Claire O'Brien

From a kindergartner named Leo to pastors and faithful at churches, McHenry County-area Catholic react with excitement to the new pope - and his Chicago ties.

Manuel Gonzalez started off as a custodian in Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47. Now, he’s a dual language teacher at the district’s Canterbury Elementary School.

Tammy Nobbe teaches children six days per week – five at her job at the Cary Park District preschool and Sunday school at Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake.

Twenty years ago, Elle Creighton was among the first dual-language students in Woodstock School District 200. And Lillian Hayes was one of the program’s first teachers. Now they're colleagues.

A groundhog statue and bench is coming to Woodstock Square, close to the bandstand where Woodstock Willie prognosticates each Feb. 2.

A Pingree Grove woman has died from injuries in a five-car crash near Huntley; she was among 10 people injured.

Dan Wagner, the Huntley Fire Protection District’s deputy chief of operations, will become the next fire chief. He's a third-generation fire chief.

A 55-year-old Pingree Grove woman suffered life-threatening injuries after a Saturday evening crash near Huntley.

A dramatic brush fire burned more than 100 acres in the Island Lake area Sunday and sent dark smoke and flames into the air.

Huntley has acquired more than 150 acres of land near the intersection of Kreutzer Road and the railroad tracks.

Brush fire reported in Island Lake.

Huntley‘s Concerts on the Square series start two weeks earlier this year than in past series.

Andy Bittman has been Huntley District 158 school board president for two years, but a newly constituted school board has chosen Paul Troy over Bittman to lead the board.

After the Huntley American Legion said last year it wouldn't host another Memorial Day parade, the village decided to host a July 4 parade instead.

One person had life-threatening injuries and two others were moderately injured in a crash near Harvard Thursday evening.