News

Fifth grade cocoa sales support local, world initatives

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 5:25pm

Students in Jennifer Rink’s fifth grade class sold more than 1,600 cups of hot chocolate in the days leading up to the school’s winter break. The funds collected went to support local families in need, pediatric cancer research and to purchase a cow, a pig and two flocks of chickens to create sustainable food sources for individuals in third world countries.

Exelon nuclear plants run smoothly during freeze

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 5:23pm

As an arctic deep freeze pounded the Midwest with high winds, bone-chilling temperatures and high power demands, Exelon Generation’s Illinois nuclear plants delivered reliable, critical electricity to 12 million homes and businesses. During the same period, Exelon Generation’s nuclear facilities in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania delivered near maximum levels of reliability for 11 million homes and businesses as Winter Storm Grayson pummeled the East Coast.

Motivational Monday

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 5:22pm

     As students enjoyed the final day of winter break, educators from a half-dozen area school districts gathered for a day of motivation, education and collaboration.
    A professional development day unlike any other during the course of a school year, the first day back after an extended winter break, started with coffee and conversation and closed with collaboration focused on grade and subject level topics from resources to support curriculum to assessments and technology integration.

Residential construction remains steady

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 5:20pm

     Records show 90 new homes have been built in the village of Coal City in the past four years, about 45 percent of those replacing structures destroyed in the 2015 tornado.
    Figures released this week by the village’s building department show that new home construction in the past year is on pace with the previous year.
    In both 2016 and 2017, the village issued 16 permits for single family homes, figures that do not include storm rebuilds. However, some of those new residences are going up on lots  impacted by the storm.

Strong outlines his 2018 to-do list

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 7:22pm

    Mayor Roy Strong stepped into office last May with a focus on reigning in spending and creating new revenue, and many of the initiatives he’ll push forward in 2018 will carry that budgetary theme.
    “The thing I find most important for the city, probably for any city, is the finances,” Strong commented. “We’ve got a tight budget and I remind the aldermen that we can’t have any wasteful spending.”
    Knowing the budget is tight enough that there’s not much to trim from it, the mayor has instead tried to focus on finding more revenue.

Park Board updates policy on sexual harassment

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 7:06pm

    The Wilmington Island Park District Board of Commissioners approved a policy prohibiting discrimination and sexual harassment last week.
    According to Park District director Renee Chavez, the policy updates an existing district policy.
    Each unit of local government is required to adopt a policy to combat sexual harassment under a new state law that was drafted in response to a number of high profile scandals, including a handful of accusations against members in Illinois’ own Statehouse.

Travel ball team 0-2

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 7:05pm

    The Wilmington Island Park District will provide technical support, but won’t do more to help a youth travel baseball team form as a new organization.
    The 10-man Youth 11U Wildcats travel baseball team asked the Park District to be its umbrella organization, which would qualify the team to use school district facilities for practicing.

Park District opens ice rinks

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 7:04pm

    The Wilmington Island Park District announced last week that the ice rinks on the North Island Park baseball field are now open to the public.
    The district is not planning to proceed with its annual pond hockey tournament, the Island City Classic, this year.
    The staff delayed opening registration until it could be certain the ice would freeze and remain frozen. To do that, they had to wait to fill the rinks until the ground froze, which guarantees that the warmth of the earth doesn’t melt the ice in the rink.

First baby of the new year

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 6:37pm

Grundy County's first baby of the new year arrived at Morris Hospital at 12:37 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2018. Baby Corinne Rose Casey is the daughter of Rebecca and Kevin Casey, of Reddick.
Delivered by Obstetrician/Gynecologist Erik Muraskas, M.D., Corinne weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and measured 21 inches at birth. She is Rebecca and Kevin's second child.

Unit 1 ranks among the states best districts

Published by admin on Tue, 01/02/2018 - 6:35pm

    The Unit 1 School District continues to rank among the state’s top school districts and is the only district in Grundy County to make the list.
    The 2018 Niche Ranking of Illinois’ Best School Districts places Coal City 57th statewide out 406 surveyed, down a few spots from its top 50 placement in the 2017 rankings.