Sean Schipper, 62, pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing 100 to 400 grams of methamphetamine, a Class X felony, according to a McHenry County court order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt. Schipper was sentenced to seven years in prison.

After a traffic stop just after midnight on March 1, 2025, authorities said Schipper was found with 145 grams of individually packaged methamphetamine inside his 2024 Jeep Cherokee and taped to his body. Police said they found two separate packages totaling 15 grams of fentanyl, and packaged “cocaine base.” A criminal complaint also alleged that Schipper had a scale and glass smoking pipe with residue on it.

A McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy who made the traffic stop said Schipper was driving 81 mph in a 55 mph zone and not wearing a seat belt.

Schipper is required to serve half his prison time and will get credit for 461 days in county jail since his arrest. He will then be on mandatory supervised release for 18 months, the order shows.

In exchange for the guilty plea, additional charges were dismissed including delivery of 100 to 400 grams of methamphetamine, manufacturing and delivery of 100 to 400 grams of fentanyl, manufacturing and delivery of 1 to 15 grams of cocaine and bringing contraband into a penal institution, records show.

Joel A. Koskinen, 36, of Barrington Hills, is charged with threatening public officials, a Class 3 felony, and harassment through electronic communications involving threats to kill, Class 4 felony, according to the McHenry County jail and a judge who was brought in from outside the county, 23rd Judicial Circuit County Judge Philip Montgomery. The circuit hears cases in DeKalb and Kendall counties.

Montgomery, who appeared via Zoom, was assigned Friday to hear the case due to the apparent conflict of interest. The judge said Barrett Mays was appointed as special assistant public defender.

Because Montgomery and Mays learned just Friday that they are going to handle the case, Montgomery postponed Koskinen’s detention hearing, to determine if he will be held while awaiting trial, to Tuesday morning. The judge said Mays also needed time to meet with Koskinen, who is in the county jail.

On Tuesday, the state will argue Koskinen should remain in jail pretrial, and prosecutors are also seeking to have his pretrial release from the earlier case revoked.

Because the hearing is being continued, few details were provided during a brief hearing Friday.

The judge read Koskinen the current charges against him and said he is accused of emailing a link to a probation officer that took her to a video in which Koskinen is allegedly threatening her. He also is accused of threatening a judge, and as in his 2025 case, threatening to kill Barrington Hills police.

He was charged in the prior case on June 23, 2025, with threatening a public official and with electronic harassment involving a threat to kill. He is accused in that case of threatening Barrington Hills police officers on YouTube videos, according to court testimony and documents.

Koskinen allegedly posted a video “containing a threat to shoot [an officer] in the head,” according to a criminal complaint. He also is accused of saying: “I will now kill every cop in Barrington Hills Police Department.”

In September, he was found to be unfit for trial. In December, after receiving mental health treatment while in custody of the Illinois Department of Human Service Lake Behavioral Hospital, a judge ruled Koskinen had been restored to fitness, documents show.

In April, he was released from the county jail and accepted into the county’s mental health court.

Koskinen’s former attorney, Brian Stevens, said he is “very surprised” to learn of the new charges. Koskinen had read through the mental health manual “cover to cover” and was excited to be involved in the program.

“He was benefitting from mental health court,” Stevens said.

Had Koskinen successfully completed the program, the 2025 case would have been dismissed.

“Everybody wanted him to do well,” the attorney said.

Fernando Torres Jr., 19, pleaded guilty to battery causing bodily harm, a Class A misdemeanor, according to an order in McHenry County court signed by Judge Tiffany Davis.

He was sentenced to 200 hours of public service and one year of conditional discharge and was ordered to pay the victim $300 in restitution, the order shows.

In exchange for the negotiated plea on Tuesday, the more serious charges of aggravated battery in a public place, a Class 3 felony, as well as mob action, a Class 4 felony, were dismissed, records show. Conviction on a Class 3 felony carries a prison term of 3 to 7 years, but can also result in probation.

Authorities said Torres – along with Keon A. Harris, 19, and a third teen who is a minor and not named in court records – took part in a group attack of the teen in the entryway of the Walmart about 8 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2025.

Torres was accused of striking the victim “multiple times” with a “closed fist” and stomping on him, causing bruising and discoloration on his right eye. The victim also suffered a bloody nose and mouth, according to the criminal complaint.

