Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Illinois Department of Natural Resources estimates 8 to 12 coyotes are hanging around Algonquin.
Coyotes are here and it’s best to learn to live with them is the message an Illinois Department of Natural Resources officer brought to Algonquin this week. Conservation Officer Richard Riedel estimates Algonquin has a pack of 8 to 12 coyotes roaming areas along Route 31, Huntington Drive, Harnish Drive and Hansen Road. “They are here,” Riedel said. Coyotes have been here for a while, he said. Sightings may be increasing a little bit because the coyote’s habitat has been shrinking due to continued urban development, he said. Speculation is the Western Bypass construction has forced coyotes out in the neighborhoods where residents report hearing a lot of howling. Riedel provided some facts and safety tips to the Algonquin village board …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Patch.com provides tips on how to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe if there is a coyote in your neighborhood.
While coyotes roaming through neighborhoods may have come as an unwelcome sight for many area residents in recent weeks, the presence of coyotes in the suburbs is not uncommon. "Reports of coyotes in Algonquin is not necessarily common, however it is not unusual," said Michael Kumbera, assistant to the village manager in Algonquin, in an e-mail. "Coyotes occur in nearly all types of habitat, including urban and suburban areas." Residents sounded off on the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch Facebook page last week reporting several coyote sightings throughout Algonquin and Lake in the Hills. Coyotes have been spotted in neighborhoods behind LifeTime Fitness in Algonquin, near the Algonquin Police Department, along the path at High Hill Park…
Monday, May 13, 2013
Village’s Public Works is moving ahead with project in the Highlands of Algonquin subdivision.
One of the village’s arguably worse roadways, in the Highlands of Algonquin subdivision, is getting fixed this summer. It has taken the village years to work through a complicated web involving property rights to get the project on track. Algonquin needed agreements from homeowners to do work on their property because the village never received utility easements in the subdivision. Some neighbors were reluctant to turn over easements so the village could do sewer and road repairs because the work would come so close to their homes, according to residents who have appeared before the village board over the last few months. Algonquin has obtained enough easements to do the work, Assistant Public Works Director Michele Zimmerman said. There…
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Deputy Chief Ed Urban winding down 26 year career with Algonquin police.
While Algonquin Deputy Chief Ed Urban is retiring from the department, he’s not ready to sit back and collect his Social Security. Urban is retiring from his post to pursue a new career. He has been in law enforcement for 29 years starting with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office as a corrections officer then the Northern Illinois Department of Public Safety in DeKalb as an officer. Urban joined the Algonquin police department in October 1987. Urban has also taught courses at McHenry County College in law enforcement. He graduated from Columbia College with a degree in criminal justice administration. He is a former McHenry County Historical Society board member who volunteers when he can. Urban also writes a local history column for a …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Village presented with certificate of excellence for ninth year in a row.
The mere words “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report” may cause boredom or drowsiness for the average person. But Algonquin’s comprehensive annual financial report is anything but boring or sleep inducing. The village’s efforts to make that report easy to follow has garnered it another Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). GFOA looks at how villages clearly communicate finances and provide a clear report that will motivate residents and tax payers to read the annual financial report. An impartial panel also evaluates whether a municipality is doing its best to provide full disclosure, according to a village press release. …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
This week’s warmer temperatures have made it feel like spring is finally here.
The trees and flowers are finally starting to bloom. It’s been a difficult few weeks, especially for families hit by the Fox River flooding, so it’s nice to see people venture out and see nature come alive. Share your spring photos with Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch. It's easy, just click on "Upload Photos and Videos" above.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Police reports from the week of April 22.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Monday, April 29
Note: The following information was obtained from Algonquin Police Department arrest reports. An arrest is only an accusation and does not constitute guilt. An individual can only be found guilty in a court of law. Jody B. Garcia, 21, of 1 Sycamore Avenue, Carpentersville, was charged with driving under the influence, driving the wrong way on divided highway and no proof of insurance, police said. He was taken into custody at Algonquin Road and Longwood Drive on April 26. He was released on a personal recognizance bond with a court date of May 5 in McHenry County. A fifteen-year-old male from Carpentersville was charged with retail theft and taken into custody at Meijer, 400 S. Randall Road on April 26, police reports stated. He was …
Algonquin officials’ emergency training last month provided experience in handling flood.
The National Weather Services flood warning for the Fox River tailwaters at Algonquin served as a call to action for Algonquin officials, who began figuring out what type of emergency action will be needed. An emergency operations center, consisting of department heads from police, public works and the administration, was set up and Algonquin went into emergency mode on a Wednesday. “It was phenomenal, it was seamless,” Mayor John Schmitt said of the operations center. By that night, Public Works crews were filling up sandbags and Algonquin police had canvassed the neighborhoods expected to flood, talking to residents and providing information. As the flooding unfolded, Schmitt declared a state of emergency allowing the village to obtain…
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Residents still have concerns about traffic and flooding.
A developer reworked plans for a River Road subdivision, giving it a new name, reducing the number of homes and using a conservation approach to save trees. The changes, however, have not impacted neighbors’ arguments against it. Developer Greg Pantos, of AK Group, is asking the village to annex his land into the village so he can build River Ridge Estates. The village rejected his proposal four years ago for a subdivision called Riverwoods. Now called River Ridge Estates, the plan calls for fewer homes, storm water and sewer improvements, and a tree conservation approach. But the changes have not impacted residents’ arguments that flooding and traffic will be worse if the subdivision is built. Pantos want to build 25 single-family homes…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Fox River in Algonquin stands at 12.6 feet, a record for the area.
Tony Angarola has been at the house his family owns for days, stacking sandbags and monitoring the Fox River. He has five sump pumps going arranged in a tiered system to keep the water out. It seemed like Tuesday morning was a turning point. He woke up happy thinking the worse was over, he said. Then the rain started up again by mid-day. “If this rain hadn’t come, I defiantly would’ve made it,” he said. Rain fell again Tuesday as the Fox River rose to 12.6 feet, causing continued flooding. The National Weather Service is predicting light snow Wednesday and Thursday. No rain is predicted for the rest of the week. The river is expected to crest Wednesday, but it will take a while for the river level to drop. It is the highest level …
chrisrus
8:16 am on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Dawn. They were not here first. We were here first. Don't take it from me, look at this map http://www.nature.com/news/rise-of-the-coyote-the-new-top-dog-1.10635 from The Journal Nature. This is our habitat. They are invading our habitat. We need habitat, too. more ›