Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
Reliable News · Kenosha, WI
Nearby: Kenosha, WIFood stamps and the 2025 shutdown became linked in public debate when a government shutdown dragged into late October 2025 and the Agriculture Secretary appeared at a news conference on SNAP food aid benefits during it, per The Christian Science Monitor. But the shutdown itself was not the main force changing the program. The larger shift came from a 2025 tax and spending law, signed on July 4, 2025, that is rewriting who qualifies, who pays and how many people receive benefits. The record so far: national SNAP enrollment fell 13% between July 2025 and June 2026, with every state except Alaska seeing some decline, according to reporting by The Christian Science Monitor. The unemployment rate stayed steady over that period, which implies the drop was not driven by more people finding work. An analysis by the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger advocacy group, put the number of Americans who lost benefits since the law was enacted at about 5.2 million, per CBS News.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL
Nearby: Antioch, ILThere was no evidence of foul play in the death of a Wisconsin woman who was found dead and submerged in a bathtub during a well-being check at an Antioch hotel Saturday evening, the coroner’s office said as it released new details. Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said Wednesday the victim was a 54-year-old resident of Trevor, Wisconsin. Newton said there was evidence of drowning but the woman’s final cause of death is pending toxicology testing, as there was also evidence of a possible overdose. The Antioch Police Department responded around 9:43 p.m. Saturday to Antioch Hotel and Suites, 350 West Route 173 in Antioch, for a well-being check. Antioch Police Department Patrol Commander Jared Brussaly said officers were requested to check on the woman. Officers arrived and made entry into the room where they found her submerged in the bathtub and “obviously deceased,” Brussaly said. The Antioch Fire Department was dispatched to the hotel around 10:41 p.m.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL
Nearby: Antioch, ILAn 18-year-old Ole Miss student whose grandfather owns Kunes Auto Group, with dealerships in Antioch and Woodstock, apologized for mimicking a monkey at Black students’ door in a viral video and said she and her family got death threats. Alaina Kunes, 18, a freshman at the University of Mississippi, apologized in a statement released Tuesday through her attorneys at Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona. A spokesperson for Kunes confirmed to TMJ4 News that she is the daughter of Scott Kunes, the former chief operating officer of Kunes Auto Group, and that she has withdrawn from the university. Scott Kunes left the COO role in February and has no ownership stake in the company, which is owned by his father — Alaina Kunes’ grandfather — Gregg Kunes, the law firm said.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL
Nearby: Antioch, ILA 62-year-old woman has died and been identified by the coroner after authorities say she started a fire while smoking in bed on oxygen, which a family member put out before starting CPR near Antioch. Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim on Tuesday as Kristi Roberts, 62, of Antioch. Banek said a preliminary investigation by the coroner’s office indicates Roberts’ death is consistent with burns she suffered in the fire. The Antioch Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 6:55 a.m. Thursday to the 26500 block of West Wilmot Road in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a small fire and an unresponsive woman. Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the caller reported that Roberts, who lived at the home, was unconscious and not breathing. The caller was able to put out the fire by pouring coffee on it, Covelli said.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Round Lake, IL
Nearby: Round Lake, ILThe legal team for a Round Lake mother held by ICE in a Kentucky jail for more than 15 months over two old retail theft cases said in an update Tuesday that she was granted a $7,500 bond and is awaiting release. Beata Siemionkowicz, 57, of Round Lake, has been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for more than 15 months, mostly at the Campbell County Detention Center in Newport, Kentucky. Siemionkowicz was granted bond at a hearing before an immigration judge Friday and the bond was set at $7,500, ACLU of Illinois Director of Communications and Public Policy Ed Yohnka said Tuesday. “We continue to await her release,” Yohnka told Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Siemionkowicz was still listed at the Campbell County Detention Center Tuesday morning, according to ICE’s online detainee locator. It was not immediately known when she would be released.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Waukegan, IL
Nearby: Waukegan, ILA car that ran out of gas and stopped on Waukegan Road was rear-ended, resulting in a five-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital and completely shut down the road near Waukegan early Monday. The Waukegan Fire Department, North Chicago Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 5:50 a.m. Monday to Waukegan Road and Buckley Road near Waukegan for a report of a crash with injuries. An ambulance crew that arrived reported the crash was in the southbound lanes of Waukegan Road north of Buckley Road and south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to fire department radio traffic. Crews reported finding four vehicles, one with heavy damage and three with moderate damage, radio traffic indicated. Firefighters requested more ambulances as they prepared to transport multiple patients and reported that Waukegan Road was completely shut down.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Waukegan, IL
Nearby: Waukegan, ILA parolee threatened to shoot and stab a 13-year-old boy, struck him repeatedly in the face, leaving a wound that needed stitches, and stole his phone and wallet, then robbed a woman at a bus stop the next day in Waukegan, prosecutors said. Ishmael M. Lewis, 28, of Waukegan, was indicted last week on one count of armed robbery, a Class X felony, along with two counts of aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony, two counts of robbery, a Class 2 felony, and two counts of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The Waukegan Police Department responded around 4:19 p.m. on October 20 to the 2000 block of North Lewis Avenue for a report of a robbery. A 13-year-old boy told officers he had gone to a nearby Dollar General and was walking after leaving the store when Lewis approached him, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lourdes Jimenez said. The boy described him as being in his 30s with face, neck and hand tattoos and said he wore black gym shoes and carried a duffle bag across his body.