A person saw the incident occurring and called 911. The boy’s injuries required he be taken to Northwestern Medicine Huntley for treatment, records show.

Harris, whose case is still pending, also is charged with two counts of aggravated battery in a public place and mob action, according to documents in his court file.

While on pretrial release from McHenry County jail in the case, Harris was charged in unrelated allegations with phone harassment and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, according to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 22.

Police said Harris used Snapchat to harass and threaten to shoot and kill a man and his baby. Harris allegedly “sent multiple videos and pictures of [himself] holding what appeared to be [an] AR15 style rifle while making these threats,” according to the complaint.

He allegedly said in a message, “Have you ever seen a baby die, imagine your son leaking from his forehead,” police said in the complaint.

Harris is due in court next on June 16.

Charles Sprague, 70, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13, a Class X felony, according to records in the McHenry County court.

During an initial court appearance in August, where he was denied pretrial release, prosecutors said Sprague posed an “exceptional” level of danger to his accuser, other children and to the community.

Prosecutors said the victim, who is now an adult living in Florida, reported that Sprague assaulted her several times weekly from the age of 8 until she was 13, between 2004 and 2010, Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Conroy said.

The woman said Sprague began touching her inappropriately when she was 8 and that, in the years that followed, his behavior escalated and became more sexual

Conroy said Sprague admitted to the assaults in text messages with the woman and in a phone conversation in which police were listening. Sprague apologized, but manipulated and gaslighted her, Conroy said, telling the woman that she needed to pray to God and ask for forgiveness for the sexual assaults, the prosecutor said.

Sprague also texted that he was “so sorry,” that he loved her and that he was “selfish, thoughtless, depressed and hollow,” the prosecutor said.

During Sprague, initial court appearance, he told Judge Cynthia Lamb that he worked as an adjunct professor at Judson University in Elgin. But, following his arrest, a university spokesperson told Shaw Local that he no longer worked there.

The school’s website said he mentored at the school, and before his name was removed, had listed him as an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology and Sociology Department. The spokesperson said, “As soon as we knew about these developments, his name was removed from the directory on our website.”

Sprague, who has been in custody of the jail since his arrest in August, also worked as a mentor in the jail as part of New Life Transitions of Northern Illinois, an organization he founded and of which he was the chairman, according to its website.

In exchange for his guilty plea, additional counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13 and aggravated sexual abuse were dismissed, records show. Sprague is required to serve 85% of his prison time, followed by three years to life of mandatory supervised release, according to official documents, and he will be a lifetime registered sex offender. He is receiving credit for 282 days served in the county jail since his arrest.

The woman he pleaded guilty to assaulting as a child was aware of the agreement and accepted the terms of the sentence, Assistant State’s Attorney Shelby Page said.

Sprague’s attorney declined to comment.

Gabriel R. Schuch, 19, is charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery in a public place, both Class 3 felonies, according to court records and police. In court Thursday, his lawyer claimed the person allegedly beaten in this case had viciously attacked Schuch two years ago, and he was in fear for his life.

Assistant State’s Attorney Sawyer Schexnider, who argued Schuch remain in the county jail while awaiting trial, said the alleged victim was in the intensive care unit and suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed.

Schuch made a first court appearance Thursday, where Judge Christopher Harmon released Schuch from the county jail under strict conditions, including court supervision, GPS and an ankle monitor.

He sternly ordered Schuch to have no contact with the person he’s accused of beating, or with a witness, in any way, shape or form.

“Let me make this clear, Mr. Schuch. ... I would recommend you don’t even think about [the alleged victim] going forward,” Harmon said.

The alleged beating occurred at around midnight Wednesday night, police said.

Schuch’s attorney, George Kililis, told the judge in court Thursday that two years ago, Schuch was the victim of a “vicious” attack by the person Schuch is now accused of battering. The beating was severe, but Schuch didn’t report it to police because he feared this person would kill him, the defense attorney said. Until Wednesday night, the two had not had any further contact with each other, Kililis said.

During Thursday’s hearing, both Kililis and Schexnider said what happened at the train station was a chance encounter.

