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Illinois 59 at Dundee Road culvert repairs (SCHEDULED TO) begin Sept. 30

September 29, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that culvert repairs at the intersection of Illinois 59 and Dundee Road (Illinois 68), in Barrington Hills, will begin, weather permitting, Wednesday, Sept. 30. ​

To complete the work, daytime lane closures will be required approaching the intersection. At least one lane will remain open in both directions during the construction. ​

The project is anticipated to be completed in November.

The public can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Alternate routes are encouraged. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve 7,107 lane miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Seven of Rebuild Illinois include $25.6 billion of improvements statewide to 24,498 lane miles of highway, 959 bridges and 1,475 additional safety improvements.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. Find traffic and road conditions at www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and X.

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Posted in Aunt Blabby, Cook, County, IDOT, Look For The Union Label, Press Release, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, School Districts, Taxes, Traffic | Leave a Comment »

League of Women Voters 52nd District Candidate Forum recordings released

September 29, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Recording of the Martin McLaughlin/Maria Peterson Candidate Forum held on Tuesday, Sept 22, for Illinois General Assembly 52nd District have been posted. The link can be found here.

Posted in BACOG, Cost of Living, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes | Leave a Comment »

Juliana Stratton is using her campaign money to fund Abdul El-Sayed

September 29, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

 

Juliana Stratton

By Mark Glennon* | Wirepoints

Abdul El-Sayed is unquestionably the most controversial and radical major party candidate in memory to run for the United States Senate, which he is doing in Michigan as a Democrat. He is disavowed even by some fellow Democrats, and his critics on the right routinely call him a jihadist, terrorist, radical Islamist or the like.

Juliana Stratton is now using her campaign fund to help El-Sayad win. She is Illinois’s Democratic candidate for the Senate facing Republican Don Tracy.

Linked here and here are recent campaign blast emails signed by El-Sayed but sent by Stratton’s organization and clearly marked, “Paid for by Juliana Stratton for Illinois.” Unknown at this point is how much further financial support she is providing, but Stratton is clearly helping El-Sayed, financially and otherwise, to some degree.

In the case of El-Sayed, any amount of support would have been unthinkable for Democrats and Republicans alike until the left became the nightmare it is today.

To top it off, Stratton is funded mostly by Gov. JB Pritzker, who has long purported to be a rock solid supporter of Israel’s right to exist. El-Sayed is anything but.

Some background on El-Sayed

For starters, El-Sayed has likened Oklahoma’s Sharia law ban to the Trail of Tears and said that ban and the Oklahoma City bombing are products of “white supremacy.” He is repeatedly criticized for dismissing the importance of the 9/11 attacks on America, saying the war on terror that ensued should have been directed to domestic programs.

He opposes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and consistently refuses to say it has a right to exist at all. He would end all military aid not just for Israel but Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He often condemns terrorism but proceeds to explain it away. After a Muslim terrorist drove a truck full of explosives into a Jewish temple in Michigan this year, for example, he condemned it but said “hurt people hurt people.” He is not a member of the Democratic Socialist party, but supports much of its most controversial agenda, including abolishing ICE (which he says “cannot be reformed”), Medicare for all, ending all military aid for Israel, and housing as a right. “When they go low, we don’t go high. We take them to the mud and choke them out,” Piker has said.

It gets worse: El-Sayed and Hasan Piker

El-Sayed has regularly platformed and campaigned with Hasan Piker, a prominent and open America-hater, radical Islamist and fan of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong “I say I hate America all the time,” Piker has said. “A lot of motherfuckers want to kill me over that take, but at least I say it with my fucking chest.”

Article continues here.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

Posted in 9/11 Ceremonies, Animal Welfare, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Immigration, New Normal?, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Wirepoints, WTF | Leave a Comment »

Moseley-Braun, Part II? Democrat U.S. Senate hopeful Stratton refuses debates, claims to be “dancing” her way to Washington

September 28, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (left), the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (right), who served Illinois from 1993 to 1999. | Illinois Office of the Lieutenant Governor; U.S. Senate Historical Office

Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton has turned down nearly every debate and interview request of the general election, prompting comparisons to Carol Moseley Braun, the last Illinois Democrat to embarrass the state on the way to the Senate.

By Prairie State Wire

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (left), the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (right), who served Illinois from 1993 to 1999. | Illinois Office of the Lieutenant Governor; U.S. Senate Historical Office

Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton has turned down nearly every debate and interview request of the general election, prompting comparisons to Carol Moseley Braun, the last Illinois Democrat to embarrass the state on the way to the Senate.

Stratton, the Democrat lieutenant governor running to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin, has deliberately avoided policy in her campaign, repeatedly posting “dancing videos” on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram while refusing debate and forum invitations extended by news organizations and civic groups.

