News

Catfish Days preps for a homegrown festival: Down on the Farm

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:14pm

The first official day of spring arrived on Monday, which means the countdown is on for the arrival of summer. And with the warm weather comes festival season.

Last week, the organizers of Catfish Days in Wilmington officially announced this year’s theme for the annual festival: Down on the Farm.

Will County transit options could include expanded services

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:13pm

There are few options for folks who live in southern Will County if they need a ride to the store, the doctor’s office, or anywhere around town.

But Wilmington City Administrator Jeannine Smith said discussions were in the preliminary stage to expand the county’s dial-a-ride program, with potential for Wilmington to be added to the list.

Smith discussed the possibility during the March 14 regular meeting of the Committee of the Whole, after what she said was a productive meeting with county officials about transportation.

Wilmington to add user fee for WPD firing range

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:11pm

The Wilmington Police Department is one of the few smaller departments lucky enough to have its own outdoor firing range for training. The range is utilized not just by the members of the WPD, but by multiple other law enforcement agencies throughout the region.

Now, in an effort to help pay for the upkeep and maintenance, the WPD will implement a fee for those other law enforcement officers who opt to utilize the range on Stripmine Road.

Wilmington Police Chief Adam Zink explained the new fee to the members of the Committee of the Whole on March 14.

Wilmington 209-U school year will face delayed start

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:10pm

The 2023-2024 school year will start later than usual in Wilmington.

The Wilmington School District 209-U Board of Education recently formally approved the recommended school calendar for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

As a result of a major heating and air conditioning related construction project at SIS, which is scheduled to be completed throughout the upcoming summer break, the beginning of the new school year will take place later than usual.

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.

Grundy Sheriff’s Office has another busy year

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 5:01pm

In keeping with its mission to provide an exemplary level of service and protection to the residents and all who visit Grundy County, the men and women of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office followed through on that pledge in 2022.

In presenting the department’s annual report to the Grundy County Board, Sheriff Ken Briley acknowledged the work of his officers who handled their share of incidents—both big and small.

Community welcome sign defaced, similar damage in other towns

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 4:59pm

Local police agencies are combining efforts to find out who is responsible for spray painting crude words and anatomical images on public property.

The motive for the damage is unclear, but someone with a can of spray paint left their mark on signs across multiple towns. Given the quality of graffiti, it was not the work of an artist.

Ultimate Rides set for summer grand opening in Braidwood

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 4:57pm

Two and a half years after plans to move Ultimate Rides from its Coal City location to Hickory Street in Braidwood, an end date is officially in sight.

This week, city leaders from Braidwood and the owners of Ultimate Rides held a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony for the new dealership, with plans for the building to start going up over the next few weeks. Plans for the site include 11 bays on the north side of the building, as well as a vehicle display berm visible from I-55.

Coal City awarded $350,000 to help homeowners

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 4:55pm

The village of Coal City’s efforts to seek funding to help homeowners update their property has proven successful, as another round of funding has been acquired.

A program offered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority [IHDA] will provide $350,000 to assist low income homeowners cover the cost of needed repairs based on health, safety, energy, efficiency and accessibility.

Coal City considering 7% water rate increase

Published by admin on Tue, 03/21/2023 - 4:55pm

The village of Coal City is reviewing the costs of water and sewer services and it’s looking like a 7% increase will be passed on to consumers.

The rate is based on cost of operation, maintenance and replacement, plus capital improvement and debt service that is then divided by the total estimated usage in one year.

The village anticipates it will cost around $1.9 million to run the department with $1.3 million of that going to operations—that’s up 3.26% over the prior year.