Editorials

Maybe it’s time to call in Jo Frost to straighten things out in Grafton Township.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is in the midst of conducting free seminars on key changes to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act.

Will a visit from U.S. Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood expedite plans to widen Randall Road and change its traffic flow?

Put aside for a moment apprehensions about possible negative impacts on Carroll County posed by dozens of newly arrived Gitmo terrorist suspects, and the conversion of the little-used Thomson Correctional Center into a federal prison makes sense.

The name Maj. Nidal Hasan raises questions for authorities seeking to try the Fort Hood shooter that are as interesting as trying to figure out the Army psychiatrist’s motivation for opening fire on fellow soldiers.

The Obama administration has chosen the wrong New York venue to try five co-conspirators in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Instead of a Manhattan courtroom less than a mile from the site of where the World Trade Center stood, the government should have chosen the Bronx Zoo, because a zoo is what will be created when this terrorist trial is held.

Dream big.

Whether you’re for the death penalty or against it, there is no debate that using the power of the government to kill an individual is gravely serious business.

As many of us begin to think about trimming our trees, a number of municipalities are trimming their budgets this holiday season.

We aren’t the first to say this, but we’re ready to jump onto the bandwagon.

Should a man who suffocated a 3-year-old girl to silence her screams as he raped her ever be released from prison?

We have an opportunity today to honor the sacrifices made by those who serve in our armed forces.

What a fall season it’s already been for McHenry County prep athletes and teams.

BOSTON – It’s been 11 years since I looked through a photo album smuggled out of Afghanistan by a brave young woman. “This is a doctor,” she said, pointing to one picture. “This is a teacher.” It was impossible to tell one woman from another under the burqas enforced by their Taliban rulers.

As he continues to stretch out the timetable on a decision about whether to escalate the U.S. commitment to the war in Afghanistan, President Obama has asked for a province-by-province assessment of the tribal and other local leaders in that mountainous country. The ostensible reason is to try to figure out which local regions have leaders inclined to cooperate with the U.S. and able to provide a modicum of stability, meaning there would be little need for a lot of U.S. troops.

When evidence of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s alleged corruption came to light with his arrest nearly a year ago, Illinois voters had little influence in the matter.

The year was 1967.

Tread carefully.

A law mandating that doctors notify parents or guardians of girls 17 or younger before teens get abortions has been on the books in Illinois since today’s 25-year-olds were 11.

Residents of School District 26, beware.

Search warrants obtained by law enforcement agencies in Illinois are a matter of public record after they’ve been executed and returned to the courts, with few exceptions.

BOSTON – Not long ago, a group of writers decided to publish a book of essays we called: “Feminism Made Me Happy.”

The fundamental aims of the health-care bill unveiled Thursday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. – covering the uninsured and reforming insurance markets to end abusive practices – are laudable.

The number of McHenry County schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress on state assessment tests rose again this year.

Halloween might be one of the more festive holidays, but it’s also one of the most dangerous. It can be great fun to get all dressed up and go from door to door to ask for sweet treats, but it’s also a time to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings.

An expansion of state stalking laws that will take effect in January seems appropriate if vague in language.

Local Republican voters, so far, have contested primaries for 8th District Congress, McHenry County sheriff and County Board Districts 2, 3 and 6.

Recent studies are clear.

Metra is poised to raise rates for occasional and weekend riders in 2010. Commuters who buy monthly passes or 10-ride cards will not be affected by the rate increases.

The Friends of McHenry County College Foundation is making some necessary changes to the Promise scholarship program in an effort to save it.

Hundreds of thousands of men and women fulfill their promise to serve in the U.S. military each year.

Closing a school is among the toughest decisions a member of any school board will have to make.