A request for gaming machines at McHenry's Windhill Pancake Parlor became a discussion about how many gambling licenses the city should allow.

A second man pleaded guilty to theft by deception in connection with the $4,500 home repair fraud of an elderly Crystal Lake resident.

After multiple vote postponements, the Crystal Lake City Council approved a plan for a third Dunkin’ Donuts location in the city.

Crystal Lake South's boys basketball team stayed with undefeated Kaneland all night but fell short 51-41 in the championship game of the Class 3A Woodstock North Sectional on Friday.

Jayce Schmitt drilled four first-half 3-pointers, and Johnsburg outdueled Rockford Lutheran on the boards to beat the Crusaders 68-50 and win the IHSA Class 2A Mendota Sectional championship Friday night.

A man accused of beating another person, stomping on his head and leaving a shoe imprint on his face outside The Vixen in McHenry on New Year's Day has pleaded guilty.

After leading his alma mater to the Fox Valley Conference championship and 28 wins, Cary-Grove boys basketball coach Adam McCloud has stepped down.

McHenry this week moved forward on creating two new TIF districts: one for the Richmond Road corridor, and another for Main Street and Route 120 West.

After receiving an outpouring of support from loyal customers in its last week of operation, Tasty Bistro in Crystal Lake is reconsidering permanent closure.

A McHenry County judge ordered a restaurant in Algonquin to be evicted for nearly $41,000 in unpaid rent.

An Algonquin man has pleaded guilty to crimes in McHenry and Kane counties and was sentenced to 7 years in prison in both cases, to be served at the same time.

A small business serving coffee, breaking and lunch items – for carry-out and curbside only – will soon be replacing the shuttered Burger King along Route 14 in Cary.

Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino will appear at the Woodstock Opera House for an intimate evening of conversation and storytelling on Friday, March 6.

The Vintage Shop Hop, featuring vintage, thrift and antique stores across northern Illinois and Wisconsin, is March 6 and 7.

A Rockford police officer is accused of theft and home repair fraud in McHenry and Winnebago counties – “at times” while in his police uniform and driving a squad car, according to Illinois State Police.

Officials in several northern Illinois counties say regulating steer-tailing events at backyard rodeos is up to state legislators, but charges filed in McHenry County could prove otherwise

Led by Nick Stowasser's 24 points, the Crystal Lake South boys basketball team boasted all five starters in double figures and beat Sycamore 92-73 in a semifinal of the Class 3A Woodstock North Sectional on Wednesday night.

Josh Kaunas drilled a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Johnsburg went on a late run to take down Aurora Christian 51-47 during the IHSA Class 2A sectional boys basketball semifinals at Mendota on Wednesday night.

Taylor Place cuts ribbon while telling the stories of people who are living in McHenry's first workforce housing complex

A man charged with the attack of a Woodstock gas station employee is unfit to stand trial, a licensed psychologist found.

A Woodstock Route 47 open house has been rescheduled for March 18.

With the help of a million-dollar anonymous donation, The National Alliance on Mental Illness McHenry County is opening a community hub that provides free mental health assistance.

A proposal to build a gas station on land near Lake in the Hills currently zoned residential has some neighbors fighting the plans.

A donkey that was on the loose in the Woodstock area met an untimely end Tuesday when it was hit by a train, its owner said.

Voters in many Illinois counties will see a question on their March 17 primary election ballots asking if Illinois should opt into a voucher-style federal scholarship program that would give donors a tax credit. It was created in the Big Beautiful Bill.

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District responded to a fire Tuesday blamed on smoking materials.

One of two people injured in a crash involving a car and a semi tractor trailer on I-90 in Huntley last week has died and has been identified.

Crystal Lake South will play Sycamore, and Johnsburg will face Aurora Christian in the teams' respective sectional semifinal boys basketball games Wednesday night.

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from March 3, including this Northwest Herald cover from 1991, focusing on the aftermath of the Gulf War

A McHenry man is accused of advertising a vehicle for sale on social media and scamming a would-be buyer out of thousands of dollars before reposting the car for sale, according to court records.

Here is the All-Fox Valley Conference girls basketball team for the 2025-26 season, as selected by coaches. Huntley led the All-FVC team with four selections, followed by Burlington Central and Crystal Lake South with three apiece.

McHenry High School English teacher uses Dungeons and Dragons to help new English learners connect with the language

Lake in the Hills said a fuel supplier accidentally delivered the wrong variety of fuel, resulting in repair costs of more than $320,600 for public works vehicles that were damaged.

Hikers may come upon winter fish kills this time of year in ponds or small corners of lakes in the McHenry County Conservation District.

The Cary Fire Protection District presented multiple awards to those who helped save two people who had fallen through the ice on Lake Killarney last month.

A Fox River Grove man faces 17 felonies allegations he used social media to solicit child sexual abuse material from two minors, according to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney.

Prairie Ridge co-op junior Nora Terhaar took third in the all-around and helped lead the Wolves to their sixth state championship in girls gymnastics. Terhaar is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

From Capitol News Illinois: State Sen. Sue Rezin is hoping the uproar over road funding will create unity among downstate politicians as they seek solutions. “Downstate needs to be made whole,” Rezin said. “We need to be made whole because we have crumbling roads and bridges.”

Early voting for the March 17 primary election will expand to several additional locations in McHenry County Monday.

A home near Woodstock and most of its contents were destroyed in fire Sunday; crews called in backup as conditions continued to "intensify."

A Carpentersville man is accused of befriending a 16-year-old girl on Snapchat, sexually abusing her in the parking lot of an Algonquin business and then telling her, “You earned yourself some food,” a McHenry County judge said in denying his pretrial release.

A McHenry man is accused of possessing more than 250 images of children being sexually abused, court records show.

Everyone was a winner at this year’s Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Olympic-themed awards dinner, where gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the nominees.

A proposal has been submitted to turn the former Hearthstone care facility in Woodstock into about 200 apartments.

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 Feb. 22-28

State Rep. Suzanne Ness will host a virtual town hall Tuesday to discuss Illinois Gov JB Pritzker’s annual budget proposal.

A rural residence in Harvard that sold for $1.05 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in McHenry County during the past week

McHenry sophomore Robbie Rosenbaum and Marian Central senior Antonio Aguirre both medaled twice, and Jacobs co-op junior John Beasley also won a state medal at Saturday's IHSA Boys Swimming State Championships in Westmont.

Hampshire landed four medalists and won its first team championship, while Huntley's Janiah Slaughter earned her school's first individual championship during the IHSA state girls wrestling finals at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

Fox River Grove residents will now have zero permit fees for “basic” building projects, as part of a move to lessen resident costs after the village board implemented a 1% sales tax last year.