Madison365 · Milwaukee, WI
Nearby: Milwaukee, WIA new line of bobbleheads from Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum will feature Governor-elect David Crowley along with other recent winners in the midterm elections. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 2014 in Milwaukee. As its name suggests, it creates bobbleheads with an emphasis on sports, but has since expanded into pop culture and touched on political options in limited runs since the 2016 presidential election. The newest line of political bobbleheads features a select range of politicians elected in the recent midterms, featuring figures like Texas’ James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, Michigan’s Abul El-Sayed, Ohio’s Amy Acton, and Wisconsin’s very own Governor-elect David Crowley. Political bobbleheads have not been a big thing for the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame past some presidents until around the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYC Daily Post · Milwaukee, WI
Nearby: Milwaukee, WIThere are championship victories and then there are moments that become part of a community’s history. For Milwaukee and the surrounding Wisconsin communities, the Milwaukee Brewers first World Series championship was more than a baseball achievement. It was a celebration of hometown pride, perseverance, camaraderie and the shared excitement of generations of baseball fans. Having grown up in the Milwaukee area, I have a personal connection to the Brewers that goes back many years. I have attended countless games, met players, collected autographs from some of the well-known team players (Yount, Molitor, Deer, Gantner, Cooper) when I was younger and participated in the tailgating traditions that have become such a recognizable part of the Milwaukee baseball experience. Over the years, I have also enjoyed visiting the restaurants and team store inside the stadium, where fans can find an impressive selection of Brewers merchandise.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · McHenry, IL
Nearby: McHenry, ILA Crystal Lake man already serving a federal prison sentence for an $8 million Ponzi scheme was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing from a McHenry veterans group while he was its commander. Alan J. Hanke, 62, of Crystal Lake, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of theft of property valued between $10,000 and $100,000, a Class 2 felony, as part of a negotiated plea agreement, court records show. McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis sentenced Hanke to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by one year of mandatory supervised release. Davis ordered the sentence to run concurrently with the federal prison sentence Hanke is serving for his role in an $8 million Ponzi scheme. Truth-in-sentencing guidelines require the sentence to be served at 50%, court documents show. Hanke was given credit for 268 days already spent in custody, which covers one day in September 2024 and every day since February 19.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · McHenry, IL
Nearby: McHenry, ILAn insurer is suing to avoid paying for the crash that killed a U.S. Marine veteran on the Fox River near McHenry and records show the accused boater swore he could not pay his lawyers months after his family’s firm paid $454K for his pontoon. Richard M. Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, who is also known as Ricky Stevenson, is charged with first-degree murder in the July 25 death of Magdalena Jablonska, 48, of Des Plaines, along with four counts each of aggravated driving under the influence and operating a watercraft under the influence, which are Class 2 felonies. Stevenson is also the defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in August by Michelle Macias, the special administrator of the estate of her sister, Jablonska, and Jablonska’s fiancé, Alan Telmini, who was injured in the crash. McHenry County Judge Joel D.
Lake and McHenry County Scanner · McHenry, IL
Nearby: McHenry, ILThe Chicago deep dish chain Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is expanding to McHenry with a carryout, delivery and catering location set to open next spring that city officials called “a great addition to our community.” Lou Malnati’s will occupy a 1,630-square-foot space at 1777 North Richmond Road in the McHenry Grounds shopping center, the company said in a statement. The McHenry store will be the company’s 71st location and will offer carryout, delivery and catering, giving McHenry-area residents a closer way to get the chain’s signature deep dish pizza and other menu favorites, the company said. “As we continue to grow throughout the Chicagoland area, we’re focused on bringing Lou Malnati’s to more communities where we have unmet customer demand,” Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria CEO Julie Younglove-Webb said.
