Local News

Sgt. Mike Anderson of the Lake County Forest Preserves has been enjoying the outdoors since he was a child. 

GRAYSLAKE – After the Pooch Pantry that ran out of the Lake County Animal Control Center closed its doors last summer, some pet owners have found themselves without access to food for their dogs and cats.

Round Lake hosted its annual ice fishing clinic on Jan. 28 at the Aquatics Center and Nature Museum Building. The free event taught children between the ages of 5 and 16 and their families the proper way to ice fish. Topics of the event covered safety while on the ice, equipment needed to properly fish and techniques to get the best catch. Participants threw lines through holes cut into a raised blue tarp and caught fish flashcards with species information on one side and a picture of the fish on the other.

The Holy Spirit of God visited the Dominican Republic as 19 Willow Creek associated church leaders came together for a two-day retreat Jan. 13 and 14. Although the focus of my trip was to witness the development of the Gifts (God) Is Kind initiative, I left with a perspective that reached far beyond that of the church growth created by the GIK and the materials it procured.

ROUND LAKE – Catholic schools across the nation celebrated Catholic Schools Week Jan. 30 through Feb. 3, a celebration sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association.

My approach to Bento Cafe was one of excitement. The place lit up with neon signs, looking like what I would expect the outside of a fish market in Japan to look like. I wasn’t so far off – Bento serves a long list of sushi options, a mix of bento boxes and rice and noodle bowls. And, as if in answer to my unspoken prayers, Bento has not one, but two varieties of Ramune, my favorite Japanese soda.

Lynn Plata, a proud mother of two and wife of an award-winning chef, realized she needed to make a serious lifestyle change after years of broken promises to lose weight and get fit.

LAKE VILLA –  Jeff Bauspies, a native and current resident of Lake Villa, grew up playing board games with his family on evenings, every Sunday and on the holidays.

It was a sad story at a McHenry food bank. Father Jim Swarthout, executive director of Samaritan Counseling Center in Barrington, held a hungry mother's baby as she went through the bank. Upon mentioning that the child needed a clean diaper, the mother confided in Father Jim – after her husband lost his job, she could only afford two diapers a day. The dirty diaper had to be cleaned out, dried, and placed back on the baby.

HIGHLAND PARK – To kick off the celebration of its 90th anniversary, the YWCA Lake County held "A Time for Wine" at the Art Center of Highland Park on Jan. 27.

GURNEE – The winner of the fourth Warren Township High School Battle of the Bands on Jan. 26 was the four-member rock/alternative band Convolution. 

ISLAND LAKE – Visitors to the new Thornton's gas station in Island Lake on Jan. 26, got a surprise on top of the already friendly service.

Name: Sara Alwin Bott

For Ora Abrams, every day presents a new opportunity to exceed the number of miles she walked the day before and inspire others to meet their own fitness goals. Abrams, 80, challenges herself to walk 8 to 10 miles a day, Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday, she said, are her days of rest.

ANTIOCH – When Troy Kraly turned 4, he received his first baton as a gift from his sister, Tess.