Whodumptit?

Lake County authorities say it is now OK to leave your homes. Just don't breathe the air.

Haha, according to the Patch:

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

Make no mistake, 75 gallons of liquid insecticides is a turd in anybody's punchbowl.  And while your LakeCountyEye tried to contact the at-fault mosquito abatement company for some answers, it turns out that no one knows who it is.

Not the Sun-Times ...

The truck was carrying pesticides for a mosquito abatement company
Truck driver crashes, spills pesticide in North Barrington

GOOGLE ADS

And not WBBM ...

The mosquito abatement company contacted an environmental service to clean up the spill.
Truck Driver Crashes, Spills Pesticide In North Barrington

GOOGLE ADS

And not the Daily Herald ...

A 27-year-old Alsip man employed by a mosquito-abatement company fell asleep while driving a company truck
No threat to public after crash leads to chemical spill in North Barrington

GOOGLE ADS

Does anyone have any idea who this unidentified "mosquito abatement company" could be?

Boom Goes the Pesticide

Lake County celebrated Fourth of July 2019 with a bang.

While the exploding oil train failed to explode, the exploding pesticide truck did explode:

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. The sheriff's office responded to the crash at 2:25 p.m. in the 100 block of Carriage Road, and discovered upon arrival that the pesticide was leaking, according to a release.
Truck Crash Causes Pesticide Spill In North Barrington

Note to Ops: Drowsiness is a symptom of insecticide poisoning. If you've been exposed to insecticides, don't operate heavy machinery. It's only common sense!

McHenry County Bonkers

Do you like to think your finger is on the pulse of McHenry County politics? Test your wits against this week's pop quiz:

Q: How many Illinois Representative Districts are there in McHenry County?

If you answered ...

One

then you get your news from the McHenryCountyBlog:

Under the story I wrote on the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court's "hands off" decision of legislative re-mapping, someone said with all Republican representing McHenry County in the Illinois General Assembly McHenry County did well. I beg to disagree. Something over 100,000 people are in each State Rep. district. With over 300,000 residents, that means McHenry County deserves at least two members of the Illinois House. We only have one–Steve Reick.
More Thought on Reapportionment

This assertion by the McHenryCountyBlog (aka the Sunshine Blogger), that McHenry County has only one State Representative District, is flatly untrue.  Not only does McHenry County have 5 (Five) State Rep Districts, but they are all Republican-held:

Representative	District	Party
David McSweeney	52	R
Steven Reick	63	R
Tom Weber	64	R
Dan Ugaste	65	R
Allen Skillicorn	66	R

This would be evident from this map of Illinois State Rep Districts posted on the, erm, McHenryCountyBlog -- in fact, on the very same post that was quoted.

More Thought on Reapportionment

Note to Ops: When factoring in the effects of climate change, the Sunshine Blog is, from a meteorological perspective, the Moonshine Blog.

Off Message

US Congress? Or US Senate? Or even the President of the United States? Does anyone know what office David McSweeney is running for in 2020?

To find out, your LakeCountyEye visited State Rep David McSweeney's Facebook page:

Facebook

And clicked the link to www.davidmcsweeney.org, his posted website:

www.davidmcsweeney.org

David McSweeney must be running for something. His picture is all over the Internet:

You're not pixelated. No, this is another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision™!

Note to David McSweeney campaign Ops: Invest in a high-res photo of your candidate. You won't be disappointed.

The Lie of the Land

Do you fancy your finger on the pulse of the Lake County voter? Test your knowledge with this week's pop quiz:

Q: Which Lake County precinct ranks #15 for the most Republican voters?

If you answered ...

Algonquin 16

then you get your news from the Lake County Gazette:

Voter rolls: Which precincts are Republican strongholds in Lake County?

Sharpeyed Operatives will observe that Lake County has neither a Precinct #16 in Algonquin Township, nor for that matter an Algonquin Township.

Has Lake County's #1 source of fakenews, the Lake County Gazette, broken news of a massive voter fraud conspiracy within the Lake County Republican Party?

While by no means outside the bounds of possibility, your LakeCountyEye nonetheless suspects a more sinister plot. The Lake County Gazette, whose stories are 100% sourced by Russian troll farms, is quite obviously waging a sustained disinformation campaign.

If not, then when did Lake County annex Northfield Township?

Precinct voter rolls: Where do Democrats depend on women most in Lake County?

Note to Ops: If you think there are too many township governments in Lake County, it only seems that way.

Green Around the Gills

St Patrick's Day be damned, Lake County rivers will be running green in the month of June:

About 200 gallons of liquid fertilizer that leaked into a storm sewer in Volo on Saturday did not pose a threat to the community, authorities said. Lake County Sheriff's deputies dispatched about 10:10 a.m. to the intersection of North Cornerstone Drive and Remington Drive found a TruGreen truck had leaked liquid fertilizer into a storm drain
No threat posed from fertilizer spill in Volo, authorities say

The full impact that the leak will have on Lake County streams, lakes and ground water remains to be determined. However one official sounding official advised homeowners against treating their lawns this summer. "There should be plenty of fertilizer in your sprinkler water", he told your LakeCountyEye.

