McHenry County Independent

11/05/2025

Don't miss it! Author Christina Clancy is coming to Woodstock and will be in conversation with Arlene Lynes on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at Stage Left Cafe. A book signing and private shopping experience will follow at Read Between The Lynes. Purchase tickets, order Christina's books, and find event details here: https://www.readbetweenthelynes.com/author-event-christina-clancy-may-13-2025

About the author:
Christina Clancy is the bestselling author of The Snowbirds, Shoulder Season, and The Second Home. Her novels have been featured in People Magazine, Good Morning America, CNN, Travel & Leisure, Buzzfeed, Pop Sugar, and Shelf Awareness. The Second Home has been optioned for television and film and was selected by independent booksellers as an Indies Introduce and Indie Next pick. Her short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Sun Magazine, and various literary journals.

She was born in Denver and raised in Milwaukee. She graduated from the University of Minnesota and worked at IBM before returning to school to earn a PhD in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After graduating, she taught English at Beloit College before turning to writing full-time.

She lives in Madison with her very tall husband in their 1916 prairie-style house when she isn’t “snowbirding” in Palm Springs. She has two grown children who live in Chicago and New York City, and she has a little white dog named Bunny who loves everyone. Christi is a super smeller who can’t stand cilantro, a frequent flyer ju**ie, a terrible cook, a former cycling instructor, and an avid reader who wishes everyone would read on airplanes. She loves to practice yoga and barre, swim, travel, write, teach, visit book clubs, and join other writers in conversation.

(Author bio courtesy of christiclancywrites.com.)

Christina Clancy St. Martin's Press Woodstock Opera House

11/05/2025

We’re officially ONE MONTH AWAY from one of Woodstock’s favorite events — the Annual Food Truck Festival! 🎉

Join us for a day packed with amazing food, live music, local vendors, and fun for the whole family—right in the heart of Woodstock!

📅 Date: June 7th, 2025
🕐 Time: 4:00pm-10:00pm
📍 Location: Woodstock Square
🔗 Details: https://www.woodstockilchamber.com/food-truck-festival/

👉Our 2025 food truck vendors are available on our website
👉 Food trucks—there’s still time to join us!
👉 Sponsorship opportunities available—get your brand in front of 7,000+ attendees!

Let the countdown begin! 🌮🎶🍕

10/05/2025

EDITORIAL: We Stand With Our Neighborhoods, and So Should SunBerry and McHenry County
By the Editor | McHenry County Independent

Most days we are just a news aggregator but today we share an Editorial.

There is a difference between opposing a business and defending your neighborhood. Right now, in McHenry County, that line is being tested.

A proposal has surfaced to build a slaughterhouse on Greenwood Road in Woodstock, directly adjacent to long-established neighborhoods in Wonder Lake. The business behind the proposal is SunBerry Orchard and Pastures, a name that they have worked to have represent something wholesome: family outings, fruit picking, open-air markets, and old-world charm.

We are not here to criticize the company itself. In fact, it is precisely because of its reputation that this proposal feels so out of step. The decision conflicts with the brand SunBerry has worked hard to build.

You cannot promote family values and community warmth while ignoring the families and communities living right next door. That contradiction cannot be overlooked.

This is not a case involving a distant processing plant tucked away in an industrial zone. This is a slaughterhouse bordering homes, front yards, swing sets, and backyard gatherings. It brings animal transport, noise, waste, and the visible realities of meat processing into a peaceful residential environment. It is doing so by choice, not because of necessity.

That is where this proposal loses our support. SunBerry has access to farmland and the open space needed to manage livestock processing on-site. There is no need to move this activity and animals to slaughter within steps of neighborhoods where families live and raise their children.

To be absolutely clear, this is not an anti-business movement. It is a pro-neighborhood stance. Growth should be pursued in a way that honors the people already living in the area. Businesses should not ignore the concerns of neighbors or disrupt the peace of communities they do not live in themselves.

