Charles Mount headed the Chicago Tribune’s Bureau in Crystal Lake during what might be characterized as the Golden Age of area newspaper coverage.
The presence of the Tribune had an invigorating effect on the Northwest Herald.
Also reporting on local political affairs was Pioneer Press.
His Tribune obituary is here.
Some of his articles can be found below:
NEWS 1-9-97
HEARING SCHEDULED ON AIRPORT TAKEOVER
A hearing has been set for Dec. 18 in McHenry County Circuit Court on a motion by Lake in the Hills Aviation Group Inc. for a preliminary injunction to stop the Village of Lake in the Hills from taking over the airport.A judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday barring the village from…
NEWS 1-24-97
Charles Mount
Anita Sherwood, the popular Nunda Township supervisor who has been a force in township politics for 30 years, announced Thursday she will leave office on May 5.Sherwood, 70, who was elected supervisor in 1977 after having served as a secretary and township clerk for 10 years, also announced she…
NEWS 12-19-95
FORMER POLICE CHIEF TELLS COURT OF LIBEL ALLEGATIONS
A former Huntley police chief Friday accused the village president and three trustees of libeling him earlier this year when they made statements to a local newspaper before firing him last April.Richard Rossi, 41, who was police chief for 12 of his 15 years with the Huntley department, was the…
NEWS 12-6-95
COURT CONSIDERS APPEAL AGAINST ACCUSED TEACHER
The Illinois Appellate Court on Tuesday took under advisement a court battle of nearly four years between a state agency and a Lundahl Junior High School teacher accused of improperly touching a former female student.The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has appealed a Lake County…
NEWS 7-31-97
NEW BOND NOT LOW ENOUGH FOR EX-TEACHER IN SEX CASE
A former Crystal Lake junior high school gym teacher who is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 8th-grade student remained in jail Wednesday despite a halving of his bond.Judge Ward Arnold of Circuit Court reduced the bond for William T. Saturday, 37, from $600,000 to $300,000 after…
NEWS 9-21-96
EX-FIREFIGHTER LOSES SUIT TO RECLAIM JOB
The Algonquin Township highway commissioner has lost his lawsuit seeking reinstatement to his second job as a part-time firefighter with the Cary Fire Protection District.A McHenry County judge ruled Friday that trustees were not required to set forth their reasons for terminating him.Judge Haskell…
NEWS 9-28-95
NEW HOSPITAL STIRS TALK OF DEVELOPMENT
The new Memorial Medical Center in Woodstock has sparked a lot of interest in the corridor along U.S. Highway 14, local officials of the McHenry County Municipal League learned Wednesday night.Paul Laudick, president and chief executive officer of Centegra Health System of McHenry, told the monthly…
NEWS 5-3-95
COUNTY JUDGE APPOINTS INTERIM VILLAGE OFFICERS
McHenry County Judge Haskell Pitluck has approved a slate of officials to serve the new Village of Greenwood until regular officers can be elected in November.The interim officers are Evelyn Nash, village president; Harriet Goss, village clerk, and Ronald Albertson, Murray Bolger, Jamie Harrison,…
NEWS 12-30-94
ZOPP IS JUDGES’ CHOICE TO FILL 19TH CIRCUIT SPOT
Gerald Zopp, 49, a Crystal Lake attorney, was elected Thursday as McHenry County’s newest associate judge by the 13 circuit judges in McHenry and Lake Counties, according to presiding McHenry County Circuit Judge Michael Sullivan.Sullivan said Zopp, who will take office in February, will become..
