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At the Iroquois Steeplechase, the foxhounds kick off the horse races with a howling fun dog parade

May 9, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Hounds run on the track during the Parade of Mells Foxhounds at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

By KRISTIN M. HALL | Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — While the jockeys and the horse owners compete for the top purses at the Iroquois Steeplechase, the perennial favorite event of this 85-year-old tradition is the parade of foxhounds.

More than 20 foxhounds, a breed specifically trained to run alongside horses and hunters, took to the turf course Saturday to kick off the race day as fans cheer and take photos and videos.

The huntsman and his team, who are called whippers-in, has the sometimes difficult task of keeping the hounds on course, especially when they can get distracted by the tens of thousands of spectators in the infield and all their delicious tailgating food.

One hound loved the attention from the fans so much that she veered off course, said Charles Montgomery, a master and huntsman with the Mells Foxhounds, the hunting group that runs their pack in the steeplechase. “She had the best time. She loved going into the beer tents,” Montgomery said.

Foxhounds bark as they look out of their trailer at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

She loved it so much, she ran to the beer tent again the next year, so now she’s not invited back to the race, Montgomery said.

The Iroquois Steeplechase is one of the premier American steeplechase races, with a total of $730,000 awarded in purses, on a grass turf course with hurdles that opened in 1941 as a Works Progress Administration project. The Nashville race was founded by members of the Hillsboro Hounds, another fox hunting club in the Nashville area.

Genevieve Kennan leads the hounds during the Parade of Mells Foxhounds at the Iroquois Steeplechase, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Steeplechase racing and fox hunting are wedded together, said Stephen Heard, one of the trustees of the Iroquois Steeplechase and a member of the Mells Foxhounds group. The tradition came from the British Isles, where horses were raced from church steeple to church steeple and trained to jump obstacles like fences while hunting with dogs.

“Many of the horses that we use fox hunting are ex-steeplechase horses, Heard said.

With 25,000 spectators who are eating and drinking in tents and in the stands, the dogs need some time to adjust to the noise and smells.

Charles Montgomery spends time with his hounds before the Parade of Mells Foxhounds at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“I took one dog last year and he heard the speakers and he said, ‘This is not for me,’” Charles Montgomery said.

Article, video and additional photos can be found here.

Posted in Associated Press, Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »

Editorial: Mother’s Day isn’t about brunch. It’s about being seen.

May 9, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

A florist prepares a flower bouquet for a customer on March 1, 2024, at Asrai Garden in Chicago. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Mothers spend their days making decisions. Small ones, constant ones, invisible ones. What everyone eats. What everyone wears. Where everyone needs to be, and when. They carry it all in their heads, quietly keeping the machinery of family life running.

Knowing that, take note: She does not want to plan her own Mother’s Day.

To hear some people tell it, motherhood is mostly a story of exhaustion and sacrifice. There’s truth in that. But reducing it only to hardship misses something essential. It’s also deeply meaningful. Both things can be true, often at the same time.

Which is exactly why the work mothers do deserves recognition.

Our modern Mother’s Day is meant to honor the way mothers keep families running. The day itself may be arbitrary, but the sentiment behind it is not. In fact, the holiday didn’t start as a day for brunch reservations or last-minute gifts. Early efforts to establish Mother’s Day were rooted in women’s effort to build community, tend to the sick, promote public health and even advocate for peace in times of war. It was meant to recognize care work, not market it back to mothers. That distinction has gotten a bit lost. What was once about recognizing care has, in many cases, become another obligation.

Ask most mothers and they’d tell you to ditch the trappings and trimmings. They just want to know you appreciate them. And perhaps to enjoy a few minutes to themselves.

Editorial continues here.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, OP/Ed, Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »

Plan Commission Special Public Meeting May 28: Lot Consolidation #2

May 8, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Before the Plan Commission
Village of Barrington Hills
Plat of Subdivision – Lot Consolidation

Notice is hereby given that a Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. by the Plan Commission of the Village of Barrington Hills at the Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL, concerning an Application filed by the owner of 19 & 21 Peraino Circle, Barrington Hills, IL to request approval of a final plat of subdivision consolidating Lots 8 and 21 of the Subdivision of Barrington Ridge in Barrington Hills, IL to create a single lot. Affected properties are identified by PIN 13-33-301-024-0000 and 13-33-301-016-0000.

A copy of the application and proposed plat for lot consolidation is available for examination in the office of the Village Clerk at the Village Hall, by appointment, during hours of operation. Any interested party will be given an opportunity to provide comment. Written comments on the application for lot consolidation, which will be provided to the members of the Plan Commission, will be accepted in the Office of the Village Clerk through 3:00 PM, May 27, 2026.