Note to Ops: Toxic waste disposal is expensive. But who's going to know if that green slime accidentally disappears down a storm drain? You'll be rolling in the green!

Inferno Fest

The City of Highwood is heating up as Celebrate Highwood gets fired up for Inferno Fest on Wednesday, June 26, from 4:30-9:30pm in Everts Park, 130 Highwood Avenue.

Inferno Fest

Relations Between the U. S. and Canada

Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy

John Cruickshank, Consul General of Canada in Chicago, will speak on relations between the United States and Canada and other current issues.

• Sunday
  June 23 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)

One in a Million

An actual unretouched screencap from the Daily Herald, the Lake County paper of record:

Taxpayers will save $1.25 milion with sewage district dissolution

Apparently their spelchecker is bolixed up.

That's al your LakeCountyEye has. Now get the L out.

There Ain't No Sanitary Clause

An actual unretouched screencap from the Daily Herald, the Gray Lady of Lake County:

Taxpayers will save $1.25 milion with sewage district dissolution

One would assume the liquidation was worked out in a closed-door session.

That's all your LakeCountyEye has. Now scat.

The Depreciation of Independents

The next Federal Holiday on the 2019 lineup is Independence Day.

If Independence Day was established to commemorate independent voters, then there will not be much of a July 4th celebration in Lake County this year. That's because fewer than 1% of Lake County voters are independents.

Hard to believe? Well believe the Lake County Gazette:

Which Lake County precincts have the most Independents?

Rank

Precinct

City

Voters
(#)

Independents
(%)

Independent
Women (%)

Independent
Men (%)

1

Moraine Township
Precinct 211

Highland Park

1043

0.96 %

40 %

60 %

2

Moraine Township
Precinct 207

Highwood

1280

0.94 %

33.33 %

66.67 %

3

West Deerfield Township
Precinct 387

Highland Park

1221

0.90 %

27.27 %

72.73 %

4

Moraine Township
Precinct 206

Highland Park

1093

0.82 %

66.67 %

33.33 %

5

West Deerfield Township
Precinct 389

Highland Park

1102

0.82 %

33.33 %

66.67 %

6

Moraine Township
Precinct 222

Highland Park

914

0.77 %

14.29 %

85.71 %

7

Moraine Township
Precinct 205

Highland Park

949

0.74 %

42.86 %

57.14 %

8

Moraine Township
Precinct 216

Highland Park

891

0.67 %

33.33 %

66.67 %

9

Moraine Township
Precinct 215

Highland Park

1074

0.65 %

28.57 %

71.43 %

10

Moraine Township
Precinct 210

Highland Park

1075

0.65 %

71.43 %

28.57 %

11

Moraine Township
Precinct 208

Highland Park

1083

0.65 %

85.71 %

14.29 %

12

Benton Township
Precinct 55

Winthrop Harbor

937

0.64 %

66.67 %

33.33 %

13

Moraine Township
Precinct 224

Highland Park

809

0.62 %

40 %

60 %

14

Moraine Township
Precinct 209

Highland Park

1665

0.60 %

30 %

70 %

15

Libertyville Township
Precinct 169

Green Oaks

899

0.56 %

40 %

60 %

16

Moraine Township
Precinct 219

Highland Park

931

0.54 %

40 %

60 %

17

Benton Township
Precinct 52

Winthrop Harbor

963

0.52 %

80 %

20 %

18

Moraine Township
Precinct 204

Highwood

1542

0.52 %

37.50 %

62.50 %

19

Moraine Township
Precinct 212

Highland Park

1160

0.52 %

66.67 %

33.33 %

20

Moraine Township
Precinct 221

Highland Park

810

0.49 %

75 %

25 %

21

Moraine Township
Precinct 214

Highland Park

876

0.46 %

25 %

75 %

22

Moraine Township
Precinct 220

Highland Park

948

0.42 %

50 %

50 %

23

Benton Township
Precinct 51

Winthrop Harbor

996

0.40 %

0 %

100 %

24

Libertyville Township
Precinct 174

Green Oaks

1018

0.39 %

50 %

50 %

25

Fremont Township
Precinct 120

Mundelein

827

0.36 %

33.33 %

66.67 %

Voter rolls: Where are the Independent voters in Lake County precincts?

The Lake County Gazette says that if you look at Lake County's most independent precinct you will find fewer than 1% independent voters:

And this is the precinct with the most independent voters. Bottomline: Overall, the average percentage of independent voters in Lake County is even lower than that!

While the Lake County Gazette may be Lake County's #1 source of fake news, this does not mean that the Lake County Gazette is not always 100% accurate. And by your LakeCountyEye's calculation, 100% is a far cry from 0.96%.

EtO Power

In Lake County, Memorial Day marks not only the first day of Summer, but is also the first day you may wear a white Hazmat suit.

