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Archive for the ‘Topics Of Interest’ Category

Five Dundee-area mayors speak about what’s coming this year

Posted in News Media, Topics Of Interest on June 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Carpentersville Mayor John Skillman was one of five speakers Tuesday at the Northern Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Mayors’ Breakfast held at The BRIX on the Fox in Carpentersville. | Gloria Casas/The Courier-News

By Gloria Casas | For the Naperville Sun

A new 270-unit residential subdivision on Randall Road, a new kayak kiosk on the Fox River and a blank slate for Spring Hill Mall site development are among the projects on the horizon for Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee in the coming year.

The mayors or representatives of all three towns, joined by those in Gilberts and Sleepy Hollow, spoke Tuesday morning at the annual Northern Illinois Kane County Chamber of Commerce’s Mayors’ Breakfast at The BRIX on the Fox in Carpentersville.

CARPENTERSVILLE

Mayor John Skillman said one of the biggest initiatives on the horizon for his town is the new 17-building residential development being built off Randall Road north of the former Dominick’s grocery store.

“We’ve been talking about this for a few years,” he said. “This plan is part of the TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district, which was created last year (and) includes another 158 acres mostly on the western side of Huntley Road,” Skillman said.

Skillman also spoke about Habitat for Humanity’s Carter Crossing, 28 single-family homes off Kings Road, which is moving forward, and the upscale housing development planned for Huntley Road and Route 31, the developers of which have put up a fence in advance of construction starting.

“We’re excited about that,” he said.

Carpentersville is also working on a 22,000-square-foot expansion to the village hall and the police department, he said.

“It’s a long time coming,” Skillman said. “We needed a new village hall. The police department we’ve outgrown so we’re ready for that. It’s a big project for us.”

Article continues here.

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Barrington Area Council of Governments meets tonight

Posted in BACOG, Hoffman Estates, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Plum Farm development, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Unions on June 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

 

The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) is scheduled to meet this evening beginning at 6:50 PM at the Tower Lakes Village Hall, 400 N. IL Route 59. Their meetings will include:

  • 6:50 PM – Nominations
  • 7:00 PM – Executive Board

Meeting agendas are not posted by BACOG, nor are minutes, but their website does state, “Copies of approved minutes for BACOG committee and executive board meetings are available upon request. Please submit requests by email to bacog@bacog.org.

Editorial note: 3 of 7 remaining BACOG members spoke in opposition to the potential rezoning of the 186-acre Plum Farms property at the June 15th Hoffman Estates Village Board meeting. One would hope BACOG as a group can resolve to oppose this proposed zoning change tonight.

Related: “HOFFMAN ESTATES NOTICE OF (PLUM FARMS) PUBLIC HEARING JULY 6”

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South Barrington Police begin Fourth of July Traffic Safety Campaign

Posted in Public Safety, South Barrington on June 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Submitted by the village of South Barrington

The South Barrington Police Department announced plans for July Fourth traffic enforcement with a focus on impaired and unbuckled drivers. The safety campaign will run through July 6 to encompass summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day.

“We’re asking all of our residents and visitors to celebrate Independence Day safely,” said Sergeant Lynch “It’s simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink or use cannabis or other impairing substances. Our officers will be working diligently to keep impaired drivers off the road and ensure everyone is buckled up.”

South Barrington will join the Illinois State Police and more than 200 local police and sheriff’s departments for the statewide effort.

To celebrate safely, designate a sober driver and don’t let friends or family members drive impaired. Other important tips include:

  • Give your designated driver your keys before you go out.
  • If you are impaired by alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug, call a taxi, take mass transit, use a ride-sharing service, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
  • Use your community’s designated driver program.
  • Promptly report impaired drivers to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
  • Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. Not only is it the law, but it’s also your best defense against an impaired driver.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI” and “Click It or Ticket” campaigns are made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The enforcement efforts are complemented by IDOT’s “It’s Not a Game” media campaign, which emphasizes the serious consequences of impaired driving and other unsafe driving behaviors.

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Try to wait until winter to remove dead trees

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Education, Going green, Topics Of Interest on June 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The loss of a large shade tree will increase the amount of sun for your garden. | Jeff Carrion/Chicago Botanic Garden

By Tim Johnson | For the Chicago Tribune

I have two large shade trees that are not leafing out. Does that mean they are dead and need to be removed? What should I consider when organizing the removal of the two trees?

