News

Holiday weekend begins with farmers market

Published by admin on Tue, 08/28/2018 - 7:17pm

     Fresh produce, sweet treats, handcrafted items and natural body care products are just a few of the items available at Coal City’s farmers market—Market Fresh on Broadway.
    Now in its third season, the market continues to attract new vendors and shoppers to the weekend and weekday markets.
    As village of Coal City Trustee Neal Nelson recently said, “it’s really taken off.”

Picnic brings Illinois veterans together

Published by admin on Tue, 08/28/2018 - 7:16pm

      A simple conversation has turned into one of the largest military veterans gatherings in the state of Illinois.
    On Saturday, Sept. 8, Operation Firm Handshake will host its sixth annual Illinois Veterans Picnic, a meet and greet event for Illinois veterans and active duty personnel.
    It was in 2013 that Joe Guereca mentioned to his friend Max Valdez he was interested in hosting a picnic for local veterans like themselves.

Coal City replaces 2,435 water meters

Published by admin on Tue, 08/28/2018 - 7:14pm

    Over a four-year period the village of Coal City installed new state-of-the-art  water meters in every home and business.
    Coal City’s Water and Sewer Committee began discussing the meter replacement in 2013 and when the municipal budget was approved in 2014, funding was included to begin the project.
    The village took out a $700,000 bank loan to complete the meter replacement, a cost that also included the purchase of a dedicated meter truck, equipment necessary to switch over the meters and tablet computers that work with the new system.

Lunch law guarantees a meal for every kid

Published by admin on Tue, 08/28/2018 - 7:12pm

   Students across Illinois  can no longer be denied a school lunch regardless of their ability to pay or if they owe for previous cafeteria purchases.
    Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act on Aug. 26 and it took effect immediately.
    What this means is every public and private elementary and secondary school that participates in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s child nutrition program must provide a federally reimbursable meal or snack to any student who requests one.

Motorcyclist dies in Roberts Street crash

Published by admin on Mon, 08/27/2018 - 4:09pm

    A Wilmington man died as the result of injuries he received in a motorcycle crash that occurred early in the morning on Monday, Aug. 27.
    According to the Will County coroner’s office, Cody O. Most, 22, was riding in the 1900 block of Roberts Street in Lakewood Shores just before 4:30 a.m. when his motorcycle left the road and struck a fixed object, the coroner’s office reported. He was pronounced deceased at 5:36 a.m.

Speeder caught with pot edibles

Published by admin on Mon, 08/27/2018 - 9:35am

    A Wilmington officer was conducting radar enforcement on New River Road Sunday just after 6 p.m., when he observed a vehicle traveling at 86 mph in a 55 mph zone. His stop of the vehicle ended up in more than a traffic citation.
    After getting the vehicle stopped the officer noticed a strong smell of cannabis while speaking with the driver, Gregory J. Thompson, 18, Matteson. Thompson admitted to the officer that he had been smoking cannabis.

Brandon Road bridge closed for emergency repair

Published by admin on Fri, 08/24/2018 - 11:34am

The Illinois Department of Transportation anounced Thursday that the Brandon Road bridge over the Des Plaines River in Joliet will be closed for emergency repairs until Sept. 7. The closure is necessary to replace a motor on the bridge that failed.

A detour will direct traffic to cross the river at McDonough Street via Route 6, Route 52/Route 53 and Laraway Road.

Construction expected to delay I-55 traffic

Published by admin on Thu, 08/23/2018 - 11:24am

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is advising travelers that a series construction projects along Interstate 55 through Grundy, Livingston and McLean counties will potentially cause backups and delays, particularly on weekends, for the next several weeks.

The projects involve bridge rehabilitations, pavement repairs and patching, which will require permanent and intermittent lane closures in several locations:

Hearing scheduled for solar farm

Published by admin on Tue, 08/21/2018 - 8:42pm

    A public hearing will be held to determine if a farm field in Wilmington Township is an appropriate place for a solar farm.
    Property owners James and Laurie Fleishman of Verona, have applied for a special use permit for the construction and operation of a solar farm on 39 acres of a 152-acre parcel that touches Route 53 immediately south of Ornamental Iron, and has extensive frontage on East Coal City Road. The proposed 2MW solar energy facility will be developed by Santa Monica, California-based Cypress Creek Renewables and operated under the name Fleishman Solar LLC.

Mayor hopes to reinvest funds in downtown

Published by admin on Tue, 08/21/2018 - 8:40pm

The city received $60,000 for the old police station, and officials are talking about reinvesting those funds in the business district in which the 1950s building stands.
“I’d like to keep the money downtown,“ Mayor Roy Strong told the council’s Grounds and Buildings Committee last week. “I’d like to buy that parking lot that the Jeffries had for sale over there. He originally wanted $60,000, he’s going to sell it for $40,000, which is a steal, I think.”