McHenry County Blog

From the Illinois Auditor General:

NONCOMPLIANCE WITH ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILD REPORTING ACT

The Department of Children and Family Services (Department) failed to comply with several sections of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (Act) (325 ILCS 5) during the examination period.

We tested several sections of the Act and noted the following exceptions:

• The Department did not immediately communicate the investigation reports of child abuse and neglect for a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance to the State’s attorneys’ offices for 17 (28%) of 60 reports tested. Specifically, we noted the State’s attorneys’ offices were notified between 218 to 920 days from report date.
• The Department notified the Directors of DPH and HFS of the report of suspected abuse or neglect of a child alleged to have been abused or neglected while receiving care in a hospital 34 days to 885 days from the investigation date for 15 of 15 (100%) reports tested.
• The Department did not submit to the General Assembly or Governor the fiscal year 2021 and 2022 reports on the effectiveness of the programs designed to test the most effective approaches to case management protocols for Department clients with substance abuse problems.
• The Department was required to file four reports summarizing the number of Unfounded Review and Indicated Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect to the General Assembly during the examination period. The results of our testing indicated the Department failed to timely file 2 (50%) of the reports required. Specifically, we noted the reports due on December 1, 2021 and June 1,
  2022, were submitted to the General Assembly 8 and 104 days late, respectively.
• The Department did not timely notify the children’s school of its final findings from an indicated report of child abuse and neglect within 10 days of completing an investigation of alleged physical or sexual abuse for 40 of the 40 (100%) indicated reports tested. Specifically, we noted the schools
  were notified 129 to 890 days late.
• The Department did not timely notify the local enforcement personnel and the office of the State’s
  attorney of the involved county for 5 of 25 (20%) reports tested. Specifically, we noted the local enforcement personnel and the office of the State’s attorney were notified of a report alleging the death of a child, serious injury to a child, torture of a child, malnutrition of a child, and sexual abuse to a child 5 to 43 days after the required 24-hour timeframe. (Finding 5, pages 27-32) This
  finding has been reported since 2012.

We recommended the Department immediately refer all reports of child abuse and neglect for a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance to the appropriate State’s attorney’s office and to update procedures and provide training to staff to accomplish compliance with the Act; notify the Director of DPH and HFS within a reasonable timeframe, when the Department receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect of a child and the child is alleged to have been abused or neglected while receiving care in a hospital; ensure the timely submission of all reports required by the Act to the General Assembly and Governor; strengthen its monitoring and procedures for investigators to ensure they provide copy of its final findings from an indicated report of child abuse and neglect to the child’s school within 10 days of completing an investigation of alleged physical or sexual abuse under the Act; ensure local law enforcement personnel and the office of the State’s attorney of the involved county of the receipt of any report alleging the death of a child, serious injury to a child are timely notified.

The Department agreed with the recommendation. Please see the full State Compliance Examination Report for further details of the Department’s response for each of the bullet points noted above.

NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE SCHOOL CODE

The Department failed to comply with the School Code (Code) (105 ILCS 5/22-85(j)).

During our testing of 25 alleged incident of sexual abuse investigations, we noted that for 24 of 25 (96%) indicated investigations tested, the Department did not timely notify the relevant schools when an investigation of an alleged incident of sexual abuse was completed. Specifically, we noted the notifications were sent to relevant schools between 431 to 908 days from the investigation report date. (Finding 6, pages 33-34) We recommended the Department timely notify the relevant school of the child involved in the investigation when the investigation of alleged incident of sexual abuse is completed.

The Department agreed with the recommendation and stated it has strengthened its monitoring and procedures for investigators to ensure statutory compliance by providing a copy of its final findings from an indicated report of child abuse and neglect to the child’s school within 10 days of completing an investigation of alleged physical or sexual abuse under the Act. Further the Department stated, in September of 2022, the Chief Deputy of Child Protection and the State Central Registry along with the Deputy of Child Protection, visited all 10 subregions across the state and met with every child protection supervisor, area administrator and regional administrator, issuing a memorandum in September 2022, instructing staff of this requirement and providing clear direction on how to execute this procedure. Across the state, investigators implored change to the existing statute as they believe this requirement violates the privacy of the family by revealing (only to the public-school administrators) the private matters of the child.

