Northwest Herald Thank you, Everyday Heroes Contest 2026

A man facing an attempted first-degree murder charge has been denied pretrial release from Kane County jail after authorities say he entered a home in Huntley and waited to confront the homeowner with a knife.

The body of 5-year-old AJ Freund of Crystal Lake was found in 2019. This timeline runs from his parents' troubles before his death to when he was first reported missing to the convictions of his parents and a DCFS worker involved in his case.

A Crystal Lake man has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Chicago parking garage near Millennium Park, police said.

McHenry Parks and Recreation had to pull two ice rinks at Fox Ridge Park early this season due to vandalism. Now their return is uncertain.

The conviction and sentencing of a DCFS case worker – accused of not protecting a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy from his abusive mother, who eventually killed him – was upheld by an appellate court.

Lake in the Hills has a new fuel supplier, weeks after the village was left with a repair bill of over $300,000 after officials said its former vendor mistakenly put hundreds of gallons of unleaded gasoline in diesel tanks of public work trucks.

Nick Stowasser and Jackson Lee hit grand slams, and Crystal Lake South's baseball team beat Woodstock to remain undefeated. Plus, more baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys tennis in Monday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Cary-Grove pitcher Kaden Norman held Woodstock North to one run over five innings, while catcher Brady Bauer's two-run homer sparked a nine-run seventh inning as the Trojans cruised over the Thunder 16-1 in nonconference baseball action Monday night.

Woodstock sophomore Megan Kuiper carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 20 while adding a three-run triple at the plate in a 6-0 season-opening win over Round Lake on Monday.