Several school districts across McHenry County are announcing closures or e-learning days Friday as an extreme cold warning is forecast to start Thursday night into Friday morning, bringing in dangerously low wind chills.

Two Republican Party candidate forums will take place in McHenry County Thursday, Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 25

A 175 single-family home neighborhood will be built near downtown Crystal Lake in what city council members call the “last infill property” that was once set to be an Amazon warehouse.

A Harvard man was accused of sharing illegal images of children while he awaits trial on a charge that he followed two girls into stores in Crystal Lake.

After surviving COVID-19 lockdowns and a devastating fire, the beloved downtown Crystal Lake gift shop Out of the Box is permanently closing.

Speakers at a prayer breakfast in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. in Crystal Lake Monday tied his message to contemporary times.

Real estate news: The Crystal Lake single-family house located at 84 South Caroline Street, built in 1910, was sold for $376,000

Crystal Lake City Council sent developers back with a request to make their 175 single-family home neighborhood to be “more cohesive” with nearby downtown, council members said.

Catch up on the week’s top McHenry County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of Jan. 11-17

A rural residence in Hampshire that sold for $2.38 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in McHenry County during the past week.

Extra Space Storage off Virginia Road in Crystal Lake is looking to expand its existing facility with three more climate-controlled buildings.

A Chicago man was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for trying to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at Chick-fil-A in Crystal Lake.

With authentic arrangements, dazzling visuals, and a dynamic stage presence, RIO brings audiences a full-throttle Duran Duran concert experience.

After two years of uncertainty, Crystal Lake-based Raue Center for the Arts has secured a new building lease with the city as they move forward with rebuilding programs.

One of Crystal Lake’s oldest buildings, constructed in about 1853, was completely torn down Tuesday after a year-long effort to preserve it was unsuccessful.

Despite efforts to save the structure, built in the 1850s, Crystal Lake's Academy Building became a pile of rubble Tuesday with the completion of demolition.

A man knocked on the door of a 89-year-old Crystal Lake woman, claimed to make home repairs and then stole $15,000 from her, authorities allege.

Catch up on the week’s top McHenry County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of Jan. 4-10

The Chicago Bears knocked off the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in Wild Card matchup Saturday night at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Real estate news: The 4,781-square-foot Crystal Lake home, built in 2005, was sold for $1.3 million

A Crystal Lake single-family home sustained serious damage after a fire broke out in a second-floor bathroom Thursday afternoon, officials report.

As a Marengo woman awaits adjudication in a fifth drunken-driving case from 2024, she has been charged with DUI again, according to court records.

Charles Gozzola, who went to prison for killing his wife in 2000 and was convicted last year of domestic violence, was denied his attempt to expunge a 2024 domestic battery case for which he was acquitted.

Prairie Grove School District 46 has announced two interim superintendents will helm the district until the summer following John Bute's sudden departure.

Singer-songwriter Joe Fisher delivers the full “Nebraska” album, stripped down to its bare essence — with the stark poetry of America’s backroads.

Huey Lewis & the News stood out with their signature blend of rock, pop and blue-eyed soul. With mega-hits like “The Power of Love,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “I Want a New Drug” and more.

This high-energy show will transport audiences back to the legendary Las Vegas Hilton, delivering not only Elvis’ most beloved hits and deep cuts.

Trump and Truth Store owner Lisa Fleischmann hopes to reopen her store in a few weeks in Crystal Lake.

A Crystal Lake officer was the subject of an internal investigation after he misplaced a personal weapon, which was picked up by a convicted felon, authorities said. Here is the result of the investigation of the officer.

Prairie Grove School District 46 Superintendent John Bute has left his position in the middle of the school year, seemingly abruptly.

The Chicago area has been a fertile ground for Winter Olympians over the years, from champion figure skaters to fearless ski jumpers.

Professional mixed martial arts “superfights” with athletes from around the country return to McHenry County Saturday in McHenry after a successful debut in Crystal Lake last year.

From county fair cows to pet emus, here are some of our favorite McHenry County-area animal pictures of 2025 from Shaw Local staff and contributors.

Crystal Lake police have arrested a man who they say was drunk while driving a damaged Cadillac and possessing a stolen pistol, a scale and box coated with cocaine.

Demolition has begun on Crystal Lake's Academy Building, one of the oldest structures in town. Preservationists' efforts to save it were unsuccessful, but they were able to document the building before its demise.

A baby born into a Crystal Lake family on Thursday was the first baby born in 2026 at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin

Hear hits like "Hotel California," "Take it Easy," "Life in the Fast Lane" and many more Eagles hits at the Jan. 3 concert.

From the deaths of prominent citizens to the far-reaching impacts of the first year of President Trump's second term, here is a look at some of the biggest stories that happened in the McHenry County area in 2025.

Food Shed Co-op in Woodstock opened in 2024 after a decade in the making. But a year and a half later, it's at risk of closing its doors.

Two men face felony charges that they “knowingly misrepresenting” the cost of repairing the driveway of an 87-year-old Crystal Lake homeowner.

During McHenry County College’s recent winter commencement ceremony, one of the 528 graduates was a 16-year-old student from Cary who received his associate’s degree before graduating from high school.

Two Men and a Junk Truck, an offshoot of Two Men and a Truck, is expanding to Crystal Lake and Aurora.

One of Crystal Lake’s oldest standing buildings, built in about 1853, is scheduled to be torn down starting this week after a year-long effort to preserve it was unsuccessful.

A loud boom Thursday evening in the McHenry that some say shook their homes prompted hundreds to take to social media for answers. But so far they have materialized.

A selection of the top feature photos in the Northwest Herald in 2025, by Shaw Local photographers.

Donna Rasmussen, one of the Northwest Herald's 2025 Women of Distinction honorees, overcame a challenging childhood. Now she's head of a consumer credit counseling service, mentor and inspiration.

Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 is planning to break ground on the multi-million football stadium renovations for Prairie Ridge High School early next year.

These 10 stories defined conversations around dinner tables, dominated social media feeds, and shaped how residents see their corner of Illinois during 2025

John Clauson was adopted and never knew about his biological family. But after searching for years, he learned the identity of his birth father - and would reconnect with the eight children his father later had.

Set in four emotional “seasons”— spring, summer, autumn and winter— the evening unfolds with beloved Beatles hits such as “Here Comes the Sun,” “Yesterday,” “Let it Be” and more.