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Archive for the ‘Animal Welfare’ Category

Horse Rescued from Floodwaters Along Coon Creek in Marengo

Posted in Animal Welfare, Topics Of Interest on April 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Northeast Illinois Emergency Incidents

MARENGO, IL — Early Saturday morning, crews from the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts responded to a challenging and unique rescue after a horse was found stranded in floodwaters along Coon Creek following overnight storms.

Upon arrival, crews located the animal approximately 600 feet from shore, surrounded by fast-moving water after the creek overflowed its banks. The horse had managed to find footing on a small peninsula, but the location made direct access extremely difficult. With water depths estimated at around 15 feet and a strong current present, crews were unable to simply bring the animal straight across.

An initial team deployed a boat to reach the horse, while additional personnel coordinated efforts from shore and nearby access points. A veterinarian was transported across the creek by boat to assess and begin treating the animal. The horse was suffering from significant hypothermia due to prolonged exposure to cold floodwaters. On-site care included administering medication and stabilizing the animal as crews prepared for the next phase of the rescue.

Facebook post continues here.

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Special Equestrian Commission (Riding Club) meeting tonight

Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, County, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, The Other Half, Unions, Well Water Quality on March 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • McHenry County Conservation District’s Comprehensive Plan
  • Animal Disaster Preparedness Plan, and
  • Equestrian Signage

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Cult) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cost of Living, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions on March 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Horse Statues
  • Park Board Advocacy Protocol

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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Bison return to Kane County after 200 years, a crucial step for conservation and Indigenous connection

Posted in Animal Welfare, Chicago Tribune, County, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Kane on December 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

American bison on Dec. 22, 2025, in the Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Burlington Township, where six of the bison have been introduced. The bison’s return marks yet another victory in efforts to restore the Prairie State to an ecosystem and a landscape that bison shaped for hundreds of years. | E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune

By Adriana Pérez | Chicago Tribune

From their cozy homes in suburban Burlington, children curiously watch their new neighbors through windows and brainstorm nicknames.

Earlier this month, with their distinctive brown fur, big heads, short horns and back hump, a small herd of six American buffalo — the largest land mammals in the country — exited a trailer and took their first steps on 38 acres of prairie restored by the Kane County Forest Preserve District, 60 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. It’s the first time in over two centuries that bison have called the county home.

Inches of snow had piled on the ground, and conservationists had waited for hours in the brutal cold for the animals to show up.

The move was a rematriation, a return of missing relatives, according to Jay Young, co-executive director of the American Indian Center of Chicago, which owns the animals in the collaborative conservation effort.

“I don’t like using the word ownership, because that’s not a Native or Indigenous worldview,” Young said. “We are the stewards of the bison, and so we’re looking after them, we’re taking care of them, we’re making sure they’re OK.”

The Kane Forest Preserve began working toward bringing back bison three years ago, but the project “transcends generations” and has been “hundreds of years in the making,” according to the district’s executive director, Benjamin Haberthur. After an initial deal fell through, staff at the district felt discouraged about finding an Indigenous partner, until the American Indian Center stepped in.

“Without the Native American education component, (it) would have been a huge loss, because the story of the bison is the story of Native Americans in the country,” he said.

Read more here.

Editorial note: Think, “Horizon Farm,” Forest Preserves of Cook County.

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Club) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Ethics, Fools and their money, Fox River Valley Hunt, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on December 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Treasurer’s Report Review & Approval of the November 2025 Park District Financials
  • Riding Center Advisory Committee Report
  • In-District & Out-of-District Rental Agreements & Rates
  • Review of Cooperative Agreements
  • Facility Rentals (Carriage Club Rental)

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

Note: “Requests for a qualified interpreter require at least five working days advance notice.”

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Editorial: Chicago budget should not cut mounted police nor sell off their horses

Posted in Animal Welfare, Chicago Tribune, Dumb and Dumber, OP/Ed, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order on October 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Chicago Police Department’s mounted unit takes part in Chicago’s Columbus Day parade along State Street on Oct. 13, 2025. | Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune

Is Chicago really going to sell off Ella French’s horse?

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

As Mayor Brandon Johnson prepares to give his budget address Thursday, one idea should get tossed aside: eliminating Chicago’s mounted police unit.

