It was a Dark and Secluded Area

Not to be outdone by the Lake County Gazette, your LakeCountyEye decided to take a stab at creative writing. Your LakeCountyEye can report that writing prize-winning prose is easier than it sounds, and there are plenty of prizes out there to be had:

The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (BLFC) is a tongue-in-cheek contest, held annually and sponsored by the English Department of San Jose State University in San Jose, California. Entrants are invited "to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels" – that is, deliberately bad.
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Here is your LakeCountyEye's submission to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest:

On August 13, six defendants, most of whom have significant criminal histories, decided to come to Lake County with their sole intention to commit a series of residential and vehicle burglaries. In order to commit these crimes, they drove into the county in a stolen Lexus automobile, and armed themselves with a large 10-inch long hunting knife with a stainless-steel blade.

At 1:15 a.m. in the morning, they drove into a dark and secluded area on West Edwards Road, awakening a 75-year-old resident who saw headlights in the area of his driveway. When several people started to walk up his driveway towards a car parked near his home, the elderly resident armed himself with a gun and went outside. The elderly resident had a lawful Illinois Firearms Owner Identification card and was the lawful registered owner of the gun.

As the resident went outside of his own property, he saw multiple strangers approaching him. He ordered the strangers to get off his property and leave, but these strangers continued to advance on him. The resident saw that one of the strangers had something in his hand, and believing he was in danger of death or, at the very least, great bodily harm, he fired his gun several times to try and scare them away. One of the shots unfortunately struck one of the offenders, and the offenders all ran back to the stolen Lexus and drove away.
Lake County state's attorney statement on charges in Old Mill Creek shooting

According to the rules, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest has ...

several subcategories, such as detective fiction, romance novels, Western novels, and purple prose.
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Which genre would you go with?

Detective Fiction
Romance Novel
Western Novel
Purple Prose

Operatives are asked to vote for one of the above!

Smoke and Minors

Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim filed a lawsuit against a company deemed hazardous to children and which he likened to "dope dealers on a street corner". Nerheim filed the suit against the mosquito extermination company, Clarke. The suit seeks punitive damages against Clarke for spraying Lake County with chlorpyrifos, an insecticide that causes brain damage in children.

The suit alleges that those who are exposed to the chemical chlorpyrifos ...

have no idea they are ingesting "huge amounts of a highly addictive chemical and carcinogens," Nerheim said.
Lake County suing Juul over "predatory" marketing to teens

The suit calls the practice of spraying the chemical chlorpyrifos from pickup trucks and ...

other efforts a "smokescreen."
Lake County state’s attorney sues e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, accusing it of 'creating a public health crisis'

The suit exposes industry marketing and branding strategies that distract the public from the dangers of the indiscriminate use of outdoor insecticide foggers:

"You look at this new product, Mr Fog"
Lake County state’s attorney sues e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, accusing it of 'creating a public health crisis'

Regarding the true peril posed by insects, the suit says Clarke ...

"succeeded in creating a public health crisis in order to line their pockets with cash," Nerheim said a news conference Tuesday afternoon
Lake County state’s attorney sues e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, accusing it of 'creating a public health crisis'

Does a lawsuit against an extermination company with financial ties to Lake County expose the motives of a lone-wolf State's Attorney with ants in his pants to go to court in a big way? You decide:

Nerheim said he decided to move ahead without area counties because he didn't want to wait any longer.
Lake County state’s attorney sues e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, accusing it of 'creating a public health crisis'

Haha, j/k.

Michael Nerheim is not suing Clarke. The suit has been filed against e-cigarette manufacturer, Juul Labs.

2020 is an election year. 'Nuff Said!

My Last Brain Cell

Lake County will not have to wait for recreational marijuana to find out if it has brain damage:

In a move environmentalists denounced as yet another case of the Trump administration putting industry profits over public health, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Thursday that it will not ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to brain damage in children.
'A Total Disgrace': Outrage as Trump EPA Says It Won't Ban Pesticide Linked to Brain Damage in Children

As you read this, Lake County is breathing chlorpyrifos:

Clarke Mosquitomist™ Adulticide

Clarke uses the insecticide to kill mosquitoes:

Mosquitomist Two U.L.V.

