Free Press Advocate

Brandon Road bridge closed for emergency repair

Published by admin on Fri, 08/24/2018 - 11:34am

The Illinois Department of Transportation anounced Thursday that the Brandon Road bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet will be closed for emergency repairs until Sept. 7. The closure is necessary to replace a motor on the bridge that failed.

A detour will direct traffic to cross the river at McDonough Street via Route 6, Route 52/Route 53 and Laraway Road.

Construction expected to delay I-55 traffic

Published by admin on Thu, 08/23/2018 - 11:24am

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is advising travelers that a series construction projects along Interstate 55 through Grundy, Livingston and McLean counties will potentially cause backups and delays, particularly on weekends, for the next several weeks.

The projects involve bridge rehabilitations, pavement repairs and patching, which will require permanent and intermittent lane closures in several locations:

Hearing scheduled for solar farm

Published by admin on Tue, 08/21/2018 - 8:42pm

    A public hearing will be held to determine if a farm field in Wilmington Township is an appropriate place for a solar farm.
    Property owners James and Laurie Fleishman of Verona, have applied for a special use permit for the construction and operation of a solar farm on 39 acres of a 152-acre parcel that touches Route 53 immediately south of Ornamental Iron, and has extensive frontage on East Coal City Road. The proposed 2MW solar energy facility will be developed by Santa Monica, California-based Cypress Creek Renewables and operated under the name Fleishman Solar LLC.

Mayor hopes to reinvest funds in downtown

Published by admin on Tue, 08/21/2018 - 8:40pm

The city received $60,000 for the old police station, and officials are talking about reinvesting those funds in the business district in which the 1950s building stands.
“I’d like to keep the money downtown,“ Mayor Roy Strong told the council’s Grounds and Buildings Committee last week. “I’d like to buy that parking lot that the Jeffries had for sale over there. He originally wanted $60,000, he’s going to sell it for $40,000, which is a steal, I think.”

Donations keep the doors open

Published by admin on Tue, 08/21/2018 - 8:38pm

Drives for socks and undies for back to school are a great way for the local clothes closet to collect exactly what it needs for a specific event, but they don’t help keep the doors open.
Our Caring Closet seeks the community’s help. It needs regular income and pledge partners — even a pledge of $5 a month can make a difference.
The clothes closet’s goal is to help anybody who has a need. It provides clothing and household goods, and sometimes can connect people with used furniture, although it does not accept large items at its facility at 205 N. First St.

Area ‘abnormally dry’ headed for drought

Published by admin on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 7:12pm

    It’s been hot and dry this spring and summer, and those conditions are taking their toll on lawn and crops, with no real relief in sight.
    Southern Will and Kankakee counties are officially “abnormally dry,” the first phase of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Just a sliver of nearby Grundy County registers abnormally dry, but dry conditions can be found throughout the county, according to Kathy Wise at the Grundy County Farm Bureau
    “Oh my gosh, it’s dry,” she commented.

City will give VFW some fee relief

Published by admin on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 7:09pm

    Local veterans will get some fee relief when they go to rebuild the VFW hall, but when the city has a cost, the vets will have to pick up that tab.
    The hall built, owned and operated by the members of Malcolm J. Mayo Post 5422 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was damaged by fire in late April 2016. The building was demolished in anticipation of receipt of insurance funds to rebuild, the members voted on a building plan and paid their permit fee.

Approval pending for RidgePort heliport

Published by admin on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 7:07pm

    The approval process is nearly complete for a heliport to be constructed at the RidgePort Logistics Center.

Bright new school year

Published by admin on Tue, 08/07/2018 - 7:47pm

    There’s nothing brighter than the new school year, with the fresh faces of students eager to get back to class, the highly polished floors and newly painted walls — except when one of the school district’s summer projects brings 50 percent more light to those indoor spaces. When that happens the beginning of the school year is positively radiant.

Wesley road projects planned

Published by admin on Tue, 08/07/2018 - 7:44pm

    Road improvements in Wesley Township are tentatively scheduled to begin on Aug. 13, weather and contracts permitting.
    Wesley Township Road Commissioner Travis Parsley attended a pre-construction meeting last week with county engineer Jeff Ronaldson at the Will County Division of Highways. His project costs were initially estimated at $194,000, and include emergency and school bus routes.