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McHenry County Blog

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About

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
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Recent Posts

  • Chicago Reporters Do Not Cover Themselves with Glory in False Reporting on Day Care Center Arrests November 5, 2025
  • ICE at McHenry County Courthouse November 5, 2025
  • Moving to Florida November 5, 2025
  • UPDATE: Don Tracy Warns of Socialist Experiment, BEST VICTORY HEADLINE November 5, 2025
  • Dambrowski Hits Pritzker for Swearing November 5, 2025
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Chicago Reporters Do Not Cover Themselves with Glory in False Reporting on Day Care Center Arrests

Cal SkinnerNovember 5, 2025November 5, 2025

Drom the Department of Homeland Security: DHS Sets the Record Straight on Illegal Aliens’ Attempt to Evade Arrests by Recklessly Attempting to Barricade Themselves in a Chicago Daycare ICE is NOT targeting schools or daycare centers. The media continues to peddle false […]

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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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McHenry County Democratic Party Precinct Committee Candidates Vastly Outnumber Republican’s, 89-67

Cal SkinnerNovember 4, 2025November 4, 2025

From a Friend of McHenry County Blog: GOP Outreach Chair gets primary while Democrats whoop Republicans on recruitment There were 69 people who filed to be committeeperson in 67 precincts (with two contested races) on the Republican side and 90 people who […]

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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:

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Lakewood Audit Reveals RedTail Golf Course Not Paying Its Own Way

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 1, 2025

The fiscal year 2025 audit shows that RedTail lost money again, $322,000.  The golf course has now lost money in six of the last eight years. The loss includes $34,000 in interest expense on the $2.8 million that Lakewood borrowed for the […]

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Harvard Head-On Crash Closes Route 14 for an Hour and a Half, Child Flown to Hospital

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 3, 2025

From the Harvard Fire Protection District: Route 14 Head-On Collision Results in Multiple Injuries On November 2, 2025, at 4:04 p.m., the Harvard Fire Protection District was dispatched to the intersection of Route 14 and Lembcke Road in unincorporated Harvard for a […]

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Possible Reasons the State’s Attorney Dropped the Lakemoor Hemp Case

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025November 3, 2025

You may remember that after much Sturm und Drang, the McHenry County criminal case against the owners of a hemp processing facility in Lakemoor was dismissed at the request of the State’s Attorney’s Office. Here’s the email, obtained through a Freedom of […]

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Opportunity for Public To Comment on Natural Disaster Plan

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025October 6, 2025

From McHenry County: McHenry County to Review Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan WOODSTOCK, Ill. – McHenry County governments and public safety agencies will beconducting their annual review of the county Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan next month. The plan exists to assess natural and […]

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Spending MUCH More, Getting MUCH Less for Minority, Female State Purchases

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025October 27, 2025

When you read this article from The Center Square, compare what is being spent now with the one employee (a woman) who ran this program in the Thompson Administration in the mid-1980’s. Illinois agency buys incompatible computer system meant to ‘streamline’ diversity […]

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Paying Tribune to Veterans

Cal SkinnerNovember 3, 2025October 27, 2025

From McHenry County: McHenry County Pays Tribute to Veterans Through Operation Green Light WOODSTOCK, Ill. – McHenry County will once again join local governments nationwide in observing Operation Green Light to show support for America’s veterans and raise awareness of the resources […]

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UPDATE WITH MORE PHOTOS: Robb Tadelman Holds Petition Party at McHenry Golf Club

Cal SkinnerNovember 2, 2025November 2, 2025

Most of these photos were taken by John Pletz. Sheriff Robb Tadelman and McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett. The crowd. State Senator Craig Wilcox and State Rep. Tom Weber. Ed Hinz, Jerry Majewski and Dennis Conway. Front Row: Ed Hinz and Dennis Conway. […]

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Sunday Funnies

Cal SkinnerNovember 2, 2025November 2, 2025

From Illinois Policy Institute cartoonist Eric Allie:

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Know What “Tailing” Is?

Cal SkinnerNovember 2, 2025October 31, 2025

The subject came up for discussion in last month’s Planning Environment & Development Services Committee meeting. The minutes follow, but you’ll have to go to their end to find out what “tailing” means. TUP’S for Temporary Entertainment Events Adam Wallen, Director of […]

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Tribune Echoes 1974 Argument That Driving People Out of Cars Is a Good Idea

Cal SkinnerNovember 2, 2025November 2, 2025

We were going to save the environment by passing the RTA referendum. That was the argument that the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers bought into in 1974. I introduced an amendment that would buy everyone in the sic-county area newspaper subscriptions because […]

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Precinct Committeeperson Filings Show Democrats Vastly Outnumbering Republicans

Cal SkinnerNovember 1, 2025November 1, 2025

A Friend of McHenry County Blog counted those who filed and found 38 Republican filings for PC and 66 Democrat. Filing closes at 5 PM Monday. Here are the Democrats: Democrats Republicans Guess I should add this GOP deficit to my “Death […]

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Harvard Fire Protection District Wishes for a 15% Property Tax Hike

Cal SkinnerNovember 1, 2025November 1, 2025

The Black Box ad for the Harvard Fire Protection District asks for 15% more in real estate taxes than last year. The increase in the Cost of Living was 2.9%, which is the limit under the Property Tax Cap, plus new construction.

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Recent Comments

  • 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
  • Precinct Committeeperson Filings Show Democrats Vastly Outnumbering Republicans - McHenry County Blog on Does the McHenry County Republican Party Have a Death Wish?
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