Excavation Work for Western Bypass to Begin Monday

The Illinois Department of Transportation will begin the extensive excavation and earthwork needed to construct the long-awaited Western Bypass.

The first steps toward building the long-awaited Western Bypass should, weather-permitting, start Monday, state transportation officials said. Extensive earthwork and excavation will begin in the area north of Algonquin Road and west of Illinois 31 to prepare a rough outline of the new bypass route, an Illinois Department of Transportation press release states. The $70 million project would re-route traffic away from the downtown Algonquin area — and in particular, away from the intersection of Route 62 and Route 31 — in an effort to reduce congestion. The grading work should not disrupt traffic and will cost about $4.9 million, the press release states. The primary contractor is Ryan Incorporated Central, of Janesville, Wis. The work is …

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Blotter: LITH Man Arrested for Battery; Teen Faces Drug Charge

Algonquin and Lake in the Hills Police Department reports from May 14 through May 17.

The map at the top of this page shows the locations and details on police reports provided by the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the Algonquin Police Department over the past week. Click on the various pins to learn more about each police report, where it occurred, the date and/or time of the report and more. Follow Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch on Facebook The arrest reports do not indicate a conviction. Domestic Battery Police arrested Ian B. Monzo, 43, on two counts of domestic battery at 10:17 a.m. on May 14 at his home at 1900 Tanglewood Drive. He was taken to McHenry County Jail to await a bond hearing. Possession of Marijuana Police arrested a 17-year-old Lake in the Hills boy at the Algonquin Police Department, 2200 …

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Police: LITH Teens Pay Respect at Fatal Crash Site, Nearly Hit by Drunken Driver

The accident happened Sunday night in the 14600 block of Marengo Road west of Huntley.

Two Lake in the Hills teens narrowly missed being hit by a drunken driver last Sunday while lying flowers at a memorial made for Megan E. Hartigan west of Huntley. Hartigan died following a crash on May 1 in the 14600 block of Marengo Road in the township of Coral and the two 19-year-old Lake in the Hills women had returned to that area on May 13 to pay their respects, said Aimee Knop, public information officer for the McHenry County Sheriff's Office. Around 7:10 p.m., the LITH women told police a vehicle went off the road while traveling west along Marengo Road and hit an embankment and a parked car, Knop said. The vehicle did not hit the LITH women. "They did see the car coming and ran in the opposite direction," Farner said. In an e-…

Algonquin, McHenry County K-9 Heroes to be Honored with Memorial

Northern Illinois Police K9 Memorial members get closer to making their dream of a memorial a reality.

Tony Fanella always has loved dogs. The Lake County sheriff’s deputy and his sister, Traci Sikorski, grew up with German shepherds in their family. So when the opportunity arose for Fanella to apply for a police K9 partner, he jumped at the chance. Fanella was paired with Sinbad, a smart, loyal German shepherd. They worked together for three years. “These dogs become your best friend,” Fanella said. “You spend more time with them than your family.” Then, in June 2004, Fanella was training with Sinbad when the K9 unexpectedly suffered heat stroke and lost his life. “It was really hard on the whole family,” Sikorski said. “They work with these dogs, they’re home with them. They have such a bond.” Fanella, who now works with a police K9 named…

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Police Investigate Report of Stranger Approaching Child in Algonquin

A 9-year-old girl was approached by a stranger who asked if she needed a ride Wednesday morning, according to police reports.

The Algonquin Police Department  is asking the community to be on alert after receiving a report Wednesday morning of a stranger approaching a 9-year-old girl while she was on her way to school, police said. The girl was in the area of Grandview Court and Huntington Drive in Algonquin when a white male stepped out of his car and asked her if she wanted a ride, according to an Algonquin Police Department press release. The girl was able to run and safely make it to her nearby school where she reported the incident, according to the news release. The white male — whose age is not known — was described as having a gray and black beard and was wearing glasses and a dark blue baseball cap "with something white on the front." The type of vehicle…

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Algonquin, Lake in the Hills Blotter: Check Crime Reports in Your Neighborhood

Algonquin and Lake in the Hills police departments responded to various criminal reports between May 7 and May 14.

The map at the top of this page shows the locations and details on police reports provided by the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the Algonquin Police Department over the past week. Click on the various pins to learn more about each police report, where it occurred, the date and/or time of the report and more. Follow Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch on Facebook The arrest reports do not indicate a conviction. Algonquin Police Blotter Domestic Battery Police arrested Thomas G. Putman, 49, of 8 Woodview Lane, Algonquin, at his home at 10:51 p.m. May 7 on charges of domestic battery and interfering with 911. He was taken to McHenry County Jail to await a bond hearing.  Retail Theft Police arrested a 15-year-old boy at 6:13 p.m. May 8…

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NTSB Releases Initial Report into Fatal Plane Crash

Few new details were released in the report about the crash that occurred across from the Lake in the Hills Airport on May 3.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed few new details surrounding the cause of a fatal plane crash in Crystal Lake in recent weeks.  Hugh Scott Clark, 65, of Lake Forest, and Paul San Filippo, 82, of Grayslake, died in the crash, according to the Northwest Herald. The report released by the NTSB confirmed San Filippo was piloting the Beech S35 Bonanza, which he owned, at the time of the crash at 3:15 p.m. May 3. The plane went down in a marshy gravel pit on the east side of Pyott Road, across the street from the airport.  The plane took off from the Lake in the Hills Airport, according to the report. Witnesses reported the plan flying low to the ground "in a very steep bank." A witness said the airplane …

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