $5.9 million in combined private and public funding will bring affordable, nutritious groceries to Metro East families VENICE – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce […]

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Senator Sue Rezin Comments on Democrats’ Energy Bill

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

From State Senator Sue Rezin: Democrats Pass “Surge” Energy Bill Democrats Pass Controversial Energy Legislation. In the final hours of Veto Session, Illinois Democrats pushed through their so-called “Energy Omnibus Bill,” a sweeping law critics say opens the door to $8 billion […]

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Marengo To Discuss Possibility of Metra Station

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

Not that Huntley has decided it does not want a Metra station, will one be put in Marengo? Crossing in Marengo near the old high school. Here’s the idem on the next Marengo City Council agenda:

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Reick Dissects Democrats Mass Transit Tax Hike Bill and Reports on Other Parts of the Recent “Veto” Session

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

From State Rep. Steve Reick: Veto Session: Death and Taxes, Lots and Lots of Taxes The fall veto session ended in the wee hours of Halloween morning, which was apt when you consider the horrors that were unleashed on the taxpayers of […]

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LaHood Has a Republican Challenger

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 6, 2025

He is from Rockford and named John Kitover. LaHood’s challenger is coming on strong, charging, “Voters of District 16 Liberate Yourselves From Darin LaHood & Restore Fiscal Conservatism & Pragmatism to Congress.  Darin has created $20 Trillion in Debt, Lied To You […]

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McLaughlin on Explains False Premises of Needing Mass Transit Bailout

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 5, 2025

From Stte Rep. Marty McLaughlin: All Aboard? Mass Transit in a Work-from-Home Era The recent $1.5 billion increase in mass transit investment may no longer be the best use of our public resources. Looking at the data, it’s clear that increased spending […]

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UPDATE: State Pays $500,000 Apiece for Forty Rental Homes in Madison County, AVERAGE HOME PRICE in ALTON $94,000

Cal SkinnerNovember 6, 2025November 6, 2025

If you want to see how well your tax dollars are spent divide 40 into $20,000,000. That will tell you that the homes in Gov. JB Pritzker’s press release below cost a half million dollars ech. Gov. Pritzker Celebrates Grand Opening of […]

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ICE at McHenry County Courthouse

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025

From the Sheriff: Outside Law Enforcement Activity Today, around 1:00 p.m., the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office received an inquiry that there was suspected U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) activity in the parking lot of the McHenry County Courthouse. Upon receiving this […]

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Moving to Florida

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025
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UPDATE: Don Tracy Warns of Socialist Experiment, BEST VICTORY HEADLINE

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025

From the campaign of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy: Don Tracy: NYC’s Socialist Experiment is a Warning for Illinois SPRINGFIELD – It’s Election Day in New York City, where voters will choose the next mayor. Zohran Mamdani, an unapologetic socialist, leads in the polls over […]

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Dambrowski Hits Pritzker for Swearing

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025

From the gubernatorial campaign of Ted Dambrowski: Ted Dabrowski slams Pritzker’s gutter language Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues to coarsen political discourse in this country. As recently reported, he said in a speech last month to the Illinois Federation of Teachers that “Trump and his […]

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Daily Herald Notices the Collar Counties Got Screwed

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 4, 2025

Read what the Daily Herald has to say about the bill to keep the Chicago Transit Authority alive: “…in the collar counties especially, it remains troubling that the makeup of the 20-member board for the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority, which will […]

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UPDATE: Couple Found Dead in Car on Crystal Lake’s Coventry Lane IDENTIFIED

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

From the Coroner: McHenry County Coroner, Dr. Michael Rein, announced that his office was contacted on November 4, 2025, by Crystal Lake Police Department around 5:30 am to investigate the deaths of Yeisimar Morales-Sanchez, age 20, of Crystal Lake and Kirby Graham, […]

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Richmond Seeking 8% More in Real Estate Taxes

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

From the Village of Richmond comes this Black Box advertisement informing residents it is requesting an eight percent property tax increase:

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McHenry County Board Finance Chairman Mike Skala Not Running for Re-Election

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

Veteran McHenry County Board member Mike Skala has not filed petitions to run for re-election. Finance Committee Chairman Skala, who previously served numerous terms on the Huntley School Board, is the leader of the “lookback” movement to recapture the property tax levy […]

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Algonquin GOP Chairman Calls for Taxpayers to Urge County Board Members Not to Increase Their Real Estate Tax Levy

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

First is was Grafton Township. Now Algonquin Township Republican Party Chairman Bruce Johnson issues a call to action. URGENT: Fellow Republicans – FLOOD the McHenry County Board with CALLS & EMAILS – VOTE NO on the 2026 Budget Increase! ACTION NOW: 5 […]

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Crystal Lake Lions Donate $1,500 to Refuge for Women

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 3, 2025

From the Refuge for Women email: Lions Club President Ron Parrish presents to check.

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The Role of Pot in Automobile Deaths at Over 40%

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 3, 2025

Back in the 1970’s I held an event at the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake in which an expert told of the deleterious effects of marijuana. If you are a regular reader, you know I post arrests of people who […]

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Two Illinois Illegal Aliens Make Homeland Security’s Worse of the Worst” List

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

From the Department of Homeland Security: Over the Weekend, ICE Arrests Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Including Pedophiles, Kidnappers, and Murderers 70% of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. WASHINGTON […]

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Winthop Harbor Man Arrested for Threatening President’s Life

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 3, 2025

From the U.S. Attorney: Suburban Chicago Man Charged With Making a Threat to Kill President Trump CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been arrested for allegedly making a threat to kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of […]

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Don Tracy Fundraiser Wednesday, Nov. 12th, in Algonquin

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025October 27, 2025

From the Don Tracy for U.S. Senate campaign: The ev.ent will be held at the Golf Course of Illinois on Wednesday, November 12th.

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Which Is the Real Kat? Fishnet or Pigtails?

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Kat Abughazaleh was the first to announce she was running for the Democratic Party nomination in the 9th District, which includes all of Algonquin Township. She seeks to replace Jan Schakowsky. Images found at that time on Instagram from 2020 did not […]

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SNAP (Food Stamps) Used by Six Percent in McHenry County–Lowest in the State

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Here is a map showing the percentage of those using SNAP in each Illinois county:

Posts pagination

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Recent Comments

  • Schools and Socialism - McHenry County Blog on Woodstock School Report Card
  • Rocio Cleveland Gains More Free Publicity in Quest to Win GOP Nomination in Jan Schakowsky’s 9th Congressional District - McHenry County Blog on GOP Candidate to Replace Jan Schakowsky Makes Media by Playing Off Kat’s Arrest
  • Ex-Crystal Lake City Clerk Gets Five Years - McHenry County Blog on Former Crystal Lake City Clerk Sentencing for Sex Crimes Friday
  • County Board Passes What for Every Other Tax District Would Be Considered “Taxing to the Max” - McHenry County Blog on 9 PM Levy Indecision on County Board
  • As Many County Board Republicans (Plus the Democrats Is My Guess) Prepare to Vote “Yes”, Democratic Party Attacks Budget and Puts Forth Candidates in All Districts - McHenry County Blog on Will County GOP Board Members Support Zero Increase in Real Estate Tax Levy (Note the lack of a question mark)
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