John Hammerand was elected to the McHenry County Board in November 1998 and currently resides in Wonder Lake.  Mr. Hammerand is Chairman of the Liquor & License Committee and is a member of the Finance & Audit and Building Projects Committees. Mr. Hammerand is also a member of the Pollution Control Facility Siting Committee.  Click here to learn more about Mr. Hammerand.

Rakow Road Reconstruction -  The project is currently about 37% complete. Traffic is now in staged to allow work to occur in the middle portion of the road between Ackman Road and McHenry Avenue for the next several weeks. Please stay alert as traffic shifts will continue to occur later this month.

Construction of the new bike bridge is well underway also. The bridge for the bike path to go over Rakow Road is planned to be installed in December, once traffic is shifted to the new pavement.

 The McHenry County Division of Transportation  appreciates your patience and extra care in driving through the construction zones.

Sign up for email updates on www.rakowroad.com or follow us on Twitter @RakowRoad.

Lawrence Road Bridge Replacement over Lawrence Creek - The bridge and roadway work is essentially complete and was opened to traffic on Friday, October 28. Final landscaping work is underway.

Graf Road Bridge Replacement over Lawrence Creek -  The bridge and roadway work, as well as the landscaping, are nearly complete. The bridge is anticipated to be opened within the next week.

Blivin Street Bridge Replacement -  The bridge closure was made on August 8, 2011, with the detour route marked using U.S. Route 12, Wilmot Road and Main Street. Blivin Street will remain open to local traffic only up to the bridge, but the bridge will remain closed for the duration of the construction.

Due to difficult utility relocations early on in construction, it will not be possible to open the bridge to traffic by the milestone date of November 15. All efforts will be made to open the bridge to traffic at the earliest possible date with final completion to occur in the spring of 2012. The contractor has been authorized to work extra hours to expedite the project.

Watch for notices of road closures, detour maps, and schedules for these projects at www.mchenrycountydot.org.

Visit www.mchenrycountydot.org and check out the interactive Construction Map for the latest information or links to specific project.

Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 6. McHenry County Department of Health encourages residents to change smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors batteries when turning the clocks back one hour. Remind friends, family and neighbors to do the same as this one easy step can help save lives.

Working smoke alarms significantly increase your chance of surviving a deadly home fire, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely...read more

Get a Flu Shot Before the Holidays

Before the holidays arrive, get a flu shot to protect yourself and your family.  McHenry County Department of Health encourages an annual flu shot for everyone six months and older as the best protection against influenza.  A walk-in flu clinic has been scheduled for mercury-free shots for adults and children nine years and older on Tuesday, November 8 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at St. Barnabus Church, 8901 Cary-Algonquin Road, in Cary.  A limited amount of pneumonia vaccine ($60) is also available for those who have not received one previously.  Cash and checks accepted ($30 for flu vaccine); Medicaid and Medicare Part B accepted for both vaccines.

Valley Hi Nursing Home will be hosting Dr. Joshua LaVigne, Ph.D Neuropsychology Fellow, for a presentation entitled "Dementia Diagnosis: It's Not Always Alzheimer's".

Dr. LaVigne received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and concentrates on the diagnosis of brain injury and illness.  As the Assistant Director of NeuroCare, Dr. LaVigne helps patients to understand their illness and guides them on their next steps. This event is Free and Open to the Public.

When:      Tuesday, November 15 - 6:30 p.m.

Where:     Valley Hi Nursing and Rehabilitation

                 2406 Hartland Road

                 Woodstock, IL

Click here for the event flyer.

Snowmobile Safety Certification Course

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office will be hosting two IDNR Snowmobile Safety Certification Courses: Sunday, November 13, 2011 and Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both courses are open to children 12 years of age and older and for those who do not have a valid driver's license. Those who do not have a valid driver's license need to have this certificate to legally operate a snowmobile in the State of Illinois. Those who possess a valid driver's license may also attend to expand their knowledge of snowmobile safety...read more.

Sex Offender Compliance Check on Halloween

Sheriff Keith Nygren announced on Tuesday the successful completion of a sex offender verification compliance check on October 31, 2011. Members of the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Patrol Intelligence Unit conducted compliance checks on 13 registered sex offenders who live in unincorporated areas of McHenry County who are on probation.

In Illinois, registered sex offenders on parole or probation are prohibited from distributing candy or other items to anyone under 18 years of age. During 'Trick-or-Treat' hours, Sheriff's deputies checked each sex offender on probation and found that no one was in violation of handing out candy to minors. Registered sex offenders that were verified were either not home or not handing out candy to minors.