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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

  • Parkland Academy Problem December 18, 2025
  • McHenry County Taxpayers May Be on the Hook for $13 Million to Repay Home Equity Lost in Tax Sales December 18, 2025
  • Republican Congress Folks Ask Trump Not to Pardon Madigan December 18, 2025
  • Rep. Sue Ness Asks Constituents about Double-Dipping Elected Officials December 17, 2025
  • Feds Make Another Gun-Related Arrest December 17, 2025
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How to Request a Ticket to Trump Inauguration

Cal SkinnerDecember 23, 2024December 23, 2024

From the Illinois State Republican Party: The Illinois Republican Party would like to cordially invite you to use the following link to submit a request for tickets to President Trump’s Inauguration. Link As a potential guest, you will be prompted to fill […]

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MODIFICATION: Christmas Eve Present for SOME Federal Employees

Cal SkinnerDecember 23, 2024December 23, 2024

As a going away present, resident Biden has given Federal employees today off. Except for appointments already made for today, employees of the Veterans Administration don’t have to work today. I’m assuming that goes for the rest of the Federal workforce as […]

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State’s Attorney Finds No Document in Which Permission Was Given Algonquin Township Supervisor to Pay Bills Without Board Permission

Cal SkinnerDecember 23, 2024December 20, 2024

Having been told that Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk paid bills without approval of the Board of Trustees and claimed he had received approval of doing so from the State’s Attorney, I filed the following Freedom of Information request; “Under the FOIA […]

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Santa and the Deep State

Cal SkinnerDecember 23, 2024December 21, 2024

From Brewster Rocket: Space Guy:

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Half-Mooning in Lake in the Hills

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 23, 2024

From the Lake in the Hills Police;

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Prediction 0f 2032 Congressional Reapportionment & Electoral College

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 22, 2024

Found on Unleash Prosperity Hotline #1169: Here’s what the liberal Brennan Center projects the 2030 map will look like if the trend in the last two years continues for the rest of the decade: If this trend holds up, then Democrats could […]

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Lake in the Hills Child Comes Home from School with Bruises

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 20, 2024

From the Lake in the Hills Polilce:

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 22, 2024

From the Illinois Policy Institute’s cartoonist Eric Allie:

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Woodstock Outline Use of $600,000 State Park Grant

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 22, 2024

From the City of Woodstock: City Receives OSLAD Grant for Splash Pad The City of Woodstock is excited to announce it has been awarded $600,000 through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development(OSLAD) Grant Program. This […]

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The Plight of Illinois’ Regional Public Universities Analyzed by Governmental Expert Jim Nowlan

Cal SkinnerDecember 22, 2024December 22, 2024

Thoughts from Jim Nowlan, former State Rep., Lt Gov;rnor candidate with Richard Ogilvie, cabinet leader under Jim Thompson, college professor, author, etc:: Illinois doesn’t have enough college students to go around Illinois doesn’t have enough college students to go around, and college-going […]

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Bird Flu in Woodstock

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 21, 2024

From the City of Woodstock: Public Notice: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Waterfowl Reports of waterfowl (geese, ducks, etc.) affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed across the region, including Woodstock, Illinois. To help reduce the risk of […]

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FOID Card Constitutionality Case at State Appellate Court Level

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 22, 2024

From The Center Square: Illinois appeals court hears challenge to Illinois’ gun ID law (The Center Square) – Whether Illinois’ Firearm Owner’s ID card is constitutional is now up to a state appellate court. Illinois is one of only a handful of […]

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RTA Subsidies by County

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 22, 2024

Food for thought from the Metropolitan Planning Council:

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Four-Vehicle Crash West of Marengo

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 21, 2024

From the Marengo Fire/Rescue District: Multi-Vehicle Crash with Multiple Patients on Route 20 in Marengo On Thursday, December 19, 2024, at approximately 4:21 p.m., the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts responded to a multi-vehicle crash just west of the intersection of W. […]

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Small Business Hurting in Illinois

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 20, 2024

From The Center Square: As economic conditions improve, survey shows Illinois small business struggles continue (The Center Square) – A new survey of small businesses shows economic conditions took a turn for the worse in Illinois in November.   The small business network Alignable reports that nearly half […]

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Alex Vucha’s Accident Photos Make Chicago Television News

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024

Several fire departments have hired Alex Vucha to take photos and send out press releases. Local media, including McHenry County Blog, have published them. Last night Fox 32 featured ones from the Harvard and Cary Fire Protection Districts. The accidents were both […]

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Looks as if Illegal Aliens Boosted Illinois Population

