Braidwood Journal

Braidwood to start process for replacing aging trucks

Published by admin on Tue, 04/18/2023 - 4:33pm

Braidwood’s Public Property Commissioner said plans to start replacing some of the trucks in Braidwood’s aging public works fleet are underway.

Commissioner Warren Wietting told the members of the City Council back in February that he has been working on an inventory of all property owned by the city. As commissioner of public property, Wietting is charged with overseeing all the city’s property, including City Hall, the wastewater treatment plant and water plant, all real estate, and any property which is not used by a specific department.

Esparza in the Reed-Custer Senior Spotlight for April

Published by admin on Tue, 04/18/2023 - 4:31pm

The Reed-Custer High School Senior Spotlight winner for the month of April is Connor Esparza.

Connor is the son of Matthew and Amanda Esparza. During his high school career, Connor was involved in Football, Basketball, and Baseball. He named to both the All-Conference and Academic All-Conference teams in Baseball. He was also on the High Honor Roll and was a volunteer coach for RCMS Baseball.

His future plans are to attend JJC and work towards an Associate’s Degree in Engineering.

Here are a few thoughts from Connor’s teachers:

Coalition members hope Narcan availability can save lives

Published by admin on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 4:24pm

A life saving drug that can neutralize the effects of an opioid overdose will soon be available without a prescription.

Last month, the FDA approved Narcan (4 mg naloxone hydrochloride) nasal spray for over-the-counter nonprescription use, the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription.

Sprayed into the nose, Narcan rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid poisoning.

Earley the new Mayor of Braidwood

Published by admin on Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:08am

Editor's note - This story has been updated to include additional races and voter turnout.

The City of Braidwood has a new City Council, with life long Braidwood resident Chris Earley winning the mayoral seat during Tuesday's election.

Earley defeated his challengers, current Finance Commissioner Doug Money and newcomer Matthew Beard, earning 626 votes. Votes for Money totaled 569, and Beard earned 62.

The total represents 1,257 votes cast for mayor on election day, April 4, as well as early voting results and mail in votes received prior to election day.

Smith says farewell, good riddance

Published by admin on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 5:03pm

The business of running the city was quick and mostly painless in the month of March.

Over the course of two regular council meetings during the month, the council powered through regular business in just about 10 minutes during each meeting, approving the bill payments and a few measures without fanfare.

D’Orazio, Arnie Bauer ready to move to Braidwood

Published by admin on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 4:59pm

The chill in the air didn’t stop the celebration as Braidwood city leaders and representatives from D’Orazio Ford and Arnie Bauer Chevrolet held a ceremonial ground breaking at the site of the new dealerships on Braidwood’s northwest side.

On March 29, the businesses and local dignitaries celebrated the planned construction of the new site at Division and EZ Streets in Braidwood.

Braidwood City Council candidates make their final pleas for your vote

Published by admin on Tue, 03/28/2023 - 5:11pm

Election day is less than one week away.

The race for City Council in Braidwood has been feisty in 2023, with all but one of the four seats on City Council hotly contested, in a race that has been fraught with social media bickering and deep public interest.

As of the start of this week, 132 voters had already cast their ballots during early voting at City Hall. Four years ago, the total voters in Braidwood reached more than 1,300, a high turnout versus the county’s overall turnout of just 13% in 2019.

This year looks to be no different.

Reed-Custer School Board candidates lay out their plans

Published by admin on Tue, 03/28/2023 - 5:04pm

There are four candidates vying for three open seats on the Reed-Custer Board of Education in next week’s consolidated election. Each seat is a 4-year term on the board.

The Braidwood Journal asked each of those candidates a variety of questions on fiscal responsibility, plans to ensure student success for all students, including those with special needs, and teacher retention.

The candidates' answers to those questions are listed below in the order they appear on the ballot.

Election day is April 4.

Reed-Custer art students honored

Published by admin on Tue, 03/28/2023 - 4:56pm

Sprouting an Idea: A Seed Library

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:06pm

New ideas are taking root at Fossil Ridge Public Library District.

Patrons can now add vegetable, fruit, and herb seeds to their list of checkouts.

“The library is comprised of life-long learners and we want to provide our patrons with new opportunities and experiences to grow,” said Katelynn Clark, Adult and Teen Librarian and coordinator of the project.

This project grew with a lot of help from the community.

Clark reached out to the local Town and Country 4-H Club in Essex, to help build and paint the structure with professional supervision.