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Local News & Politics

State and Local E-Bike Laws: Will Families Listen?

By Kristine Ensor

Zoom in the Courtroom

By Holly Huffstutler The use of Zoom in our courtrooms has been far from smooth sailing, based on what we saw on June 18 at the McHenry County Government Center. “I wish the Supreme Court were in here to see what we’re dealing with because they said we could do Zoom court!” bemoaned the frustrated Justice Mark R. Facchini. He’d had to cut off one Zoom plaintiff’s “Im here…can you hear me now?...How about now?” entreaties that repeatedly interrupted another case. The court als

Cary Village Board Votes Unanimously for Change

By Kristine Ensor Despite dozens of passionate individuals sharing their disapproval in person and online, the Cary Village Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 2 to change current zoning laws in downtown Cary. Since the closing of Maplewood School in 2010, the property had been offered to various government bodies including School District 26 and Cary Park District. The village eventually purchased it for $5.525 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) bonds. Since its

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Community Profiles

Cary Apothecary Offers Healthy Living and Authentic Small-Town Vibes

By Kristine Ensor Tami Moore-Kedzie invited me to Cary Apothecary on a Friday, which she claimed was her slow day. The minute I stepped into the store, the soothing aromas, sounds, and shelves of enticing goodies, beckoned me to stay. Sitting in the reading nook, surrounded by books and candles, I looked forward to a relaxing conversation. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Tami’s idea of “slow” was different from mine. During the short time I was there, we had only

Cary-Grove Combo Strikes Gold with Prestigious National DownBeat Award

By Kristine Ensor Since 2005, Patrick Whalen, Cary-Grove Band Director, has led twenty-four groups of music students to national recognition with DownBeat magazine. This year, the 2024-2025 Cary Grove High School Jazz Combo was named winner of the High School Division Blues/Pop/Rock Group category in DownBeat's Student Music Awards. DownBeat is a premier American music magazine headquartered in Chicago. Its Student Music Awards are considered the most prestigious awards in ja

Three Oaks Principal Moves On

By Kristine Ensor In March 2026, students and parents heard the news that Principal Kyle Block and Vice Principal Rosalba Conde were resigning from Three Oaks Elementary School. Block became principal in the Fall of 2023. Even though his tenure was brief, he leaves behind a community that loved his energy and the improvements he made to the school. As a parent, I watched students connect with Block in ways that few school leaders achieve. When told he was a natural for th

Drinking & Dining

Two New Drive-Thru Coffee Shops, Two Very Different Experiences

No cozy couches, soft lighting, or people tapping away on laptops here. Just delicious food and drinks bought through the drive thru from friendly, casually dressed workers. This is the set up at 7 Brew Coffee and Cary Out Coffee, two drive-thru only coffee shops opened this spring in Crystal Lake and Cary, respectively. 7Brew has been expanding in locations and flavors since they opened in Arizona in 2017. The Crystal Lake location is one of over 500 locations nationwide, i

Cary Farmers Market is Back for the Summer

The Cary Farmers Market runs from May 31st to September 27th on Sundays at 9am to 1pm. Cary-Grove Free Press attended opening day and was pleasantly surprised that the Rotary Club of Cary Grove has improved vendor and visitors' safety by shutting down Main Street from Spring Street to High Road. We had a wonderful time visiting with neighbors and exploring what our local stores residents had to offer, and can't wait to see what's added throughout the summer.

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