Archived Articles

Jared Olson is an accomplished musician, singer, and songwriter, but his most meaningful role is helping students in Cary, IL develop their own musical voice and become performers in their own right.

Pastor Norval gave his last service on June 21 and is now serving quarter time in Lansing, IL after leading the Cary and Fox River Grove churches for six joyful years with his wife, Andrea.

If you've been following the news, one of the latest concerns involves Flock cameras. Reports of these cameras being overused or used unlawfully have become increasingly common at both the local and national levels.

David is a local Licensed Social Worker with Blair Counseling and Mediation. Ask him anything from questions about relationships and conflict resolution to where is the best fising hole in McHenry County.

Cary-Grove Free Press has created a LOCAL SCHOOLS page to help parents easily find links to important information. We'll also share any updates from state and local governments that affect students in the future.

State Senator Craig Wilcox (R) of Illinois District 32 recently chatted with constituents in a “Conversations Untapped” Q&A session in the cozy backroom of downtown’s Cary Ale House.

NeedleDrop record shop opened on Saturday, July 11th, to a line of customers down the strip. Since its opening, Turzynski has welcomed Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, even kids from Gen Z.

Mayor, Mark Kownick, and members of the Gliniecki family cut the ribbon and officially opened the Gliniecki Community Plaza on July 8, 2026. The new plaza, located at the former Cary Metra Depot site, includes an open-air shelter, gas fireplace, bike racks, and landscaped seating areas.

It was a community effort to put on the annual United Women in Faith Rummage Sale.

Members of Cary's Police and Fire Department spent time with our town's youngest members and handed out free icecream cones at Community Safety Day at McDonalds on Rt. 14.

After 33 years, Mr. B has left Cary-Grove. Over 300 of choir director and English teacher Rob Boncosky’s former students spent May 23-24 steeped in musical nostalgia as part of “Bravo, Mr B” a three plus hour variety show and benefit concert that featured 23 individual acts and four choral numbers. Why such a big alumni chorus and so many individual acts? For one, that's how many of us were excited to come back to our alma mater and pay tribute. For his part, Boncosky adm

“Roosters will be STRICTLY prohibited,” Samantha Jelinske stressed in her presentation before the Village Board on May 19. During the public forum portion of the evening she proposed an amendment to our municipal code that would allow Cary residents to raise hens. She stressed that only hens should be allowed, as the noise complaints that target backyard chickens have been primarily caused by roosters’ typical early morning cock-a-doodle-doos. What is the Benefit of Backyard

David is a local Licensed Social Worker with Blair Counseling and Mediation. Ask him anything from questions about relationships and conflict resolution to where is the best fising hole in McHenry County.

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. Busy Woman in a Calming Shop During the short time I was there,

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 jazz education.

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. New Cary Business vs. a National Chain Expanding to Crystal Lake 7Brew has been expanding in locations and flavors since they opened in Arizona in 2017. The

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.

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 the job, he joked b

“I just watched a kid pull out onto Montana Dr. right in front of an SUV going about 15 miles per hour over the speed limit. The kid probably could have kissed the front bumper of that car. Your kid on a fancy bike won't be one of the cool kids when they're dead.” Cary’s Mayor and Village Board passed an ordinance on April 7, 2026, but many residents remain unaware of existing restrictions and penalties. In response to the confusion, Chief of Police, Nathan Hayes, sent a let