By: Village Clerk
Village of Barrington Hills
Clerk@vbhil.gov
112 Algonquin Road
Barrington Hills, IL 60010

Source

Posted in County, Lake, Land Use, Plan Commission | Leave a Comment »

Plan Commission Special Public Meeting May 28: Lot Consolidation #1

May 8, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Before the Plan Commission
Village of Barrington Hills
Plat of Subdivision – Lot Consolidation

Notice is hereby given that a Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. by the Plan Commission of the Village of Barrington Hills at the Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL, concerning an Application filed by the owner of 60 Spring Creek Road, Barrington Hills, IL to request approval of a final plat of subdivision consolidating property commonly known as 56 Ridge Road and 60 Spring Creek Road in Barrington Hills, IL to create a single lot. Affected properties are identified by PIN 20-29-400-006, 20-29-400-007, and 20-29-400-017.

A copy of the application and proposed plat for lot consolidation is available for examination in the office of the Village Clerk at the Village Hall, by appointment, during hours of operation. Any interested party will be given an opportunity to provide comment. Written comments on the application for lot consolidation, which will be provided to the members of the Plan Commission, will be accepted in the Office of the Village Clerk through 3:00 PM, May 27, 2026.

By: Village Clerk
Village of Barrington Hills
Clerk@vbhil.gov
112 Algonquin Road
Barrington Hills, IL 60010

Source

Posted in County, Land Use, McHenry, Plan Commission | Leave a Comment »

Kite Fest Saturday from 10AM – 12PM

May 8, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Hanover Township, in partnership with Forest Preserves of Cook County and Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, will be honoring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by hosting a Kite Fest. This free event includes kite crafts, kite flying, nature activities, a bounce house, popcorn and snow cones.

The event partner, Brookfield Zoo, will also be bringing a surprise animal from their Animal Ambassador program.

***  Off-site parking at Streamwood High School with FREE shuttles to and from the event  ***

Carl R. Hansen Woods Forest Preserve (Sutton Road / Route 59, South of Shoe Factory Road, Hoffman Estates)

Email info@hanover-township.org for more information or call (630) 837-0301.

Source

Posted in Entertainment, FPDCC, Hoffman Estates, Politics | Leave a Comment »

U.S. Route 14 Underpass Update

May 8, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

 

Construction activity has ramped back up over the past month, with crews completing the following work:

  • Completed the walls and bottom of the Route 14 culvert, a storm sewer that will carry the relocated Flint Creek beneath the roadway. Formed and poured on-site, the next step is to form the top slab (deck) of the culvert. Once complete and cured, the structure can be backfilled.
  • Began work on the railroad bridge. Crews completed installation of sheeting for the north bridge abutment (the structural element on each end of a bridge) and began excavation within the sheeting area. Structural formwork will be placed as excavation continues. Once complete, the abutment will be poured in concrete. Similar operations will begin for the center bridge pier and the south bridge abutment over the coming months.
  • Made substantial progress on the storm sewer pump station building, including brick and roof truss installation. Most of the surrounding area has been designed to drain naturally away from the Route 14 underpass. However, during rain events, the sloped roadway sections will channel water toward the lowest point of the underpass. Large storm sewers will capture this water and direct it underground to the pump station, located just east of Jiffy Lube. The pump station will collect water in the completed pit, pump it back to the surface, and slowly release it into the relocated Flint Creek. This entire drainage system has been engineered to ensure positive drainage and has been reviewed and approved by the state, Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Continued relocation of utilities.

Weather permitting, the contractor plans to begin excavation and installation of a new storm sewer on Drury Lane over the next month, along with continued construction of the railroad bridge structure.

To stay informed and receive project updates, please visit the dedicated project website us14underpass.com or watch for email notifications.

Posted May 6, 2026

Posted in Aunt Blabby, EJ&E/Canadian National, IDOT, Public Safety, Real Estate, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, U.S. Route 14 Underpass | Leave a Comment »

How much is the new Illinois gas tax hike?

May 7, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

On July 1 the state tax will hit almost 50 cents a gallon. Lawmakers made yearly automatic.

By Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois drivers will see another gas tax increase July 1.

The state tax will rise to 49.6 cents per gallon because of the automatic annual inflation increase built into the 2019 “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure program signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

That means Illinois drivers will continue paying among the highest gas taxes in the country. Indiana and Georgia gave residents a gas tax holiday from high prices because of the war in Iran.

The average price of a gallon of gas in Illinois was $4.986 on May 6, up from about $3.40 a year ago, according to the AAA.

When Pritzker doubled the state gas tax from 19 cents to 38 cents in 2019, lawmakers also ensured Illinoisans would face automatic inflation-linked increases every year without another recorded vote.

Once federal, state and local taxes are combined, many Illinois drivers pay more than 85 cents per gallon in taxes alone at the pump. Only California and Michigan rival Illinois for the highest total gas taxes in the country.

Article continues here.

