Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit from .08 to .05. Some say it would save lives. Others say it's unreasonable. What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below.
Do you think Illinois needs stricter guidelines for the blood-alcohol threshold for those driving under the influence? On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from .08 to .05 percent. About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year. Officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having one drink. Secretary of State Jesse White said the lowered alcohol limit needs "further study," White's spokesman told the Daily Herald. In 2011, there were 942 DUI arrests in McHenry County…
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Fox River in Algonquin and McHenry has finally dipped below the flood stage.
At least 800 homes in McHenry County were affected by floodwaters last month, according to the Northwest Herald. Preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency assessments found that none of the homes could be categorized as having major damage or worse but more than 200 homes did sustain minor damage, according to the Northwest Herald. Of those homes, 56 were in McHenry and 45 were in Port Barrington, according to the article. McHenry County was declared a disaster area following the flooding, which allows the state to provide assets for assistance to the county. FEMA's website has more information on how to qualify for disaster assistance and the steps you need to take to apply for assistance. The Fox River in McHenry reached record …
Gov. Pat Quinn is pushing for 11 Illinois counties to be named major disaster areas.
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, May 9
Governor Pat Quinn today asked President Barack Obama to declare 11 Illinois counties major disaster areas following the storms and heavy rainfall that moved through the state in mid-April. If the governor’s request is approved, residents in those counties will be eligible to apply for grants and low-interest federal loans to help recover from the historic flooding. Counties included in the request are Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will. “We must do everything possible to help families impacted by this historic flooding as they rebuild their lives,” Governor Quinn said. “Today we are making a strong case to President Obama to help expedite the review and approval process so the people of …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Check out this luxury home currently on the market in Lake in the Hills.
Address: 126 Boulder Drive in Lake in the Hills Cost: $1,495,000 Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 7 Square footage: 9,122 square feet Built: 1991 Get more information and see more photos on AOL Real Estate.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
How crazy is it out there right now? Please show us! Upload your pictures of flooding from McHenry County towns here.
Over the past 24 hours, 4.95 inches of rain has fallen in Algonquin, according to an update on the National Weather Service this morning. And the rain is not expected to stop anytime soon. The NWS is predicting more showers over the next 24 hours. What does the scene look like for you? Are there several feet of water outside your home (or, heaven forbid, inside it)? Stranded cars; flooded lawns and streets? If you’re lucky enough not to be too busy dealing with any emergencies right now (and we hope you are), we’d love to see what you see, and our readership likely would as well. If you have any great snapshots/photographs of the flooding around McHenry County today, please share them with us and with your fellow readers. Please also add…
Friday, April 19, 2013
A flood warning remains in effect for McHenry County.
Officials have announced various road closures today in the area because of flooding. As of 11 a.m. on Saturday, the following roads in Algonquin were closed due to water on pavement: Cornish Park remains closed to the public. As of 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning, River Road is closed between Charles J. Miller Road and Lily Lake Road in McHenry due to flooding and overnight ice, according to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office. The area is open to local traffic only and will be closed until further notice, according to the sheriff's office. ----------- The village of Algonquin is continuing to urge motorists Friday to avoid the area surrounding downtown Algonquin due to flooding on roads adjacent to the Fox River, according to a press …
The Fox River in Algonquin is expected to continue to rise in the coming day, causing issues for those living in the area. Village officials are urging motorists to avoid the downtown area.
Widespread flooding Thursday left its mark on the area and could continue to wreak havoc for some McHenry County residents as we head into the weekend — especially those living near the Fox River in Algonquin. The village of Algonquin declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon as the Fox River rose above its flood stage of 9.5 feet to 11.9 feet. The waters are expected to crest at 14 feet on Saturday before starting to recede. McHenry County also declared a state of emergency Thursday. With more flooding expected, police are urging motorists to avoid the downtown Algonquin area. “We don’t want people near the river getting sucked in and there’s water on the streets,” said Michael Kumbera, Algonquin's assistant village manager. The…
Thursday, April 18, 2013
From interstates to local roads, our map provides updates on closures and high-standing water in your area.
From the Wisconsin border to the south side of Chicago and into the western suburbs, local roads, interstates and highways were closed Thursday because of flooding. Click through the pins above to see which roads in your area — or on your route to and from work today — have been closed due to flooding or have high-standing water. Police are encouraging drivers to avoid roadways with standing water. If you come upon an area with high-standing water or that is closed, add that information to our map by visiting this link. Otherwise, let us know about the closure by commenting below. Drivers are asked to beware of high-standing water on roadways. The water on a roadway can be deeper than it appears and can cause a vehicle to stall or be …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Alexander Leigh Center for Autism seeking volunteers to help paint its Crystal Lake school.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Wednesday, April 17
The Alexander Leigh Center for Autism is seeking help from the community to paint its school at 620 N. Route 31 in Crystal Lake, according to a post on Crystal Lake-Cary Patch. ALCA is a non-profit, full day, year-round therapeutic day school approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. The day school serves children 3-15 years old with autism spectrum disorder, OHI, multiple disabilities, developmental delay and/or intellectual disability. The center also serves preschool age children, 3-5 years old in its development learning center, a half day program. ALCA is based in Crystal Lake, Illinois and serves McHenry and collar counties. Organization: Alexander Leigh Center for Autism Causes: Educational, Kids Date(s): Schedule a date …
National Weather Service in Chicago issued a severe thunderstorm warning for McHenry County until 12:15 p.m. and a flash flood warning until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for McHenry County until 12:15 p.m. The severe thunderstomr warning includes the following areas: At 11:15 a.m., a severe thunerstorm was located near Maple Park, moving northeast at 45 mph. Residents should be on the alert for quarter-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts. The flash flood warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday for: Thunderstorms producing torrential downpours are possible, with rainfall rates exceeding 1.5 inches per half hour. Kane County Emergency Management reports that the Route 47 and Plato Road intersection is completely flooded, the National Weather Service reports. Additional thunderstorms are expected to move across the region later…
Tricia
2:45 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
Nothing seems to be happening to the 0.08+ drivers now. How many times do you hear of drivers being caught with multiple DUIs? We need to start enforcing the laws we currently have and doing something about the law breakers instead of creating laws that will make more people criminals that we will do nothing about. (This doesn't just pertain to DUIs either.) more ›