McHENRY – GiGi's Playhouse McHenry County and its founders were recognized by the McHenry Area Character Counts Coalition.

The Down syndrome awareness and education centers provide current information and resources, specialized teaching, and support to individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community.

Programs are available for all ages and are designed to be therapeutic and goal-oriented in nature. They are free for the families.

The organizers recognized include Kathy and Don Adoski of Spring Grove, Michele Gehrke of McHenry, Laura Cook of Algonquin, Michelle Polizzi or Marengo, Rusty Davis of McHenry, Bill and Jess Lewis of McHenry, Chris Newlon of Bull Valley, and Sue Nickol and Terry Brenner of Rolling Meadows.

The coalition that issues the awards is made up by the city of McHenry, District 15, District 156, McHenry Area Youth Commission, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, and the McHenry Public Library District.

More information about GiGi's Playhouse can be found at its website, gigisplayhouse.org.

McHENRY – The McHenry Police Department's K9 program is the topic of this month's Coffee with the Chief.

Police Chief John Jones will meet with residents from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, May 13, in a classroom inside McHenry City Hall, 333 S. Green St.

Officer Larry Popp and his K9, Duke, will walk attendees through their job, demonstrating some of their duties. The discussion will cover drug detection, offender apprehension, searches and tracking.

Jones will also discuss events and criminal activities that have occurred within the city over the past months. Residents will have a chance to ask questions at the end of the evening.

These events occur the second Monday of each month at the same location.

- Emily K. Coleman

The McHenry Public Library, 809 N. Front St., will close early on Friday, May 10, for staff training.

For information, call the library at 815-385-0036 or visit www.mchenrylibrary.org.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry (Tree of Life), 5603 Bull Valley Road, is offering a Summer Camp to the community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 10 through June 21, for children ages kindergarten through fifth grade.

The cost is $15 per child.

For a program brochure with detailed information and a registration form, contact Janet Burns at 847 542-7678 or janetrugi@yahoo.com.

The registration deadline is May 5. No child will be turned away due to lack of funds.

McHENRY – While River Road has been reopened, traffic delays are expected next week on Charles J. Miller Road at the bridge.

Delays can be expected between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until about Thursday, May 16.

This work had been expected to begin Wednesday, April 24, but was delayed due to heavy rain and the subsequent flooding.

River Road heading south from Charles Miller Road was reopened Monday.

The construction is part of a two-phase project that will widen the two-lane Charles Miller Road to four lanes and construct a second two-lane bridge over the Fox River to create two lanes of traffic in each direction.

Officials expect this phase of the two-part project to be completed by Oct. 15. Work began in November.

For information and to sign up for updates on the the project, visit charlesmillerroad.com. Emails will be sent to those that sign up alerting them where and when construction activities and potential traffic delays will occur.

- Emily K. Coleman