One industry honcho advised your LakeCountyEye to move along, there is nothing to see here: "If chlorpyrifos was toxic then the drivers would all have brain damage and they would be driving their trucks into trees. You don't see that happening, do you?"

Lake County Sheriff's Office said 75 gallons of a pesticide spilled onto the ground in North Barrington Tuesday after a mosquito abatement company vehicle hauling the liquid crashed into a tree.
Truck Crash Causes Pesticide Spill In North Barrington

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

The Flipping Senate

Note to David McSweeney: Ex-Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran is seeking the Republican nomination for US Senate:

"The consensus is I would be a Tier One candidate," he said, noting his suburban background could help Republicans in a region that is shifting Democratic.
Days after giving up on a recount for reelection, former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran to seek GOP nomination for U.S. Senate

Additionally, the consensus is Curran will be elected the next GOP Senator from Illinois. And he will switch to the Democratic Party after two years.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

What's Your Poison?

The exploding Clarke mosquito truck failed to explode in Barrington this weekend. Instead, the village was exposed to a chlorine leak:

A "small" chlorine leak at a Barrington water treatment facility drew a large response over the weekend, with about 50 fire and police personnel from 24 agencies helping to find and fix the leak with no injuries to residents or fire personnel.
Barrington chlorine leak brings large hazardous materials response over weekend

Last month a Clarke mosquito truck hit a tree in North Barrington and dumped 75 gallons of insecticides. For the record, this insecticide spill failed to draw a large response, with about zero fire and police personnel from zero agencies helping to find and fix the leak.


ANVIL® 10+10 ULV

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Gasbag

An actual, unretouched screencap from the Lake County Gazette, Lake County's #1 fakenews source:

Lake County District 3 Board member Dick Barr fears the doubling of the state's gas tax, making Illinois home to the second-highest overall gas tax burden in the country, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Wisconsin thanks Illinois' gas tax, legislators for its business, laments Lake County Board's Barr

The news stories you see on the Lake County Gazette are all sourced from a Russian Troll Factory. And it should be no surprise that the facts presented in this particular story all diverge, to some degree, from reality.

Fact Check #1

Illinois does not have the second-highest gas tax burden in the country. Illinois ranks 7th in the nation, behind Pennsylvania, Washington, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Ohio:

Fuel taxes in the United States

Fact Check #2

Wisconsin is not thanking the Illinois gas tax for business. Wisconsin's diesel tax is nearly 10 cents higher than Illinois.  If you average the gas and diesel taxes, Wisconsin fuel taxes are higher than Illinois:

Fuel taxes in the United States

Fact Check #3

Who is Lake County District 3 Board member Dick Barr? No one knows. No one can think of anyone serving on the Lake County Board that goes by the name Dick Barr. Doubtless, this is the kind of made-up prank name that gets paged at an airport.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Overkill

An actual, unretouched screencap from the Kane County Reporter which is totally different than the Lake County Gazette, Lake County's #1 fakenews source:

"The rapid increase just this year in those being hit or fatally killed is extremely concerning," said Sen. McConchie.

When asked for a comment, Dan McConchie said: "Could you repeat that again?"

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when subsequent future developments warrant.

The Sweet Deal

If you are like your LakeCountyEye then you spend your summer vacation reading minutes from village board meetings. So you don't have to.