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Clown Car, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Deception, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois Tollway, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Taxes, Unions | 1 Comment »

Former Barrington High student detained as part of flotilla sailing to Gaza

May 6, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald

A former Barrington resident wants to rejoin a group sailing to bring aid to Gaza after their flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces and handed over to Greek authorities on Crete.

Carleigh Wamberg, a 37-year-old Barrington High School graduate now living in Guatemala, sailed as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which departed from Augusta, Italy, on April 26. Organizers have called it “the largest coordinated civilian maritime mobilization of the mission to date.”

Three days into the voyage, the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces near Crete, about 660 miles from Israel — far earlier than the group expected. They hadn’t anticipated any intervention until within about 50 miles of Gaza’s coast.

“Everyone was completely shocked,” Wamberg said.

Israeli forces in a speedboat overtook the vessel, flashing bright lights and screaming at the group to move to the bow, she said.

This grab from black and white CCTV footage shows members of a flotilla with hands in air as Israeli forces intercepted activists who set sail earlier this month attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, near the southern Greek island of Crete late last month. | AP/Global Sumud Flotilla

“They’re pointing their guns at our heads. They board the boat with the lasers all on us, and they’re in SWAT gear, faces covered,” Wamberg recounted.

Members of the flotilla were zip-tied and later strip searched, she said.

Wamberg said detainees were given wet mats to sleep on in shipping containers and then forced onto the deck of their captor’s ship without shade during the day.

“We’re all out there getting sunburned, dehydrated and trying to put the mats on our heads to shelter us from the sun,” she said.

Wamberg claims detainees were beaten when they demanded proof of life of their crew as well as medicine, clothing and other supplies.

Article continues here.

Posted in Barrington High School, Daily Herald | Leave a Comment »

IRS may owe taxpayers a refund for coronavirus-era fines. Here’s how to apply.

May 6, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

By Fatima Hussein | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of taxpayers who were penalized by the IRS during the coronavirus pandemic for failing to pay their taxes or filing late may qualify for a refund or termination of the penalties they incurred during that period.

However, the relief is not automatic or guaranteed, and most taxpayers need to file a claim for a refund or abatement of their tax liability by July 10 to get their money back.

The national taxpayer advocate, an independent watchdog of the IRS, is warning that the deadline to apply for relief is fast approaching after a federal court late last year ruled that taxpayers were not required to file their taxes on time during COVID-19.

The IRS had assessed more than 120 million penalties against tens of millions of taxpayers for filing late returns, failing to pay taxes or failing to make required estimated tax payments between January 2020 and July 11, 2023.

The case, called Kwong v. U.S., decided that COVID-19 emergency laws extended the deadline to file and that the IRS owes penalty payments to taxpayers. The case is still being litigated.

The taxpayer advocate calls the issue “widespread and not limited to a small or specialized group of taxpayers.”

Ken Kies, assistant secretary at the Treasury Department, told The Associated Press that President Donald Trump’s Republican administration believes that Kwong “was wrongly decided because it is a misreading of the plain language of the statute.”

“We will continue to defend the statutory language as written,” he said in a statement.

Still, as it currently stands, taxpayers should fill out a form to preserve their rights, said Alyssa Maloof Whatley, a director at Frost Law, a tax firm with locations across the U.S.

“Either it holds up or it doesn’t,” she noted of the ruling. ”So by preserving your claim, you’re actually preserving your right to that money.”

How to apply

People eligible for a potential refund or abatement are those who filed a tax return late between Jan. 20, 2020, and July 11, 2023; paid penalties for filing or paying late during that period; owed IRS penalties even if they have not paid them; or filed an international information return late.

In a series of blog posts on its website, the taxpayer advocate is sharing recommendations — including that people review their IRS tax account transcripts through their online account — to check penalty assessments from those periods.

Who’s affected

“Many taxpayers affected by this issue have low and moderate incomes,” the taxpayer advocate said. “These taxpayers are less likely to have professional representation and to learn about complex legal developments like this one. As a result, they face a greater risk of missing the opportunity to claim refunds to which they may be entitled.”

Maloof Whatley said people will need to fill out Form 843, which can be found on the IRS website, and send it through snail mail.

According to the IRS, for people who received a penalty during the pandemic, the form must be mailed to the service center where they would be required to file a current year tax return.

Because of the impending July 10 deadline, “taxpayers should not delay reviewing their situation and considering potential claims for refund and abatement,” the taxpayer advocate said.

Source

Posted in Associated Press, Taxes | Leave a Comment »

Tickets now on sale for the Obama Presidential Center

May 6, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Click here to purchase tickets to the Obama Presidential Center opening June 19.

Tickets for those 12 and above are $30 and children 3-11 are $23. Children 2 and under are free and Illinois residents are $26 for 12 and above and $15 for 3-11.

Posted in Education, Entertainment, Organizations, Politics, Unions | Leave a Comment »

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