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🌱 How McHenry residents are honoring a long-forgotten child from the Fox River

McHenry, Illinois Patch AM: a 4 min read

Good morning McHenry! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How McHenry residents are honoring a long-forgotten child from the Fox River
  • What new cancer and heart services are now available to McHenry County?
  • How a McHenry lumberjack stole the show at Sycamore Pumpkin Fest

Also on today's calendar: Frostmoon Faire and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why was the skeleton lonely? 🤔 (Answer below!)

☑️ Important voting information: The Nov. 3 general election is coming up. Official Illinois election resources: Find your polling place | Register to vote | Check your registration | Vote by mail or absentee | Early voting.

Weather forecast:

  • Monday: Cooler with variable clouds, with a high of 63 and low of 49 degrees.
  • Tuesday: More clouds than sun, temps: high: 67, low: 53.
  • Wednesday: Mostly sunny and warm, with a high of 72 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Mystery endures: Marker dedicated to unknown child found in Fox River in 1963 and other unmarked graves (shawlocal.com) — A small group gathered at Ostend Cemetery west of McHenry to dedicate a new marker honoring an unidentified boy pulled from the Fox River in 1963 and others in unmarked graves. McHenry resident Amanda Helma’s research and a community fundraising effort led to the memorial, while the county coroner’s office continues searching for the child’s exact resting place and potential clues to his identity.
   

2. Northwestern Medicine opens 80,000-square-foot outpatient center in Huntley, adding approximately 300 jobs (lakemchenryscanner.com) — Northwestern Medicine has opened a large outpatient center on its Huntley Hospital campus, expanding cancer, heart, and specialty care for patients across McHenry County. The facility doubles infusion capacity, adds on-site radiation oncology alongside services still offered at McHenry Hospital, and is expected to create about 300 jobs over three years while reducing travel and wait times for local patients.
   

3. Timber! 65th Sycamore Pumpkin Fest brings lumberjack show for first time (shawlocal.com) — A McHenry resident, lumberjack competitor Tyler Berard, helped bring extra excitement to this year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Festival with high-energy logrolling, boom running, and sawing contests. Crowds packed North Maple Street to watch the Minnesota-based All American Lumberjack Show, which organizers added to mark the festival’s 65th year and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Local families said the noisy, splashy show made the trip especially worthwhile.
   

4. 1 H-1B petition filed by employers classified under Construction industry across McHenry Times publication area in 2025 (mchenrytimes.com) — Employers in the McHenry Times coverage area, including McHenry County College and The McHenry Dentist, filed a small number of H-1B visa petitions in 2025, with construction seeing just one approved case. The article breaks down which local and regional employers used the program, overall approval rates, and how this area compares with national immigration trends.
   

📸 Around McHenry

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🗓 Upcoming Events in McHenry

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📣 McHenry Shout Outs!

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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Randy K.
    Please tell me who to call? My Medicare card and tell them i want A, B, and ???? I have a gastro, cardiologist, urologist, dentist, dermatologist,… (Nextdoor Sullivan Lake/Four Seasons)
  • McHenry Public Library District posted a job opening for Circulation Clerk - (Part-Time 20 hrs/wk) in Mchenry. Apply here.
  • TJX posted a job opening for Assistant Store Manager in Mchenry. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near McHenry here.

Ok McHenry! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "Why was the skeleton lonely?" — He had no body to play with. (Thank you Margie S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in McHenry

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in McHenry

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.