“Opaque” is the opposition of “transparent,” right? Every month the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department makes a report to the County Board. I looked at the April report. Right on top is a summary of activity for the Corrections Division. Take … Continue reading
There was an column by Rex Huppke in the Chicago Tribune Monday that might suggest a use for the empty cells in the McHenry County Jail. And there are more empty cells than was reported by the Administration in the … Continue reading
John Hammerand, the County Board member who first pointed out (twelve months ago) that the county was losing big bucks by housing Federal prisoners, spoke next: “You cannot manage what we don’t measure. “I’m thinking of [the need to] swear … Continue reading
The debate on Tuesday about housing Federal prisoners in the McHenry County Jail started with Law & Justice Committee Chairman Sue Draffkorn trying to set the terms of debate. With regard to the ten-year agreement with the Feds, Draffkorn pointed … Continue reading
My master’s degree from the University of Michigan is in Public Administration. I was thinking of what my professors would have said if I had presented what the County Board is being given to justify an increase of $10 a … Continue reading
Because a vote on a new three-year jail contract with the Federal government will be voted upon by the County Board on Tuesday I am keeping this article on top until the meeting. = = = = = On Tuesday, … Continue reading
Now the Federal government is paying McHenry County $85 per day to house prisoners, so the $95 a day rate represents a $10 per day increase. The $95 per day is still well below the $131.38 cost to house a … Continue reading
After dissecting the preliminary cost-benefit report from Washington consultant Joseph Summerill, I sent him the following email: Subject: Question about your preliminary report on McHenry County I am trying to understand the report that you gave the McHenry County Board … Continue reading
Yesterday, based on McHenry County Sheriff’s Department figures organized by $60,000 consultant Joseph Summerill, McHenry County Blog pointed out that over a five-year period, Sheriff Keith Nygren’s program to house illegal aliens and prisoners in the McHenry County Jail cost … Continue reading
One of the signature accomplishments claimed by outgoing McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren is the build-out of the unfinished top floor of the jail with the help of $6.5 million in Federal funds. Now, figures from the Sheriff’s Department show … Continue reading
Having run out of salt to provide for the Courthouse and Administrative Building parking lots, the McHenry County Board is planning on buying an additional 4,000 tons for $300,000 from North American Salt Company. The price to be paid is … Continue reading
Gannett Newspapers has an article today that makes me wonder if continued funding from the Federal government to McHenry County to house illegal aliens will be forthcoming at the past levels. The new budget cuts “about 25 percent — from … Continue reading
Driving across the Route 14 bridge on the way to d’Andrea’s, my car was sliding when I put on the breaks. Glare ice not treated with salt, it seemed. A squad car was flashing its lights on the northbound exit … Continue reading
April 17th, the same day that the McHenry County Board approved slot machines throughout rural McHenry County, Wonder Lake County member John Hammerand talked about the profitability of the housing of Federal inmates at the McHenry County Jail. “We better … Continue reading
McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler offers the following on an award given to McHenry County Transportation Department Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries: “I am pleased to announce that the McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries was … Continue reading
As a former Federal employee (Budget Examiner) for the United States Bureau of the Budget, I know a little bit about the Hatch Act. It was the statute that forced me to resign my Civil Service job in the Executive … Continue reading
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the County’s IT Department deserve a hefty “at-a-boy” for the web site update. Sheriff Keith Nygren and Undersheriff Andrew Zinke are featured on the masthead of the opening web page. For the first time, … Continue reading
The crown jewel in McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren’s crown is the top floor of the McHenry County Jail. Constructed by a County Board that thought McHenry County’s criminal population would grow, it was not built out until Nygren came … Continue reading
McHenry County has had snow this winter. Not much, but Thursday’s predicted snowfall has been widely predicted. So, what was happening the day before the storm? There were women walking or running their dogs. Here’s a convertible with its top … Continue reading
A complaint has been made to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department of Homeland Security about mistreatment and abuse of sexual minorities by the Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center. You can read the … Continue reading
