McHenry County Blog

As you might imagine, the SUV won.

Considering how relatively small motorcycles are, my guess is that it’s usually four-wheeled vehicles that hit the two-wheeled ones.

Here’s a press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department about the crash:

Crystal Lake Traffic Crash

Motorcyclists follow the same laws as motorists.

On Monday, May 16, 2011 Emergency crews from the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue and Crystal Lake Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle crash on Pyott Road near Rakow Road, involving a motorcycle and a sports utility vehicle.

Upon arrival crews determined that a 1994 Honda Goldwing motorcycle, operated by Paul Ruge (57) of Bloomingdale, IL had collided with a 1998 Ford Explorer, driven by Danielle Hoeck (30) of Algonquin, IL.

A subsequent investigation revealed the Ford Explorer came to a stop on Pyott Road, southbound at the intersection of Rakow Road for a red traffic control light, when it was struck from behind by the motorcycle.

The rider, Paul Ruge, was examined by Crystal Lake paramedics, and declined emergency transport. Danielle Hoeck was not injured.

Ruge was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid a Collision, and was released from the scene.

Traffic was diverted from the southbound lanes for approximately 30 minutes as crews assessed the drivers, and removed the damaged vehicles and debris.

If you want to see how desperate Illinois Democrats are to keep enough Democrats in office to re-elect Mike Madigan House Speaker, consider the following fabrication:

This mailing would have voters think the non-incumbent Republican challenger Jeffrey Junkas is a pawn of Democratic Party House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Democrat Jack Franks, being challenged by Republican John O’Neill, is labeling himself “McHenry County’s Independent Voice.”

Of course, he won’t answer Tribune columnist John Kass’ question about whether he will support Mike Madigan for another term as House Speaker.

But Franks isn’t charging that O’Neill is a “pawn” of Mike Madigan.

Jack Franks' Lincoln SUV with State Rep. license plate 46.

Franks was campaigning in McHenry today.

The license plate on Jack Franks' Cadillac convertible is "BAC JACK."

But he wasn’t driving the snazzy Cadillac convertible he was the last time I saw him in Woodstock.

These teens were pointing the way to the Fun Fair Saturday. The Key Club, Student Council and Honor Society were raising money for UNICEF.

I thought he might have been at the Fun Fair being held at the McHenry West High School gym.  But he wasn’t.  I guess he was knocking on doors near John O’Neill’s precinct.

The kids loved the big fire truck and army vehicles.

The Fun Fair had a McHenry Township Fire Protection District hook and ladder truck with ladder fully extended to attract attention.

Swimmers lined up for their races late in the meet.

The reason I was at McHenry West was for the swim meet between the McHenry Marlins and the Zion Dolphins.

We sell pickles. As an incentive to sell all in a jar, we give away pickle juice after they are all gone. One girl drank about 24 ounces last year.

I was selling pizza and pickles.
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Thanks to Illinois Review for publishing the absolutely false Kevin McCarthy mailing.

Take a look at this May 1st article I found in Elgin’s Courier-News.

It tells of how the head of the State Police Merit Board got “a 2006 Dodge Charger, boasting a ‘Hemi” V-8 engine that blasts from zero to 60 in 5 seconds.”

Fewer than 12,000 miles.

So, why didn’t State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias just cozy up to the State Police and ask for a fancy vehicle instead of buying a Ford Escape hybrid SUV, instead of buying it with Bright Start college savings money?

You remember reading about the $85 million lost in that investment program, right?

Ray Hanania asks in his SWNewsHerald online column,

“Why is the Bright Star controversy so important in all of this? It’s such a small breach of ethics. Yet that small breach of ethics is symbolic of the problem Giannoulias presents to this state.

“If he will take money from a fund set up to help little kids one day have the money to go to college so he can buy an SUV, then he would surely look you straight in the eye and tell you he is the champion of the public and quietly pat the bankers on the bank as they continue to pillage the consumer.”

For additional context, please read the column.

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Editorial cartoonist Chris Britt of the State Journal-Register drew the cartoon from which this image is extracted. Entitled “A NOT SO BRIGHT START,” he has Giannoulias saying, “This shows ya what a college education can buy.”