The Island Lake Lions’ 60th Annual Cornfest will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at Water Tower Park, 429 W. State Road.

McHenry County

MCC awards Education to Empowerment scholarships

McHenry County College (MCC) announced that four female students recently were named recipients of the prestigious Education to Empowerment award, a unique scholarship and mentoring opportunity for women offered by the Friends of MCC Foundation. The 2018 recipients are: Alexandra Barker, of Oakwood Hills; Jessica Klos and Sarah Meyer, both of Crystal Lake; and Katherine Yohe, of McHenry. The Education to Empowerment scholarship program began in 2012 with the goal of bringing together influential McHenry County women to provide scholarships and mentoring opportunities for MCC female students. The scholarship’s mission is to empower women to reach their fullest potential and achieve economic independence through education mentoring and financial support. To qualify for the award, all four recipients are full-time students who have achieved sophomore status and have earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 and completed a 300-word essay outlining their personal goals. In addition, each will transfer to a four-year college or university in the fall of 2019 while continuing to enjoy both mentoring and financial support from the scholarship program. For more information, contact the Friends of MCC Foundation office at 815-479-7529 or visit www.mchenry.edu.

McHenry County

Conservation Dist. to host Great Outdoors Beer Trail

The McHenry County Conservation District will host The Great Outdoors Beer Trail, a special event for ages 21 and up (including designated drivers), from 1-5 p.m. Aug. 18 at Fel-Pro RRR, 1520 Crystal Lake Road, Cary. The event features a one-mile walk on a partially wooded trail while visiting regional brewers to sample beer along the way. Attendees can play a pick-up game of bags, sand volleyball or basketball and visit outdoor recreation retailers as well. The event also includes live music by Jaik Willis, and Toasty Cheese, Best Truckin’ BBQ and AJz Kettlecorn Co. food trucks. The cost is $45 per person and includes tastes from each brewer and a commemorative glass, and $15 for designated drivers (includes free water, soda and commemorative glass). Ticket sales end at 4 p.m. the day of the event. The site will be closed to all other visitors during the event. The trail is paved and wheelchair accessible. The event is dog-friendly (leash required). For more information, call 815-338-6223 or visit www.mccdistrict.org.

Huntley

Dist. 158 approves cost-saving solar energy project

Huntley Community School District 158 recently approved an agreement with ForeFront Power, a leading renewable energy company based in San Francisco, to install 5.6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity across the district’s three campuses. The ground-mounted projects are expected to save the district $4.2 million over 20 years while offsetting 12.3 million pounds of carbon emissions. The solar projects will be constructed upon receiving interconnection approval and formal certification to receive Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) made possible by the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016. ForeFront Power will design, permit, finance, install and maintain the solar energy project for a 20-year term. ForeFront will also implement free energy lesson plans from Schools Power, a leading national education organization that provides school districts with standards-based, reusable energy curriculum packages. For more information, call 847-659-6158 or visit www.district158.org/solar.

Island Lake

Lions’ 60th Annual Cornfest offers host of activities

The Island Lake Lions’ 60th Annual Cornfest will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at Water Tower Park, 429 W. State Road. The family oriented event includes a variety of food and refreshments, free sweet corn, games for kids and adults, hourly 50/50 raffles, a TV and Cubs tickets raffle, and live entertainment featuring music by Wildwood Drive, Straight Ethyl and Blind Logic. Admission is free. For more information, call 847-526-8764 or visit www.villageofislandlake.com.

Woodstock

Nicor begins upgrades to natural gas infrastructure

The city reported that Nicor Gas and its contractor, NPL, have begun the process of updating the natural gas infrastructure near Woodstock’s downtown area. As a result, residents and visitors may notice NPL trucks working in the roadway and/or right-of-way. Residents directly affected by the project have been notified by mail, as the project is ongoing for the next several months. Nicor Gas and NPL will identify existing natural gas lines, as well as any other utilities (cable, water, sewer, electric), and mark them with colored flags and/or spray paint for visibility and safety purposes. Nicor and/or NPL will then install gas mains within the project area, and may install new gas service lines, where necessary. Nicor will finish the project by restoring the landscaping and pavement to its original condition. Temporary restoration of some areas may take place until permanent restoration can be completed. For more information, call the Public Works Department at 815-338-6118 or visit www.woodstockil.gov.

Lake in the Hills

Village nets grant to address streambank erosion

The village announced that it is receiving a 319 Grant through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to help pay for streambank stabilization improvements to its portion of the Woods Creek streambank that is experiencing severe erosion. The erosion causes silt and sediment build-up which decreases the channel depth and must be remedied by periodic channel dredging at a cost of approximately $300,000 for each occurrence. The grant money will be used to pay for a project that will stabilize approximately 1,1817 linear feet of streambank and improve approximately 27 acres of adjacent wetland. The total project cost is $839,100, with the village paying 40 percent ($355,640) and the IEPA grant paying for 60 percent ($503,640). The project is supported by the McHenry County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Village of Algonquin and the Friends of the Fox. The construction portion of the project is not anticipated to begin until the summer of 2019. For more information, call 847-960-7400 or visit www.lith.org. 

–McHenry County News Briefs–