We make this argument with the full knowledge that Johnson must close a projected $1.15 billion deficit. And we’ve said many times that Chicago’s fiscal woes stem less from a lack of revenue than from a chronic inability to control spending.

But Chicagoans tell us they want to see investments in public safety. A little goodwill doesn’t hurt, either, and that’s one of the main functions of the mounted police.

In August, Johnson’s Chicago Financial Future Task Force recommended disbanding the mounted police unit and selling off the horses.

That’s a bad idea, and we doubt it’d gain support in the City Council. We’re not sure if it’ll find its way into the mayor’s budget proposal, but we sure hope not.

“If there’s any discussion of getting rid of the CPD mounted unit, I will raise hell,” Ald. Matt O’Shea told us, and he added that the idea of selling the horses is especially absurd.

“You don’t sell an old horse,” he said, noting some of the horses were donated, not bought, to begin with.

Officers Maria Kuc and Syed Kazmi wash and brush horses on Feb. 6, 2025, in the Chicago Police Department’s mounted unit stables at the South Shore Cultural Center. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

Operating under the Special Functions division of the Chicago Police Department at a cost of about $2.7 million, the Mounted Patrol Unit patrols parks, the Loop, the lakefront and major shopping districts — providing visibility, deterrence and mobility where foot or vehicle patrols fall short. It also plays a major role in crowd management at large events, such as parades, protests and festivals, allowing officers to have better views above the crowd to spot potential trouble.

Read more here.

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Club) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Village Government on October 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Truth in Taxation Ordinance
  • Board Officer Positions
  • Insurance Policy Updates
  • Residents Benefits Resolution
  • Review of Efficiency Report
  • Patio Agreement

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign

Posted in 220, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, FOIA, FUBAR, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 19, 2025| 6 Comments »

Following this morning‘s article on Erin Chan Ding confirming, in her own words, her conflict of dually serving on the D220 Board of Education (BOE) while simultaneously running for a partisan Democratic office for Illinois House Representative in the 52nd District, we have received information obtained by a resident pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to D220.

These records confirm that D220 Superintendent Winkelman and BOE President Ficke-Bradford have used D220 taxpayer funds to obtain attorney opinions on Ding‘s ability to run for the 52nd District while simultaneously serving on the BOE. (The Observer queried in a recent article why taxpayer funds would be utilized by the D220 School District to obtain attorney opinions in this regard.) They further confirm that the BOE is engaging in closed door sessions regarding Ding and her campaign for the 52nd District. We posit whether this is a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Ding is raising her own campaign funds for her run for the 52nd. Isn’t it more appropriate that Ding’s Erin for Illinois Campaign pay for these attorney consultations rather than the D220 taxpayers? Additionally, why would D220 need taxpayer paid attorney consultations related to BOE Policy and Code of Conduct questions?

Are we seriously paying attorneys to opine on whether a BOE Member has violated Board Policy or Code of Conduct? Does our Superintendent and BOE President need an attorney to tell them if a BOE Member has “surrendered her responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups”? Do they need an attorney to tell them whether a BOE member has engaged in the “appearance of impropriety” or that she has used her “Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity”? This is beyond absurd.

Additionally, these records show that these policy discussions are taking place behind closed doors rather than in front of the public? Isn’t policy something that should be discussed and set with full BOE participation and public scrutiny? Since when is the policy of how our duly elected officials conduct themselves in their duly elected positions determined without the public’s participation?

Craig and Sandra, we urge you to get back to the business of running the D220 School District instead of using your D220 positions and the taxpayer’s resources to engage in the partisan politics of the Ding campaign for the 52nd District.

Related: “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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District 220 Board of Education meets tomorrow evening

Posted in 220, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Estate Sale, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Salem United Methodist Church Parking Agreement
  • Consideration and Approval of Resolution Approving contract for purchase of 502, 506, 510 W. Main St. and 112 N. Hager Ave. (Nearly $1M total) properties.
  • Consideration to Approve the Destruction of Verbatim Recordings
  • Consideration to Approve the Release of Confidentiality of Closed Session Minutes
  • 2025-26 Tentative Budget Presentation
  • Capital Improvement and Facility Maintenance

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Club) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Conflict of interest, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions on August 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM.

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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