Woodstock IL – McHenry County Animal Control & Adoption Center is partnering with Wonder Lake Vet Clinic to offer a Winter Dog Sled Festival on Saturday, February 6^th from 2pm-5pm at the Clinic’s Wonder Lake location, 4405 East Wonder Lake Road. 

 

Planned activities include free dog sled rides, light refreshments, a raffle and photos with your favorite animal.  Families are encouraged to bring their pets and join in the festivities.  Pets available for adoption will also be there.  Adoption fees at McHenry County Animal Control begin at $80 and include all vaccinations, spay/neuter, FELV & FIV testing, microchip, de-worming, free 1st Veterinarian visit and discounted grooming.  For more information, call Animal Control at 815-459-6222 or visit www.mcdh.info. 

Licenses and fees: The cost of registering a car in Illinois increased from $79 to $99 to help pay for the $31 billion state capital plan. The cost of a fishing license went up $12 to $14.50, hunting licenses almost doubled from $7 to $12, and a deer license went from $15 to $25.

A state law passed in 2007 offers some property tax relief by increasing the homestead exemption to $6,000 for 2009 taxes payable this year.

Transportation: The ban on texting while driving is only one of several new transportation-related laws.

As of today, any driver who receives court supervision for violating traffic laws will pay $30 in supervision fees, rather than $20. Another law increases the speed limit for semi truck drivers on interstate highways in rural areas to 65 mph. The law does not apply to rural interstates in Cook and the collar counties.

Metra passengers now can purchase tickets by credit card for no extra fee.

Juvenile crime: The age for misdemeanor cases to be held in juvenile court now is 17 years of age, rather than 16. Juvenile courts now have better access to mental health, substance abuse, and other rehabilitation programs. The new law does not change for juveniles accused of felonies.

Voting: A Senate bill effective today sets standard hours statewide for early voting.

Early voting polling places must remain open for eight hours on weekdays, starting at either 8:30 or 9 a.m., and between 9 a.m. and noon on weekends and holidays. Election authorities in counties with more than 250,000 people and cities with more than 100,000 must keep the polls open for another eight hours on the final weekend of early voting.

Another law requires all voting systems to notify voters if their ballot leaves any races blank, or if they do not vote for statewide offices, such as governor.

Health: All physical fitness facilities must have at least one employee trained in the use of automated external defibrillators on staff during business hours.

Odds and ends: Bowling alleys effective today must place warnings near their entrances advising people not to wear bowling shoes outdoors because it increases the odds of them slipping indoors. Owners who comply are not liable for injuries caused by people who slip because they tracked in a substance from outside.

Effective today, all American flags flying over public property in Illinois have to be made in the U.S.; foreign-made flags can fly until they need to be replaced.

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.

Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community. Click on the link for more information.

WOODSTOCK – The Mc­Hen­ry County Board on Tuesday became the latest Illinois government to ban video gambling.

Board members voted, 13-10 with one abstention, to ban the gaming machines from bars, restaurants and other liquor-serving establishments in unincorporated areas. The county joins Cook, Lake and DuPage counties, as well as at least 30 municipal governments, in banning the machines, which are part of the General Assembly’s plan to pay for the state’s $31 billion capital plan.

The county ban does not apply to municipal governments, which have the power to decide the issue for themselves.

Opponents said that the societal cost of expanded gaming would far outweigh the money that governments would receive. Board member Paula Yensen, D-Lake in the Hills, called video gambling “a sucker’s bet.”

“Supporters of video gambling love the idea of easy money for the state, but they ignore the very real and substantial law enforcement and social service costs,” Yensen said.

No board member spoke in defense of video gambling before the vote, but some urged patience and said that a ban could wait until the Illinois Gaming Board devised the rules for businesses to possess the machines. Board member Marc Munaretto, R-Algonquin, tried to table a vote on the ordinance until March, which board members rejected, 10-13.

“This County Board has a history of making informed decisions, and by acting on this today, we are violating that work ethic,” Munaretto said.

Gov. Pat Quinn in July signed video gambling into law to help pay for just less than 30 percent of the capital bill, but the law allows county and municipal governments to opt out of the funding mechanism. The law allows establishments that serve liquor to have up to five machines. State officials have said that any government that opts out will not lose its projects under the state’s first capital plan in more than a decade.

