DeKalb County Board issues Purple Heart and Mental Health proclamations; residents urge action on animal welfare
May 20, 2026 | DeKalb County, Illinois
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DeKalb County Board read a proclamation advancing steps to designate the county as a Purple Heart community and proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month, recognizing the role of mental health professionals and urging removal of stigma around seeking care.
Chair (S3) read the Purple Heart proclamation, noting the county’s appreciation for Purple Heart recipients. County and mental-health board members including Megan Cook, Lana Haynes and Kate McCabe accepted the mental-health proclamation and spoke briefly about awareness efforts.
The board also recognized Nathan Schwartz, P.E., as the 2026 Urban County Engineer of the Year for his work replacing bridges, upgrading more than 60 miles of county highways and securing grant funding.
During public comment, William Henry of the village of Lee delivered a speech invoking civic responsibility and progress and thanked board leadership and volunteers. Animal welfare advocates Kathy Stelter (Sycamore Township) and Dori Burke urged the board to take action on reported cruelty and to support animal-care efforts; speakers described experience in wildlife rehabilitation and longstanding engagement on animal issues.
Chair closed public comment and the board proceeded to consent and committee items.
Chair (S3) read the Purple Heart proclamation, noting the county’s appreciation for Purple Heart recipients. County and mental-health board members including Megan Cook, Lana Haynes and Kate McCabe accepted the mental-health proclamation and spoke briefly about awareness efforts.
The board also recognized Nathan Schwartz, P.E., as the 2026 Urban County Engineer of the Year for his work replacing bridges, upgrading more than 60 miles of county highways and securing grant funding.
During public comment, William Henry of the village of Lee delivered a speech invoking civic responsibility and progress and thanked board leadership and volunteers. Animal welfare advocates Kathy Stelter (Sycamore Township) and Dori Burke urged the board to take action on reported cruelty and to support animal-care efforts; speakers described experience in wildlife rehabilitation and longstanding engagement on animal issues.
Chair closed public comment and the board proceeded to consent and committee items.
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