— Carmen Rios, Vernon Hills

If the dead trees do not pose any safety hazards and their appearance in your garden is not an issue, you may want to wait until winter or late fall to remove the trees to lessen the impact on your garden. You may also be able to secure better pricing if the work is done in the winter. The more plants around the trees that are to be removed, the more difficult it will be for a company to complete the removal. Between the crew walking around to perform the work and branches that fall on your garden, there’s a higher risk of trampling on perennials if the work is done during the growing season. However, I have seen tree removals done during the summer with remarkably little impact on surrounding plants. Most perennials will recover and look good next year but it may spoil the appearance of a portion of the garden for the remainder of the gardening season. Perennials like hosta are easy to move out of the way for tree work and replace when the work is completed. You do not describe where the tree is located on your property, but access for large equipment will also be a factor in removing it. Putting plywood down before driving in large equipment and avoiding work when the ground is wet is best practice. There will be less soil compaction if the ground is dry or frozen when the work is done.

If you decide to grind the stump, shrubs, ground covers and perennials within a foot or so of the stumps will likely be destroyed or damaged when the stumps are ground out, so you may want to temporarily relocate them. If the stump is 2 feet or more in diameter, clear a space 2 to 3 feet away from the stump. Have the stump ground to at least 12 inches in depth if you want to plant new perennials in the same location. The more soil depth the better for the new perennials. New trees and shrubs with a large root ball will need to be planted adjacent to the old stump and you will need to cut through old roots from the tree while planting. A sharp axe works well for cutting out larger roots.

The grinding process will leave a large mound of chips mixed with soil that will need to be removed and replaced with topsoil. Be sure to remove the wood chip and soil mix down to the bottom of the hole left by the grinding process. If you plan to have the stumps ground out this winter, transplant any valuable perennials and shrubs next to the trunk of the tree this fall in preparation for removal of the tree stumps this winter. The stump grindings can be piled up in the back corner of the yard to decompose over a couple of years. This will leave you with topsoil to reuse in your garden.

The loss of a large shade tree will increase the amount of sun for your garden, and this will affect the performance of existing plants. If there are other adjacent trees that provide shade for the beds, the impact will be less. Think about the need to relocate plants that may end up being in too much sun next year and replace them with more sun-loving plants. Trees and shrubs in gardens grow over time and gradually increase shade. As light decreases over time, some plants can start to struggle, and when a tree is removed the light levels return to better levels for the plants. If you are unsure of the impact the tree removal will have, look carefully at how the plants respond to this change in your garden over the growing season and adjust their locations if you see problems with too much sun.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

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‘This is huge’: MLB selects McHenry Outdoor Theater as 1 of only 4 drive-ins in country for America250 celebration

Posted in Entertainment, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, Nostalgia on June 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Dylan Gallardo and Hailey Koenig, both of Algonquin, play catch before the movies start on a recent weeknight at the McHenry Outdoor Theater in Lakemoor where Major League Baseball will host an America250 event July 4. | Provided Photo

By LMCS Staff Report | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Major League Baseball has selected the McHenry Outdoor Theater to be one of only four drive-ins in the United States to host an America250 celebration on the Fourth of July.

Festivities at the McHenry Outdoor Theater on July 4 will include a showing of the classic childhood baseball film “The Sandlot,” a live screening of the evening’s Cubs vs. Cardinals game, Ballpark Bites, baseball-themed activities like wiffle ball, a pop fly scramble and virtual batting cages.

A fireworks display will cap off the night.

“From a community standpoint, this is huge,” McHenry Outdoor Theater President of Marketing and Promotions Joe Cicero. “To be recognized by Major League Baseball doesn’t happen every day.”

The Major League Baseball (MLB) is in the midst of a multi-tiered America250 campaign and selected McHenry Outdoor Theater to be one of four sites for the Fourth of July Summer Drive-in Celebration.