Haha, this was an agenda item on the of the July 24 North Barrington Village Board meeting:

VII. ADMINISTRATION – President Eleanor Sweet McDonnell

D. Approval of Resolution #_______, A Resolution approving a proposal from GOVHR USA, LLC for Consulting Services*
Village of North Barrington :: 2019

VILLAGE OF NORTH BARRINGTON MEETING AGENDA

GOVHR USA, LLC is a government staffing agency that provides performance evaluation services:

GovHR is excited to announce our partnership with Engagedly to provide local municipalities with a robust web-based performance evaluation system.
GovHR USA / GovTemps USA

Your LakeCountyEye learned that the village of North Barrington has 3 employees:

The Village Staff consists of the Village Administrator/Clerk and two Deputy Clerks.
Village of North Barrington :: Officials

And North Barrington has a new Village President:

Eleanor Sweet McDonnell

And the new North Barrington Village President runs an executive search firm:

The Remington Group, LLC

Sharpeyed Operatives will be asking themselves:

Why would a village with only 3 employees and a new President (who runs an executive search company) contract the services of a government staffing agency that conducts performance evaluations?

The answer nodoubt is to be found in the Shakman Decree:

firing, demoting, transferring or punishing a government employee for political positions was unconstitutional and illegal.
Shakman Decrees

Note to Ops: If you want to get rid of unwanted government employees, outsource the job.

Building Partnerships; Visiting the Border

Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy

Luvia Quinones, Health Policy Director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, will describe the conditions on the the border between the US and Mexico and highlight the work that numerous organizations are doing to provide support for migrants and refugees.

• Sunday
  August 4 2019
  2:00 pm
• The Stevenson Center on Democracy
  25200 N St Mary's Rd
  Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
  773-281-0378
• $15
  (Students Free)

On a Clarke Day You Can See Nada

If Lake County had a new motto, that would likely be:

Nothing to See Here

No, really, there is nothing to see here. The 2019 quality of air in Lake County is cause for concern:

The Chicago area's "milky white" sky is caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires blowing over the upper Midwest, which could contribute to worsening air quality in the region today.
Why the sky has been so hazy

There is nothing to see in Beach Park:

Beach Park ammonia spill: Lake County Sheriff's Office releases body camera image of toxic cloud

And there is nothing to see in Gurnee:

'We don't want EtO': Residents target ethylene oxide emissions at Gurnee, Waukegan meetings

And there even is nothing to see in North Barrington:

Lake County Sheriff's Office said 75 gallons of a pesticide spilled onto the ground in North Barrington Tuesday after a mosquito abatement company vehicle hauling the liquid crashed into a tree. The sheriff's office said a preliminary investigation shows an Alsip man driving the company's 2007 Ford truck left the road and crashed after he fell asleep while driving.
Truck Crash Causes Pesticide Spill In North Barrington

Despite dumping 75 gallons of insecticides in North Barrington, that same mosquito abatement company -- Clarke --is still trusted to be spraying insecticides all over North Barrington.

Village of North Barrington

Move along. Nothing to see here.

Self Promotion

Among Lake County political warhorses there is an old saying: "Don't bother being kind to people on your way up. In Lake County there ain't no way up."

Haha, Lake County State Representative David McSweeney thinks there is a way up:

Earlier this year, Rep. Dave McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, lost his comms staffer for criticizing fellow Republican Rep. Steve Reick for allegedly making "racist" comments and calling on House GOP Leader Jim Durkin to resign for being a "fake Republican" and "corrupt insider." McSweeney, who wants to run statewide in 2022, said he paid for his own communications staffer, so he wasn't concerned.
The return of the circular firing squad

David McSweeney may not want to represent you in Lake County any more, but who is going to blame him? Especially when there will be plenty of statewide constituencies up for grabs in 2022.  What will McSweeney do in 2022? Your LakeCountyEye doesn't expect him to run for Township supervisor. No, here's the smartmoney handicap over the 2022 election:

• A U.S. Senate seat will be on the ballot. While McSweeney managed less than 45% of the vote when he ran against Melissa Bean for Congress in 2006, challenging an incumbent U.S. Senator next time will be totally different. Totally.
  
  
• Every Illinois Constitutional office will be on the ballot. But McSweeney, presumably, will give the cold shoulder to Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer and Comptroller. None of these positions are much of an improvement over being a State Representative. Even being a State Representative in the minority party. And even a State Representative in the minority party who's been warming a backbench.
  