Schuch and the alleged victim just happened to be heading back to Crystal Lake from the same train station in Chicago when they first saw each other. The prosecutor said a witness who was with the alleged victim told police the two recognized each other and it was “awkward.” No words were exchanged, but they made eye contact, and the witness told authorities she knew and they’d had past issues, Schexnider said.

But Kililis described the initial encounter not as “awkward” but as Schuch being afraid for his life.

Both boarded the train in separate cars. When they exited in Crystal Lake, the witness said Schuch, “unprovoked,” ran up behind the alleged victim and hit him with the skateboard, the prosecutor said, adding Schuch called the other man an expletive and fled on his skateboard.

Kililis said he realized the alleged victim had suffered serious injuries, but the defense attorney said the appearance of those injuries suggests the man was struck from the front, not from behind.

The Crystal Lake Police Department said in a news release that it responded to a call at around midnight Wednesday for a reported battery on East Woodstock Street. First responders arrived to find a person who suffered “significant injuries,” according to the release.

According to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County courthouse, Schuch is accused of striking the victim “in the head and face with the wheels/axel of a skateboard” while at the Crystal Lake downtown Metra station.

Almost two hours later, about 2 a.m. Thursday, Schuch was located in the area of Interstate 80 and the Tri-State Tollway in Lansing, near the Indiana border, authorities said. Illinois State Police took Schuch into custody without incident, and he was transported to the McHenry County jail, police said in the release.

Schexnider used the location of Schuch’s arrest to argue that he is a flight risk, but Kililis said Schuch has strong ties to the community and is the father of a 4-month-old child. Kililis also said Schuch did not know there was a warrant for his arrest before he was taken into custody.

Kililis also said Schuch is a professional skateboarder who has a clothing line, YouTube channel and a job.

At 17, Schuch became a globally ranked street skateboarder, regularly traveling around the world to compete. Based on competition results over the past two years, Schuch currently ranks 266th globally in men’s skateboarding.

Crystal Lake police currently are investigating the matter and asked anyone with information to contact authorities at 815-356-3620. Anonymous tips can be sent by texting the word CLPDTIP along with information to 847411.

On April 16, Raymond V. Kanarowski, 78, pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, according to an order signed by Judge Tiffany Davis and filed in McHenry County court.

Davis sentenced him to four years in prison, the lowest prison term for the charge, although probation also is an option allowed by Illinois statute. The maximum prison time is 15 years.

Authorities said that during the evening of May 25, 2025, they responded to Kanarowski’s home, where he had discharged a 9-mm Glock handgun behind a woman and “fired off numerous rounds with the intent to scare” her. Another woman in the home called 911, police said.

“During the dispute, Kanarowski displayed a handgun and fired several rounds,” according to a news release from police at the time.

On Tuesday, Kanarowski’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer, argued a motion seeking to reconsider his prison sentence and allow him to be on probation instead. Messer said Kanarowski’s spouse will lose his Social Security payments while he is incarcerated and without – her main source of income – her home will go into foreclosure.

His incarceration would present a “substantial hardship” for his family, Messer said.

Messer also noted Kanarowski has no criminal history and is in poor health. He has a serious heart condition and difficulty hearing. She said his safety would be at risk while in prison and he won’t receive the medical care he needs. Kanarowski has led a law-abiding life, would comply with the rules of probation and has a place stay away from the victim, Messer said.

Kanarowski also detailed his many ailments to the judge, including diabetes and multiple past surgeries, as well as the need for more. He turned to the woman he is accused of shooting at, as she was sitting in the courtroom, and apologized.

“I am truly, truly sorry and I ask for forgiveness,” he said. “I love you.”

To the judge he said: “I don’t know that I have that much time ... I’m a mess,” he said detailing several relatives who died from heart conditions.

The victim told the judge she does not want Kanarowski in prison and she does not fear him. She said he is “a really good man [who] took care of his family. I don’t want him in jail. ... I want what is best for him. ... Please release him.”

But Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Neubauer objected to Messer’s argument, saying the prison sentence is appropriate. When a family member is convicted of a crime and is sentenced to prison, housing matters are “common consequences.” It is not a factor in sentencing and does not change the “seriousness” of the offense he pleaded guilty to, Neubauer said.