Dylan Gallardo and Hailey Koenig, both of Algonquin, play catch before the movies start on a recent weeknight at the McHenry Outdoor Theater in Lakemoor where Major League Baseball will host an America250 event July 4. | Provided Photo

The others are the Delsea, Swan and Paramount drive-ins, which are respectively located in Vineland, New Jersey; Blue Ridge, Georgia; and Paramount, California.

“What’s more American than baseball and drive-ins?” said Scott Dehn, owner of the McHenry Outdoor Theater in Lakemoor.

Article continues here.

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‘They bring serious concerns’: Board votes to temporarily ban new data centers in unincorporated Lake County

Posted in AI, County, Data Center, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, Land Use, Plum Farm development, Politics, School Districts, Topics Of Interest on June 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Lake County Board voted to pursue a temporary data center moratorium in unincorporated Lake County during its meeting earlier this month. The T5 Data Center Campus in Grayslake, which was approved last year by the Grayslake Village Board but has not been built (rendering pictured), has sparked criticism and caused debate about data centers in Lake County. | Provided Photo

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

The county board has voted to temporarily ban new data centers from being approved in unincorporated Lake County, with one board member saying they bring “serious concerns” and a regulatory review is needed.

The Lake County Board approved a resolution earlier this month to hold a public hearing related to data centers in unincorporated Lake County.

The resolution directs the Lake County Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct the hearing, which will be used to discuss proposed amendments to the Code of Ordinances that would both define data centers and establish an eight-month temporary moratorium on data centers.

Data centers are not currently specifically defined or regulated under county ordinances.

The county board’s action earlier this month did not actually impose the eight-month moratorium, which will take several weeks to several months to complete the actual text amendment process.

The board’s approval of the resolution did authorize the Lake County Planning, Building and Development department to pause review of data center applications for a period of up to four months.

Article continues here.

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Chicago’s Black cowboys celebrate Juneteenth with South Side horseback ride

Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Horse Boarding, Topics Of Interest on June 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Larry Geans rides south on Cottage Grove Avenue in Bronzeville on Friday. Fellow members of the Broken Arrow Riding Club call him Cowboy Hawk. | Kieran Stover/Sun-Times

By  Kade Heather | Chicago Sun*Times

Before leading a group of equestrians on a Juneteenth horseback ride through Chicago’s South Side, Murdock circles them up at Washington Park for a pep talk.

The 78-year-old horseman, who goes by Murdock — just Murdock, no first name — is president of the Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club.

He reminded the group of around 20 riders about the rules of the road. Illinois law allows horseback riding on roads, but not highways. Murdock told them to stay to the right side of the road, be mindful of cars and that they have the right of way. He told them to work together as a team.

Finally, he said: “Can I get a yeehaw?” The group responded with, “yeehaw!”

He then said a prayer. It ended with, “amen” — followed by a louder, “yeehaw!”

The Broken Arrow’s Juneteenth ride was a way to celebrate and inform younger people about the holiday commemorating June 19, 1865 — the day when the last enslaved Black Americans, living in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.

Broken Arrow Riding Club member Jada Washington, 18, (left) with club president Murdock, 78 on Friday. | Kieran Stover/Sun-Times

Friday’s ride began at Washington Park, proceeded north on Martin Luther King Drive, then east on 35th Street. From there, riders turned south on Cottage Grove Avenue back to Washington Park.

Murdock led the group in a pickup truck, affixed with an African-American flag. Another pickup pulling a horse trailer followed the 20 horses. Drivers honked in support, construction workers recorded videos as the horses strolled by and a group of holiday celebrants yelled “Happy Juneteenth,” waving a Juneteenth flag.

“What’s more important is that we, as cowboys, represent to show the reflection of our heritage from years past,” Murdock said.

Chicago has a rich history of Black cowboys and horsemanship. Buffalo Bill’s “Congress of Rough Riders” first introduced cowboys of color to the city for performances at the 1893 World’s Fair. Thyrl Latting, described as Chicago’s original Black cowboy, brought horseback riding to Chicago’s inner-city youth in the 1950s. In 1964, Latting started the Thyrl Latting Rodeo Spectacular at the since-demolished International Amphitheater.

Greg Hollywood Adrow with his horse, Big Blue, in Washington Park on Friday. Adrow says riding a horse is like being “seven feet closer to God.” | Kieran Stover/Sun-Times

Murdock grew up on the South Side, eventually living near a stable at 61st Street and Evans Avenue. That’s where he “got bit by the bug,” and would watch the horses galloping through the park.

