News

Student, staff wellness key component of school plan

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 4:02pm

As the 2020-2021 school year draws closer, the Unit 1 School District has a plan in place to educate its students in the midst of a pandemic. A significant part of the plan addresses the health and wellness of students and staff from required personal protective equipment [PPE] to what happens if a student or staff member becomes ill during the course of the school day.

McDonald’s takes first steps toward construction

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:59pm

The house is gone and the property cleared making way for a new McDonald’s restaurant in Coal City. So does the recent demolition of 65 W. Division mean a faster turnaround on the reconstruction of the fast food eatery?

As first reported in January, McDonald’s USA, LLC has plans for a new larger, modern state-of-the-art restaurant at 2 S. Broadway, and that includes a tandem drive-thru.

When outlining plans for the site, company officials said construction would not begin before 2021 and as of now the schedule remains the same.

Eagle Scout candidate to construct rest areas

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:57pm

The walking path that extends from McArdle Road on the north to Hunters Run on the south has no place between to stop for a quick rest. But, that’s about to change.

Eagle Scout candidate Nathan Fisher, a member of Boy Scout Troop 466 and recent graduate of Coal City High School, requested and was granted permission by the village of Coal City to construct two or three rest stations along the path for people to utilize when walking on bicycling through.

Coal City keeping an eye on revenues

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:55pm

In a year of unknowns, the village of Coal City is among government agencies across the state and nation that are uncertain what impacts the coronavirus pandemic will have on finances.

Village Administrator Matt Fritz is keeping an extra close eye on the dollars coming into village hall, and there have been some decreases and a few increases too.

In a report to the Village Board, Fritz explained the town collected fewer dollars in June specifically related to income and use taxes. State funding is expected to gradually increase as the state begins to open back up.

A new look for South Broadway

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:51pm

As the South Broadway reconstruction project nears the finish line, the decorative elements of the improvements are being installed, and a few items have residents wondering just what they are.
The simple answer — flower planters.

Although some believe one version of the concrete containers would make great fire pits or kiddie pools, one young man questioned why there were soup bowls on the sidewalks.

Start of school delayed until Aug. 26 for Wilmington 209-U

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:35pm

Parents in Wilmington School District 209-U have until Wednesday, Aug, 5 to complete their online forms, opting for their children to start the 2020-2021 school year either in person or online.

After new guidance was issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in late July regarding mandates for back to school procedures, the district had to make adjustments to the previous plans they’d been working on for students and staff.

The most notable change for all families is a change of the start date for the first day of school.

Wilmington Public Library utilizes strong cleaning procedures after COVID positive test

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:33pm

Cases of the novel coronavirus remain low in the city of Wilmington, even as the state of Illinois has seen an uptick in recent weeks.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic in the 60481 zip code — which includes the corporate limit of Wilmington as well as outlying areas — stands at 61.

Inside the city limits, total confirmed cases remain under 15, with several of those already “purged” as recovered.

Ordinance amendments pass in split votes

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:31pm

Braidwood City Council voted to amend three ordinances during the July 28 meeting, but not everyone was in agreement when it came to some of those proposed amendments.
One ordinance amendment that split the council was the approval of the disposal of surplus property for two rotary mower attachments.
City Council previously verbally approved the disposition of these attachments during the April 14 meeting but failed to officially document it, so the city needed to pass the ordinance in order for it to be on the record.

Back to school in Wilmignton 209-U: What to expect for online learners

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:30pm

Students headed back to class via remote learning this fall should expect a much different version of instruction than what occurred this spring.

When schools closed in March across the state due to Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive order regarding the novel coronavirus, all districts went into emergency mode. To that end, parents, students and staff alike ended up on a somewhat “learn as you go” model as they navigated their way through the end of the school year.

Reed-Custer purchases 400 Chromebooks

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 3:28pm

Reed-Custer School District 255U has recently purchased 400 Chromebooks using a coronavirus relief grant that it received in the amount of $170,530. The announcement was made during the June 17 Reed-Custer Board of Education meeting by Danielle Valiente, director of teaching and learning.
The grant, initially approved May 21, will help advance the district’s 1:1 initiative to get devices in the hands of every student and help bolster its remote learning capabilities.