From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker donated $5 million in December to a political action committee supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate bid, according to federal campaign finance records filed over the weekend

A Huntley man has waived his right to a trial, admitted he performed “a lewd act” in his garage while the door was open and was given court supervision, records show.

Woodstock Willie had an early morning Monday. But his prognostication in the city where “Groundhog Day” the movie was filmed was just the start of a whirlwind working holiday.

Lynn LaPlante: I’m running to lead a government that will be fiscally responsible AND make critical investments in community services for the most vulnerable members of our community

Subaru’s second iteration of its all-electric SUV continues the brand’s emphasis on all-weather confidence and everyday usability, while adding more power and polish than the original model.

The location manager for the 1993 film "Groundhog Day" explained how Woodstock ended up playing the role of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Diane Harris, Illinois Secretary of State candidate: My plan to improve the DMV is simple: make it faster, more accessible, and more accountable to the people it serves

Before Woodstock played Marengo on Friday night, Dan Hill, the Blue Streaks' all-time leading scorer, delivered words of wisdom. Plus, Marengo freshman guard Caden Bezik continues to flash, and more in this week's Northwest Herald boys basketball notebook.

A single-family home located at 38254 North Lee Avenue in Spring Grove has a new owner since Jan. 12.

Alan Hanke of Crystal Lake succeeded in delaying his sentencing several times. Now he's due to report to federal prison for an $8 million Ponzi scheme but continued to seek more delays as he awaits trial in McHenry County.

From Capitol News Illinois: The comptroller does not directly deal with the legislative process of approving a budget, but the candidates had plenty of ideas on how the state should manage its finances

Crystal Lake South junior guard Carson Trivellini surpassed 1,000 career points with a career-high, 32-point effort against Jacobs on Jan. 21. Trivellini is the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week.

Woodstock Willie made his prognostication from the gazebo at Woodstock Square early on a chilly Monday morning, Feb. 2, 2026.

Woodstock Willie gets set to make his prognostication on Woodstock Square, where the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" was filmed.

Over the next few weeks, Shaw Local will evaluate how each position group from the 2025 Chicago Bears did over the past season and start looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the offensive line room.

A single-family house located at 5003 Pinehurst Court in Johnsburg has a new owner since Jan. 14.

From Capitol News Illinois: For the first time in five years, certain forms of student loan forgiveness will be taxable following a change in federal tax policy this year. And those tax implications could extend to Illinois state taxes as well unless lawmakers act

Huntley officials offered a more positive response to a proposed Huntley duplex development after builders returned with a less dense plan.

The latest in a series of protests against the Trump administration in traditionally red McHenry County took place Sunday in McHenry.

Hundreds of people assembled along Route 31 in McHenry Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, to protest recent actions by ICE, particularly the shootings of two American citizens in Minneapolis.

A single-family residence located at 3750 Wintergreen Terrace in Algonquin has a new owner since Jan. 16.

Crystal Loughran: I support abolishing the TRUST Act. Public safety must come first. Read Loughran's full eleciton questionnaire here

Liz Bishop: The 76th District’s top issue is the same throughout the state: the ever-increasing cost of living in Illinois. Read Bishop's full questionnaire here

Diane Blair Sherlock on the SAFE-T-Act: There are discussions of potential changes which I am open to. Some of the proposals include expanding detainable offenses which I am open to. Read her full questionnaire here

Amy “Murri” Briel on a top priority: Making healthcare accessible and affordable for all residents. I was elected to bring healthcare back into hospitals and throughout rural communities. Read Briel's full election questionnaire here

An estimated one-in-four adults who check ICash discover they have missing money or other unclaimed property, the Illinois state treasurer’s office said.

Catch up on the week’s top McHenry County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of Jan. 25-31

A Richmond man who was accused of driving drunk while under the legal drinking age, and causing a crash that flipped his truck and sent him and his passenger to the hospital, has pleaded guilty.

The McHenry County Board has had its say on a series of speed limit reductions proposed on county roads. Which ones passed?

Karen Battaglia: Property taxes are one of the biggest pressures on families in our district, and school funding is a major driver of those costs. I believe we can provide relief to homeowners without shortchanging our schools. Read Battaglia's full questionnaire here

A 1,897-square-foot single-family residence, built in 1966, has changed hands.

Beat the large crowds in downtown Woodstock, and see Cedar the groundhog make his weather predictions at Randall Oaks Zoo in West Dundee.

Veronica Garcia-Martinez: My three priorities in Springfield begin with addressing the rising cost of living that is putting real strain on families across the district, including increasing utility costs for homeowners and renters. Read her full questionnaire here

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from February 1, including three different covers on the day before the infamous 2011 blizzard

A single-family home in Spring Grove that sold for $660,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in McHenry County in the past week

Area wrestlers compete in the IHSA Class 2A Harvard Regional wrestling meet on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Harvard High School.

Huntley's boys wrestling team crowned four regional champions at the Class 3A DeKalb Regional, while Hampshire had three. Dundee-Crown and Burlington Central also had regional champs, plus more results from Saturday's regional action.

Fox River Grove is looking to create another downtown tax increment financing district – this time to specifically incentivize redevelopment of a vacant block that was demolished last year.

Burlington Central's competitive dance team finished as the Class 2A runner-up at state, Huntley boys bowling was 11th at state, Dundee-Crown, Crystal Lake Central and Richmond-Burton cheerleading captured sectional titles, and more in Saturday's roundup.

Johnsburg beat Marengo 50-34 in front of the Skyhawks' Lil' Dribblers on Saturday to stay unbeaten at 26-0 and move closer to its first conference championship since 2017.

Behind five individual champions, including Iowa State recruit Jimmy Mastny, Marian Central clinched its fourth regional title in a row, winning the IHSA Class 2A boys wrestling regional at Harvard on Saturday.

Republican candidates for Illinois governor said cooperating with local authorities and "handing over the bad guys" from the local jails to ICE would "stop the chaos" on the streets, as one candidate said.

In a tense battle for the team title Saturday, Wheaton Academy edged Marengo 184.5-177 to earn the Class 1A Richmond-Burton Regional title and a trip to dual-team sectionals.

A single-family home located at 314 Washington Street in Algonquin changed ownership on Jan. 13.

A single-family home in Crystal Lake that sold for $515,000 is leading the list of the best real estate deals in McHenry County in the past week.

From Capitol News Illinois: Those who spoke at Friday's Illinois Accountability Commission offered a number of recommendations for ICE and CBP accountability, including that immigration agents are not masked and have clearly displayed identification

A single-family residence located at 589 Arthur Drive in Cary has a new owner since Jan. 14.

Indivisible McHenry County is hosting an "ICE Out Now!" roadside protest rally from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Route 31 and McCullom Lake Road in McHenry.

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from January 31, including some record ski jumps thrilling the crowd at Norge in 2011

The single-family house located at 8 Litchfield Court in Lake In The Hills was sold on Jan. 13, for $495,000, or $166 per square foot.