Cal SkinnerDecember 21, 2024December 20, 2024

From the Chicago Tribune:

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Trump Wins Budget Battle in House, Christmas Tree Bill Chopped Down

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 20, 2024

The U.S. House passed the 118 page bill devised after Prudent -Elect Trump trashed the 1500+ page Christmas tree alternative worked out to gain votes from Democrats.. . Gone was the $79,000 pay raise, too. The U.S. Senate needs to pass the […]

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Cary Squad Car and Bicyclist Have Accident

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 20, 2024

Cary Police report on minor accident:. The crash occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. The adult male bicyclist was riding his bike southbound on the sidewalk east of Silver Lake Rd. The squad car was turning northbound onto Silver Lake […]

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Slot Machine Thieves Arrested

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 20, 2024

From the Illinois Gaming Board: Illinois Gaming Board Agents Arrest Four Men for Video Gaming Café Burglary CHICAGO – The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office announces the arrest of 23-year-old Diego G. Lopez from Mount Prospect, 23-year-old Gamaliel […]

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Cary Head-on Crash Closes Route 14 for 45 Minutes

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024

From the Cary Fire Protection District: Cary Incident: Two-Vehicle Head-On Collision At 8:27 p.m., the Cary Fire Protection District responded to a two-vehicle, head-on collision near the intersection of Route 14 and Nimco Drive. Firefighters arrived within minutes and found two vehicles […]

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Harvard Rollover

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 20, 2024

From the Harvard Fire Protection District: Harvard Incident: Single Vehicle Rollover At 7:31 p.m., the Harvard Fire Protection District was dispatched to the 18700 block of Route 14 for a single-vehicle rollover crash. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a damaged vehicle that had […]

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Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian Suffers Two Losses to Self-Storage Owners

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 19, 2024

McHenry County Blog wrote earlier of Crystal Lake’s intention to impose a sales tax on self-storage units. The staff memo said $150,000 would be raised. Self-storage unit owners got together and sent a detailed letter of opposition signed by James Keelan and […]

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Health Department Reports First Death of Young Child from Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 20, 2024

From the Health Department: McHenry County Department of Health reports first pediatric RSV death of 2024 surveillance season MCHENRY COUNTY, IL – The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is reporting the first pediatric death attributed to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) of the […]

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Report Shows Wildly Inaccurate Crystal Lake Tax Increment Financial Projections

Cal SkinnerDecember 20, 2024December 18, 2024

From Crystal Lake’s Don Kountz:: Crystal Lake held their annual Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Joint Review Board and Public Hearing recently.  I’ve made a simple spreadsheet from the mandatory reports that are filed with the Illinois State Comptroller.  Items to note are […]

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When Will an Illinois Legislator Introduce a No Tax on Tips Bill?

Cal SkinnerDecember 19, 2024December 17, 2024

Unleash Prosperity Hotline #1166 reports that Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is the first to support passage of a state No Tax on Tips law. He writes that on all future credit card payments in restaurants he will write “No Tax on […]

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NJ Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Grooming & Soliciting Sexual Photos from Lake in the Hills and Huntley Middle School Students

Cal SkinnerDecember 19, 2024December 21, 2024

From the State’s Attorney: VICTOR MEZA VALDEZ SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND GROOMING The Office of the McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Victor Meza Valdez, formerly of Ringwood, New Jersey, was sentenced to […]

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Immigration Attorney Accused of Being Crooked

Cal SkinnerDecember 19, 2024December 19, 2024

From the U.S. Attorney: Chicago Attorney Indicted on Immigration Fraud Charges CHICAGO — A Chicago attorney has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly providing false and fraudulent information to U.S. authorities to obtain immigration benefits for his foreign national clients. […]

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Librarian Gets Two Years for Stealing $770,000

Cal SkinnerDecember 19, 2024December 19, 2024

From the U.S,, Attorney: Former Head of Suburban Chicago Public Library Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling More Than $770,000 CHICAGO — The former director of the Markham, Ill. Public Library has been sentenced to two years in federal […]

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WIND Email Reveals $70,000 Salary Increase for Members of Congress in Omnibus Spending Bill

Cal SkinnerDecember 19, 2024December 19, 2024

From WIND: Nick Sortor: What the HELL has Congress done to think they deserve a $70,000 per year pay raise? They’re calling it a “cost of living adjustment.” But THEY ARE THE REASON the cost of living is so out of control. They […]

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Recent Comments

  • 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
  • Schools and Socialism - McHenry County Blog on Woodstock School Report Card
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