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County Board Member Spotlight:
Virginia Peschke
Virginia Peschke was most recently elected to the McHenry County Board in November 1996 and currently resides in Woodstock. Ms. Peschke is Chairman of the Public Health & Human Services Committee and is a member of the Natural & Environmental Resources and Transportation Committees. Ms. Peschke is also the County Board liaison to the McHenry County Board of Health and is a member of the McHenry County Senior Services Grant Commission. Click here to learn more about Ms. Peschke. |
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McHenry County Food Pantry List
McHenry County food pantries help families in need and are always accepting food donations. Click here for food pantry locations around McHenry County. |
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22nd Judicial Circuit of McHenry County Update
Drug Court Program Set to Begin
After nearly two years of planning, the Twenty Second Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program began on Thursday, December 1st. Associate Judge Michael W. Feetterer was selected to preside over the drug court call.
Earlier this year it was announced that the Twenty Second Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program would be receiving funding from the United States Bureau of Justice Assistance FY 11 Adult Drug Court Discretionary: Implementation Grant Program in the amount of $305,717 to fund the program for a period of three years. The grant was awarded by competitive process to jurisdictions which have completed a substantial amount of planning and are ready to implement an evidence-based adult drug court program...Read More
Potential Juror/Identity Theft Scam
It is been reported that residents of McHenry County may be receiving false juror affidavits seeking personal information as part of a multicounty identity theft scam. The Twenty Second Judicial Circuit of McHenry County Jury Commission Office routinely mails potential jurors affidavits seeking specific information to qualify jurors...Read More |
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McHenry County Department of Health Update
Environmental Health
Fancy dips, tempting hors d'oeuvres and delightful desserts are some of the culinary treats we see at holiday celebrations. However, those get-togethers could result in food-borne illness if you are not careful.
The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) recommends the following tips to keep you and your guests healthy:
- Keep everything in the kitchen clean. Wash counter tops and utensils with hot, soapy water between each step in food preparation. Bacteria from raw meat and poultry can get into other foods if they touch the same surfaces or each other.
- Wash hands often during food preparation and while serving. Most bacteria gets into food through improper handling. Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling food. Bacteria can linger in towels and wash cloths used repeatedly, so make sure to wash them frequently. Also, if someone is ill, they should not prepare or serve food for others as they may spread illness through food.
- Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Cooking food thoroughly kills most bacteria that may cause food poisoning. Cook meat and poultry thoroughly and use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Keep hot food at 140°F. Store and serve cold foods at or below 40°F. Do not leave food unrefrigerated longer than one hour at a time or the chances of dangerous bacterial growth increase. In other words, do not let potentially hazardous foods reach that intermediate temperature at which microorganisms grow best, between 40°F and 140°F.
If you or a family member develops nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever or abdominal cramps, you could have food poisoning. Symptoms of food-borne illnesses can appear anywhere from 30 minutes to two weeks after eating contaminated food. Most often, people get sick within four to 48 hours after eating contaminated food. Some food-borne illnesses will resolve themselves without treatment.
However, if the symptoms are severe or if the person is very young, old, pregnant or already ill, call a doctor or go to a nearby hospital immediately. If groups of people from different households become sick with vomiting and diarrhea, contact MCDH at 815-334-4510.
For more information on MCDH, follow us on Twitter @McHenryCoHealth or LIKE us on Facebook.
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McHenry County Winter Snow Operations
The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) is prepared for the 2011-2012 winter season. Here is some information about our operation and some helpful tips for residents and drivers on our County system.
The MCDOT maintains about 530 lane miles of highway throughout our County. Those roadways are divided into snow routes that average about 28 miles per route. In normal operations the Division dispatches 23 large snow plow trucks to the 19 routes. The DOT can also supplement the routes with several smaller trucks as well. The reason for additional equipment on the routes is the expansion of our roadway system from two lane highways to multiple lane roadways mainly in the southeastern portion of our County. A map of the DOT snow routes can be found on this website. In extreme events the MCDOT moves to a 24-hour operation which reduces the routes to 12 but offers 24-hour coverage...Read More. |
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Make Water Conservation a Holiday Tradition
During the holidays, many of us have much to be thankful for including friends, family and health. There's one more thing you might want to add to that list-water. The simple fact is that water is a vital part of life and every holiday celebration. Without water, it would be impossible to put together a great holiday spread!
During the holidays, water plays a vital role in everything from food preparation to the clean-up process. Did you know that a typical holiday dinner for eight requires more than 42,000 gallons of water to grow and prepare the food? That much water can fill a 30 x 50-foot swimming pool.* (Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture). Appliances and fixtures such as dishwashers, clothes washers, showers and toilets are also used more often as you prepare food, clean dishes and your home, and host out of town guests.
However, there are many ways to save water while celebrating the holidays without compromising convenience and comfort. Here are eight easy tips to incorporate water conservation into your holiday preparations and celebrations:
- Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them.
- Rinse vegetables and fruits in a sink or pan filled with water instead of under running water. This water can then be reused to water houseplants. A running faucet can use up to four gallons per minute.
- When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water and fill the rinsing sink one-third to one-half full. Avoid letting the water run continuously in the rinsing sink.
- Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary.
- Scrape food scraps into the garbage can or a composting bin rather than rinsing them into the sink's garbage disposal. A garbage disposal uses up to four gallons of water per minute.
- Run your dishwasher only when you have a full load. Dishwashers use between 7 and 12 gallons per load.
- Replace your regular showerheads with low-flow showerheads which can save up to 230 gallons a week.
- When washing laundry, never wash less than a full load. This can save up to 100 gallons a week.
For more tips on water conservation, visit the McHenry County Division of Water Resources website at www.mchenryh2o.com. Also consider the 100 tips on saving water during the holidays and throughout the year on the Water Use It Wisely website at http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php.
Do not forget to Like the McHenry County Division of Water Resources on Facebook! |
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The McHenry County Board is currently accepting applications for appointment to the following boards and commissions:
- McHenry County Housing Commission
- McHenry County Agricultural Conservation Easement & Farmland Protection Commission
- McHenry County Ethics Commission
Click here to view board and commission descriptions and to obtaining an application.
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