How desperate is NWH?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
October 20, 2010

Just how desperate are the Northwest Herald editors in the support of their endorsed candidate for the Office of Sheriff of McHenry County in the November 2nd election?

Desperate enough to twist headlines and mislead busy readers who won't take time to get the "whole story"?

Several years ago a NWH reporter told me that reporters write stories and editors write headlines. Is that still the case?

Yesterday morning I wrote about the fueling of what appeared to be a privately-owned car at the Sheriff's Department garage gas pump. Within an hour the first two comments were posted to make references to an uncover car. Additional comments quickly followed, as the word must have spread around the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

The Northwest Herald headline over the first story was "Sheriff's department says blogging candidate outed undercover car." I didn't ever mention "undercover". Undersheriff Andy Zinke did.

This morning the Northwest Herald continued to run the story but changed the headline to "Sheriff's candidate identifies undercover police car on blog". Changing the headline, in effect, created a second article and separated the 55+ comments for the first story.

Wrong again. I wrote about a privately-licensed car sucking up gas at the County trough. The car was later identified by the Undersheriff, Andy Zinke, as an undercover car!

I wonder if the editors at the Northwest Herald need a remedial reading course. I hear there is a decent one at MCC. Did they even read my (first) article? It's not even that long. Nowhere is "undercover" mentioned or even alluded to.

All I saw was a black, nice-looking car with "regular" Illinois passenger car plates on it; well, not quite. It didn't have a front plate, on which I commented yesterday morning. After all, Illinois is a two-plate state. One reader picked up on that.

Can't wait to enter the courthouse this morning for a jury trial that has been on my calender for weeks. Maybe I'd better bundle up in an overcoat, scarf and heated gloves. Will it be chilly there?

Oh, I just figured something out. "They" must have known I was planning to be at the courthouse this morning, and so fueling of that car was arranged for yesterday morning. But how did they get me to pass by the sheriff's department garage just as the car was being driven back to the parking lot?

I do smile when I enter the courthouse and pass through Security. Several months ago one of the courthouse security guards recognized me, looked around to be sure no other guards were nearby, and then said, "Good morning, Sheriff." Little things mean a lot! Thanks!!!