NEWS 9-20-94
NEW LAWYER JOINS BATTLE OVER ABOLISHING TOWNSHIPS
Another of Illinois’ top election lawyers agreed Monday to represent the McHenry County Electoral Board in litigation over whether a question should be placed on the November ballot asking voters whether they want to abolish township government.Katherine Schultz, county clerk and chairwoman of…
NEWS 8-9-94
FIRM, VILLAGE ASK JUDGE TO DISMISS GRAVEL PIT SUIT
Attorneys for Algonquin and Meyer Material Co. asked a McHenry County judge Monday to dismiss lawsuits filed by the Village of Cary and some of its residents to block construction of a gravel pit.Algonquin and Meyer Material attorneys argued that the firm has a “grandfather” permit to mine the…
NEWS 8-2-94
3RD PARTY CANDIDATE TAPS TRUSTEE AS RUNNING MATE
Anita Sherwood, the 67-year-old Nunda Township supervisor and lifelong Republican who is bucking the Republican Party over its support of County Board member Kathleen Harper, has tapped Nunda Township Trustee Loretta Wright as her running mate on a third party ticket.Sherwood, who is angry that…
NEWS 12-9-93
POLICE CHIEF, AIDE TO REMAIN ON LEAVE
The City Council decided in closed session late Tuesday to keep its police chief and his top aide on paid administrative leave even though a McHenry County judge has tossed out all charges against them of illegal eavesdropping.Tim Clifton, city manager, said the council extended the leaves of Chief…
NEWS 11-18-93
EX-NUNDA CLERK COULD FACE ELECTION CHARGES
McHenry County State’s Atty. Gary Pack is reviewing a State Board of Elections finding that “a strong case” for criminal prosecution can be made against former Nunda Township Clerk Kathleen Harper.Pack said a decision will be made within a month on whether to prosecute Harper, who is also a County…
NEWS 11-5-93
Cary homeowner Debbie Hanson looks out at a nearby open field targeted for gravel mining and says she is encouraged that village officials have decided to challenge the plan in court.The Cary Village Board voted this week to file a lawsuit to block neighboring Algonquin’s plans to allow gravel…
NEWS 7-1-93
NEW ACTING POLICE CHIEF IS A FAMILIAR FACE WITH FORCE
Police Lt. Keith Nygren, 47, chief of detectives, was named acting chief of police Wednesday, succeeding Sam Johns, who has retired.Nygren, who joined the Police Department in 1971, will serve until a permanent chief is chosen after a nationwide search, said Joseph Misurelli, city manager.Nygren…
NEWS 5-20-93
DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERS FORM ALLIANCE IN SUBURBS
The Democratic Party chairmen of McHenry, Kane, Du Page, Lake and Will Counties have formed an association to increase the party’s strength in the suburbs.Frank McClatchey, McHenry County chairman, said the group will refrain from making endorsements in primaries and, instead, will concentrate…
NEWS 5-7-93
CHIEF HANGING UP BADGE AFTER 51 YEARS OF POLICE WORKCharles Mount
Police Chief Samuel Johns, 76, announced his retirement Thursday after 51 years in law enforcement, including 24 years as head of the 71-employee Crystal Lake Police Department.Johns took over when the department had 19 employees. He was an Evanston police officer for 26 years before retiring as…
Charles Mount
Barbara Key was a powerful political figure in Lake In The Hills, a 10-year mayor who aggressively pushed for the development and expansion of the tiny McHenry County community.Her death in February created a power vacuum. And now six candidates are running for village president, trying to fill…
NEWS 4-15-93
WOODSTOCK RACE IS ALL ABOUT STYLE
While the issues of growth and taxes seem to dominate most suburban elections, the Woodstock mayoral race is boiling down to personalities and how each of the two candidates would govern if he wins.Councilman Brian Sager, 40, and former Councilman William Anderson, 44, agree that the city, known…
NEWS 4-14-93
MCHENRY ELECTION MAY TURN ON TAX BASE, GROWTH
McHenry has always been a closely knit community whose strong selling point is its location along the scenic Fox River about two miles from the Chain O’ Lakes State Park, one of the state’s most popular resort areas.The city of 16,177 also sits at the crossroads of two major roadways, Illinois…
NEWS 4-8-93