Davis said she weighed justice and was “seriously reconsidering” the sentence. She considered his apology and how that will help in rebuilding relationships. She also weighed his age, lack of any criminal history, medical conditions and needs, as well as his hearing difficulties.

But despite those mitigating factors, Davis said she must “consider the seriousness of the offense.”

Kanarowski “was not concerned at all for the safety of anyone ... at anytime” the gun was discharged in the victim’s direction, Davis said. She noted that Kanarowski had said “he intended to scare the victim” and that “he succeeded over a possible non-sensible reason.”

To reduce the sentence to probation would “deprecate” the seriousness of the offense and not be in the best interest of justice. The sentence imposed also must help in deterring others from committing such an offense, Davis said.

Like the prosecutor, Davis also noted that sentencing for “criminal conduct” has “collateral consequences.”

Additional charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, alleging Kanarowski had fired the same gun outside the home hours earlier, were dismissed, records show.

Kanarowski is required to serve 85% of the prison time followed by two years of mandatory supervised release, receiving credit for more than 300 days spent in the county jail since his arrest, the judgment order shows. Messer asked that Kanarowski be sent to Dixon Correctional Center which is the site of the Illinois Department of Correction’s geriatric and medical unit.

Karl M. Petermann VI, 43, is charged with drug-induced homicide in the death of a 41-year-old woman who had lived with him and with whom he shared a child, according to a criminal complaint in McHenry County court and prosecutors.

Authorities said his arrest Thursday was the result of a months-long investigation that included the Illinois State Police North Central Narcotics Task Force, the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office, with assistance from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Assistant State’s Attorney Nick Sheppard said in court Friday that text messages prior to and on July 28, 2025, indicate Petermann was providing cocaine to the woman, whose death was determined to be caused by cocaine toxicity. The prosecutor also referred to texts after her death with another person who said they needed to “lay low” for a while and statements Petermann made to police pointing to his guilt.

Among the texts Sheppard noted was one the deceased woman sent four days before her death saying Petermann left her with a pipe with cocaine resin to scrape so they could smoke it. This proves he was “supplying her with drugs,” Sheppard said.

Another text, Sheppard said, shows Petermann telling the woman not to smoke crack he had left in the home. That menssage, Sheppard said, shows that sometimes Peterman had left crack for her.

Cell data also puts the two together about the time of her death, according to authorities.

The prosecutor said before the woman’s death, Petermann already was being investigated for possible drug dealing out of his residence. Sheppard argued the proof is evident Petermann supplied the cocaine that killed the woman.

If he is released from jail, he would be a threat to another woman with whom he lives, as well as the community, and there are no conditions that could ensure he would not sell drugs, the prosecutor said, to which Judge Joel Berg agreed to detain Petermann.

Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer had argued for his release with conditions so he could work, care for his child and keep his apartment. She denied he is a threat to the community and insisted there is no evidence presented proving Petermann supplied the woman with the fatal dose of cocaine.

Messer said the woman suffered a heart attack, and Petermann was not in the home at the time. He arrived about 4:30 or 5 p.m. and he and another person found her and called 911. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The woman had been living in a rehabilitation facility for medical reasons and on this day was visiting their child, who lived with Petermann, Messer said. The public defender also said an autopsy showed the woman had cocaine and cocaine metabolites in her system, but they were below the amount that would contribute to a fatal overdose.

Messer also said that although police had secured a search warrant for the home following the woman’s death, they did not executed it, because there was no evidence of criminal activity or a drug-induced homicide at the home.

No evidence was presented “at all” indicating he delivered “any sort of drug,” Messer said.

In announcing his decision to detain Petermann, Berg referred to the probable cause statement. He noted a statement that showed they were “partying” that day, knowing the woman had a heart condition and that she was supposed to go for a procedure the following day.

Knowing this, Berg said, “I can’t imagine a more dangerous” defendant or come up with any conditions that would protect anyone from him.

If convicted on the Class X felony, Petermann faces six to 30 years in prison. He is due back in court Thursday on a hearing to revoke conditional discharge he was given in November after pleading guilty to an unrelated Class A misdemeanor charge of attempting to deliver cocaine, records show.

Harry Kulubis, 39, is charged with unlawful restraint, a Class 4 felony, as well as public indecency involving lewd exposure, according to a criminal complaint filed by Algonquin police in the McHenry County court.

