Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Officials urge Illinois residents to halt use of bird feeders, baths due to flu outbreak

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 05:06 PM PDT

File Photo – Bird Feeder | Photo: blende12 via Pixabay

State officials on Thursday said they are urging residents in Illinois to stop using bird feeders and birdbaths due to an influenza outbreak killing birds.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) issued updated public recommendations regarding wild birds.

The department said the EA H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is currently impacting some wild and domestic bird species.

While HPAI has not been detected in songbird species, IDNR recommends the use of bird feeders and birdbaths cease through May 31 or until influenza infections in the Midwest subside, especially those that waterfowl may visit.

The IDNR said that wild birds will have ample food sources while bird feeders are removed this spring.

The department recommends that residents clean and rinse bird feeders and baths with a diluted bleach solution and put away or clean weekly if they can't be moved away from birds.

Residents should also remove any birdseed at the base of bird feeders to discourage large gatherings of birds or other wildlife.

Avoid feeding wild birds in close proximity to domestic flocks, the IDNR said.

Those who find five or more deceased wild birds in one location should contact an IDNR district wildlife biologist. Wildlife biologists’ contact information can be found online here.

The IDNR also asks that all occurrences of deceased or sick bald eagles be reported to the agency.

“When disposing of any deceased wild birds, rubber gloves and a mask should be worn, and the carcass should be double-bagged in sealed plastic bags. The bags can be buried away from scavengers or placed in the garbage if approved by the local waste service provider. Anyone handling deceased birds should thoroughly wash their hands and any other clothes or tools with soap and water following disposal,” the department said in a statement.

IDNR first announced HPAI was detected in wild Canada geese in Illinois on March 10.

Wild bird mortality from HPAI has since been confirmed in Champaign, Fulton, Sangamon, and Will counties.

According to laboratory results, the large bird population at the Baker's Lake forest preserve in Barrington is suffering from an outbreak of HPAI.

Forest preserve officials estimate more than 200 birds have died this month.

With spring turkey season underway, the IDNR also noted that wild turkeys are less likely to contract influenza given their behavior and the habitats they occupy.

Turkey hunters are recommended to thoroughly cook game meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

17-year-old boy seriously injured after being shot inside apartment building in Waukegan

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 02:20 PM PDT

Waukegan Police – File Photo | Photo: Woo-Sung Shim / Lake and McHenry County Scanner

A 17-year-old boy remains hospitalized after he was shot and seriously injured inside an apartment building in Waukegan, police said.

The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 7 p.m. Monday to the area of Golf Road and Elmwood Avenue in Waukegan.

Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that officers located a victim with a gunshot wound at the intersection.

Officers located a scene on the second floor of an apartment building in the 1700 block of Golf Road.

Blood and shell casings were located in the second-floor hallway, Florip said.

Officers check all of the area apartments but no one else appeared to have been shot.

The victim, a 17-year-old male from Waukegan, was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.

The boy remains hospitalized Thursday after suffering serious injuries in the shooting. His condition has since been stabilized.

Florip said the case remains open and under active investigation by the Waukegan Police Department.

Woman dies in hospital nearly a month after car, semi-truck crash on Route 12 in Lake Zurich

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 12:24 PM PDT

Firefighters work to remove an injured driver from her vehicle following a crash involving a semi-truck on Route 12 at Cuba Road in Lake Zurich on March 23, 2022. | Photo: Lake Zurich Fire/Rescue Department

An 85-year-old woman died last weekend in the hospital after she suffered multiple injuries in a crash with a semi-truck in Lake Zurich last month, the medical examiner said.

Eugenia Economos, 85, of Lake Zurich, died at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge Sunday evening, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Lake Zurich Police Department and Lake Zurich Fire/Rescue Department responded around 8:34 a.m. on March 23 to Route 12 and Cuba Road for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Lake Zurich Deputy Fire Chief John Kelly said at the time that the crash involved a passenger car and a semi-tractor-trailer truck.

The driver of the car, later identified as Economos, was trapped inside their vehicle and it took firefighters approximately 13 minutes to free her, Kelly said.

Economos was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital where she died Sunday almost a month after the crash.

Lake Zurich Deputy Police Chief David Anderson said the woman was driving her Saturn sedan eastbound on Cuba Road attempting to make a right turn onto Route 12.

The Saturn struck the rear of the tractor-trailer as it was traveling southbound on Route 12 through the intersection.

The impact of the crash caused the Saturn to propel into a pole, Anderson said.

Economos suffered upper and lower extremity injuries, along with a head injury.

The driver of the semi-truck, a 43-year-old man from Robbins, was uninjured, Anderson said.

Southbound lanes of Route 12 at South Old Rand Road were shut down for over an hour.

The incident remains under investigation by the Lake Zurich Police Department.

6 years in prison for man found with drugs and replica gun after attempting to flee police in Crystal Lake

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:12 AM PDT

Jordan Carmody, 28, of Crystal Lake.

A judge sentenced a 28-year-old man to six years in prison in connection with an incident where he tried running from police while in possession of drugs and a replica gun in Crystal Lake.

Jordan P. Carmody, 28, of the 1500 block of Briarwood Circle in Crystal Lake, was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, four counts of aggravated fleeing to elude, obstructing justice and resisting a peace officer.

Authorities said that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force and Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit learned in December 2020 that Carmody, who was wanted on multiple arrest warrants, was in the McHenry County area selling drugs and possibly armed.

Investigators developed information that Carmody was located in the 1500 block of Briarwood Circle in Crystal Lake.

When officers approached the man on December 22, 2020, he fled on foot and was apprehended following a short foot pursuit, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said.

Carmody was discovered to be in possession of two grams of cocaine, three tabs of LSD, 20 ecstasy pills and $250 in cash, police said. The street value of the narcotics was estimated to be $430.

During the foot pursuit, Carmody was seen throwing a black object from his waistband, the sheriff’s office said.

A canine unit searched the area and found a replica handgun.

Carmody, who has been held in the McHenry County Jail since his arrest, entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Tuesday.

He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, a Class 1 felony, in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed.

McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt approved the plea deal and sentenced Carmody to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

He will also be required to pay $2,846 in court fines and fees.

1 injured after rollover crash causes wires to fall down, sparking brush fire in Marengo

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 08:23 AM PDT

One person was injured after a vehicle rolled over into a field in the 23200 block of Pleasant Grove Road in unincorporated Marengo Wednesday evening. | Photo: MFRD

An injured woman was able to escape from her rolled-over vehicle after she hit a pole, causing wires to fall down and sparking a brush fire near Marengo Wednesday evening.

The Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5:27 p.m. Wednesday to the 23200 block of Pleasant Grove Road in unincorporated Marengo.

Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Communication Specialist Alex Vucha said dispatchers received a report of a vehicle crash with entrapment.

Several 911 callers advised a vehicle had struck a pole and rolled over into a field, Vucha said.

Firefighters arrived and confirmed a single vehicle was off the roadway on its roof.

There was also a damaged utility pole and several live power lines down on the ground.

The power lines on the ground sparked a minor brush fire, which was quickly mitigated, Vucha said.

The single occupant of the vehicle managed to free herself from the car before firefighters arrived.

The female driver was evaluated and transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Huntley with minor injuries.

The roadway was closed for approximately 30 minutes in both directions, Vucha said.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause of the crash.