A new Rise and Thrive video just dropped!

Written on October 1, 2024.

Rise and Thrive spotlights our unmatched workforce development assets

If you’re looking to locate or expand your business, McHenry County has one of the most skilled and adaptable workforces you could ask for.

Our unmatched workforce training network is the the focus of our newest Rise and Thrive video that was just released – click above to watch it on YouTube!

In this edition, McHenry County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Mark Piekos sits down with Workforce Network Board Director Jake Rohn, and McHenry County College Associate Vice President for Workforce Development Catherine Jones, to talk about some of the many opportunities for job seekers and employers.

To drive the point home, the setting for the video is MCC’s new Catalyst Campus in downtown Woodstock, which is home to five specialized centers of learning for students, young adults, and entrepreneurs!

McHenry County early voting is open – be sure to note the new location!

If you want to vote early for the Nov. 5 presidential election – and avoid the potential hassles of long waits and Mother Nature – you can do so at the new McHenry County Election Center!

The Election Center is located at 410 S. Eastwood Drive, aka Route 47, in Woodstock. It’s in the same mall as the Secretary of State DMV facility – you can’t miss it.

Early voting is available at the Election Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays (except for Columbus Day on Oct. 14). Starting Monday, Oct. 21, another 11 early voting locations will open across McHenry County, and you’ll be able to vote early until Monday, Nov. 4. Click here for a complete list of locations and hours of operation.

If you’d like to sign up for a vote-by-mail ballot, double-check where your polling place is if you prefer to vote on Election Day, or generate a copy of your ballot to see what races are on it, click here.

Take a survey to help improve McHenry County traffic safety

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning wants your input to improve travel safety for everyone.

It has launched the Safe Travel for All initiative to craft safety action plans for McHenry, Cook and the other collar counties to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. Also, completing these plans will open up opportunities for counties and municipalities to apply for federal traffic safety improvement funding.

Click here for the page for the McHenry County Safety Action Plan, where you can drop pins on a safety hotspot map, take a traffic safety survey, and sign up for project updates and notifications for events and open houses.

McRide Connect Workshop aims to educate service orgs

The McHenry County Division of Transportation is holding a workshop to educate service organizations about the new McRide Connect service that can help their clients get to where they need to go.

McRide Connect augments the existing McRide paratransit service to add ride-sharing companies Uber and UZURV, providing an affordable transportation option for county residents who have an RTA Reduced Fare, Ride Free, or ADA Paratransit Permit Card. It offers subsidized trips throughout the six-county Chicago region, so long as the origin or destination is in McHenry County.

The workshop takes place at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the Community Foundation for McHenry County, 33 E. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake. DOT staff will

provide a comprehensive overview of how to use MCRide Connect, review the RTA Reduced Fare and Ride Free programs, and share valuable resources for other transportation options available in our community.

Click here to RSVP for the workshop, and click here to learn more about McRide Connect.

Watch the 2024 McHenry County Water Forum online

The seventh annual McHenry County Water Forum was, once again, a big success.

Residents, businesses, advocacy groups and local governments came to McHenry County College on Sept. 18 to learn more about McHenry County’s water supply, and how to ensure its sustainability for future generations.

Don’t worry if you missed it – MCC recorded it, and you can watch it on the McHenry County Government YouTube page by clicking on the video above.

To learn more about McHenry County’s water resources and how they can be protected, visit www.mchenryh2o.com.

Make finding your Halloween pumpkin an event

There’s nothing wrong with walking into a McHenry County supermarket to buy your Halloween jack-o-lantern – every county business is a friend to McH Thrive.

But why not turn it into a family-friendly event? There’s just something about taking the family on a hayride to a pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin to pick yourself before treating everyone to hot donuts and cider to keep autumn’s chill at bay.

As always, our friends at Naturally McHenry County have compiled a list of local pumpkin patches, which you can find here.

In case you didn’t know Illinois produces more pumpkins than any other state; actually, more than the next five top-producing states combined. Read this informative and fun article by the Illinois Farm Bureau to learn more.

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What is McH Thrive?

McH Thrive is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents.