Claire O'Brien

5 days ago | shawlocal.com | Claire O'Brien

A few hundred people protested President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Saturday in traditionally Republican-leaning Richmond and Harvard. The two towns are in McHenry County Board District 8, which forms an “L” shape across the northern and western portions of the county, has many rural areas and is where Republican County Board member Tracie Von Bergen of Hebron beat her Democratic opponent last fall by winning every precinct in the district.

6 days ago | shawlocal.com | Claire O'Brien

Leadership Greater McHenry County is moving into the Old Courthouse in downtown Woodstock. The organization, which is currently housed out of American Community Bank near the Woodstock Walmart on the southeast side of town, is going to move into part of the space vacated by Makity Make when the craft studio closed its doors last spring.

6 days ago | shawlocal.com | Claire O'Brien

Nunda Township Supervisor-elect Mike Shorten, who also serves on the McHenry County Board, does not plan to resign from either office – despite a call to do so. Wonder Lake resident Bob Anderson, who for years has advocated for ending township government, called on Shorten this week to resign from the County Board, contending Shorten is “double-dipping” by holding both offices.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Claire O'Brien

In front of a generally friendly crowd in red McHenry County, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, explained the House Democrats’ “calculation” on whether to impeach President Donald Trump again. An audience member at a Foster town hall meeting Wednesday evening at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake asked the congressman when the Democrats would move to impeach Trump, citing deportation of immigrants without due process. Much of the audience clapped when the member finished their question.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Claire O'Brien

With the final mail-in and write-in vote now tallied, the outcome of the McHenry County local elections has become clearer, and it was not a good outcome for one particular candidate. Nunda Township Clerk Joni Smith, who was leading by 135 votes after the election night count on April 1, has fallen behind her challenger, Kyle Bussenger. Just 15 votes now separate the ballot rivals.