The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce will host the 2018 Home & Business Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 17 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at Lundahl Middle School, 560 Nash Road. (Photo courtesy of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce)

McHenry County

Friends of McHenry County College awards scholarships

McHenry County College announced that The Friends of McHenry County College Foundation has named three students as recipients of the Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois Scholarship. Katy Beam and Matt Becker, both of Crystal Lake, and Algonquin resident Michie Ota each received a $1,000 scholarship through the Foundation, which covers tuition, books and fees for the 2018 spring semester. Beam, a first-year student and a graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School, plans to pursue a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology with a minor in Special Education and Photography after completing her prerequisites at MCC. Becker, a first-year student and Crystal Lake South graduate, is working toward an Associate in Arts degree and plans to transfer to a four-year university to major in Special Education. Currently in her second year at MCC, Ota originally came to the United States from Japan and has been living in in Illinois for two years. She plans to graduate in the spring with an Associate in General Education degree and complete an Associate in Science degree, in 2019, and then transfer to a four-year university to major in Business Administration. For more information, call (815) 455-3700 or visit www.mchenry.edu.

Housing Authority offers shot at wait list for vouchers

The McHenry County Housing Authority announced that it is now accepting applications for people who want a chance to get on the waiting list for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The Housing Authority will select 2,000 applicants to be put on the waiting list for the vouchers, which provide rental assistance to households with very low incomes. Applications must be completed online at www.mchenrycountyhousing.org. Applications in writing or sent by fax or email will not be accepted. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Feb. 13. Applicants living and/or working in McHenry County will be given preference. For more information, call (815) 344-4000 or visit www.mchenry.il.us.

Crystal Lake

Ernd named principal of Crystal Lake Central

The Community High School District 155 Board of Education recently approved Dr. Eric Ernd as principal at Crystal Lake Central High School. Ernd had been serving as interim principal since the start of the 2017-18 school year. Previously, Ernd served as vice principal at Crystal Lake Central for six years. His recent accomplishments include developing and implementing a School Improvement Plan, facilitating a student leadership committee and parent advisory committee, and serving as an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination Coordinator). Ernd, a Crystal Lake resident since 2002, earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with a minor in Business Education from Eastern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Governors State University and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from National Louis University. For more information, call (815) 455-8500 or visit ww3.d155.org.

Chamber to host 2018 Home & Business Expo

The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce will host the 2018 Home & Business Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 17 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at Lundahl Middle School, 560 Nash Road. The event features more than 100 exhibitors specializing in numerous areas, including home improvement, health care, education and finance, as well as local community organizations. Family activities include yoga demonstrations, spring cleaning helpful hints, martial arts, music instruction on steel drums, fitness and more. In addition, Cafe Expo will feature food items from Galloway’s Chicago Sub Shop, Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant and more. Admission is free. For more information, call (815) 459-1300 or visit www.clchamber.com.

McHenry

McHenry High yearbook winner in statewide contest

The 2016-17 edition of McHenry High School’s yearbook, The Warrior, was named a Best Overall Yearbook winner in Division 5 of the 2017 IJEA (Illinois Journalism Education Association) Yearbook Contest. The books were judged in eight categories: Copy Writing, Sports, Photography, Graphics, Layout & Design, Divider Pages, Theme Development and Coverage of the School Year. The top three point-scoring books in each division received first-, second- and third-place recognition as Best Overall Yearbook in their respective divisions (determined by enrollment). In Division 5, The Warrior placed first in Copy Writing, Sports, Graphics, Divider Pages and Coverage of the School Year, and second in Layout & Design and Photography. The Warrior also earned honorable mention status in Theme Development. Dr. Sally Renaud, IJEA executive director and a journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University, administered the contest. Judges were drawn from the ranks of experienced journalists, teachers and advisers. For more information, call (217) 581-6003 or visit www.ijea.net.

Algonquin

Village releases results of 2017 community survey

The Algonquin Village Board recently released the results of the 2017 Algonquin Community Survey. This marks the sixth year that the survey has been administered to seek input on quality of life factors in the village, and to rate the quality and importance of municipal services. Residents gave high praise in several categories, including Algonquin as a Place to Live (93.3 percent positive rating); Cleanliness of Algonquin (90.3 percent); and Algonquin as a Place to Raise Children (90 percent). The largest statistical improvements since the inception of the survey in 2012 were registered in the following categories: Ease of Car Travel (18.1 percent improvement); Opportunities to Participate in Social Events and Activities (14.5 percent); and Value of Services for Taxes Paid to the Village (12.9 percent). Lower-rated categories included Traffic Flow on Major Streets and Employment Opportunities. To view the entire 2017 Algonquin Community Survey report, visit www.algonquin.org/survey. For more information, call (847) 658-2700 or visit www.algonquin.org.

–McHenry County News Briefs–