CBS 2 Chicago, Fox 32 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Peoria, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, the Technology and Manufacturing Association and the Illinois Municipal League all sought to host a debate between Stratton and her Republican opponent, Don Tracy.

Tracy accepted every one of them.

Stratton agreed to just one, a forum hosted by Democrat-friendly Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW set for October 20, weeks after early voting begins in Illinois.

She also declined an interview request from The Center Square in July.

Dancing videos instead of interviews

Instead of interviews, Stratton has frequently posted photos and videos of herself dancing on social media.

Juliana Stratton hasn’t conducted public interviews, but she has frequently published photos of herself dancing on social media. (Facebook)

Stratton campaigned in multiple primary debates earlier this year, but only against fellow Democrats who largely agreed with her on the issues.

The “F— Trump” ad

The debate avoidance follows an episode that gave Stratton her widest public exposure of the race.

In February, Stratton released her first general-election television ad, opening with six people, including U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, exclaiming “F— Trump.”

Gov. JB Pritzker, who has endorsed Stratton, made a cameo in the same ad.

Article continues here.

Editorial note: Who needs debates when she’s guaranteed union votes?

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Prairie State Wire, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Unions | Leave a Comment »

Woman alleges in new lawsuit she was sexually abused as a teen in 1990s at the Willow Creek megachurch

September 28, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Shown is a woman who recently filed a lawsuit against Willow Creek Community Church, alleging she was sexually abused by a man while she was working at the congregation as a teenager in the 1990s. She agreed to be photographed with the condition her identity not be revealed. | Candace Dane Chambers / Sun-Times

Church officials knew about it, never told police and allowed the man accused of the misconduct to keep working at the suburban evangelical congregation, the lawsuit says. It marks the latest troubling accusation to involve the church that previously settled claims of child sex abuse involving another man for more than $3 million.

By  Robert Herguth | Chicago Sun*Times

Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, one of the country’s largest and best-known evangelical congregations, doesn’t just aim to fix souls, it also fixes vehicles through what’s called the “C.A.R.S. Ministry.”

Vehicle owners in financial need can qualify for low-cost repairs through the program, which stands for Christian Automotive Repair Service and involves mechanics working in an auto shop on church property.

Donated vehicles are also accepted, fixed up and sold or given away, with eligibility for a freebie “based on but not limited to income level, intended use of vehicle and involvement at Willow,” according to a church website.

A man named Robert John Condon was working there in the 1990s when a girl, 15 or so at the time, was hired by the church to handle clerical tasks for the C.A.R.S. Ministry.

A resident of the northwest suburbs, she and her family attended Willow Creek, at the time run by the charismatic founding pastor Bill Hybels.

What started out as an exciting job — and somewhat challenging, as she was told she would have to learn to drive stick-shift vehicles — quickly turned dark, as Condon began allegedly grooming her over a number of months and eventually sexually abused her.

That’s according to a recent lawsuit the woman filed in Cook County court against Willow Creek, in what’s the latest in several troubling misconduct allegations involving the church over the last decade.

Article continues here.

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, South Barrington, Willow Creek Community Church | Leave a Comment »

Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

September 28, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, BCFPD, Big Red, Board of Health, Cost of Living, Deception, Dumb and Dumber, Elections, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Financial Reports, Flock Cameras, Heritage and Environs Committee, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lennie, OMA, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Well Water Quality, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board | Leave a Comment »

Bravo: Ted Dabrowski launches ‘Fight for Illinois’

September 27, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

By Mark Glennon* | Wirepoints

When Ted Dabrowski was president here at Wirepoints, he constantly itched for a more activist role to focus on organization and coordination of various citizen groups around the state. That’s not really within our charter here, however, so Tuesday night he announced a new venture dedicated to that sorely needed mission.

It’s called Fight for Illinois, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization exerting grassroots pressure against the failed policies of this state. They’ve diagnosed the problem exactly right: Small and large citizen groups around the state have popped up, often with a similar agenda such as opposing unwanted building projects, bond issuances or tax hikes and resisting political indoctrination in schools.

Those groups, however, often lack the experience and information needed to beat the Illinois political establishment. Fight for Illinois will provide that know-how and research while helping groups share winning strategies. It is “not a news group, a think tank or a lobbying firm,” they say. “It’s an action group for all Illinoisans who want lower taxes, safer communities, local control and a return to common sense.”

Its core principles are as follows:

  • Put taxpayers first. Cut spending. Lower taxes, lower costs.
  • Unleash job creators. Cut red-tape, end cronyism.
  • Return decision-making to families, communities. Reduce Springfield’s power.
  • Embrace academic excellence. Reinstate merit, accountability. Enact school choice.
  • Restore the rule of law. Punish criminals, political corruption.

Central to that mission is a free cellphone app, already available for Apple and coming shortly for Android. It will put the local facts and networking tools reformers need at their fingertips. We know from experience here at Wirepoints that easy access to that local data is a constant challenge. We are forever fielding questions from readers seeking things like their local school’s test scores, rankings on property tax rates and public salaries and pensions. The app will make that easily accessible. Initially, only Lake County and its pending sales tax referendum are loaded into the app, but other locations and issues will be added as new groups participate.

Read in here.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

Posted in Elections, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Topics Of Interest, Unions, Wirepoints | Leave a Comment »

Elderly woman gets confused and drives down railroad tracks, causing trains to be halted in Barrington

September 26, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Police respond and help remove an SUV from the Union Pacific Northwest line railroad tracks after a driver became confused and drove onto the tracks behind Jewel-Osco, 150 West Main Street in Barrington, on September 19. | Photo: Nick Rusin

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

An elderly woman became confused and began driving down the railroad tracks in downtown Barrington, causing train traffic to be temporarily halted, officials said.

The Barrington Police Department responded around 4 p.m. on September 19 to the area of Jewel-Osco, 150 West Main Street in Barrington, for a report of a vehicle on the tracks.

Police respond and help remove an SUV from the Union Pacific Northwest line railroad tracks after a driver became confused and drove onto the tracks behind Jewel-Osco, 150 West Main Street in Barrington, on September 19. | Photo: Nick Rusin

The Metra Police Department was also dispatched to the scene due to the incident happening within their jurisdiction.

Barrington Police Chief David Daigle said officers received a call for a vehicle that drove westbound onto the train tracks behind the Jewel-Osco.

Police respond and help remove an SUV from the Union Pacific Northwest line railroad tracks after a driver became confused and drove onto the tracks behind Jewel-Osco, 150 West Main Street in Barrington, on September 19. | Photo: Nick Rusin

He said that the elderly female driver apparently became confused while driving her black Honda CR-V.

A Barrington police officer was able to reverse the Honda approximately 200 yards back to Hough Street to get it off the tracks, Daigle said.

Report continues here.

Posted in EJ&E/Canadian National, Jewel-Osco, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, Roads & Bridges Committee | Leave a Comment »

(Nearby) Wauconda District 118 teacher, sports coach allegedly called his job ‘perfect’ for desire to engage in sex acts with children

September 26, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

John M. Anderlik, 27, of Crystal Lake, (inset) a sixth-grade teacher at Matthews Middle School in Island Lake, is accused of sharing child sexual abuse videos and describing teaching as “perfect” for furthering his desire to engage in sex acts with children, prosecutors said. | Background Photo: District 118; Inset: Provided

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Prosecutors say a Wauconda District 118 teacher and sports coach from Crystal Lake shared child sexual abuse videos and described teaching as “perfect” for furthering his desire to engage in sex acts with children.

John M. Anderlik, 27, of Crystal Lake, was charged with two counts of disseminating child sexual abuse material, a Class X felony, and two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, a Class 2 felony.

Anderlik allegedly shared two videos in August that each showed a prepubescent boy under the age of 13 engaged in a sex act, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court.

Both videos were screen recordings of Snapchat videos, the complaint said.

The two videos Anderlik allegedly possessed each showed a prepubescent boy under the age of 10 engaged in sex acts and one of them also showed a boy under the age of 15, according to the complaint.

The four videos ranged from 13 to 49 seconds long, the complaint said.

John M. Anderlik, 27, of Crystal Lake, who was an Early Career Educator nominee at the Lake County Regional Office of Education’s 2025 Educator of the Year, poses at an Educator of the Year event (left) and was arrested this week (right). | Photo – Left: via X; Photo – Right: Provided

Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 Interim Co-Superintendents Todd Leden and Brian Wegley said in a letter to families Thursday that Anderlik is a sixth-grade teacher and girls basketball coach at Matthews Middle School in Island Lake.

Anderlik used a Snapchat account to send and receive child sexual abuse material, prosecutors said.

Report continues here.

Posted in Lake & McHenry County Scanner, School Districts | Leave a Comment »

Barrington’s Scarecrow Festival is tomorrow, Sept. 26

September 25, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

“Join us for the 25th annual Scarecrow Festival in Barrington tomorrow!

This free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Memorial Park (Hough Street and Lincoln Avenue), with something fun for the whole family. Enjoy pumpkin painting, scarecrow decorating, face painting, balloon artistry, live music by Bob the DJ and more.

Free food will be provided while supplies last, courtesy of Rapid Relief Team US. Come out and celebrate fall with us!”

Posted in Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »

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