Branding matters. Ask families from McHenry to Mundelein why they support SunBerry. They will likely say it feels real, authentic, kind, safe, and community-centered. However, if this project moves forward, that image will begin to crack. Future customers will have to ask themselves a simple but serious question:

If SunBerry didn’t listen to the families here, why would they care about mine?

The McHenry County Board must also be held to this same standard. These officials were elected to represent the people who live in this county. Their responsibility is to put local communities first, not to side quietly with a business proposal that may benefit a few while negatively impacting many.

If the Board approves this project without fully considering its effect on the people living around it, they will be making a statement about whose voices truly matter. Right now, there is still time to make the right decision. They can choose to lead with integrity and ensure that future development respects both property and people.

We call on SunBerry Orchard and the McHenry County Board to listen. Listen to the families who are raising their children nearby. Listen to the residents who have built their lives around these quiet streets. Listen to the people who want to support local businesses, but not at the cost of their homes and health.

There is still time to choose a better path.

We are counting on both SunBerry and the County Board to honor what they claim to stand for:
Put families and community first.

—
McHenry County Independent
Editor

10/05/2025

Great program!

Many of the McHenry High School seniors who have completed the four-year biomedical science program are also now certified nursing assistants. Graduates held a white coat ceremony at the school recently.

10/05/2025

28/04/2025

🚨COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION- ASSISTANCE NEEDED🚨

The McHenry Police Department has been made aware of the theft of mail in various neighborhoods across the City of McHenry. While we are working to narrow down a timeframe, some mail was recovered during the overnight hours last night. We are asking anyone with cameras to check their cameras for any suspicious activity.

Some of the known streets that this happened on are Bode, Argyle, Cross Trl, Kresswood, Dartmoor, Waterford, and Farmstead. It is unknown at this time if those are the only streets that this occurred on.

Our patrol and investigation teams are working on this case.

Anyone with information pertaining to a possible suspect or with video is encouraged to contact the McHenry Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 815-353-2599.

17/04/2025

McHenry County News | Heartbreaking Sentencing Hearing

Eric Ullrich of Richmond, IL, plead for leniency this week in the death of his 14-year-old son, Trent, who fatally overdosed on fentanyl and xylazine in January 2024. Ullrich admitted he “failed” to act when he saw his son was overdosing, choosing not to call 911.

Prosecutors are seeking a 19-year prison sentence, citing a toxic home environment and efforts to tamper with a witness. Sentencing is set for April 25.

17/04/2025

Fire Damages Woodstock-Area Manufacturing Plant – No Injuries Reported

A fire broke out Tuesday evening at Vorteq Coil Finishers, a manufacturing plant near Woodstock, IL. Emergency crews were called to the scene around 7:40 p.m. after a worker reported smoke and visible flames. While no smoke or fire was visible from outside, firefighters found the building’s interior filled with smoke.

The blaze, which was located in the ceiling near an exhaust vent, prompted a full working fire response. Thanks to a swift and coordinated effort by the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, the fire was extinguished without injury. All employees had safely evacuated prior to their arrival. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

17/04/2025

17/04/2025

Looking for leadership training opportunities for the top level and emerging leaders of your organization?
The LEAD Conference is McHenry area's one day training and networking event for local professionals and business owners. Speakers are heading in to teach actionable and inspiring sessions. There will also be plenty of opportunities for networking and getting to know other local leaders.

Grab your ticket and invite your team.
Open to the public: https://mchenrychamber.com/lead-conference/

April 24, 2025
Crystal Lake Holiday Inn

09/04/2025

Scam texts like this are making the rounds again. They often mention suspicious transactions and urge you to call a number or click a link. Don’t fall for it!! 🚨

Here’s what to do:
- Don’t click any links.
- Don’t call the number in the message.
- Don’t reply.
- Check your accounts using trusted apps or websites.
- Report the message as spam/phishing.

These scams are designed to create panic and trick you into giving up personal or financial info. Stay alert and help spread the word by sharing this post!