Kulubis made an initial court appearance Saturday before Judge Mark Facchini, who released Kulubis from the county jail pretrial, court records show.

Police said that at 9:40 p.m. Thursday, Kulubis “without legal authority detained another in his ... purple 2024 Tesla CyberTruck, after the victim had told the defendant to stop the vehicle and let her out. The defendant refused to let the victim out of the vehicle and continued driving,” according to the complaint.

He also allegedly “knowingly performed an act of lewd exposure of the body” when he “exposed his penis and masturbated in front [the woman] ... while on a public roadway,” police said.

Conviction on a Class 4 felony carries a sentence of probation to three years in prison. He is due back in court June 9.

The townhome residents, two adults and two children, were sleeping at the time of the crash and were not harmed. Woodstock Fire/Rescue District spokesperson Alex Vucha said in a news release Saturday.

Matthew Zamorano, 31, is charged with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, as well as criminal damage to property of $10,000 to $100,000, criminal damage to property $500 to $10,000, criminal damage to property less than $500, interfering with reporting of domestic violence and reckless conduct, according to the criminal complaint filed by Woodstock Police in the McHenry County court.

Zamorano exited the vehicle when responders arrived minutes after the crash and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Vucha said.

The impact caused “significant damage” to the exterior of the townhouse ,which is an end unit at the complex. There was “moderate intrusion into the living space,” but the damage was severe enough that the home was deemed uninhabitable, Vucha said. The American Red Cross is helping the family with emergency assistance, including temporary lodging.

Although it is unclear when and where the alleged battery occurred, police said in their complaint that Zamorano, who was the only person in the vehicle when it crashed, had pushed a woman by “placing his hands on her chest” that caused bruising.

He then allegedly struck the woman in the face with a closed fist, and she “moved her arms in an attempt to stop [Zamorano], which resulted in an abrasion of approximately 3 inches on her right wrist,” police said.

Zamorano then allegedly struck the woman “in the face with a closed fist” resulting “in an open wound under her eyebrow.” She was taken to Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital, where she received seven stitches, police said.

Zamorano allegedly tried to prevent her from calling 911 by taking away her cellphone, according to the complaint.

At 2:36 a.m., presumably after the alleged battery, police said they responded to the 2300 block of Linden Drive, where Zamorano, with “the intent to cause great harm to himself,” crashed into a townhome. Police say he drove his 2015 black Honda Civic into the kitchen and dining room of the townhome causing “significant damage.”

He also is accused of striking a light pole across the street from the townhome on property of The Paths Walnut Ridge Apartments and crashing a stop sign before hitting the home.

As of Sunday, Zamorano did not appear to be in McHenry County jail and did not have an attorney listed in court records.

House Bill 5151, known as the Automated License Plate Recognition System Act, would define when automated license plate recognition systems, sometimes called ALPRS, can be used by law enforcement agencies.

State Rep Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, wrote that he believes police groups are “strongly opposed to” the proposed bill because of how the technology has helped police work.

“License plate readers are a valuable public safety tool that have helped solve serious crimes across our state,” Keicher wrote. “In DeKalb County alone, this technology has helped lead to arrests in cases involving robbery, shoplifting, and an abusive father who killed his infant child. It is a critical resource for keeping our communities safe.”

The legislation would sharply limit how long police can keep data collected by automated license plate reader cameras and restrict how the information can be used, including banning its use to track people attending protests, seeking lawful health care or for immigration enforcement. The proposal has ignited a broader debate in Illinois over balancing public safety with growing concerns about AI-driven surveillance and personal privacy.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan said license plate readers were used during a multiagency search that spawned after sheriff’s deputies found Holly and Gary Schmidt dead inside their Sycamore home Sept. 30, the victims of apparent blunt force trauma.

An ALPRS in Rockford helped police find a vehicle that was missing from the scene, Sullivan said. As a result, Kevin Schmidt – Gary and Holly’s son – who police say later confessed to plotting the killings, was apprehended by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office within three hours of DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies first entering the Schmidt home.

Staff for state Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, D-Chicago, who introduced the bill on Feb. 10, and state Rep. Nicolle Grasse, D-Arlington Heights, who sponsored the bill, did not respond with answers to Shaw Local’s questions by press time.