MONEY MATTERS – A LOT – IN MCHENRY COUNTY REFERENDUMS
For having the lowest population among the six counties in the Chicago area, McHenry County sure has a disproportionate number of referendums on the April 20 ballot.Twenty-seven to be precise.Perhaps it’s because McHenry is the state’s fastest growing county, with a population growth rate of more…
NEWS 12-16-92
LIMITED RANDALL RD. ACCESS URGEDCharles Mount
The County Board Tuesday took the first step to make sure traffic keeps moving on a major road even after development sets in.The board voted 22-0 to work toward an agreement with Kane County and adjacent municipalities to limit access to a 10-mile stretch of Randall Road from Crystal Lake to the…
NEWS 12-9-92
KLEMM TAKES ON HORSE ESTATES AS MCHENRY COUNTY CHAIRMAN
To passersby it`s a pretty sight to see horses grazing on sprawling countryside estates in McHenry County.But to the owner of a modest home nearby, the horses may represent unfair taxation.That`s because the homeowner`s residence is probably assessed at 33 1/3 percent of its market value for property…
NEWS 12-4-92
[LITH] SEWER DISTRICT GETS BOOST FROM VOTE FOR LAND ADDITION
The Sanitary District`s expansion prospects brightened Wednesday when a key planning body increased from 155 to 355 the number of acres it recommends be added to the district`s jurisdiction.The addition of land to the sanitary district is significant because building sewers is essential for intensive…
NEWS 11-16-92
LAKE IN HILLS REJECTS BALEFILL WORTH $1.5 MILLION A YEAR TO VILLAGE
The Lake In The Hills Village Board on Tuesday unanimously rejected a $30 million application for a 113-acre balefill that would have handled McHenry County`s garbage for 20 years, beginning in 1995.The application by Material Recovery Corp. of Crystal Lake, which would have netted the village…
NEWS 11-12-92
FOES TRY TO THWART `LAND GRAB`
For more than three years, expansion-minded officials of Lake In The Hills have focused on fertile development land west of town and annexed a strip of about 1,500 acres all the way to Illinois Highway 47.The growth threatens to transform the village of 5,866, which was originally situated on hills…
NEWS 11-11-92
MCHENRY BOARD SPLIT OVER NEW CHAIRMAN
When two political parties share power on a legislative body, a fight for leadership is probably inevitable.But the all-Republican, 24-member McHenry County Board is proving that even a body dominated by one party can have a difficult time deciding on a chairman.The result is that John Brehmer,…
NEWS 11-5-92
DEMOCRATS` OPTIMISM DASHED IN MCHENRY COUNTY
For months, Democrats had high hopes McHenry County voters would switch their traditional Republican allegiances on Election Day.They talked of a heavy Republican crossover vote, in particular among women, to support Democratic Senate candidate Carol Moseley Braun and Democrat Catherine Lee of…
NEWS 11-2-92
BOARD ASKS VILLAGES FOR PAUSE IN LEAF BURNING
A County Board committee voted unanimously Monday to ask Algonquin, McHenry and other municipalities that do not ban leaf burning to impose a 2-week moratorium on it for health reasons.The health services committee adopted the resolution after board member Donna Schaefer of McHenry complained about…
NEWS 10-20-92
DEMOCRAT COX HOPES FOR HISTORIC RE-ELECTION
The 16th Congressional District, stretching from McHenry County to the Mississippi River, has long been part of the heartland of the Republican Party in northern Illinois.It includes the home of former President Ulysses S. Grant in Galena and is just north of the boyhood homes of former President…
NEWS 10-9-92
PLANNED BALEFILL NOT LEAK-PROOF, ENGINEER SAYS
Opponents of a 113-acre garbage balefill proposed for Lake In The Hills had their first at bat Thursday when they brought in an engineer to testify in a public hearing that the liner and cover planned for the operation would be inadequate to protect against leaks.David Anderson told a village siting…
NEWS 9-2-92
CONSULTANT APPROVES LAKE IN HILLS DUMP
An engineering consultant hired by the McHenry County Board said a controversial $30 million balefill planned for Lake In The Hills meets most of the board`s solid waste disposal requirements, but a leading watchdog group isn`t satisfied.Gerald DeMers, senior engineer for Simon Hydro-Search of…
