The H.U.M. Bike Trail in Marengo. Marengo was named one of the best towns in Illinois to raise a family by Niche.com. Photo by Adela Crandell Durkee

Cary

Dist. 26 plans to lease Oak Knoll property hope to Montessori school

Subject to board approval, Foundations Montessori School will lease the former Oak Knoll Elementary School. The agreement has a net financial impact of $48,000 for the first year of the three-year contract. The two subsequent years will garner more in rental revenue.

Crystal Lake

Engineering firm to study Sterne Woods watershed

The Crystal Lake Park District hired Living Waters Consultants for $37,000 to study how to restore the natural watershed and its ecosystems. They will study and model the groundwater system and sample the water quality and present corrective action. The District plans to weigh the options presented by Living Waters and determine next steps. The goal is to make sure the Sterne’s Fens support the historical habitat.

Hebron

Former police sergeant guilty of weapons theft

Former Hebron police sergeant Ryszard T. Kopacz, 31, from Wauconda was found guilty of possession of stolen weapons. He possessed three long guns, which were stolen from the Hebron police department evidence locker. The Illinois State Police discovered the theft as they investigated a separate incident. Evidence failed to reveal whether Kopacz stole the guns before or after his position was cut for budget reasons. Sentencing for Kopacz will be Nov. 5 and 6. He faces between four and 15 years in prison.

Johnsburg

FISH helps feed the working poor

FISH, a local food pantry, serves up to 650 families a month. More families are clients now than at any other time in its 42 years. The pantry fills a gap for many who are working, but unable to afford enough food. Many clients work part-time, or take benefit or pay cuts, in order to keep their jobs. McHenry County has the third lowest population of food insecurity in the state, with 9 percent of residents. That’s about 28,000 people. Alexander County has the highest rate with 22.4 percent.

Lake in the Hills

Grant allows veterans to receive dental care

Twenty-one low-income veterans received urgent dental care through a grant from McHenry County Community Foundation. The move was necessary because counties cannot receive their necessary funding during the state’s budget impasse.

Marengo

Town named one of the best towns in Illinois to raise a family

Marengo was named one of the best towns in Illinois to raise a family by Niche.com. The researcher ranked communities with fewer than 100,000 people using nine factors when compiling the list: crime, education, access to libraries, day cares, and grocery stores, how engaged residents are, how amicable the area is to purchasing a house, and the percentage of residents between the age of 35 and 44 and younger than 9. Marengo received a B+ for education, safety, housing, and community engagement, as well as a B- for access to libraries.

Pace expands bus service

As of Aug. 24, Route 550 expands the McHenry County fixed route services. Route 550, which went between Elgin and Crystal Lake, now provides services to Carpentersville, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and Crystal Lake. The expansion is part of a $524,666 grant from Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to connect the Randall Road growth to the Crystal Lake Metra Line.

Richmond

William McConnell home becomes historic site

August 23, the McHenry County Historical Society marked the home with a white plaque declaring, W.A. McConnell Homestead, established in 1852. The house is less significant than the man who built it. He was one of the first settlers to come to the county.

— McHenry County news briefs —