A man convicted in a New Year’s Day 2005 drunken-driving crash in Chicago that killed a taxi driver and passenger has been charged with DUI and causing a crash near McHenry.

The lineup for 2026 is out, but what Wayne Jett won’t yet announce is whether the McHenry Music Festival will return in 2027.

Samson Averehi found his offensive game in the second half, scoring 15 of his game-high 18 points, as Jacobs pulled away to beat host Dundee-Crown 51-34 on Friday night in a Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game in Carpentersville.

Jacobs junior forward Olivia Schuster scored all 10 of her team's points in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 19 as the Golden Eagles cruised to a 55-23 Fox Valley Conference win over Dundee-Crown on Friday.

McHenry County Sheriff and State’s Attorney say they welcome Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker‘s comments on revising the criminal justice reform SAFE-T Act that went into effect two years ago.

In less than an hour, a McHenry County jury found a Belvidere man guilty of sexually assaulting a child.

Severe cold headed into the area for the weekend has cause some disruption to weekend plans.

For the second year in a row, wreaths will be placed on local veterans' graves as part of Wreaths Across America. Community members are invited to participate and sponsor wreaths.

A portion of Virginia Road in Crystal Lake is closed to traffic due to a car crash.

Woodstock's Liam Laidig, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, scored 28 total points and recorded two double-doubles in wins against Grant and Rockford Boylan. Laidig is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

The 2026 McHenry Music Festival will combine country, southern rock and metal acts - possibly for the last time

Two Wisconsin brothers both pleaded guilty Thursday to shooting a firearm nine times at a home in Harvard knowing it was occupied, and each was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Democratic candidate Kat Abughazaleh on Thursday scored another first in the crowded race to succeed U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the largely suburban 9th District by releasing a cable TV ad.

The west leg of Miller Road at Randall Road in Lake in the Hills near Crystal Lake is set to reopen Friday for the holidays.

Woodstock junior guard Max Beard scored his 1,000th point this week and seeks to become the school's all-time leading scorer before he graduates. Plus notes on McHenry and Burlington Central in the Northwest Herald's boys basketball notebook.

Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake will host "Jingle Belles" live comedy, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Classical Blast! performances this weekend.

A Wonder Lake man who was convicted decades ago of murdering his wife – and who was cleared last year of domestic violence – has admitted guilt to a new charge of domestic abuse.

Months after approving salary raises for countywide elected officials, the McHenry County Board has decided not to take up compensation for its own members in the near future.

A battery energy storage facility is being eyed for Prairie Grove, but residents question the potential impacts on safety and wildlife.

Junior guards Carson Trivellini and Nick Stowasser each dished out four assists, with Trivellini scoring a team-high 17 points, as Crystal Lake South held off a late rally to beat Huntley 54-49.

No horses were injured after a barn caught on fire and the owner successfully extinguished it Wednesday afternoon near Woodstock, officials report.

McHenry suspended its leaf pickup, hopes to get remaining leaves in the spring, but offers yard waste pickup through end of the week.

A contractor working at the Water’s Edge development in Crystal Lake was flown to a trauma center after falling off a scaffolding Wednesday.

A canopy of a gas station in Cary collapsed Sunday from the snow after it was initially damaged from a severe thunderstorm in August.

Downed live wires in front of a home in Algonquin caused electrical sparks and a fire Wednesday morning, officials report.

A pair of young deer who got stuck in ice on Pistakee Bay were moved to safe ground by McHenry County Fire Protection District personnel.

An employee suffered serious burns in a fire at a Marengo manufacturing facility.

Jayce Schmitt scored 19 points, Jarrel Albea added 17, and Johnsburg's boys basketball team beat short-handed Richmond-Burton 71-46 Tuesday night in a Kishwaukee River Conference opener.

Crystal Lake South and Huntley exchanged leads five times in the fourth quarter. In the end, it was the Gators who came out on top. Senior Laken LePage tossed in 10 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter as South held on for a 47-45 win.

Adam Anwar finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Nate Ottaway added 12 points and four rebounds as McHenry fought off Hampshire 47-38 in a defensive Fox Valley Conference boys basketball matchup Tuesday evening.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed into law a bill banning Homeland Security agents from arresting people in or near daycare centers, hospitals, colleges or courthouses who are suspected of being in the country illegally.

Johnsburg sophomores Skye and Summer Toussaint have averaged almost 40 points a game for the undefeated Skyhawks. The twin sisters hope to lead Johnsburg to its first conference championship since 2017.

A high-profile contender for the congressional post now held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky has survived a legal challenge to her candidacy.

Crystal Lake residents are speaking out against a proposed third Dunkin’ Donuts in town, saying the location will further cause traffic headaches in the neighboring residential area already dealing with Lake Roots overflow.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made a quiet appearance in Crystal Lake last week visiting local nonprofits and leaders to learn about food insecurity in McHenry County.

An Elgin man accused of posting an “explicit photo” of a Marengo woman on Snapchat, printing it on a T-shirt and twice violating an order of protection has been detained in McHenry County jail, records show.

The Green Street Cafe's owners will rent the building from McHenry for up to a year under agreement to sell it to the city before they retire.

Cary's very merry holiday celebration Merry Cary brought a parade and lots of seasonal mirth to town Sunday after another snow left the village looking that much more like Christmas.

Following a huge snowfall the previous weekend, most of McHenry County awoke Sunday to about another half a foot of white flakes.

More of the roof and walls at Thompson’s Appliance in Woodstock caved in Sunday morning, Dece. 7.

McHenry-based Bupp Woodworks & Design has national reach, looking at potential for expanding their shop that preserves flowers in resin for customers across the country.

Tina and Trevor Bupp of McHenry-based Bupp Woodworks & Design, have made a name for themselves preserving florals like wedding bouquets and funeral flowers to memorialize important events.

Huntley made the season bright Saturday with A Very Merry Huntley, featuring live reindeer, a big Santa arrival, Kris Kringle market, the Lighting of the Square, fireworks and, for the first time this year, a parade.

A new hotel is still planned for downtown Woodstock - but with some changes, including how long it will take.

A Republican candidate running to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the largely suburban 9th District was convicted of a sex crime against a juvenile decades ago, records show.

Prosecutors allege that a Crystal Lake man asked a stranger online for sexually explicit images of children ages 8 to 12.

People gather to honor late veterans during a wreath-laying ceremony on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in McHenry. The event was hosted by McHenry American Legion Post 491 and Team Home Depot. Organizers and supporters adorned thousands of gravesites with wreaths at St. Mary's and several other cemeteries in the area.

A Sleepy Hollow woman said Friday she is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in her daughter’s 2009 death, which authorities ruled in 2022 was a “homicide.”

A chunk of ice, believed to have come from a truck driving ahead, smashed through a van's windshield near Marengo Friday, hospitalizing the driver.

A judge said a Woodstock woman in jail on drug charges “made several phone calls” to her roommate about “hiding narcotics still in her residence.”