The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting tomorrow evening beginning at 6:30 PM. A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Archive for the ‘VBHPD’ Category
Chicago tops country in porch pirate thefts, upwards of $250 million
Posted in Crime, Dumb Bunny on December 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Credit: AP/Charles Rex Arbogast
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor
Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste argues lawmakers need to look in the mirror when it comes to placing blame for Chicago’s status as the worst city in the country for porch pirate thefts.
Research firm SafeWise finds city residents lost more than $254 million in stolen goods in 2025 stemming from at least 6.5 million incidents. Ugaste said it’s not hard to deduce why Chicago has become such an easy target.
“Until earlier this year when Cook County got a new state’s attorney in Chicago, there was a very lax enforcement of laws,” Ugaste, R-Geneva, told The Center Square. “No consequences for actions and for bad actions and this is what you get. The other thing is the SAFE-T Act. My guess is if we toughen up law enforcement and if we especially do something to make certain repeat offenders are held accountable, we’ll see a steep decline in that number.”
Enacted in 2021, the so-called SAFE-T Act institutes criminal justice reforms that include a no cash bail provision.
With the thefts having also cost retailers nationwide roughly $22 billion in replacement, refund, shipping and customer service costs, Ugaste said Chicago is among the places where that price-tag is proving to be most costly.
“It’s going to raise prices for people in our areas and people are not going to want to live in an area that’s like that because they don’t have to put up with this in other areas,” he said. “It has all sorts of negative impacts.”
More here.
Residents left homeless after kitchen fire causes damage to house in Barrington Hills
Posted in BCFPD, Jewel-Osco, VBHPD on December 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Approximately nine fire departments were called after a fire broke out at a house in the 100 block of Old Sutton Road in Barrington Hills, leaving the residents displaced Tuesday evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin
By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner
Numerous fire departments were called to a fire that left a house uninhabitable and displaced the residents in Barrington Hills Tuesday evening, fire officials said.
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District responded around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to the 100 block of Old Sutton Road in Barrington Hills for a report of a structure fire.
Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Scott Motisi said fire crews arrived and found a small single-story residence with smoke showing from the front door.
Approximately nine fire departments were called after a fire broke out at a house in the 100 block of Old Sutton Road in Barrington Hills, leaving the residents displaced Tuesday evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin
A further investigation showed active fire on the first floor of the home.
The incident was upgraded to a Code 4 working fire response to bring numerous fire departments from throughout the area to the scene to assist.
Firefighters worked to contain the fire and extinguish it as well as search for anyone trapped inside the home.
Approximately nine fire departments were called after a fire broke out at a house in the 100 block of Old Sutton Road in Barrington Hills, leaving the residents displaced Tuesday evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin
Fire crews also ventilated the smoke from the house and conducted overhaul operations.
More here.
Family launches fundraiser for woman set on fire on CTA Blue Line
Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Crime, Fundraisers on November 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The family of a 26-year-old woman attacked and set on fire on a CTA Blue Line train Nov. 17 has started a GoFundMe to help with her recovery. | GoFundMe
The 26-year-old woman suffered severe burns after the Nov. 17 attack near the CTA Clark and Lake station. The fundraiser had raised nearly $230,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
The family of a 26-year-old woman attacked on a Blue Line train this month has launched a fundraiser as she faces “a long road ahead” toward her recovery.
Bethany MaGee is being treated at a hospital for severe burns she suffered when a man poured gasoline on her and set her on fire Nov. 17 near the CTA Clark and Lake station, according to the GoFundMe and prosecutors.
The fundraiser had collected nearly $230,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, more than halfway toward its $330,000 goal.
“Many of her immediate medical expenses are covered by insurance and a victims fund, but with such a long road ahead of her, the freedom from financial worries would be a tremendous blessing,” her family said in the fundraiser post. “No gifts are expected, but any that are given will go directly to Bethany.”
Read more here.
Multi-story barn destroyed after being discovered fully engulfed in flames in Barrington Hills
Posted in BCFPD, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, VBHPD on November 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner
An investigation is underway after a large multi-story barn was left fully engulfed in flames and burnt to the ground in Barrington Hills, fire officials said.
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District and Barrington Hills Police Department responded around 2 p.m. Saturday to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived in less than six minutes and found a 40-foot by 40-foot multi-story barn on fire, according to Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Fire Chief Scott Motisi.