A staff worker for state Rep. Amy Briel, D-DeKalb, said Briel had no comment on the bill because it isn’t expected to be passed during the current legislative session.

If the bill were to be passed by the General Assembly, ALPRS data could still be used by police investigating violent crimes, missing person cases, hit-and-run crashes and stolen vehicles. The legislation would limit law enforcement’s access to the data, however.

If the data collected by an ALPRS isn’t associated with an investigation, court order or criminal case within three days, it’s expected to be deleted, according to the bill.

“We need to stop handcuffing officers and making it easier for dangerous criminals to escape justice,” Keicher wrote. “Illinois should be focused on policies that prioritize public safety and hold criminals accountable.”

A spokesperson for state Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake, said Ness did not indicate she explicitly opposes the bill. But the bill has not yet had an opportunity to be heard by a committee or the full body.

“Our law enforcement agencies statewide wake up every day to serve and protect Illinoisans. The experiences they face daily, the tough responsibilities and the indescribable encounters are proof that these invaluable men and women have enough on their plate,” said Ness, who represents the 66th District that includes parts of Kane and McHenry counties. “With that said, monitoring Americans for non-criminal purposes takes these officers away from their ability to react and respond to real criminals and real crime here in Illinois.”

In January, Khadine Bennett, the advocacy and intergovernmental affairs director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, told Shaw Local that she’s an advocate for a three-day retention period.

The bill also would prevent data collected by ALPRS from being used to monitor, track, investigate or detain people who engage in political protests and community gatherings or are seeking lawful healthcare. The proposed law also would prohibit the data from being used for any immigration enforcement purposes.

The Automated License Plate Recognition System Act was filed at a time of growing resentment against AI-based surveillance, like what is used by an ALPRS. Officials in Dane County, Wisconsin, pulled funding from contracts with Flock Safety – the largest automated license plate reader system in the nation – in May.

Over in Sterling, resident concerns over Flock Safety cameras, what they record and who has access to that footage, also continue.

Jeff Gale, a Sterling resident, first spoke at a February Sterling City Council meeting to bring up his concerns with Flock Safety cameras positioned around the city.

At that meeting, Gale said he attempted to get access to his own information recorded by Flock Safety cameras in Sterling via a Freedom of Information Act request. Gale said he was told he could only obtain his own information if he was the victim of a crime.

At the May 18 meeting, Gale, who said he was part of the committee who helped choose the park equipment for the new Northwestern Steel and Wire Park on Sterling’s riverfront, said he visited the park recently.

“I am one of the people most excited for the opening of this park. But this morning, when I was down there, I was horrified to see a Flock camera that is located near the new park and not just a Flock camera but their newest, most powerful Condor camera. These cameras use AI features to automatically zoom and can capture audio,” Gale said.

“Are we, the citizens, expected to sit and wait until our data is exposed for real change to happen?” Gale said.

In June 2025, state Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, and others joined Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in condemning the use of ALPRS by the state of Texas to track a woman who traveled to Illinois to seek abortion services not allowed in Texas. According to Giannoulias’ office, more than 83,000 cameras were used to track the woman.

The Associated Press reported that Mount Prospect authorities shared license-plate data with the sheriff in Johnson County, Texas, who was looking for a woman whose family was worried because she had undergone a self-administered abortion.

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, whose district spans parts of Lake, Cook, Kane and McHenry counties, said the public safety benefits far outweigh the “subsets” being politicized during the current election season.

If these were such important issues – tracking undocumented citizens and women coming to Illinois to obtain medical services banned in other states “We could have done it last year when it wasn’t election season,” said McLaughlin, who served two terms as mayor of Barrington Hills (2013 through 2021) and was in office when Flock cameras were installed there.

“These subsets of potential use are all political, and general public safety should not be a political issue,” he said.

McLaughlin said cameras are essential tools in investigating residential break-ins and car theft rings, and that Illinois already has some of the strictest restrictions surrounding the use of the cameras, such as their use of facial recognition.

Cameras are “a force multiplier for police protection,” providing an additional 15 to 20 eyes monitoring cameras and keeping communities safe, he said.

