Coal City Courant

Unit 1 increasing registration fees

Published by admin on Tue, 03/10/2020 - 6:16pm

The Unit 1 School District will implement a three-year increase in student registration fees starting with the 2020-2021 school year.
As the Unit 1 Board of Education looks ahead to the conclusion of the current property tax assessment agreement with Exelon Nuclear, it spoke to the Budget Efficiency Committee about student fees which recommended to raise fees.
“I think it makes a lot of sense,” said Unit 1 Superintendent Dr. Kent Bugg. It is the first increase in registration fees in seven years.

School calendar finally finalized

Published by admin on Tue, 03/10/2020 - 6:15pm

Upon discovering an error in scheduled parent-teacher conference dates, the Unit 1 Board of Education placed approval of the 2020-2021 school calendar back on its agenda.
Having corrected the error, the board once again approved the school year calendar that sets the first day of student attendance as Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The calendar is based on 176 instructional days with the final day of classes set for Friday, May 28, 2021, pending the use of emergency days. Should the district need to use emergency days it would push the school year into the month of June.

Bugg keeping a close eye on energy legislation

Published by admin on Tue, 03/10/2020 - 6:14pm

As superintendent of the Unit 1 School District, Dr. Kent Bugg assumes a myriad of duties including overseeing the daily operations to long-term planning and financial management.
When it comes to planning, especially in the area of finances, Bugg is always looking ahead. Recently that task found him sitting in on state legislative committee hearings focused on energy.
Last week, Bugg was in Springfield and Chicago for hearings that were called to address energy initiatives.

No change on daylight saving bill

Published by admin on Fri, 03/06/2020 - 12:02pm

SPRINGFIELD — An effort in Illinois to prevent biannual clock changes — such as the one Sunday moving time forward one hour — appears stalled.
The state Senate passed a bill in November 2019 by Bunker Hill Democrat Andy Manar that calls for setting clocks ahead one hour to daylight saving time on Sunday and leaving Illinois permanently on Central Daylight Time. But that bill remains in legislative limbo in the House, and even if Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signs the initiative into law, it could not take effect unless approved by the federal government.

It’s official

Published by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 7:28pm

The Golden Arches standing at the corner of Broadway and Division Street will be all that remains of the McDonald’s restaurant.
As first reported in January, McDonald’s USA, LLC has plans to demolish the existing restaurant at 2 S. Broadway and replace it with a larger, modern state-of-the-art eatery with a tandem drive-thru.
“We’re looking at expanding the site to make it function better, make the building look better and overall make it a more efficient site for use and everyone who goes there,” said Jim Olguin, the company’s zoning attorney.

Coal City preparing for North Broadway improvements

Published by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 7:27pm

The village of Coal City is looking ahead to its next large-scale road project—the reconstruction of North Broadway.
Town officials have announced the village will seek funding through the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) managed by the Will County Governmental League to complete necessary repairs to North Broadway from Division Street to North Street (McArdle Road) and North Street east to Second Avenue.

The Bells of Notre Dame

Published by admin on Tue, 03/03/2020 - 7:26pm

“Long years ago, did this story begin, in this place called Notre Dame.”
With the famed French cathedral as its backdrop, Victor Hugo’s powerful story of love and acceptance will be told by a company of dedicated student performers as the Coal City Theatre Department presents “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” this weekend and next.
The 48 member cast will tell the tale of Quasimodo, the half-formed man who comes to live in and ring the cathedral bells.
Quasimodo, played by Coal City High School junior Riley Nevin, leads a secluded life in the cathedral’s bell tower.

Morris Hospital set to open new emergency department

Published by admin on Fri, 02/28/2020 - 2:56pm

Morris Hospital's new emergency department is set to next week.
Starting at 7 a.m. on Thursday, March 5 all patients coming to Morris Hospital for emergency services will enter through the new emergency entrance located on the east side of the hospital, accessible from High Street.
Those coming to Morris Hospital for emergency services are encouraged to pay close attention to signage that will direct them to the new emergency entrance.

Self-assured and kind hearted

Published by admin on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 7:31pm

Sophia Jakubowski is like the character she plays—strong-willed, self-assured and kind hearted.
A senior at Coal City High School, Jakubowski will step onto the stage next week as the beautiful and tenacious Esmeralda in her school’s production of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Coal City Police to expand its force

Published by admin on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 7:30pm

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The Coal City Police Department will expand with the addition of a patrol officer, bringing the number of sworn officers from 13 to 14.
On a recommendation from its Public Health and Safety Committee, the Village Board directed the mayor to inform the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to move forward with the hiring of a full-time officer.
The individual will be selected from the police department’s eligibility roster. The intended hire ranked among the top 10 applicants, according to Coal City Police Chief Tom Best.