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
The structure was already fully engulfed with flames and smoke showing from all sides.
The fire was reported to 911 by property managers at the site.
It was confirmed that the building was unoccupied with no imminent life risk, Motisi said.
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
Firefighters initiated a fire attack plan that focused on protecting nearby structures.
Read more here.
Village Board of Trustees meet tonight
Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Board of Health, Clown Car, Dumb and Dumber, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Finance Committee, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Minutes, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on November 17, 2025| 1 Comment »
The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
- 2025 Estimated Tax Levy—Draft
- [Vote] Ordinance Adopting the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps Published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Amending the Village’s Flood Damage Prevention Regulations in Title 4, Chapter 5 of the Village Code
- [Vote] Approve Insurance Renewal for General Liability, Property, Auto, Management Liability, Excess Liability, Workers Comp, Bonds and Cyber Coverages
A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Fire destroys vacant barn in Barrington Hills
Posted in BCFPD, Daily Herald, VBHPD on November 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Courtesy of Northern Illinois Fire Ground Photography
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Investigators are searching for the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant barn Saturday afternoon in Barrington Hills.
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District responded to the blaze in the 1700 block of Dundee Road (Route 68) at approximately 2 p.m., Fire Chief Scott Motisi said.
Firefighters arrived in less than six minutes and found smoke and fire coming from all sides of the 40-foot-by-40-foot multistory barn, the fire district reported.
After confirming the barn was unoccupied, firefighters extinguished the blaze then conducted search and salvage operations, with Cuba Township crews assisting with a backhoe.
Read more here.
Pritzker’s Angry Violent Left Kills Any Hope of Immigration Compromise
Posted in Crime, John Kass, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order on November 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By John Kass | John Kass News
One mistake people who don’t know me make is when they say I’m uncompromising.
That’s bs. I’m not uncompromising, except when it comes to bad whiskey, rude bartenders and snotty leftist journalists. But when it comes to human beings, I’m all about listening to what reasonable people have to say in offering to avoid unnecessary strife.
The strife of the AWFLs (Angry White Female Leftists) or the Latina equivalent, which, is awfully unattractive to those voters who aren’t rabid commies.
So I was all ears when Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez was a recent guest on the Chicago Way Podcast to discuss possible compromise for law abiding illegal migrants who’ve been here for years, but who haven’t committed crimes. And I leave the podcast link here so you can hear for yourself.
“Well, there’s a pathway, John,” said Ald. Lopez. “There really is. And I think the question is, are we willing to find a solution?
“Or are we just doing this so that we have an excuse to continue to fight Donald Trump and pander to the most extreme of our party? We can find a solution.
“And there’s a very simple one, which I presented to Donald Trump in my letter a few weeks ago, which is you have to take the broken immigration system that we have on a two-tier track and look at it from that perspective.
“You have to deal with the Biden-Harris migrants separately from how you deal with the long-term undocumented who have been forgotten about since Barack Obama first took office. And we can address both simultaneously and still achieve the goals that he put out as well as finally produce on something that Democrats have long talked about, which is granting amnesty to those long-term undocumented individuals. In Chicago, mostly Mexican individuals who are those hardworking people in our communities who have been waiting for a path forward, we can grant them a pardon, grant them amnesty, grant them a path forward.”
Amesty?
Hmmm.
Amnesty?
Read more here.
Illinois Route 62 Study November 2025 Project Update
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Aunt Blabby, Cook, County, Deception, FPDCC, FUBAR, IDOT, Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, Mówimy po polsku, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, Roads and Bridges, SNAFU, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic on November 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Input from the public, stakeholders, and local agencies has been considered and incorporated over the course of the study. To date, there have been two (2) public meetings and five (5) Community Advisory Group Meetings. IDOT has also met with representatives from the Village of Barrington Hills, Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) multiple times at key project milestones. Input from these meetings has helped IDOT establish the Purpose and Need, develop the Reasonable Range of Alternatives, identify the Alternatives to be Carried Forward, and select a Preferred Alternative.