McHenry County has about $315 million in road, school and other infrastructure improvements under the plan, state Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, has told board members. Major projects include a full Interstate 90-Route 47 interchange, and the long-delayed Algonquin western bypass.

Althoff had pleaded with the board in the past not to rush into a ban. The board’s Liquor and License Committee at first appeared content with an advisory referendum after supporters of video gambling filled an Oct. 7 public hearing, but quickly reconsidered after hearing that the General Assembly would consider removing the opt-out clause during the fall veto session in October. Such legislation did not materialize. County Board members voted Nov. 3 against placing an advisory referendum on the Feb. 2, 2010, primary ballot.

“Ultimately the decision was in the hands of the County Board, and they voted to ban it, and I will respect that decision,” Althoff said.

State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, vehemently opposed video gambling. He released his annual constituent survey Monday, which showed that 61 percent of the 1,000 responding households opposed a video gambling expansion, and 83 percent supported a referendum. Franks commended the County Board “for doing the right thing,” and said video gambling should never have been a funding component of the capital plan.

County residents on both sides of the issue took about 30 minutes before the vote to address board members. Old Rivers Inn owner Bob McDaniel said a ban would hurt his business on Route 14 between Woodstock and Harvard. Crystal Lake resident Chris McSwain, a vice president for coin-operated game machine company A.H. Entertainers, likewise spoke against a ban.

“This county needs roads, bridges, bypasses and schools,” McSwain said. “That’s what this capital plan is all about, and this is what video gaming helps support.”

But McHenry resident Joyce Story was among those who saw it differently.

“It’s not about the capital plan. It’s not about monies coming to our county. It’s about video poker,” Story said. “It’s not about jobs; it’s about addictions.”

Board member Sandra Fay Salgado, R-McHenry, said she would be open to revisiting the ban once the gaming board develops the rules and enforcement procedures. But she said that it will take “a lot more than fancy talk from state legislators” to get her to support video gambling.

The lone abstention came from Randy Donley, R-Union, who was forced to recuse himself because his family owns Donley’s Old West Steakhouse, which has a county liquor license. Donley, who opposes a ban, expressed his frustration over being unable to weigh in on the matter as a restaurant owner.

“I represent a group in this county, and I was totally silenced,” Donley said.

How they voted

The McHenry County Board voted Tuesday, 13-10 with one abstention, to ban video gambling in unincorporated areas.

Voting for the ban were Yvonne Barnes, R-Cary; Sue Draffkorn, R-Wonder Lake; Ed Dvorak, R-Crystal Lake; John Hammerand, R-Wonder Lake; James Heisler, R-Crystal Lake; James Kennedy, D-Lake in the Hills; Mary McCann, R-Woodstock; Virginia Peschke, R-Woodstock; Sandra Fay Salgado, R-McHenry; Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, D-Crystal Lake; Ersel Schuster, R-Woodstock; Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake; and Paula Yensen, D-Lake in the Hills.

Voting against the ban were Robert Bless, R-Fox River Grove; Scott Breeden, R-Lakewood; Mary Donner, R-Crystal Lake; Tina Hill, R-Woodstock; Ken Koehler, R-Crystal Lake; Pete Merkel, R-McHenry; Anna May Miller, R-Cary; Marc Munaretto, R-Algonquin; Lyn Orphal, R-Crystal Lake; and Daniel Ryan, R-Huntley.

Member Randy Donley, R-Union, abstained on the advice of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Follow the link to see a great video of the Ski Team from Wonder Lake. 

July 21, 2009

 

McHenryCounty Department of Health

2200 N.Seminary Avenue

Woodstock IL60098

www.mcdh.info

www.twitter.com/mchenrycohealth

 WoodstockIL – In an effort to ensure additional, economical alternatives for the disposal of solid waste and landscape waste for McHenry County residents, the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is working with the County’s Purchasing  Department to obtain bids for exclusive waste hauling contracts in three (3)separate residential areas in unincorporated Greenwood and McHenry townships.

