Coal City Courant

New businesses opening in Coal City

Published by admin on Tue, 10/09/2018 - 5:25pm

      South Broadway is bustling with new business, a trend village officials and residents hope to see continue.
    “There are three new businesses in town that quite frankly, in my mind, fit the mold of what we are looking for,” Coal City Mayor Terry Halliday said. They include a clothing boutique and two home decor shops.
    Just last week, Halliday cut the ribbon officially marking the opening of The Queen Bees & LTD. Two weeks earlier he was just two doors north slicing through the red ribbon on the opening day of the Vintage Emporium.

G-Force activated

Published by admin on Tue, 10/09/2018 - 5:24pm

    Cheryl Tidball admits there was an ulterior motive in signing on to the Unit 1 School District’s G-Force.
    “I went into this a little selfish, I wanted to see my grandson a few extra minutes a week,” she said.
    Not only does she get those few extra minutes a week to greet her grandson when he arrives at school, but she is there to offer a smile and friendly greeting to hundreds of other kids during her morning shifts at Coal City Intermediate School

Grundy County welcomes three new deputies

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 8:00pm

    Over the past six months, the Grundy County Sheriff’s Merit Commission has been working to administer written exams and give oral interviews to provide an eligibility list to hire from. The list became official on Sept. 7.
    Out of nearly 120 candidates, the top three all grew up in the area and were enrolled in the Grundy Area Vocational Center’s (GAVC) criminal justice program. Grundy County Sheriff Kevin Callahan said the success of these candidates demonstrates the impact the vocational center has on young adults.

Coal City’s finances are in order

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 7:58pm

     After a look at the village of Coal City’s fiscal records, the town’s independent auditor issued a clean opinion saying the municipality’s finances are in good shape.
    In his annual report to the Village Board, auditor Brian Zabel reported at the close of the fiscal year the combined fund balances totaled $2,628,339 an increase of $262,990 from the prior year. Approximately 46 percent of that amount is available for spending at the village’s discretion.

Haunted 5K to have ghouls running through town

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 7:58pm

     Only Ghouls Run on Halloween, and the Coal City High School Drama Club is hoping there are a plenty of people out there who would like to join them for a hauntingly good 5K.
    The timed run/walk is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28, at Coal City High School, 655 W. Division St.  Runners will heading out at 6 p.m. followed by walkers at 6:15 p.m. Registration for all gets underway at 5 p.m. in the school’s west parking lot.

Juniors ready for annual fall festival

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 7:57pm

   GFWC-IL Coal City Junior Woman’s Club is set to host its 33rd annual Octoberfest, a fall festival that got its start as an open air craft show.
The craft and vendor show remains a large part of the one-day festival that is highlighted by a host of food vendors, entertainment, kids activities and a parade.
The fall festival, organized by club members, will be held this Saturday, Oct. 6, in downtown Coal City. This year’s event will serve to honor the festival’s history with the theme, “Octoberfest through the Years.”

Coal City needs another patrol officer

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 7:55pm

     The Coal City Police Department is already shorthanded and with another officer earmarked to serve as a school resource officer, the village is requesting an additional hire to its patrol division.
    A letter declaring a vacancy has been sent to the town’s Fire and Police Board directing it move forward with the hiring of an additional officer. The board already has two hiring letters in its possession and is set to fill those slots by the close of the calendar year.

Community gathers to honor one of its own

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 7:53pm

     Coal City is a community that in difficult times, neighbors—whether they know you or not—rally together. That was the case last week as the community gathered to honor one of its own.
    PFC Alex Armstrong, a 2018 graduate of Coal City High School, returned home to a hero’s welcome. Unfortunately it wasn’t the welcome his family and friends expected their soldier to have when he departed for military training in late July.

Expansion of all-inclusive playground gains support

Published by admin on Tue, 09/25/2018 - 4:41pm

Nancy Wynn recalls the day her daughter, Brittney Kaluzny, watched as her autistic son enjoyed playing in a playground.
“He'd never done that before and she watched him for an hour and said, 'I'm going to build one of those one day.' Little did I know a few years later I would be out there in the mud and rain building a playground, and I would do it again,” said Wynn, who serves as vice-president of the non-profit Hope Helps, an autism awareness and support organization established by Kaluzny and her husband, Robert.

Early voting begins Sept. 27

Published by admin on Tue, 09/25/2018 - 4:39pm

Grundy County Clerk Kay Olson has announced that early voting for the November 6, 2018 General Election begins Thursday, Sept. 27, and runs through Monday, Nov. 5.