Prairie Ridge fell to Normal University in two sets, 25-20, 25-18, in the IHSA Class 3A State semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.

Two Huntley residents have been accused of sexual conduct involving an animal, Huntley police said.

A former Cary man accused of starting a fire in his Crystal Lake motel room was detained Wednesday in jail.

A Genoa man has been charged with aggravated DUI and driving with a revoked licensed in McHenry County after authorities said he hit a curb and a sign and drove into a grassy area.

A newly married couple found deceased in a car in Harvard in October died by murder-suicide, with the husband found to have pulled the trigger, authorities said.

A Wonder Lake man who was convicted in 2002 of fatally shooting his wife, and who last year was cleared of felony domestic battery charges, faces new domestic battery misdemeanors.

Pace’s 2026 budget is supported by $18.9 million in new funding from state legislation and includes significant service and program investments without increasing fares

A driver suffers injuries in a rollover crash involving a tree Thursday morning near Marengo, officials report.

Huntley will open its retail incubator, Shops on Main, on Saturday with 10 small retailers selling everything from clothing to candy to kitchen gadgets and pastries.

First Secure State Bank of Johnsburg has been honored with the Community Impact Award by the Johnsburg Area Business Association.

How does FVC champion Huntley follow up a historic season? Can Johnsburg, led by twin sisters Skye and Summer Toussaint, dethrone Marengo in the KRC? Here are five storylines to watch in the Northwest Herald area ahead of the girls basketball season.

The parents of Michael Jake Porter of Cary say his autism and anxiety led him to the "desperate and terrible decision" of taking his life after misunderstandings led to drawn guns and a police response.

No candidates who filed to run in the 2026 election in McHenry County have had their petitions challenged - meaning the races for next year are coming into view.

The Frostmoon Faire is Saturday, Nov. 15 at The Dole in Crystal Lake. The McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes Holiday Market runs on Saturdays through Dec. 6.

A Michigan man is accused of starting a fire inside the Super 8 motel in Crystal Lake Monday, and the manager who extinguished it is being praised as a “bonafide hero.”

Developers looking to turn the former Maplewood School property into a residential area in Cary have been granted another 60 days to propose the final plan to the Village Board.

Members of the Knights of Columbus held a ceremony and placed flags at the gravesites of veterans Tuesday in McHenry County Memorial Park Cemetery, in Woodstock. Members of the Knights of Columbus Patriotic 4th Degree from the Bishop Boylan Assembly placed American flags at nearly 140 veterans gravesites in the cemetery. Bob Schafer stated: "As members of the Patriotic Degree of the Knights of Columbus, we want to remember those veterans that are at this final resting place. They all contributed to the freedom we enjoy in the USA, and we are here to show our appreciation and respect for their service.”

McHenry worked with the American Legion to light up the city for Operation Green Light, honoring Veterans Day. And see other Veterans Day events.

There’s no missing the new artwork that’s been installed in the center of a roundabout in Woodstock.

A man's gun accidentally discharged while he was trying to holster it at a Marengo gun range, officials said.

A Crystal Lake middle schooler will be making his debut on the silver screen next week playing a role in a remake of the iconic 1987 “The Running Man” movie that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 Metra will be operating its popular Holiday Trains – specially decorated trains filled with holiday characters – on five rail lines this December.

Food pantry operators say they've seen a large increase in visits in the last month and Congressmen from Illinois denounced cuts to federal SNAP benefits at a roundtable discussion in Geneva.

A new mural installed at Shop 3430 in McHenry by Invictus Vinyl is among four added in the city since 2022 and third this year.

Over the past months, multiple new murals have graced downtown McHenry.

Two people were rescued from a house fire in Woodstock Saturday morning.

McHenry High School teacher and U.S. Air Force veteran Tim Kirk wasn’t one of those being honored during this year’s local Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., but he said it was an honor to tag along.

Army veteran Doug Katz started designing kitchen knives that wouldn't inflame his hand and shoulder pain. Now he's grown his Nulu knives into a business that specializes in helping those with disabilities.

Check out our photos from our Thank You Veterans special section in McHenry County for 2025.

Johnsburg’s Angelo’s Fresh Market closed Sept. 18 due to a power failure and loss of perishable food. It is now up for sale, according to an online listing indicating the store is up for sale.

Crystal Lake's Kevin Byrnes struggled to adjust after his military service in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones. Now he's finding success with his company Smash'd Burgers.

Phil Clark of Crystal Lake played football for Northwestern, the Cowboys, Bears and Patriots, and he served in the Air National Guard. He uses meditation and coping techniques he learned from Tom Landry to help himself and others.

The Oscar Mike foundation is based in Marengo and provides team games and other experiences for veterans with serious injuries. The nonprofit is aiming to raise $20 million to expand.

Michael Iwanicki, superintendent of the McHenry County Veteran's Commission, is set to retire following 27 years with agency.

As a Marine, Rick Prescott of McHenry helped build a tent city for Vietnamese refugees at Camp Pendleton in California. It put him on a path to a life of serving others.

Edward “Bud” Berthold will be 106 this month. The WWII pilot who flew a mission over France on D-Day has inspired a group of supporters to start The Bud Project to fix up his Fox River Grove home.

Sycamore resident and U.S. Army veteran Nate Johnson is the assistant superintendent of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission, where he finds peace in helping his fellow veterans.

Since 2016, the McHenry VFW Post 4600 has poured money back into its hall at

A small burn pile might have been the cause of a hay fire near Union Friday afternoon that sent a column of black smoke into the air.

The Records Department record store near Woodstock Square has outgrown its space for the second time in its roughly two-year run.

Options & Advocacy, a Crystal Lake nonprofit that helps people with autism and other disabilities hosts a fundraising gala on Nov. 15 in Lake in the Hills.

Already crowded races for a pair of largely suburban Congressional seats got even more packed, and four representatives find themselves facing challenges within their own party, as candidate filing for the 2026 primary election wrapped up Monday.

After almost two hours of discussion and public criticism, the Woodstock City Council rejected a proposal to install security cameras on the Woodstock Square – for now.

A commercial building with multiple tenants in Crystal Lake sustained $30,000 worth of damage from a fire that broke out Thursday morning, officials report.

A Crystal Lake man is accused of “repeatedly” sexually abusing and assaulting a child from 2018 through 2023, when she was between 6 and 10 years old, a McHenry County judge said.

The historic Dole mansion will host the first Indoor Winter Market for the season on Sunday, Nov. 9.

A Crystal Lake man with two pending cases from 2021, alleging he solicited and possessed images of child sex abuse, has been detained again on new, similar charges.

A man was taken into custody outside the McHenry County courthouse Wednesday by agents wearing masks and Homeland Security vests who witnesses said smashed the window of his car before detaining him.

A man has admitted to threatening children who were riding bikes at Crystal Lake South High School and telling them that he was going to shoot them.

McHenry city officials say taking advantage of new property growth could allow them to raise their property tax levy while the average homeowner's portion to the city goes down.