McHenry County | featured news

A 55-year-old Woodstock man was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Monday following a negotiated plea for setting a car on fire at the U.S. Post Office in Woodstock, the same building he attempted to burn down 10 years ago.

On Nov. 18, the Woodstock Police Department responded to a call of a car engulfed in flames at a garage attached to the Woodstock Post Office. Woodstock Fire/Rescue officials had said the fire was put out within five minutes, but the building still was evacuated until the situation was under control.

Back in the day, a person could find out a lot more about local hospitals. And that is a good thing. After all, it’s not like you are going in for an oil change.

Harvard Hospital, the county’s first, was the last in the area to go private. Begun in 1898 by Dr. Horace W. Johnson, Cottage Hospital began in humble surroundings – a small, brick building at Front Street and Route 14. In 1997, Harvard Memorial Hospital made the decision to go private after 41 years a public hospital.

There are 61 national parks. California has nine. Illinois has none. In the past couple of years, the Arch in St. Louie and the Dunes in northwestern Indiana have both been designated as national parks. Illinois had better rattle its tin cup out in D.C., as it appears to be “let’s get a park” season.

Do you have any nominees? I do.

Illinois has a 280,000-acre national forest across the southern tip of Illinois.

Emergency calls to 911 reporting that a pickup truck had plowed into a Starbucks coffee shop in McHenry paint a picture of panic and disbelief as routine coffee runs that afternoon turned into chaos.

The Northwest Herald obtained copies Thursday of 11 calls to 911 through a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the Starbucks crash that occurred about 4:40 p.m. Jan.

At the 1991 Tony Awards, "Once On This Island" was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. Its revival 27 years later also was nominated for eight Tonys, winning the award for Best Revival of a Musical. "Once On This Island," now in Chicago through Feb.

BEIJING – China extended its Lunar New Year holiday three more days to discourage people from traveling as it tries to contain the spread of a viral illness that has caused 80 deaths, the government said Monday.

There were 2,744 confirmed cases by midnight Sunday, the National Health Commission announced.

Tens of millions of Chinese who visited their hometowns or tourist spots were due to return home this week in the world's largest movement of humanity, raising the risk the virus might spread in crowded trains and pla

LOS ANGELES – The edgy, avant-pop album that siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas created in a small bedroom made a big splash at the 2020 Grammy Awards, winning 11 honors for the musical family.

“When We All Fall sleep, Where Do We Go?” – created in the musicians’ Los Angeles home – helped Eilish win the top four honors, including album, song and record of the year, along with best new artist.

For Jun San Juan, the path to opening a new ramen noodle bar in Cary with his wife, Debby, has been “quite the journey.”

“We’re excited,” San Juan said. “We are really eager to open.”

Ramen DoBo Noodle Bar is set to open Saturday at 716 Northwest Highway in Cary.

San Juan has lived with his family in Cary for 15 years. He previously had opened a sandwich bar in Lake Forest during the recession, which already was a hard time to own a business.

The McHenry County Board will conduct a special Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday to discuss the possibility of eliminating health insurance and mileage reimbursement benefits offered to board members.

Two resolutions eliminating these benefits – which were spearheaded by board members Michael Vijuk, Paula Yensen and Kelli Wegener – were brought before the Administrative Services Committee earlier this month.

McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks initially planned to call the resolutions for a vote during th

After being coated with several inches of snow over the weekend, McHenry County is unlikely to experience more precipitation over the next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Between 3 and 6 inches were estimated for Kane, McHenry and Lake counties Friday evening into Saturday afternoon.