Local News

McHENRY – The Shah Center will conduct a 10-hour OSHA class for the construction industry beginning Feb. 20.

BARRINGTON – The Auxiliary of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital last week presented the final installment of its $1.1 million pledge to support a new cardiac care center and expanding the emergency department at the hospital.

Brian Ellison never expected he’d be distilling liquor – let alone supervising construction of the largest distillery in Wisconsin.

HARVARD – Harvard Chevrolet Buick GMC was named the outstanding business of the year Saturday night at the Harvard Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual dinner and awards banquet.

CRYSTAL LAKE – Much of the first couple years of Freshly Baked Communications’ life was spent in virtual offices in Schaumburg and Chicago.

JANESVILLE, Wis. – Mercy Health System recently announced two additions to its board of directors, Mark Kopp and Liz Hansch.

In a year where the national employment picture appeared to get better in the final three months of 2011, McHenry County’s employment outlook at the end of 2011 looks a lot like it did to start the year.

MARENGO – For 90 years, Levin’s Shoes and Dry Goods has been a staple in Marengo. But come mid-February, the oldest store in town will close its doors for good.

AURORA – Aurora University will host a free business workshop called “Leadership Evaluation: Are You Developing the Future of Your Company and Measuring the Right Things?” on Jan. 25.

McHENRY – In the midst of a modest expansion program, Hobby Lobby on Monday will celebrate the grand opening of its newest McHenry County store.

ALGONQUIN – As quickly as the Sears Outlet store opened in Algonquin, it is gone.

CRYSTAL LAKE – For more than a decade, Andy and Kamil Suran worked to make area homes a little brighter, a little newer, a little more comfortable.

WOODSTOCK – Other World Computing not only operates green, it continues to earn a fair amount of “green” because of its trailblazing business practices – including attention to details, attention to each and every customer and attention to its dedicated work force.

NEW YORK (AP) — Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit jumped 60 percent, boosted by pent-up demand for new equipment and continuing growth in developing countries.

ALGONQUIN – For years, fixing and selling arcade machines has been a part of the eBay business that Mark Battaglia has run. As well as his passion.

WOODSTOCK – Workers interested in careers in CNC machining are encouraged to attend a pair of February sessions hosted by the McHenry County Workforce Network.

McHENRY – Declaring the company in a growth mode, Eder, Casella and Co. on Tuesday announced it had merged with Paul R. Berlin CPA in Barrington.

McHENRY – Hobby Lobby Stores will open its second McHenry County location, this one in McHenry, at 9 a.m. Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand-opening celebration.

McHENRY – McHenry Savings Bank will close two branches in April, including its long-time downtown McHenry home.

CRYSTAL LAKE – County board member Donna Kurtz, R-Crystal Lake, and McHenry County government purchasing agent Cathy Link are spearheading a “Business to Government Plug-In Event, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 28 in the McHenry County College Conference Center, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

McHENRY – McHenry Savings Bank will close two branches in April, including its long-time downtown McHenry home.

McHENRY – It has been just over five months since Medela’s newest leader took control of operations in McHenry.

A roller coaster year for housing in McHenry County ended with the county selling more homes in 2011 than it has in four years.

CRYSTAL LAKE – Sage Products and Lisa Raupp took home the top awards Friday at the Cary Grove Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards banquet.

HARVARD – Baking treats for pets isn’t all that different from baking treats for people, said Kurt Stricker, owner of The Pound Bakery in Harvard.

HAMPSHIRE – Bonnie Hanson is the new executive director of the Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce. Hanson, who led the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce, replaces Stacey Ekstrom. Ekstrom, in Hampshire for more than five years, accepted a job with the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce.

CRYSTAL LAKE – An Internet campaign launched by a customer has landed Nick’s Pizza a $25,000 grant from Intuit Inc.

LAKE IN THE HILLS – OK, so the stock market didn’t reach 14,500 on the Dow Jones, and gold continued to see higher prices rather than flattening out.

ALGONQUIN – Depressed, overweight and a single mother, Julie Fulk began belly dancing to feel better about herself and be healthy for her son.

NORTHFIELD (AP) – Kraft Foods announced Tuesday that it would cut about 1,600 jobs in North America this year, but the company’s Claussen Pickle facility in Woodstock appears to be unaffected.

McHENRY – The new owners of the former Wally’s Bike Haven have a new location now, as well.

CRYSTAL LAKE – Members of the leadership team at Richco, a plastics manufacturer in Harvard, got to be CEOs for a day on Friday.

WOODSTOCK – Beginning Feb. 10, the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the McHenry County Workforce Network will host a mini-job fair each Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – The State Energy Office at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will offer 20 training events aimed at the construction industry.

CRYSTAL LAKE – When Sen. Dick Durbin got a chance to visit Vets Total Car Care’s facility in Prairie Grove on Wednesday, he was hoping to discover the effects of the federal government’s recently passed jobs bill for veterans.

ELGIN – Judson University’s School of Leadership and Business will host an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at its Rockford Campus and Tuesday at its Elgin campus.

CRYSTAL LAKE – Bill Mullins recently was named the new vice president and senior retail banking officer at Crystal Lake Bank and Trust, the bank announced in a news release.

From his time at Jacobs High School through a record-setting career with the Northern Illinois University, Joe Zimka had been synonymous with soccer.

McHENRY - Re/Max Plaza has bought the Re/Max American Dream office based in Wauconda, the two real-estate agencies announced.

As Steve Ballmer took the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday night, the Microsoft chief executive officer marked the end of a tradition.

CARPENTERSVILLE – GameStop is closing one of its locations in West Dundee as it opens another down the road in Carpentersville.

FOX LAKE – Wayne and Kristie King decided to bring their passion for quality food at affordable prices to downtown Fox Lake with the opening of their restaurant, King’s Landing, in November.

CRYSTAL LAKE – Business had been doing well at the Oaklund Medical Group office in Huntley, and its primary physician – internist Dr. Gilbert Egekeze – saw his client base beginning to expand in the area.

WOODSTOCK – American Community Bank and Trust will host a Home Purchase Program clinic this month to provide information on programs to bring down the costs of buying a home.