Relax, Reset, Recharge

HUNTLEY — Graduating seniors attending Huntley High School can now accelerate their medical careers by earning a medical assisting certification thanks to an exclusive partnership the school has entered into.

According to Huntley Community School District 158’s Director of Communications and Public Engagement, Denise Barr, the partnership is with First Institute of Crystal Lake, and the program is being offered to students interested in fast-tracking their medical careers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country.

While riding my bike this morning, I passed a construction site where a new house is being built. At the entrance to the project was a line of orange barricades marked “Acme Barricades.”

And I thought, “Acme Barricades? Wile E. Coyote must be building this house.” Because if you’re a kid like me who grew up in the 1950s and 60s, Acme could mean only one thing: the Acme Catalog from which Coyote ordered every gadget imaginable to outwit Roadrunner — gadgets that failed spectacularly every time.

HUNTLEY  — The Huntley boys track and field team dominated the Fox Valley Conference meet as the Red Raiders won the title at the HHS field house March 12.

“The kids were nothing short of amazing,” Huntley head coach Chris Maxedon said. “We took first in nine of 15 events. Our team score was 146 points, and second place scored 48 points.”

Junior Zach Rysavy had an outstanding meet in the jumps as he won the triple jump with a new FVC Meet and field house record 13.72 meters effort.

HUNTLEY — The influences of beloved former track and field coach Joel Popenfoose could be felt by many at the final indoor track and field meet this season.

Area teams – Kaneland, Jacobs, Hampshire, Burlington Central and Lake Zurich, gathered to compete at Huntley's Field House one more time before heading outside, but more importantly, saluted a legendary coach.

Popenfoose, aka “Coach Pop” and the great memories was evident through the classic rock songs playing, the t-shirt with his picture and one of his favorite characters – big foot.

HAMPSHIRE — On March 16, at approximately 3:30 a.m., the Hampshire Fire Protection District responded to a structure fire in the 1000 block of Briar Glen Court.

At 3:35 a.m., Hampshire Fire Department Engine 1413 reported that a three-story, six-unit townhome under construction had three of its units fully engulfed in flames.

Hampshire Fire Chief Trevor Herrmann stated that two additional nearby buildings sustained damage because of fire exposure. Flames also spread to adjacent lumber piles. There were three 500-pound propane tanks next to the burning building as well, said Herrmann.

HUNTLEY — It's been more than two decades but memories are still strong for a Huntley's Sweet 16 boys basketball team, which finished with a 27-3 record.

Five of the 2000-01 Redskins still live and work in the area. Brett Borchart and Andrew Mohney reside in Huntley, while Pat Kalamatas, Dave Marshall and Nate Berndt live in Crystal Lake. As the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments kicked off, the players and their head coach Jay Teagle shared memories.

“It was a lot of fun, the time flies by fast,”  Kalamatas, a senior that season, said.

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – Starting this year, McHenry County property owners will see a new tax bill that offers more transparency than ever about where their tax dollars go, and offers more ways to pay.
The list of taxing bodies into which property owners pay will now be listed in order based on their total dollar amount increase, as well as include the phone number for each organization. A pie chart next to the list will help taxpayers understand how much of their bill goes to each unit of local government.

HUNTLEY — On a summer break from attending college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1996, then-Barrington resident Lesley Irwin, received a frantic phone call from a former high school classmate that would result in a remarkable turn of events for the Animal Science major.

Irwin’s friend had just witnessed a dog being thrown out of a moving vehicle on Lake Cook Road in Barrington. The terrified canine was a six-month-old female American Staffordshire Terrier that Irwin ended up adopting after the dog was treated for its injuries at a local vet.

WEST DUNDEE — On March 10, West Dundee firefighter and paramedic Daniel B. Kilian, 46, of Gilberts passed away peacefully after an arduous battle with colon cancer.

As previously reported, Kilian was diagnosed with cancer back in January 2023. His rapid decline in health and other complications relating to the disease eventually resulted in Kilian having to stop all treatment regimes in January of this year. On March 4, Kilian received the devastating news that the cancer was terminal.

According to his obituary, Kilian spent the remainder of his life at JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington, where he was surrounded by his family.

HUNTLEY — A new-look starting nine will take the field for Huntley with high hopes for another stellar season in 2024.

The Red Raiders are poised to defend their Fox Valley Conference crown and once again vie for a regional title which they gained last season in a 29-8 campaign. Some familiar players return with college baseball in their futures.

"The Red Raiders return 10 players from last season's squad," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. "We will have an athletic group of players who will put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.

ST. CHARLES — Kane County State’s Attorney Jaime Mosser and St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan recently announced that 24-year-old Kevin D. Lee, of the 500 block of Waterford Lane in South Elgin, is being charged with three felony offenses involving sexual exploitation of a child, grooming, and burglary.

Mosser alleges that on Feb. 26, Lee was present without authority at the Norris Recreation Center in St. Charles. While there, Lee reportedly approached a child in a locker room and made an inappropriate comment to that child.