  Exclusive waste hauling contracts are commonly used in municipalities and typically provide a variety of services at a reasonable cost. It is anticipated that through the use of exclusive contracts, county residents will benefit by receiving more waste removal services at an affordable cost than are currently available. Should a successful bid be received, MCDH will notify residents in the selected areas to provide information and obtain public input before the contract is submitted to the McHenry County Board for consideration.

October 25, 2009

Two public meetings are scheduled to provide information,answer questions and receive comments on the proposed franchising of solidwaste removal services in unincorporated Wonder Lake and PistakeeHighlands.  Comments will be summarized and provided to the County Board uponconsideration of the franchising agreement.

November 15, 2009

Two public meetings were held on October 22 & 28. The Public Health & Environmental Health Committees have approved the ordinance and has moved this forward to the full County Board for approval.

I have linked the ordinance that is up for a 30 day review, along with the attachment with the bids, maps and other information.

December 15, 2009

The County Board voted to approve the Exclusive Waste Hauling Contract Ordinance. The vote was 18-6. The contract was awarded to Groot Industries.

 

Fo rmore information, contact MCDH at 815-334-4585.

 

McHENRY – Starting May 1, when the lock re-opens for the boating season, operating hours will be reduced at the William G. Stratton-Thomas A. Bolger Lock and Dam on the Fox River in McHenry.

The reduced hours are an effort to manage costs during challenging fiscal times, according to an Illinois Department of Natural Resources news release issued Friday.

The IDNR operates the dam. Officials said in the news release that the lock would be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, except for holidays, starting in May. New hours Wednesdays and Sundays will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The lock will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Holiday hours will be from 10 a.m. to midnight.

For two years, hours have been from 8 a.m. to midnight daily from May 1 to Oct. 1 and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31.

Funding availability requires the postponement of hiring staff, the release said. IDNR is working on finding ways to raise revenue and restore services as quickly as possible, according to the release.

The McHenry County Board will have a resolution on the May 5 County Board Meeting Agenda opposing any reduction in services. Please contact Pam Althoff, Dan Duffy, Mark Beaubien, Mike Tryon and Jack Franks; let them know that Springfield can cut costs else ware. At a time when we are encouraged to have a "staycation", reducing the hours of operation at the William G. Stratton-Thomas A. Bolger Lock and Dam is a poor decision.

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A new year means that new state laws take effect. Here is a sampling of some of the new legislation on the books, which you can read online in full at the Illinois General Assembly’s site, www.ilga.gov:

 – Carbon-monoxide detectors: House Bill 5284 requires carbon-monoxide detectors in all homes that use fossil fuels to heat or cook and have an attached garage. The detector must be placed within 15 feet of a sleeping area.

 – Identity theft: Senate Bill 2310 allows residents to protect against identity theft by putting a security freeze on their credit reports. Information is available on the Attorney General Identity Theft Hotline at (866) 999-5630.

 – Good Samaritans: Senate Bills 2303 and 2968 amend “Good Samaritan” laws to protect people with first-aid training from being sued for attempting to help injured people.

 – Health insurance: House Bill 4125 requires most private insurance plans as well as all state and local plans to pay for treatment of autism and other pervasive child developmental disorders.

 – Eminent domain: Senate Bill 3086 requires that governments have clear and convincing evidence that private land is needed for public use before seizing it.

It also requires governments to reimburse an owner’s relocation expenses and legal fees in some instances.

 – Elder abuse: House Bill 4676 requires the Illinois Department on Aging to investigate reports of senior self-abuse or self-neglect.

 – Sex offenders: Several new laws address the monitoring of sex offenders.

Police now have the ability to monitor paroled child sex offenders and sexual predators through global positioning system technology.

The state also imposed stricter guidelines for sex offenders near child-care facilities. The changes were made in House Bills 4222 and 4606, as well as Senate Bills 0859, 2873, 2962 and 3016.

 – Railroad crossings: Senate Bill 2865 gives local governments the power to install cameras at railroad crossings to crack down on drivers who go around lowered gates.

 – Military impostors: House Bill 4121 makes falsely claiming or wearing a military valor medal a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $200. Medals worn for theater or historical re-enactment are exempt.

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