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Townhouses proposed in downtown Crystal Lake after more than 30-year wait to finish build out
Feb 27, 2026 1:11 pm - Builders are looking to finish a townhouse development in downtown Crystal Lake that has been on pause for more than 30 years.
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McHenry Outdoor Theater opens April 3; patrons can win galactic gaming opportunityFeb 27, 2026 12:09 pm - When McHenry Outdoor Theater opens on April 3, patrons will have a chance to watch the new “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and a shot at playing some Mario Bros. games on the theater’s 100-foot-wide, 5-story-tall screen.
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Des Plaines council to again consider restricting short-term rentalsFeb 27, 2026 10:39 am - The Des Plaines City Council will discuss regulating short-term rental properties when it meets Monday.
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Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount
Feb 26, 2026 6:14 pm - Netflix is declining to raise its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival.
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‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential zoningFeb 26, 2026 4:40 pm - Municipal leaders gathered Thursday in South Barrington to oppose Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to legislatively reduce local officials’ ability to control residential construction.
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Burger King is testing AI headsets that will know if employees say ‘welcome’ or ‘thank you’
Feb 26, 2026 4:08 pm - Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that can recite recipes, alert managers when inventories are low and even track how friendly employees are to customers. The OpenAI-powered system collects data on restaurant operations and shares it via “Patty,” a voice that talks to employees through their headsets.
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For the first time since 2022, average US long-term mortgage rate dips below 6%
Feb 26, 2026 3:57 pm - The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week below 6% for the first time since late 2022, good news for home shoppers as the spring home-buying season gets rolling. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 5.98% from 6.01% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.76%.
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Instagram says it will notify parents if teens ‘repeatedly’ search for terms related to suicide
Feb 26, 2026 3:56 pm - Instagram said Thursday it will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The alerts will only go to parents who are enrolled in Instagram’s parental supervision program.
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Elgin City Council moves to ban single-use plastic bags at large retailersFeb 26, 2026 2:48 pm - The Elgin City Council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a ban on single-use plastic checkout bags at larger retailers. If approved, Elgin would be one of the only municipalities in the state with such an ordinance.
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Illinois legislators introduce bills to regulate pricing based on personal data
Feb 26, 2026 2:46 pm - Two bills introduced in the House would require companies to tell consumers when their personal data is used in price setting. Known as algorithmic pricing, the practice has come under fire recently for anticompetitive tactics.