The Northwest Herald's favorite photographs from this week.
Pole-dancing fitness instructor Melody Andrise leads warm-ups during a pole-dancing fitness class at Intrigue Fitness in Lake in the Hills on Thursday, August 8, 2013. Intrigue offers unique fitness classes including pole dancing and Hula hooping. Lathan Goumas - lgoumas@shawmedia.com
Breanna Alyssa Bogucki, a 15-year-old Cary High School student with autism signs copies of her cd while filming her music video "I Was Born Yesterday" in Cary Monday, August 5, 2013. Bogucki is the 2012 winner of the Special Talents America competition and recorded a song written especially for her by Jim Peterik of Survivor and The Ides of March. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Eberhard Veit of Crystal Lake rides his bicycle on James R. Rakow Road as he commutes home from his job at the Eisenmann Corporation in Crystal Lake on Monday, August 5, 2013. Veit says he commutes to work on his bicycle throughout the year only using a car when the roads are covered with ice and snow occasionally during the winter.
Lathan Goumas - lgoumas@shawmedia.com
General Colin Powell speaks at the Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington during the Global Leadership Summit Thursday, August, 8, 2013. Kyle Grillot - kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Diane Urban dressed as Mrs. Alfred Seyfferth listens while others speak during the Path to Lakemoor – The Dissolution of Lily Lake play Wednesday at the old Seneca Township Hall, now called Perkins Hall, at the corner of Franklinville and Garden Valley roads southwest of Woodstock. Kyle Grillot - kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Hebron Helping Hands 4-H member Josh Meier, 15, of Hebron plays on his cell phone while watching over his families pigs during the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock Saturday, August 3, 2013. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Anthony Barone (left) 3, of Lake in the Hills and his sister, Haley, 9, make their way out of the fun house at the McHenry County Fair in Woodstock Saturday, August 3, 2013. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Plum Crazy Puppets employee Joanne Schiele of Glenview holds up a puppet while doing a performance at the Larsen Park Storytelling Festival hosted by the Algonquin Area Public Library, Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department and Algonquin Events and Recreation Department in Lake in the Hills Tuesday, August 6, 2013. The event featured professional storytellers, a puppeteer and musical entertainers from the Chicago area. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Professional Australian wakeboarder Dylan Prideaux trains for the Rockstar WWA World Championships on Crystal Lake Tuesday, August 6, 2013. Prideaux is being hosted by a local family in Crystal Lake before the competition in Wisconsin this weekend. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Mac N Seitz Royals Parker Kirkpatrick reacts to Illinois Elite scoring a run during the second inning of the Championship game for the MCYSA 15U International Championships at Lippold Park in Crystal Lake Sunday, August 4, 2013. Josh Peckler - For Northwest Herald
McHenry Cobras' Jim Friel slides to second during the sixth inning of Saturday's 13 U MCYSA game against Select Baseball at Lippold Park in Crystal Lake August 3, 2013. The Cobras lost, 6-8. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com
Senior boys division competitor Jack Ramsett putts on the sixth green during the second day of MCJGA Crystal Woods Open at the Crystal Woods Golf Course in Woodstock Wednesday, August 8, 2013. Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com