Keicher said he thinks state Democratic legislators “are attempting to place new restrictions on this technology to push a political agenda.”

He thinks the bill would “make it harder for police to do their jobs.”

“We need to stop handcuffing officers and making it easier for dangerous criminals to escape justice. Illinois should be focused on policies that prioritize public safety and hold criminals accountable.”

Karl M. Petermann VI, 43, is charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, as well as manufacturing and delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Illinois State Police North Central Narcotics Task Force in McHenry County court.

According to limited information in court documents, Petermann allegedly “knowing and with intent” provided cocaine to a person ... “prior to their death.”

“Lake in the Hills police responded to Petermann’s home an evening in late July 2025 for a call of “a deceased woman,” police said in a news release Thursday.

Police said the arrest was the result of an investigation over the last several months.

Petermann did not have an attorney listed in available court files as of late Thursday. He was taken into custody at his home without incident, according to official records.

This, the sixth year of the fest organized by Warp Corps, will be held from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday at Benton and Judd streets. The free event – with a suggested donation of $10 – will offer food tents and 10 bands on two stages. Organizers are raffling off a rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

Because the fest is supported by sponsors and donations, 100% of the money goes to Warp Corps clients, organizers said.

“Warp Corps served over 900 unique clients in McHenry County in 2025 between our Youth & Street Outreach Programming,” Clay Mutert, head of business operations at Warp Corps, said. “All of our programming is free to our clients in large part because of donations made at events like this.”

Warp Corps is a community-based nonprofit that works to prevent suicide, substance use disorder and housing insecurity. The fest is Warp Corps’ annual event of music, art, and action sports, including an all-age skateboard contest.

It’s intended to “create connection and strengthen community support,” Rob Mutert, owner and founder of Warp Corps, said. The fest, which has grown from 200 attendees in its first year to 2,000 last year, is hosted in partnership with Liquid Blues.

“Max Happy Fest is a very important component to communicating to our community the service we provide and the work we do to make McHenry County better,” he said. “This year’s event is more important than any previous years due to significant grant funding reductions for 2026, but the work we do for the people in need continues to grow.”

Fest proceeds will help Warp Corps buy supplies needed by unhoused and low-income people, like bottled water, nonperishable foods, hygiene products, furniture, camping gear, as well as shoes and boots. Donations of items will be accepted during the event at Warp Corps, located near the fest at 114 North Benton St.

In January, Warp Corps relocated its depot – where Rob Mutert has said people shop with dignity while everything is free from the Woodstock train depot – to a property at 722 East Calhoun Street Unit 1A. Walk-ins are welcome from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; however, calling ahead is recommended.

Bobby Gattone, owner of Integrity Alliance Grants Consulting, owns the property and is renting a lower level office space to Warp Corps at a discount. Gattone, former executive director of New Directions and Consumer Credit Counseling, said the property is zoned commercial, with a special use allowing tenants to live upstairs. He is donating some of the rent back to Warp Corps for the next few months to help with their efforts, he said.

Gattone said Max Happy Fest is “a great event.”

“They do a great job of bringing nonprofits and social services together and getting the word out about services available but making it really fun,” he said, adding they have great food and bands too.

This year’s lineup includes headliner Mr. Blotto, a Chicago jam band that plays a blend of hard rock, original rock, southern rock, folk music and country rock, and has ties to McHenry County.

The band was formed 35 years ago by brothers Paul and Mike Bolger, who lived in Harvard during their early childhoods, Paul Bolger said.

“I have great memories” of those early years, including attending Harvard Milk Days and sledding at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake, he said.

Bolger, whose grandparents lived in Crystal Lake, said he enjoys playing the Max Happy Fest and especially appreciates its location being where the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed. He said he enjoys being part of what is one of the biggest events held in the city and its purpose.

Playing at noon is Yhprum which includes Rob Napholz and Will Orlyk, musicians who were among the first members of The BREAK Teen center in Crystal Lake.

The BREAK founder, Brenda Napholz, said the pair are “modeling the way for our current BREAK members as good examples of how you can be involved in music and still stay safe.”

Information about the festival and Warp Corps services is available at WarpCorps.org. To set up an appointment at the depot, call Jon Durden at 815-206-8449.