NEWS 8-12-92
CRYSTAL LAKE POWERBOAT WAR STALLS
The battle between Crystal Lake and Lakewood over whether powerboats should use Crystal Lake has been settled for the summer, but not by a judge`s ruling.There is not enough time left in the prime boating season for the lawsuit to be concluded, both sides agreed.Representatives of both municipalities…
NEWS 8-6-92
MCHENRY TAX HEAT ON SMALL UNITS
The vice president of McHenry County`s most prominent civic watchdog group predicted Wednesday that voters who are angry with big spending increases will start putting as much heat on small taxing bodies as they have been on the bigger ones.”There are too many taxing districts. No other state…
NEWS 7-24-92
GRISLY TALE UNFOLDS AS CHURCH ENTERS GUILTY PLEA
During the long night before he was to leave for his sophomore year at Northern Illinois University, Richard Church sat in his mother`s apartment watching movies, including ”Hang `Em High,” drinking whiskey and beer, and taking pills.Then, about 5 a.m. he went to the Woodstock home of his 17-year-old…
NEWS 6-30-92
ABANDONED WOODSTOCK PLANT TO BE RAZED
A 10-acre former die-casting plant near the historic Woodstock town square that has been abandoned for two years will be torn down to make way for residential, business or recreational redevelopment, Mayor Jim Shoemaker announced at a news conference Wednesday.The former Woodstock Die Cast Division…
NEWS 6-5-92
FOX VALLEY EXPRESSWAY PROPOSAL FINDS FEW FANS IN EITHER PARTY
The Fox Valley Expressway might be among the more debated topics in McHenry County, but it`s doubtful that it will become much of a campaign issue in the coming elections because neither Republicans nor Democrats appear to support the proposal.McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Albert Jourdan…
NEWS 4-28-92
MCHENRY AGENCIES SETTLING IN NEW HOME
Sixteen departments of McHenry County government, with 200 employees, opened for business Monday in a new $32.5 million courthouse in Woodstock.But even before all of the boxes were unpacked, some were warning that the facility, like its predecessor, may be overcrowded within the decade if the…
NEWS 2-12-92
AS MCHENRY GROWS, SO DOES ITS ELECTION BALLOT
McHenry County is finding out what suburban counties across the country already knew: More development and more people mean more politics.This growth phenomenon is compounded by the need to reorganize the county from three districts to six because of population changes shown in the 1990 census….
NEWS 2-25-92
TAXES FUELING HOUSE RACES IN 63RD, 64TH
The legislative remap has given former state Rep. Cal Skinner Jr. a chance to return to public office for the first time since he madeunsuccessful runs for state and national office 10 years ago.Skinner, a member of a prominent Crystal Lake Republican family, is running in the new 64th District…
NEWS 6-4-91
COUNTIES VOW TO REJECT EDGAR`S TAX CAP
Cook County Board President Richard Phelan, as well as chief county executives from Du Page, Lake, McHenry, Will, Kankakee and St. Clair counties, have agreed to back the permanent extension of the income-tax surcharge and oppose Gov. Jim Edgar`s proposed 5 percent cap on property-tax increases,…
I met Chuck in the 90’s, a good reporter, but I felt he was put out to pasture, coming to McHenry County, and was limited on how far he could go with a story . . .
He knew so much more than what He could print.
I sure wish he had written a book, For The Rest of the story, that could not be told.
Charles Mount was a actual investigative journalist while the Northwest Herald employees lackeys who need editorial permission to publish their articles that they are assigned and spoon fed.
Too bad we didn’t lose the Northwest Herald instead of Charles.
Rest in Peace !
Charles Mount was a actual investigative journalist while the Northwest Herald employ’s lackeys who need editorial permission to publish their articles that they are assigned and spoon fed.
Too bad we didn’t lose the Northwest Herald instead of Charles.
Rest in Peace !
Investigative journalism is dying. Also, some of the big-name newspapers in the U.S. are cheerleaders and propaganda machines for the Democratic Party, liberals and progressives.