Haha, Medline Industries in Waukegan has been a source of ethylene oxide contamination in Lake County. Ethylene Oxide is a proven carcinogen and is so flammable that it is used as a main component of thermobaric weapons.

Perhaps uncoincidentally, Medline also markets Hazmat suits. And if that's not enough irony for one $10 billion company, Medline ...

has joined chemical industry lobbyists who contend that ethylene oxide poses few, if any, health risks to ordinary Americans. Among other things, Medline hired a former scientist for one of the biggest manufacturers of the toxic gas who has co-authored several industry-funded studies rejected by the U.S. EPA and independent scientific reviewers. The company also has called for another analysis of the chemical, part of a concerted effort by makers and users of ethylene oxide to overturn a stringent safety limit established by the EPA in 2016 after more than a decade of study and two rounds of independent review delayed several times by industry opposition. Industry lobbyists are continuing to press their case with sympathetic officials in the Trump administration.
Waukegan company proposes new pollution controls that would dramatically cut emissions of cancer-causing gas

The Trump Administration responded with a statement via Twitter:

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

North Shore Pride Fest

North Shore Pride Fest

To kick off Pride Month, Celebrate Highwood is ‘showing its pride on the north side’ at its 7th Annual North Shore Pride Fest on Saturday, June 1st throughout Downtown Highwood. The full day of activities will feature a Pride Family Picnic, Family Friendly Drag Show and Taste the Rainbow (adult only) Pub Crawl.

The proceeds will be benefiting the LGBTQ North Shore School District 113 Spectrum Club.

Activities will include a picnic, drag show, and best dressed contest, all of which are family friendly! For the adults there will also be a “Taste the Rainbow” pub crawl featuring drink specials and live music.

Celebrate Highwood

Air Your Grievances

Operatives who plan to emerge from their bomb shelters this week may want to know about this:

A public meeting regarding planned controls to reduce ethylene oxide emissions from the Medline Industries Inc. facility in Waukegan will be held next week. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will host the session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at Whittier Elementary School, 901 N. Lewis Ave., in Waukegan.
Public meeting regarding ethylene oxide emissions to be held in Waukegan

One industry spokesman was eager to downplay the danger presented to the community and assured your LakeCountyEye: "Don't hold your breath."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Footloose and Sanity Free

Someone once asked Abraham Lincoln: "How many legs does a McHenry County voter have if you call his firearm a leg?"

Lincoln answered: "Two. If that McHenry County voter has a firearm, then it is likely he has shot off one of his feet."

If it seems that everyone in McHenry County is a foot shorter, it's not because they are shrinking:

A 74-year-old man accidentally shot himself at a McHenry gun range Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The man was practicing using a 9 mm pistol at CY Armory, 2908 W. Route 120, when he shot himself in the right thigh
Man accidentally shoots himself in leg at McHenry gun range

In related news, Walk Like a Pirate Day has been declared a holiday in McHenry County.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

A Tale of 2 Wooster Lakes

Buyers looking for lakefront property my have noticed these two 2019 Wooster Lake listings:

Blue Springs Drive, Fox Lake, IL 60020 | MLS#: 10103217

W Vista Court, Ingleside, IL 60041 | MLS#: 10090585

One listing says there is a 25 horsepower restriction on Wooster Lake. The other says there are no restrictions.

Well, I'm confused!

Blockbuster News

The Lake County exploding oil-train failed to explode last week.

One corporate spokesman attributed the deficit to heavy and unforeseen competition from outside industry sectors. And promised that they will be pressing forward at an accelerated pace, 24/7, redoubling their efforts to make up for the shortfall.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Let's Talk Politics Discussion In Gurnee

The Tenth Congressional District Democrats and the Newport Township Democrats are holding Let's Talk Politics in Gurnee, on Monday, May 13, 2019, at 7:00 PM, at the Warren-Newport Public Library, 224 O'Plaine Rd, in Gurnee. Admission is free.

Let's Talk Politics is a moderated discussion and allows opportunities for Democrats, independents, and progressives in and around the 10th District to talk about important issues of the day with each other and guests that often include elected officials, candidates, political analysts, and authors.

RSVP: tenthdems.org/gurnee.

Private Lake Bylaws Act

In 2007 a Bill was introduced in Springfield that would place restrictions on Wooster Lake.

Bill Status of HB4875 94th General Assembly

HB4875 did not become law, but it is a reminder of how a democratic society works: If there is no law against how others are treating me, then get the laws changed.

I won't be able to ask Robert Churchill to sponsor legislation in Springfield, but I don't need to. I can go local and talk to my mayor or my village trustee. Or talk to my county board rep, where unincorporated.

My representatives are eager to help me. That means that they can count on my vote in the next election as well as my support.

Give it a try. If you don't like how your neighbors behave, don't get mad, get even.

10th Annual Brain Builder Casino Royale

Brain Builder 2019 -- Busy Brains Children’s Museum