  
• Whether it needs to or not, Illinois will elect a Governor and Lieutenant Governor in 2022. If history is any indication, you can't get elected Governor in this state without name recognition, being admired, being trusted, etc. You can however get elected Lieutenant Governor. This position is tailor-made for McSweeney.

As is too often the case, your LakeCountyEye makes it a point to remind candidates that there will always be another election. In this instance, the 2024 Presidential Election. The position of US Vice President will be tailor-made for a perennial candidate like David McSweeney. 'Nuff Said!

Political Ambition

Has Lake County seen yet it's share of toxic spills? Apparently not -- someone just spilled the beans on State Representative David McSweeney:

Earlier this year, Rep. Dave McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, lost his comms staffer for criticizing fellow Republican Rep. Steve Reick for allegedly making "racist" comments and calling on House GOP Leader Jim Durkin to resign for being a "fake Republican" and "corrupt insider." McSweeney, who wants to run statewide in 2022, said he paid for his own communications staffer, so he wasn't concerned.
The return of the circular firing squad

Which statewide office will David McSweeney run for in 2022? No one is saying.

Your LakeCountyEye is betting that McSweeney will run for Township Supervisor. It may not be a statewide office, but he won't have to worry about David McSweeney sponsoring Bills any more to eliminate township government.

Loose Women

This week's pop quiz comes courtesy of the Lake County Gazette:

Q: Where do candidates rely most on women in Lake County?

Precinct voter rolls: Where do candidates rely most on women in Lake County?

Those who answered:

A:	Wheeling Township Precinct 4
	(Cook County)

... are wrong. But you can take an Honorable Mention for giving the same answer provided by the Lake County Gazette:

Precinct voter rolls: Where do candidates rely most on women in Lake County?

Why does the Lake County Gazette (Lake County's #1 fakenews source) want to know where all the reliable women are to be found? Your LakeCountyEye has no idea.

Q: Where do candidates rely most on women in Lake County?

Your LakeCountyEye does know, however, that the correct answer is MARS:

A: MARS

MARS, coincidentally, is where all of the Lake County Gazette news stories come from.

North Shore Taco Fest

• North Shore Taco Fest 
• July 20-21 
• Highwood Metra Station
• 317 Green Bay Rd
• Highwood

Highwood Days & North Shore Taco Fest

Hard to Swallow

Be thankful that you weren't a fly on the wall in Lake County when that mosquito abatement truck crashed into a tree. Because if you were a fly on the wall where 75 gallons of insecticides spilled, you would be dead:

Lake County Sheriff's Office said 75 gallons of a pesticide spilled onto the ground in North Barrington Tuesday after a mosquito abatement company vehicle hauling the liquid crashed into a tree. The sheriff's office said a preliminary investigation shows an Alsip man driving the company's 2007 Ford truck left the road and crashed after he fell asleep while driving.
Truck Crash Causes Pesticide Spill In North Barrington

Informed sources say that unnamed "mosquito abatement company" is: Clarke

Clarke is an extermination company.  Don't bother looking for Clarke's Wikipedia page, there isn't one.

If Clarke has e-mail, your LakeCountyEye couldn't find any. They do list phone numbers:

• Phone
  630.326.4633
  888-593-1628
• International Phone
  +1.888.593.1628
• Fax
  630-443-3070

Their only web presence is a corporate website:

Doing the Right Thing, Even When It's Hard
Honesty and integrity drive our everyday actions and are reflected in our common belief to do what's best for our industry, and the people and communities we serve.
Aquatic & Mosquito Control Services & Products | Clarke

Some questions for Clarke, when you call:

• Why was a guy from Alsip driving around a Lake County community?
  
  
• Why was he driving a 12 year old Ford pickup around a Lake County community?
  
  
• Why was he driving while asleep around a Lake County community?
  
  
• Why did he drive into a Lake County tree?
  
  
• Why did he drive into a Lake County tree and dump 75 gallons of insecticides?
  
  

Do the right thing even when it's hard?