Will County

Amazon makes half million dollar investment in Will County

Published by admin on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 5:48pm

A drive along I-55 or Route 53 toward Joliet is all anyone needs to see the increased presence of e-commerce giant Amazon in Will County.

Now, Amazon has pledged funds into the region for workforce and economic development.

On Feb. 25, the Community Foundation of Will County (CFWC) announced that Amazon has donated $500,000 to invest in workforce development and education in Will County.

Vaccine doses set to increase with third option available

Published by admin on Tue, 03/02/2021 - 5:37pm

The state of Illinois is expected to receive thousands of doses of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, March 3.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported this week that 83,000 doses of the new vaccine, which received emergency authorization from the FDA late Friday, is expected to be shipped out primarily to mass vaccination sites in the state. The remaining doses will be shipped to other providers across the state.

Will County remains under Tier 3 mitigations

Published by admin on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 5:02pm

Nine of the state’s 11 regions saw their resurgence mitigation requirements to battle the novel coronavirus rolled back at the beginning of this week.

But, Will County was not among those areas where guidelines were relaxed.

Will County and Kankakee County make up Region 7, one of only two regions in the state that remain in Tier 3 mitigations. Region 4, the St. Louis metro east area, also remains in Tier 3.

Regions 1, 2, and 6 are now in Tier 1 mitigations. This includes Grundy County which is part of Region 2.

Will County warns residents of rising COVID-19 rate

Published by admin on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 3:43pm

Region 7 is headed toward rolling back from Tier 3 mitigations, put in place in November by Gov. JB Pritzker to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But the Will County Health Department warns that while Region 7 — Will and Kankakee counties — is set to hit the metrics for that rollback, Will County alone has seen cases on the rise.

As of Jan. 9, the Region 7 test positivity seven day rolling average was 11%. But the average in Will County was higher, at 12.6%.

Will County COVID-19 positivity rate at 13.9%

Published by admin on Tue, 12/15/2020 - 5:40pm

The first vaccinations to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have been administered in Illinois.
On Tuesday, those first vaccinations in the state were given to health care workers in Peoria.
“This is a beginning for the state of Illinois, people getting vaccinated, particularly our healthcare workers, is an exciting moment,” Gov. JB Pritzker said during an event in Peoria, where several of those workers were vaccinated on camera.

Governor: Thanksgiving likely to have a negative effect on COVID numbers

Published by admin on Tue, 12/01/2020 - 5:16pm

Tier 3 resurgence mitigations continue to stay in effect across the state.

On Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker said the state would evaluate any effects of the Thanksgiving holiday before making any changes regarding the current resurgence mitigations.

Indoor seating at bars, restaurants to reopen

Published by admin on Fri, 09/18/2020 - 12:47pm

Bars and restaurants will be able to reopen to indoor seating this weekend.

As of Friday, Sept. 18, the positivity rate for the novel coronavirus in Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee Counties, is now at 5.6%. That marks the third day in a row where the positivity rate has been below 6.5%, meaning the region can now return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan.

Will County election judges to see pay increase

Published by admin on Mon, 09/14/2020 - 1:24pm

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry announced on Monday, Sept. 14 that she will increase the pay for election judges who serve in a polling place during the Nov. 3 Presidential Election by $100, bringing their total pay to $250 from $150.

In addition, the County Clerk will raise the hourly pay for Early Voting election workers hired through her office to $20 from $13.

These will be one-time pay increases for the November Election covered through CARES Act funding.

Wilmington Park District will seek COVID relief funds from Will County allocation

Published by admin on Tue, 09/08/2020 - 1:49pm

The Wilmington Park District could collect up to $25,000 in COVID-19 relief funding.

But, what the district is eligible for and what they will receive is not necessarily the same thing.

On Aug. 27, park district director Renee Chavez gave the members of the board an update on funding being distributed to Will County taxing districts by the county.

Will County truck route survey open though Sept. 8

Published by admin on Tue, 09/01/2020 - 5:13pm

Folks looking to have their voices heard when it comes to truck traffic in Will County have until next week to comment on the latest draft truck route plans.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) ‘ON TO 2050’ plan recommends strategies to maintain the region’s status as North America’s freight hub, while balancing community concerns and the economic benefits of freight.