Free Press Advocate

Woman, toddler drown in unrelated incidents

Published by admin on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 4:08pm

A woman from Normal and a toddler from Elwood died Saturday in unrelated drowning incidents.

The office of Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil reported Sunday that 22-month-old Traeger A. Moore was found unresponsive in a family pool in the 19000 block of Raymond Drive in rural Elwood on Saturday afternoon. He was pronounced deceased at 2:14 p.m. in the emergency room of Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

The Will County Sheriff's Department is investigating. An autopsy was conducted Sunday, July 30 and determined drowning as a preliminary cause of death.

Police officers commended for service

Published by admin on Tue, 07/25/2017 - 9:08pm

    Wilmington Police Chief Phil Arnold said it was long overdue, and recognized several officers of his department for their dedicated service to the community at last week’s City Council meeting.
    • Officers Kris Hopper and Richard Santana were recognized for their exceptional DUI enforcement by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, Illinois first citizen action group dedicated to the fight against driving under the influence.

National Night Out in Wilmington Tuesday

Published by admin on Tue, 07/25/2017 - 8:49pm

The Wilmington Police Department and the Wilmington Coalition for a Healthy Community will host their first National Night Out against crime event on Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the South Island Park.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, better places to live. It enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement and fosters a true sense of community.

Neighbors complain about stray cats

Published by admin on Tue, 07/25/2017 - 8:46pm

    City officials are trying to squeeze some dollars into the budget, but chances are the residents of the 500 block of North Outer Drive are going to have to live with a stray cat problem.
    Tiffany Lausch said on one recent morning, five cats were sunning themselves in her yard and the yards of her close neighbors and at least two more were having a row a couple of doors down. She doesn’t own a cat, but she does have a dog who goes crazy  when the felines slink past.

Prehistory on the Prairie Tour July 29

Published by admin on Fri, 07/21/2017 - 10:36am

You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity! Archaeologists from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago are continuing their work at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie on an archaeological dig site, hoping to unearth clues to what life was like before Euro-American agriculture, when the land was mostly tallgrass prairie. On the tour you will see the archaeologists at work, and learn about what they have discovered so far.

Route 53 being resurfaced

Published by admin on Thu, 07/20/2017 - 12:32pm

City to consider overweight truck permit

Published by admin on Tue, 07/18/2017 - 5:47pm

    Truck traffic may soon provide the city of Wilmington with a little extra revenue to bridge a gap in its budget.
    The Wilmington City Council held a first reading on a new ordinance Tuesday that will create an overweight/overlength truck permit for local roads, and a new source of revenue for the city.  Mayor Roy Strong believes the answer to the city’s budget constraints is creating new sources of revenue, as that’s certainly better than having to make more cuts in an already trim budget.

Fire Department to be grand marshals

Published by admin on Tue, 07/18/2017 - 5:45pm

    The members of the Wilmington Fire Protection District have been named the grand marshals of the 2017 Catfish Days parade.
    The fire districts’ approximately 45 members respond to more than 2,000 fire, accident, water and medical emergencies each year and have long-term plan for how they’ll continue to meet the needs and expectations of the community.

City drafting film permit ordinance

Published by admin on Tue, 07/18/2017 - 5:43pm

    A film producer wants to shoot in Wilmington, so the City Council is developing a film permit protocol to ensure the city incurs no costs and that due credit is given to the city and its residents for allowing their community to be utilized.
    The protocols and associated fees are outlined in an ordinance that was reviewed by the License and Ordinance Committee last week. They are based on similar requirements in Lockport, Lake Forest and elsewhere.

Police seek help identifying flasher

Published by admin on Mon, 07/17/2017 - 9:36am

The Wilmington Police Department is asking the community's assistance in identifying a man who exposed himself to teen-aged girls over the weekend; to a 19-year-old girl on Saturday night and to 15- and 17-year-old girls who were volunteering at a fund-raiser car wash on Sunday.

The vehicle is described as a bluish-gray compact four-door sedan with Illinois license plates and duct tape on the left front bumper.