The two typical sections included in the Alternatives to be Carried Forward (see September 2023 update) were further refined based on the following design goals and coordination with FPCC, ISGS, USFWS:
- Minimize land acquisition from FPCC
- Minimize impacts to threatened and endangered species habitat
- Improve flood protection of IL 62
- Maintain existing surface and groundwater conditions that support endangered species habitat
- Reduce pollutants from stormwater runoff
These refinements have led to a Preferred Alternative that satisfies the Purpose and Need while minimizing impacts to the surrounding environment by incorporating a combination of three typical sections. All three typical sections include four (4) travel lanes, paved shoulders, mountable curbs, closed drainage, and a shared-use path. The Preferred Alternative is divided into two segments due to the differences in land use and the environmental resources as shown in the following figures.
- Segment 1 – West of Bateman Road and east of Old Sutton Road:
- This segment (shown in purple in Figure 1) has one typical section as shown in Figure 2.
- Segment 2 – Between Bateman Road and Old Sutton Road:
- This segment (shown in orange/yellow in Figure 1) is restricted by the surrounding FPCC property and environmental resources. This segment utilizes two typical sections as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
IDOT is currently developing the preliminary right-of-way needs of the Preferred Alternative and potential impacts to various environmental, community, agricultural, and cultural resources within the study area. IDOT plans to present the Preferred Alternative and summary of impacts to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and resource agencies for concurrence in February 2026. Once concurrence on the Preferred Alternative has been received, a draft of the Environmental Assessment document will be prepared and made available for public review and input.
Figure 1: Preferred Alternative Segments
(Click on images to enlarge)
Figure 2: 10-ft Outside Shoulders with 4:1 Fore Slopes (Segment 1-Purple)
Figure 3: 2-ft Outside Shoulders with Retaining Walls (Segment 2-Orange)
Figure 4: Continuous Bridge over Shallow Groundwater (Segment 2-Yellow)
Read more and comment here.
Related: “Here’s what’s in Illinois’ $50.6B six-year infrastructure plan (10.3.25),” “IDOT seeks public input on roads, rail, and EVs,” “IDOT releases Algonquin Road/Route 62 ‘project update’”
Two Oaths of Office Administered at October Board of Trustees meeting
Posted in Appointments, VBHPD, Village Board on October 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The Village is pleased to announce that two individuals were recently sworn into office at the Board of Trustees meeting: Marsha McClary and Kevin Del Re.
Posted to the Village website:
“Trustee Marsha McClary
On Monday, October 27, 2025, resident Marsha McClary was sworn in as Village Trustee, filling the unexpired term of Trustee Darby Hills, whose resignation created a vacancy in the Office of Village Trustee.
Marsha McClary grew up locally, attending St. Anne’s School and Barrington High School, and has lived in Barrington Hills with her family for the past ten years.
She earned her Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Throughout her career, she has held executive roles directing strategy, operations, finance, and stakeholder engagement in entrepreneurial companies, as well as a 20-year tenure with a Fortune Global 500 pharmaceutical corporation. Her executive experience has established her reputation for sound governance, operational rigor, and collaborative leadership.
Alongside her career, Marsha has been deeply involved in charitable and civic service. She has served on the board of Feed My Starving Children, leads a Moms for Liberty chapter, mentors youth in leadership and STEM, and has advised stewardship ministry initiatives. In these roles, she puts into practice values of integrity, service, and compassion.
As Trustee, she remains committed to protecting the natural beauty and tranquility that define Barrington Hills. Trustee McClary’s appointed term will expire in 2027.
Congratulations and Welcome Aboard, Trustee Marsha McClary!
Police Officer Kevin Del Re
At the same Board of Trustees Meeting, Monday, October 27, 2025, Police Chief Kyle Murphy was pleased to introduce the Department’s newest Police Officer, Kevin Del Re, who was ceremoniously sworn in to the rank of Police Officer. A touching moment followed as Officer Del Re’s youngest son had the honor of pinning on his father’s badge.
A show of support from his fellow Department members filled the MacArthur Room, celebrating this momentous event.
Officer Del Re grew up in McHenry County and attended Western Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and justice administration. He comes to our Village with 13 years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer from the Village of Johnsburg, where he earned an excellent reputation in community policing.
Officer Del Re began his employment with the Barrington Hills Police Department on October 1st and is currently in our field training program.
Congratulations, Officer Del Re, and Welcome to the Village of Barrington Hills!”
Newly sworn-in Trustee Marsha McClary pictured with fellow Trustees. (L-R: JC Clarke, Laura AB Ekstrom, President Brian D&D Cecola, Marsha McClary, David D&D Riff, Jessica Hoffmann.) Not pictured: Thomas Strauss.
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