Crystal Lake Central baseball handed Huntley its first loss, Jacobs baseball improved to 7-1, Burlington Central baseball walked off Crystal Lake South, and plenty more baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys tennis and track and field results in Wednesday's roundup.

Bella Moore belted a game-tying home run in the seventh inning and Reese Vrba crushed a walk-off three-run home run in the ninth inning as Prairie Ridge rallied from a six-run deficit to beat Jacobs 9-6 during Fox Valley Conference softball action Wednesday.

McHenry senior Natalie Bender was all smiles Wednesday, striking out seven batters in the circle and hitting two home runs to lead the Warriors to a 10-3 Fox Valley Conference win over Crystal Lake South.

Jacobs vs. Prairie Ridge in a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Prairie Ridge High School.

Cary-Grove vs. Prairie Ridge in a Fox Valley Conference baseball game on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at Prairie Ridge High School.

The Secretary of State's Office said the scam messages threaten that failure to pay non-existent back tolls will result in penalty fees and even suspension of driving privileges and vehicle registration.

From Capitol News Illinois: A lack of domestic workforce participation in agriculture pushes Illinois farmers to employ foreign workers through the temporary H-2A non-immigrant visa program. Illinois’ employment of farmers through the visa program has grown rapidly

Lake in the Hills officials have formally opposed pending state legislation that would limit their ability to regulate issues like parking minimums and accessory dwelling units.

Shaw Local is taking a look at a number of potential prospects who could fit the Chicago Bears’ needs in the first round of the NFL draft later this month. Here’s how Missouri edge rusher Zion Young could be a fit with the Bears.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill that could allow drivers with suspended licenses to continue driving with a speed control device in their car

A 2,016-square-foot residential property, built in 1986, has changed hands.

Country music band Parmalee will perform at The Vixen McHenry Thursday, April 9.

Owen Satterlee struck out 14 as Prairie Ridge baseball shut out Cary-Grove, Jordyn Jeffs hit a walk-off single as Dundee-Crown softball beat McHenry, Peyton Ruffner and Maizie Nickle scored goals in Huntley girls soccer's win over Prairie Ridge, and more in Tuesday's roundup.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources put the restriction in place Monday night.

Huntley faces Crystal Lake Central in a Fox Valley Conference softball game on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Crystal Lake Central High School.

Democratic congressional members from Illinois are questioning President Donald Trump’s fitness for office and calling his threats to destroy Iran as a country "dangerous."

Some Lake in the Hills officials expressed skepticism about a proposed car wash in town.

The traffic lights at an intersection in Lake in the Hills were out for a time Tuesday, Lake in the Hills police said.

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill in the legislature would eventually allow driverless vehicles to operate in Illinois counties that have more than 1 million residents, plus Sangamon and three downstate jurisdictions. They could replace rideshare and taxi drivers

St. Charles North and Burlington Central had different methods to secure success on the mound, but neither team could pull away and finished in a 1-1 tie.

Marengo shut out Woodstock North and Woodstock blanked Harvard in their Kishwaukee River Conference baseball openers Monday. Marengo's boys and girls track placed first at the Genoa-Kingston Meet, Harvard and Johnsburg girls soccer picked up wins, and more in the roundup.

Kyle Ziebell's two-out homer capped off a six-run fourth inning for Huntley, which rallied from a four-run deficit to remain undefeated and beat Barrington 8-6 in a nonconference baseball matchup Monday evening.

Richmond-Burton faces Johnsburg in a Kishwaukee River Conference baseball game on Monday, April 6,2026, at Johnsburg High School.

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats have added a new abortion access measure to their agenda that would allow people with limited or no insurance to get financial assistance for abortion care in Illinois.

Whether on the football field or wrestling mat, Duke Mays is always active. Now, the junior is on the move again. A native of Joliet, he has returned home. The football and wrestling standout has transferred from Johnsburg to Joliet Catholic Academy.

Spring festivals are blooming across northern Illinois in April and May.

Statewide teacher vacancies decreased by 24% with less than 3,000 vacancies remaining in the state as of Oct. 1, 2025, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Chicago Bears will try to make key roster additions in the NFL draft later this month in Pittsburgh. Here is everything Bears fans need to know about the 2026 NFL draft.

Professional excavators and DIY homeowners alike are encourged to call 811 to safely mark utility lines before starting a digging project.

Rain totals varied Friday and Saturday across northern Illinois.

An Illinois Department of Transportation worker was injured after a driver crashed into an IDOT truck while crews worked on storm damage along Route 120 Friday morning near McHenry.

Sgt. David Gudgeon is a McHenry High graduate who earned Eagle Scout and now is one of just two drill sergeants in U.S. Space Force, the nation's newest military wing.

Catch up on the week’s top McHenry County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of March 29-April 4

From Capitol News Illinois: Elected officials and advocates for both domestic violence survivors and immigrant rights are warning of an uptick in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence around Cook County’s Domestic Violence Courthouse, in violation of both an order fro

A single-family home in Crystal Lake that sold for $741,000 is near the top of the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in McHenry County over the past week

Huntley softball pounded out 20 hits and hit five homers to lead coach Mark Petryniec to his 500th career win, Jacobs softball outlasted Woodstock North 22-21 in a scoring frenzy, Cary-Grove boys and girls track won at the Trojans' home meet, and more in Saturday's roundup.

From Capitol News Illinois: Nearly seven years after Illinois lawmakers approved recreational cannabis legalization, applicants who lost out on coveted business licenses are still battling the state in court, alleging the law’s rollout undermined its purported equity goals.

A Crystal Lake industrial building caught fire Saturday afternoon.

Lakewood’s Village Manager will be retiring this summer after serving in the position for five years, officials report.

According to USDA, the national average price for conventional hard-shell eggs in mid-March was $1.43 a dozen.

A condominium in Woodstock that sold for $272,000 tops the list of the best real estate deals in McHenry County in the past week

Since the Illinois State Police began providing services on ​ April 1, 1922, 73 state police officers have died in the line of duty, according to the agency.

A delegation of Illinois mayors say they experienced “pinch me” moments during their trip to the Vatican, marked by a 45-minute private audience with Chicago native son Pope Leo XIV.

Nathan Bushy struck out nine batters to lead Dundee-Crown baseball over Centennial, Alden-Hebron baseball split a nonconference doubleheader against Ashton-Franklin Center and Cary-Grove boys lacrosse scored a win over Lake Forest. And more in Friday's roundup.

McHenry's Buffalo Wild Wings is closing, but Burlington is coming to former furniture store.

The boys track and field season starts this week. Here are five athletes to watch this season in the Northwest Herald area.

With more thunderstorms in the forecast, most of northern Illinois is under a flood watch from through Saturday morning.

Maggie Hanson scored three second-half goals, while Macy Noe recorded 11 saves, seven in the first half, as Marengo's girls soccer team kicked off Kishwaukee River Conference play with a 3-0 win over Woodstock North.

From Capitol News Illinois: While the state program that created them is still relatively new, Illinois' clean energy workforce hubs are struggling to convert training into employment.

From Capitol News Illinois: Faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield went on strike Friday after contract negotiations failed to produce satisfactory wage increases and address other concerns.