News

Sorensen appointed Wesley Road Commissioner

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 8:58pm

Unrelenting rain, a budget to write, supplies to purchase and equipment to repair hasn’t kept Wesley Township’s new road commissioner from getting out and making the township’s byways a little safer and a lot more comfortable to drive on.
Travis Parsley, who was elected to the position two years ago, submitted his resignation effective May 7. During its regular meeting last Tuesday, the Wesley Township Board selected Jeff Sorensen as his replacement and swore him into office.

Memorial Day parade Saturday

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 8:55pm

The Wilmington American Legion Lester J. Smith Post 191 will be hosting the annual Memorial Day weekend parade on Saturday, May 25, to honor those men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces. The parade steps off from Stevens Intermediate School, at the corner of Ryan and Kankakee Street, at 11:30 a.m.
The parade will march south on Kankakee Street to Kahler Road, then north on Williams to end at Veterans Memorial Park, at the corner of Vine and Williams.

Council assigns committees, chairs

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 8:53pm

The Wilmington City Council assigned aldermen to committees and selected chairmen for each during a Committee of the Whole meeting last Tuesday.
All eight members of the council serve on the Finance, Administration and Land Acquisition Committee and the Personnel and Collective Bargaining Committee.
Five council members are assigned to the Police and ESDA Committee, the Ordinance and Licensing Committee, the Buildings, Grounds, Parks, Health and Safety Committee and the Water, Sewer, Streets and Alleys Committee.

Enlisted Coalers

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 7:32pm

“Being a soldier is more than courage, it's sacrificing yourself for something greater than yourself.”
The anonymous quote accurately depicts seven members of the Coal City High School class of 2019, as each has decided to serve their country as members of the armed forces.
Graduates Joshua Chubb, Walker Hanson, Benjamin Hawkins, Hussien Knittel, Brian Robbins and Kameron Ruhrup intend to join the military, joining fellow graduate Sean McGouirk who enlisted in the Army National Guard in summer 2018 completing his basic training at Fort Leonardwood in Missouri.

Bringing America’s heroes home

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 7:31pm

An effort is underway to bring American’s war heroes home, and the cause hits close to home with one local veteran.
Last September, Charles Brown received a letter from a Department of Defense contractor conducting genealogical research. The inquiry was to determine if he was the son of Charles O. Brown and thus the nephew of John N. Brown.
“John N. Brown was indeed my uncle. From my earliest memory his picture in an Army officer’s uniform was displayed in my home,” said Brown, who serves as commander of St. Juvin Post 1336 Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Be a lifesaver, skip the straw

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 7:30pm

On a recent family trip to Texas, Izzy Anderson attended a presentation on the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles, and the data presented prompted her to share her new found knowledge with the students in her fourth grade class.
What Anderson shared with her peers about the dangers plastics, namely drinking straws, pose to sea turtles prompted the students in Besty Cowherd’s class to take action.

Memorial Day service to honor military heroes

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 7:28pm

On Memorial Day the community will join together to salute the men and women who served in defense of our nation, paying particular note to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in defense of freedom. In all, 761 Coal City area residents were called to military service from World War 1 to Vietnam and 24 of them did not return home.

Gift of life

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 7:27pm

Rob Hicks gave his aunt the gift of life. Through organ donation he provided her with a much-needed kidney. But what makes his story unique is that he himself is the recipient of an organ transplant.
Hicks grew up in Chicago’s Bridgeport/Brighten Park neighborhood, and following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force serving as part of the four-man fire team known as the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Administrators to graduates: Hold on to memories, find inspiration

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 6:43pm

This year’s high school seniors are students no more.

The 91st Annual Reed-Custer High School Commencement Ceremony was held on Sunday, May 19, as the 115 graduates of the Class of 2019 walked the halls as students for the last time.

Reed-Custer Superintendent Mark Mitchell told the graduates that he will always carry fond memories of the Class of 2019.

RCHS grads give thanks where thanks is due

Published by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 6:41pm

The top students of the Reed-Custer High School Class of 2019 know that their success was a group effort.

On Sunday, May 19, those students got a chance to thank their families, teachers and friends for their help over the past four years, during this year’s graduation ceremony.

Valedictorian T.J. Sforza told his fellow graduates that they have much to be proud of after four years at RCHS.

“Each one of us had a different outlook on our high school experience. While we all completed high school in our own way, we have shared a common passion to succeed,” Sforza said.