Philip Marcadante, 53, is required to serve half his prison time and is receiving credit for 484 days in the county jail. When released from prison, he will serve 18 months mandatory supervised release, according to an order signed by Judge Tiffany Davis in McHenry County court.

Authorities said that on Dec. 29, 2024, Marcadante – who has a past felony conviction of theft, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm – sold an unserialized machine gun for $100 to Richard Wieser Jr., then 24, of Woodstock.

Authorities said Wieser did not have a firearm owner’s identification card and that on Jan. 23, 2025, police found him armed with the loaded weapon and wearing body armor. Wieser also was accused of possessing 100 to 400 grams of methamphetamine, for which he was charged with a Class X felony, along with unlawfully possessing a loaded machine gun, another Class X felony. In September, Wieser pleaded guilty in connection with the charges and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, court records show.

The firearm was an “un-serialized no brand” AR-15 rifle “equipped with an auto sear, which makes the weapon fully automatic and a machine gun,” according to a criminal complaint.

The sale of assault weapons was banned in Illinois, and those who owned such firearms before the ban had to have them registered.

Authorities said that when Wieser was found with the machine gun, it was “slung over his shoulder” and loaded with a 30-round magazine, and he had another 30-round magazine in his pocket. Police said he was wearing body armor and carrying three cellphones, 120 grams of methamphetamine and 10 grams of cocaine that were “pre-packaged” for selling, a prosecutor said during an initial court hearing.

Hosted by Family Health Partnership Clinic, in Crystal Lake, Pedalpalooza is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout Crystal Lake and McHenry County.

The drive behind the event is to raise money for the clinic - which provides health care services to the uninsured adults of McHenry County - while teaching people about the trail and its significance, organizers said.

People can start at any location along the trail, although most likely will start from one of these three locations:

Participants can bike the county’s trail system at their own pace while stopping at local businesses and community booths, said Sarah Rummel, senior project manager and landscape architect at the McHenry County Conservation District.

The McHenry County portion of the pathway is part of almost 500 miles of trails and designated roads for hiking and biking in northern Illinois.

First conceived in the mid-1990s, the trail today is a network of locally managed trails creating a route for long-distance recreation, according to Openlands.org.

In recent months, according to the organization, more than 50 local public entities, trail advocates, cycling communities, regional agencies, and tourism leaders have joined with the renewed purpose of completing the 500-mile route of the Grand Illinois Trail.

The Grand Illinois Trail Alliance was formed in September and is seen as a “powerful voice committed to completing the trail,” according to Openlands.org.

Planners say the trail goes from Lake Michigan to the banks of the Mississippi and back again, “offering an intimate way to experience the natural landscapes and local communities of the Prairie State,” according to the organization.

The trail encompasses the I&M Canal State Trail, the Old Plank Road Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path, which was the nation’s first rails-to-trails conversion, planners say.

Booths representing the conservation district and Openlands will be set up at the event, providing information about regional trail connections and the long-term vision.

The trail, funded through a combination of local tax dollars and state and federal grants, often referred to as the GIT, is “roughly a 500-mile, multi-use trail network that loops through northern Illinois and connects communities, natural areas and regional trail systems,” Rummel said. “The GIT has been in development for nearly 30 years and is now more than 90% complete — a significant milestone for a long-distance Midwest trail system."

Supporters say the trail’s importance goes far beyond recreation.

“The GIT connects people to parks, downtowns, conservation areas and rural landscapes while promoting outdoor tourism, healthier lifestyles and economic activity for local communities,” Rummel said.

Two trails in McHenry County serve as key segments of the GIT:

Together, those corridors form an important northern link in the statewide GIT vision.

Additional public GIT-themed events planned this summer include:

Planners said there is no official timeline for the trail’s completion. However, the trail “continues to move forward through cooperation among park districts, conservation agencies, municipalities, and state partners.”

Rummel said it’s a “long-term collaborative effort involving numerous agencies and communities working together to create a connected statewide recreational asset. The long-term goal is to create a world-class regional trail network that residents and tourists alike can use to experience Illinois’ communities and natural landscapes.”

Event details and registration information are available through Pedalpalooza online at pedalpalooza4fhpc.org. A map of the trail can be found at Openlands maps. The yellow sections depict areas that need improvement.