McHenry County ranked in the top 10% for overall health

Written on September 7, 2021.

Resume McHenry County Update!

Through our collaboration with McHenry County, we will continue to share important information on stimulus programs, COVID-19 updates, and where the county is opening up through Resume McHenry County Updates.

Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as more and more are opening up in McHenry County. If MCEDC can be of any help, please call. Forward this email to your friends and family to help get the word out!

McHenry County ranked in top 10% for overall health

To us, it’s hardly a newsflash that McHenry County is an awesome place to live, play, and work. But if it were ever a secret, the secret is out.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked us in the top 10% in its fourth annual Healthiest Communities rankings. The media company partnered with the Aetna Foundation, a philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health, to survey more than 3,000 communities nationwide.

The rankings were calculated by 84 individual metrics spread across 10 categories: population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure. McHenry County’s highest scores were for its economy, at 80 percent, and public safety, which was ranked at 75 percent.

A lot of factors go into determining a community’s overall health, and from its great schools and safe communities to our ongoing economic rebound from COVID-19 and our wonderful businesses and open spaces, McHenry County has a lot going for it. Thanks goes to U.S. News and the Aetna Foundation for seeing that!

You can learn more about McHenry County’s rankings by clicking here, and you can click here to learn more about the methodology used.

MCC’s Student Farm prepares AG entrepreneurs for the future

The first growing year of the McHenry County College Student Farm has been, how shall we say, a memorable one.

First came a prolonged drought, which was interrupted in early August by six inches of rain in four days. Then came the potato beetles, the Japanese beetles, and other garden pests that took advantage of the weird weather to become fruitful and multiply.

But, in the words of the students of MCC’s Entrepreneurial Agriculture program, they persisted. The students started a weekly produce stand for students and employees, and with the return of in-person instruction, the college cafeteria is using much more of their bounty. The students also proudly made their first donation to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry – which they hope is the first of many.

The Entrepreneurial Agriculture program is a beautiful fit for McHenry County, which is 60 percent farmland composed of 95 percent family-owned farms. It’s also big business – agriculture in McHenry County generated $182.4 million in revenue in 2019, according to federal data.

You can click here to learn more about the college’s Entrepreneurial Agriculture program, and you can click on the video above to learn more about the Student Farm. If a video isn’t enough for you, MCC is offering two free 30-minute tours – at 3 p.m. tomorrow and noon Thursday, starting at the entrance to Building F.

And of course, we would be very remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to shamelessly plug McHenry County‘s numerous, award-winning farmers markets. Click here to see a list of markets compiled by our good friends at Visit McHenry County.

MCDH lays out qualifications for third COVID shot

The McHenry County Department of Health, in accordance with CDC guidelines, is offering a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to protect people who are moderate to severely immunocompromised.

The MCDH is urging people who qualify not to delay in ensuring that they get protected. Qualifying conditions to receive the third shot include:

· Receiving active cancer treatment;

· Taking immunosuppressants following an organ transplant;

· Receiving a stem cell transplant within the last two years or taking immunosuppressants;

· Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency;

· Advanced or untreated HIV; and

· Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress immune response.

If you qualify to receive a third shot from the MCDH, you can schedule the appointment by visiting https://bit.ly/MCDHCOVIDVaxLoc or by calling the county COVID-19 Call Center at 815-334-4045.

Deadlines approaching for first-round PPP forgiveness

The deadlines are fast approaching for businesses that took out first-round Paycheck Protection Program loans to apply for loan forgiveness.

Deadlines vary, based on the date of the loan and the period covered (which were between eight and 24 weeks), but the first round loan deadlines fall between September and November.

Fortunately, the SBA has streamlined the process of filing for loan forgiveness by opening a portal by which businesses that borrowed $150,000 or less can apply. Many smaller banks have chosen to participate, which means borrowers can apply for loan forgiveness directly through the portal instead of through their lender.

You can find the portal by clicking here. A list of PPP lenders participating in the portal can be downloaded here. You also can learn more about the particulars of the loan forgiveness program from the SBA itself by clicking here.

About $800 billion in forgivable PPP loans were given out to help employees cope with mass business shutdowns as the nation locked down to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 90 percent of them were less than $150,000, according to SBA data.

County partnering up for two recycling events

Do you have a small mountain of used electronics in your garage or attic since the COVID-19 lockdowns?

The McHenry County Department of Health is once again teaming up with the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Elgin Recycling, and Paper Tiger Document Solutions, to offer two fall residential recycling events. The first is from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday at Woodstock North High School, and the second is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 16, at Chesak Elementary School, in Lake in the Hills.

Besides a wide array of electronics products (as well as fluorescent light bulbs, textiles, clothing, and clean Styrofoam), Paper Tiger will be on hand to shred sensitive documents you need destroyed.

Here’s a tip: county recycling events held since the lifting of pandemic capacity restrictions have been well-attended – in plain English, the lines are long, so make sure you give yourself enough time.

For a complete list of items that will be accepted at the recycling events, please visit https://bit.ly/MCDHsolidwaste.

Visit McHenry County releases its Autumn Bucket List

With the lifting of COVID-19 capacity restrictions earlier this year, Resume McHenry County is featuring the return of its iconic attractions, and the founding of new ones.

Not all “bucket lists” have to involve seeing Paris, running with the bulls in Pamplona or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Visit McHenry County puts out a beautiful seasonal bucket list, and with the start of fall only weeks away, it’s time to get all the wonderful autumn activities that McHenry County has to offer checked off before they get blanketed in snow.

From the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Crystal Lake to two farms that boast the nation’s first apple tree maze and the world’s largest corn maze, the list is a wonderful, family-friendly activity guide to keep you occupied through fall. Click here to see it.

Hat tip to Instagrammer Gloria Rios for snapping the awesome picture that VMC shared on its page.

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What is Resume McHenry County?

Resume McHenry County 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. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.