LACK OF DOCUMENTATION OF MONITORING OF CONTRACTS WITH PROVIDER AGENCIES

The Department did not adequately document the monitoring of its provider agencies for compliance with contract terms.

The Department could not provide documentation demonstrating it had conducted monitoring of its non-substitute care service provider agencies. The non-substitute care provider agencies provide services which include, but are not limited to, counseling, habilitation, advocacy centers, system-of-care grants, and other child specific services. Specifically, we noted the Department was unable to provide documentation it had conducted monitoring, as specified in the contracts, for 12 of 60 (20%) contracts tested. Total grants expended for the 12 contracts during fiscal years 2021 and 2022 totaled $15,593,544. Due to the Department being unable to provide documentation to demonstrate it had conducted monitoring, we cannot determine whether annual reviews required to be submitted by 9 of 12 grantees were performed by Department staff. (Finding 11, pages 47-48) This finding has been reported since 2012.

We recommended the Department perform and document adequate monitoring on all contracts to ensure contract payments are for services received and program plans and performance goals of the provider agencies are achieved.

The Department agreed with the finding and stated it will ensure staff serving in the contract monitoring role are performing monitoring duties pursuant to program plans. The Department further stated it has added regional leadership roles to increase the oversight of regional based staff after facing staffing shortages during the time of this audit which was also during the global pandemic. Lastly, the Department stated it is also pursuing a new performance monitoring tool to aid in tracking and documentation of monitoring agency contracts.

The precursor to the County Board’s discussion of property tax hikes tomorrow took place at the last McHenry County Board meeting.

The problem is two-fold:

• the Biden Administration inflation’s putting pressure on the cost of everything from employee salaries to good and services and
• the unfunded mandates passed by Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly

The increase in cost of snow plows for the Department of Transportation offers an illustration of the problem County Board members face this year.

Three more are needed, even after increasing their replacement time.

While the price used to be $350,000, now it is $500,000.

The fund to pay McDOT salaries is down to two weeks.

Normally, reserve funds should be a couple of months.

The result was increasing the county’s Motor Fuel Tax.

There were two votes. The first was on a motion from Crystal Lake’s John Reinert to raise the gas tax two cents a gallon.

It resulted in a 9-9 tie vote, which Chairman Mike Buehler broke with a “No” vote.

The second vote to raise the gas tax four cents a gallon passed by14-4 vote.

So, what was the logic for raising the gas tax?

Not having listened to the tape, but having talked to some members, it seems that increasing the gas tax was a way to decrease the pending increase in the real estate tax levy.

Why the push to hike the property tax?

Besides inflation higher than any since the 1980’s, there are two obvious factors:

• The Democrats in the legislature, with the support of local Democrats, forced the cecessation of housing illegal aliens in the McHenry County Jail. That resulted in a loss of revenue of about $6 million.
• The Democrats passed the SAFE-T Act ending cash bail which will cost County coffers almost $2 million per year.

Here is a delineation:

From the U.S. Attorney:

Carjacking at Suburban Chicago Gas Station Leads to Ten-Year Federal Prison Sentence

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint while a woman and her two children were inside.

The carjacking occurred on the afternoon of July 27, 2022, at Thorntons gas station in Posen, Ill.  

The woman was entering the driver’s seat of her Kia Optima when KEWAN TILLMAN approached, pointed a loaded handgun at her, and demanded the key. 

The victim was able to get the two children out of the vehicle before Tillman stole the car and drove off. 

Tillman quickly lost control of the vehicle, got out, and ran back toward the gas station, where he unsuccessfully attempted to force entry into an occupied semi-truck. 

Tillman then placed the handgun in a sewer and tried to force his way into another vehicle that was parked at a gas pump. 

After a physical altercation with the driver of that vehicle, Posen Police officers arrested Tillman. 

The officers discovered the handgun in the sewer. 

The gun was equipped with a “Glock switch,” also known as an “auto sear,” and at the time was only capable of firing in fully automatic mode.

Tillman had arrived at the gas station in a Kia Soul that had been reported stolen in Chicago.

Tillman, 20, of Calumet City, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges.  U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed the sentence on Sept. 22, 2023, after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Posen Police Department.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth.

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Photos from U.S. Attorney’s Office.

From the Crystal Lake Police:

From State Rep. Suzanne Ness, 30,597 post cards time financed with tax dollars.

Ness received 53% of the vote against Republican Connie Cain.

From State Senator Dave Syverson:

State Senator Dave Syverson is hosting Traveling Office Hours Sept. 28 in two McHenry County communities to make it easier and more convenient for many constituents to receive services.

“My district office staff will be coming to Harvard and Marengo Sept. 28 to help individuals and businesses with questions about state services, as well as to gather input from them about state activities and legislation,” Syverson said. “Traveling Office Hours are an effective way to meet with local residents and get to know more about communities in the 35^th District.”

District staff will be on hand to assist local residents with state services, as well as answer questions and address concerns, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at City Hall, 201 W. Diggins St. in Harvard, and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at City Hall, 132 E. Prairie St. in Marengo.

No appointments are needed, and office hours are open to all constituents of the 35^th Senate District.

From Wirepoints:

Jordan/Catanzara Hearing: Wirepoints offers data-focused analysis on Chicago crime

CHICAGO – As House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan gears up to hold a public hearing alongside Chicago FOP President John Catanzara to address crime in the city, Wirepoints is offering its extensive research on crime as analysis at the hearing or to the media.

Despite criticisms that the hearing is political theater, Chicago’s crime rates have seized the attention and concern of the nation. 

“Our research and data can offer clarity on the situation,” said Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints. “We’re available to provide analysis at the hearing or to the media in the hope that we can contribute to the conversation and – ultimately – begin to resolve Chicago’s crime problem.”

Wirepoints’ studies include national comparisons, such as: 

• Of the nation’s 75 largest cities, Chicago has been the homicide capital of the nation for 11 straight years
• An objective comparison of red states vs. blue cites, which cuts through partisan narratives to look at how the policies of Democratic-led cities have impacted crime rates compared to those in Republican-led states

Wirepoints’ Chicago-specific work and research has found that the handcuffs local politicians have placed on the CPD have had dire consequences for residents, including: 

• An extremely low 5% arrest rate
• Over 50% of priority 911 calls have no police to answer them
• Chicago’s 2023 crime rates are tracking to be the city’s highest post-Covid 2019 rates to date

Finally, Wirepoints has analyzed how the governance of Chicago leaders – such as States Attorney Kim Foxx and Chief Justice Tim Evans – has contributed to the severity of Chicago crime. 

Wirepoints encourages Congress and city officials to look closely at the research we’ve compiled to inform the discussion on Chicago’s crime problem.

This snippet from State Rep. Dan Ugaste reminds me of something my wife picked up on the internet:

Fall color season gets closer

With the coming of autumn, Illinois will soon be starting up its fall color season and adjacent round of autumn festivals. 

The Illinois Tourism Board’s Enjoy Illinois website will operate its fall color map showing different sections of Illinois and the color conditions in each section.

The map differentiates between Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois.

Not only the dates but also the colors differ from region to region, and even from county to county.

• In the McHenry County area, cool evenings and dry weather have started yellowing black walnut, cottonwood, and honey locust in many places.
• The Red and sugar maples have been starting to turn red and purple.
• Sumac is changing to a deep red.

Different soil conditions encourage trees of different species, and some broadleaf trees and shrubs generate brighter colors than other.

In Illinois, a shrub called the smooth sumac often produces bright red roadside leaves.

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What I learned for the first time is that the true color of leaves is their fall color.

This explains it:

“Leaves get their brilliant colors from pigments made up of various color-creating molecules.

“During the warm, sunny months, plants use their leaves to turn sunlight into food energy, a process called photosynthesis.

“This primarily uses a pigment that reflects green light, which gives the leaves their characteristic color.”

From today’s Chicago Tribune listing the Democratic Party U.S, Senators calling for the resignation of indicted New Jersey Bob Menendez:

From the Lake in the Hills Police: