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Ben Cilano
Prairie Ridge headed to Class 4A state semifinals after, 9-6, win over Mundelein / C1 NWHerald.com
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Referendum sought on townships Activist Bob Anderson wants advisory vote in Nov. on eliminating them By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com Emboldened by Evanston voters’ decision to eliminate their township, longtime township opponent Bob Anderson sees an opening. Anderson, of Wonder Lake, is asking all 24 members of the McHenry County Board to put an advisory referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot to voters in six townships asking whether their particular township should be abolished. The six town-
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ships he chose – McHenry, Nunda, Algonquin, Grafton, Dorr and Burton – are predominantly covered by municipalities. The ballot box is a tactic that An-
derson has tried before – voters shot down his 1998 referendum to abolish McHenry Township by a 3-to-1 margin, as well as a 1994 referendum that sought to eliminate townships by changing to a county commissioner form of government. But Anderson said much has since changed, not counting increasingly frustrated taxpayers: State lawmakers have created a mechanism by which one township could eliminate itself and pass on its services without hassle, and voters took advantage of it.
Biker killed in LITH accident
And the elimination of Evanston Township, too, started with an advisory referendum. While it was a special case – the entire township is covered by the City of Evanston – Anderson sees townships that are mostly covered by municipal boundaries as the next logical progression. “I’m confident. I’m confident that [the County Board] will get it to the voters,” Anderson said. There are 1,432 townships spread
“He can go ahead, and the voters will answer him. We have a lot of work here. If he ever came here, he’d see that. I can’t afford to worry about Bob Anderson. He’s too far out for me.” Dianne Klemm Algonquin Township Supervisor on Anderson’s attempt to pass an advisory referendum
See REFERENDUM, page A4
SUMMER TRAVEL PICKS UP
Westbound Algonquin Road briefly shut down SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com LAKE IN THE HILLS – A motorcyclist died Monday after a crash on Algonquin Road, authorities said. The motorcycle was traveling west on Algonquin Road when it collided with a 2010 Ford sedan at the intersection of Algonquin Road and Lake Street, said Sgt. Ted Ziarkowski, of the Lake in the Hills Police Department. The Ford was in the eastbound Algonquin Road turn lane and making a left-hand turn onto Lake Street, Ziarkowski said. Authorities responded to the call at 3:38 p.m. Monday. The man driving the motorcycle was taken by ambulance to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, where he was pronounced dead, Ziarkowski said. His name is being withheld until family members are notified. The driver of the Ford was treated at the scene and released. Neither vehicle was carrying passengers, Ziarkowski said. Westbound Algonquin Road from Lake Street to Hanson Road/Hilltop Drive was closed Monday afternoon while crews cleared the scene and police investigated. It has since reopened.
Audit shows inflated wait times at VA By KERRY LESTER and JIM SUHR The Associated Press CHICAGO – Data released Monday shows the average wait time for a patient to see a primary care physician at a Veterans More inside Affairs hospital in Danville is nearly Audit showed four times the federal administration’s more than target of 14 days. 57,000 veterWhile the averans waited 90 age 54-day wait for days or more for treatment at primary care at the east central Illinois VA centers. facility pales in comSee page B3 parison to a national high of a 145-day wait for primary care in Honolulu, Hawaii, it also was the highest of
See VETERANS, page A4
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Jeremy Herring of Woodstock puts $10 into his gas tank Thursday at the Gas Depot in Crystal Lake. According to the Energy Information Administration, gas prices rose for 12 straight weeks through late April, and were 20 cents a gallon higher than the same point last year.
Prices continue upward trend Blend, demand, cost of crude oil add up for customers at the pump By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com Summer travelers might want to load up the Prius rather than the pickup for their weekend road trips. Gas prices have risen steadily in recent months and show no signs of letting up this summer, experts say. “In April, we saw prices rise due to the switch to the summer blend of gasoline,” said Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA Chicago. “Now, we’re seeing prices rise due to summer demand.” Prices for a gallon of gas in McHenry County were typically within a dime of $4 on Monday. Most gas stations had priced fuel short of $4, but significantly above the national average of $3.65 a gallon. In Chicago, gas was $4.24 a gallon on average Monday, according to AAA. But while the price is up from the winter months, experts maintain the rise isn’t out of the ordinary for this time of year. The national average a year
"In April, we saw prices rise due to the switch to the summer blend of gasoline. Now, we're seeing prices rise due to summer demand." Beth Mosher Spokeswoman for AAA Chicago
ago was two cents higher at $3.63 a gallon. P.S. Sriraj, a research associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, pointed to the summer demand as a contributing factor for the rise but added that the price of crude oil has risen overseas. The rising prices make an impact on drivers. For every 10 percent increase in gas prices, there’s a 2.6 percent drop in automobile use, Sriraj said. It’s often commuters – not necessarily travelers – who adjust
By the numbers McHenry County’s lowest gas prices as listed by GasBuddy.com:
$3.85
$3.93
Harvard 1299 Route 14 and Herely Drive
Cary 800 Northwest Highway and Three Oaks Road
$3.85 McHenry 1901 N. Richmond Road and McCullom Lake Road
$3.95 Fox River Grove 400 Northwest Highway and Illinois St
$3.87
$3.95
Crystal Lake 5670 Northwest Highway
Johnsburg 4304 N. Johnsburg Road and Lakeview St
$3.87
$3.96
Lake in the Hills 250 N. Randall Road near Algonquin Road
Woodstock 1199 S. Eastwood Drive and Lake Ave.
$3.89
$3.99
Algonquin 2 N. Main St. and Algonquin Road
Huntley 11200 S. Vine St near Mill Street
On the Web To see a full infographic of various gas prices throughout McHenry County, visit NWHerald.com.
See GAS PRICES, page A4
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Victim ID’d
Tyson wins bid
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William L. Trybula drowned Sunday in Pistakee Lake / A3
Chicago-based Hillshire Farm accepts Tyson’s $63-per-share bid / B6
Medicaid pays for many students’ health premiums / D1
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