Year In Review 2021: Wandering Bison; Biden's Visit To MCC

CRYSTAL LAKE AND CARY, IL — A wandering bison, President Joe Biden's trip to Crystal Lake and the election of the city's first new mayor in more than 20 years were among the most read stories this past year on Crystal Lake-Cary Patch.

We've appreciated the opportunity to share some of the best local news stories with you this past year and look forward to doing the same in 2022.

Here is a look back on 2021's top stories on Crystal Lake-Cary Patch:

Biden Visits Crystal Lake; Trump Supporters Rally Outside MCC

President Joe Biden made his first presidential trip to Illinois in early July, stopping at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. There he toured the campus and touted incentives for working families with children and a program that would offer two free years of community college for Americans.

The visit was the first time a sitting president ever stopped in Crystal Lake. Meanwhile, crowds of Trump supporters gathered outside MCC during Biden's visit. They held signs reading "Joe Biden Sucks" and "MAGA Country." Other demonstrators held anti-abortion signs.

• Crystal Lake Preps For President Joe Biden's Visit
  

Bison Escapes, Roams Free In Lake, McHenry Counties

Some call her Billy. Others refer to her as Tyson the Bison.

But the bison, which has been roaming Lake and McHenry counties for three months following her daring escape from Milk & Honey Farmstead in Wauconda, has not yet been officially named, said Scott Comstock, owner of Milk & Honey Farm. And the male names affectionately given by area residents hoping to catch a glimpse of her might not work for the massive animal, which is a 1½-year-old female bison.

The bison escaped in September and has been on the lam since, evading capture by police and fire departments offering their assistance to help get her back home.

"It happened when we were unloading the bison at the farm and she got away," Comstock said. "It went through a big swamp area, and I met up with her on the other side. And then she looked at me and started walking toward [Route] 176. I followed her and she just looked at me and said, 'See ya.'"

• Elusive Bison Still Roaming Free

4 Students At Homecoming Dinner Help At Crash Scene: Police

Four local high school students came to the aid of several young children involved in a multiple-vehicle crash in Fox Lake in September.

The high school students were out to dinner prior to a homecoming dance when the collision occurred, according to a post on the Johnsburg Police Department's Facebook page. The students — Piper Damien, Dominik Drwila, Savannah Lorenz and Damin Green — decided to see if they could provide any assistance and left their dinner to run over and help at the crash scene.

The group ended up getting several young children out of a vehicle involved and caring for them on the side of the road while police and paramedics arrived and took care of the mother, according to police.

• Read the full story here: 4 Students At Homecoming Dinner Help At Crash Scene: Police
  

Crystal Lake Elects First New Mayor In More Than 2 Decades

For the first time in more than two decades, Crystal Lake voters headed to the polls this past April to pick a new mayor. Haig Haleblian, a former city councilor, stepped into the role of acting mayor after former longtime Mayor Aaron Shepley unexpectedly died last year at the age of 56.

Shepley, who served as Crystal Lake's mayor for 21 years, died in his sleep after biking 50 miles the day before, city council member Ellen Brady told the Chicago Tribune last spring. He said he felt a tightness in his chest before he went to sleep.

Haleblian said Shepley was "not only a friend but also a hero, and picked great leaders to help run Crystal Lake.

"Two years ago, I would have never dreamed I would be a mayor let alone run for the position. I used to tell Aaron 'when you go I go.' Sadly that statement took on an entirely new meaning last June. He went and I stayed," Haleblian wrote in his candidate profile on Patch. "Though Aaron was an attorney and I a businessman, our philosophies are pretty consistent in that we despise liars, trolls, and will always do what we feel is best for the community."

Other stories that grabbed reader's attention this past year:

• Coroner IDs Man Killed When Boat Hits Tree
• 'Biggest Fans' Of 'Groundhog Day' Get Engaged At Woodstock Fest
• 'Suspicious' Fire Guts Former Roller Skating Rink
• McHenry Co. Restaurants Offer Bonuses, Face Staff Shortages
• Swimmer's Itch Complaints Leads To Advisory For Main Beach
• Coroner IDs Crystal Lake Man Found Dead In Grassy Area
• Loaded Gun, Feces On Floor: Child Endangerment Allegations