State awards $3M to Marengo to help develop I-90/Route 23 interchange Ex

Written on February 25, 2025.

Marengo gets $3M from DCEO to extend utilities to 90-23 interchange

Congratulations to the City of Marengo for securing a $3 million state grant to extend water and sewer service to the I-90 and Route 23 interchange!

The recently awarded Regional Site Readiness Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity was one of 24 awarded across the state, totaling $31 million.

Work is ongoing to extend utilities to the interchange, which opened at the end of 2019. Located at the midpoint between Rockford and O’Hare airports, plans call for turning the interchange into a manufacturing and logistics hub that will create high-paying quality jobs and turbocharge McHenry County‘s economic growth.

This grant gets McHenry County one step closer to turning the interchange into an economic powerhouse. Again, congratulations!

The Bloody Mary Trail is launching this weekend!

If you love Bloody Marys, it’s time to hit Naturally McHenry County‘s newest trail!

The McHenry County Bloody Mary Trail officially launches this Sunday to help you explore all the mouthwatering, creative, and over-the-top Bloody Marys that out local bars and restaurants have to offer.

There are 16 participating establishments, and we hear that the list is still growing!

How do you participate? Simple – download the Naturally McHenry County App, check in with each visit, and then receive a bottle of locally made artisan hot sauce when you’ve visited each stop.

Click here to learn more and download the Naturally app. The trail lasts until next February, so that’s plenty of time – please drink responsibly.

The trail is just one of many that showcase our unique local businesses – you can click here to check them out.

Apply for the next round of Innovation Voucher Grants

Applications are now open for the second round of grant funding for the Illinois Innovation Voucher Program to promote small business growth and fuel transformative collaborations across Illinois.

The new program provides support for companies to engage in research projects in partnership with a qualified Illinois institute of higher education, ultimately leading to the commercialization of new Illinois-based products, and stimulating local and state economic growth.

A total of $2.6 million is available in this second round of funding; qualified entities can apply for competitive grants of up to $75,000 to cover up to 75% of research engagement costs. To learn more about the grant and apply, click here.

Governor Pritzker announced the second round earlier this month at an event announcing the 35 recipients of the first round of funding.

MCEDC, SBDC hosting Strong Transitions entrepreneur info session

Thinking of owning a business? The McHenry County Economic Development Corp. and the Illinois Small Business Development Center are inviting you to come to an information session to learn how to turn your ambition into business ownership and growth.

The Strong Transitions Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition workshop aims to provide learners with guidance on how to buy an established small to medium-sized company and operate, optimize, and grow it. This information session will feature details on the workshop and input from local business owners who have successfully engaged in the ETA process.

The workshop takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 at the MCC Catalyst Campus, 222 E. Church St., Woodstock. It’s free, but participants must register – click here to do so.

A $225,000 Advance McHenry County grant funded the Strong Transitions Program, which assists existing business owners with transition planning, and helps aspiring entrepreneurs acquire businesses seeking a transition here in McHenry County. You can get more information about the program by clicking here.

Explore the cosmos at the MCC Planetarium

If you love astronomy and science, there’s a hidden jewel here in McHenry County just waiting for you to find it.

The McHenry County College Planetarium at the Liebman Science Center holds general admission shows for the public, and a number of cool ones are coming up, from the fiery birth of Earth and a look at a warm and dinosaur-filled Antarctica to a tour of the observable (and unobservable) universe.

Shows are $15 a person ($10 for MCC students), and reservations are required. Visit www.mchenry.edu/planetarium for a list of shows and to register (and for sneak-peek trailers of each presentation).

The Dole hosting annual Spring Art Show

The Dole and its Creative Arts Inc. nonprofit art studio are once again hosting their annual Spring Art Show.

Explore a wonderful variety of drawings, paintings, digital art, fiber art and more from Creative Arts students and instructors on display from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 15 at The Dole, 401 Country Club Road, Crystal Lake.

Activities for the family-friendly event include face painting, cookie decorating, coloring tables, a scavenger hunt, and more.

The event is free, but donations are welcome and encouraged. Click here 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.