Article continues here.

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2 mini ponies, multiple chickens die after fire engulfs and destroys barn near Wauconda

Posted in Animal Welfare, Lake & McHenry County Scanner on June 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Numerous fire department respond to the 27000 block of West May Street in unincorporated Wauconda after a fire destroyed a barn and left multiple animals dead Friday afternoon. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2026)

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Two miniature ponies and multiple chickens died after a fire fully engulfed and destroyed a barn, causing $150,000 in damage, near Wauconda Friday afternoon.

The Wauconda Fire District responded around 2:15 p.m. Friday to the 27000 block of West May Street in unincorporated Wauconda for a report of a structure fire.

Wauconda Fire District Battalion Chief Adam Schlick said fire crews responding spotted a large column of smoke from Route 176.

Numerous fire department respond to the 27000 block of West May Street in unincorporated Wauconda after a fire destroyed a barn and left multiple animals dead Friday afternoon. | Photo: Joe Shuman/J. Shuman Photography (2026)

Firefighters arrived and found heavy flames coming from a barn located approximately 400 feet from the roadway.

The barn was only 15 feet away from a nearby residence, placing it at risk, Schlick said.

Fire crews quickly deployed hose lines and were able to get water on the fire in less than three minutes from arrival.

Numerous fire department respond to the 27000 block of West May Street in unincorporated Wauconda after a fire destroyed a barn and left multiple animals dead Friday afternoon. | Photo provided

The fire occurred in an area that does not have fire hydrants and firefighters established a rural water supply using water tenders.

Report continues here.

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Forest Preserves of Cook County June 2026 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on June 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The sweeping savanna and wetland at Orland Grassland has become a haven for native birds, butterflies and wildflowers. Visitors can enjoy wide-open views and spotting wildlife at this restored landscape. | Orland Grassland, Photo by: Jason Sokol

In this Issue:

  • 250 Years of America, Thousands of Years of Stories
  • Celebrate Freedom, Culture and Community at Forest Preserves of Cook County’s 13th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee
  • Meet the Forest Preserves’ Newest Ambassador Animals
  • A Getaway That’s Not Far Away: South & Southwest Cook County
  • Pride Finds its Place in the Forest Preserves; Tick, Tock: Time for a Tick Check!; Zoomies and Saddle Rides: Get Your Dog Membership and Equestrian License Now; WGN Spotlights Forest Preserves’ Coyote Research; Want to dedicate a tree? Fall planting application deadline is July 15
  • Upcoming Events & Programs
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Palos Preserves

Find the June FPDCC newsletter here.

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Editorial: ‘Toll free in ‘73’ was just another empty promise. Buckle up for a 45-cent toll hike, Illinois.

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Chicago Tribune, Clown Car, Cost of Living, Deception, Ethics, Illinois Tollway, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Road construction, Springfield, Taxes, Traffic, Unions on June 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Engineer John Zimmerman, left, and Commissioner George DeMent, right, view an automatic coin collector at the toll gate of the Calumet Skyway on April 10, 1958, to be opened to traffic. | George Quinn/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Illinois tollways were meant to be freeways decades ago.

Gov. JB Pritzker promised to reform the Illinois Tollway before he was elected, the latest in a long line of governors, from Rod Blagojevich to Jim Thompson, who vowed reform.

Remember, the tollways aren’t even supposed to be tollways anymore. The tolls were meant to be temporary until the bonds issued to build the roads were paid off. Many of our readers may remember that old promise that by 1973, our dear tollways would become freeways.

“Toll free in ‘73,” it turns out, is just another empty promise long forgotten.

After decades — and billions of dollars — in paid tolls later, drivers are further away than ever from those cost-free roads.

Now, they’re staring down the prospect of another toll hike.

The Illinois Tollway board is in the process of implementing a 45-cent toll increase for I-Pass users, meaning a 70-cent toll today could become $1.15 in 2027.

And the toll hikes won’t stop there. Starting in 2029, the proposal to be considered by the Illinois Tollway board sets up CPI-indexed toll hikes every two years.

Editorial continues here.

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