Local News

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Beecher Community Library News

Call the library at 708-946-9090 for programs that require registration. The library’s Penfield Street parking lot entrance is closed until spring, but the Maxwell Street entrance is still open. Turn north on Maxwell from Indiana Avenue to get to the library. Youth Services A new take-and-make craft is available for January! Pick up any time.…

Join others at Christ Community Church for a fun-filled pre-Valentine celebration. –Photo submitted.

Christ Community Church Hosting Valentine Event

Christ Community Church will host a “Bee” My Valentine social event for adults on Saturday, February 3, from 6 – 8 p.m., at 103 W. Corning Avenue in Peotone. Guests will enjoy an evening of pizza, cupcakes, bottled water, games, prizes, in addition to entertainment. Comedian and Peotone resident Tracy DeGraaf will emcee, as well…

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Beecher Community Library News

Call the library at 708-946-9090 for programs that require registration. Happy Holidays! The library will be closed Saturday, December 29, and Monday, January 1. The library’s Penfield Street parking lot entrance is closed until spring, but the Maxwell Street entrance is still open. Turn north on Maxwell from Indiana Avenue to get to the library.…

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Beecher Police Blotter: December 14 – 16

Disclaimer: Charges against each defendant are merely accusations, with all defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. December 14, Venessa Gradowski, 38, of the 1700 block of Prentiss Drive, Downers Grove, was arrested after officers were called to 1121 Dixie Highway for a retail theft call. She was charged with retail…

Beecher 200-U Bringing the Chickens to Roost

By Jeff Vorva The passing of the Beecher 200-U tax levy had a barnyard feel to it with chickens coming to roost. District Superintendent Jack Gaham threw out a lot of facts, figures, and percentages during a Truth In Taxation hearing at the December 11 board meeting. Some residents were confused about the increases, thinking…

Barber Bids Farewell as Beecher Ups the Levy

By Jeff Vorva As he attended his 852nd Beecher village board meeting, retiring village manager Robert Barber got emotional. So, he tried a different tactic when he spoke to the board. “I’ll read statistics, because statistics don’t make people cry,” he said. Well, that didn’t work out too well. A few times during the reading…

Ms. Baxter's first graders pose after writing their important letters to Santa. –Photo submitted.

Santa Letters from Ms. Baxter’s First Graders

As promised, here are more of those delightful letters from the children at Beecher Elementary School. Ms. Baxter’s first graders had some great ideas to help out the jolly big man in the bright red suit. After reading the letters, if Santa is really hungry during his journey on Christmas Eve, he won’t be disappointed…

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Beecher Community Library News

Call the library at 708-946-9090 for programs that require registration. Happy Holidays! The library will be closed on Saturday, December 23, Monday, December 25, Saturday, December 29, and Monday, January 1. The library’s Penfield Street parking lot entrance will be closed until spring, but the Maxwell Street entrance is open. Turn north on Maxwell from…

Mrs. Markland's students look mighty happy after writing those most important letters to Santa. –Photo submitted.

Santa Letters from Mrs. Markland’s First Graders

Mrs. Markland’s children also took the time to inform Santa of their wishes for this Christmas season and also informed the jolly man just what their behavior was like during the past year. To everyone’s relief – they were all GOOD! It certainly looks like Santa’s sleigh is going to be very heavy when it…

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Beecher Police Blotter: November 28 – December 6

Disclaimer: Charges against each defendant are merely accusations, with all defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. November 28, Logan Young, 24, of the 1500 block of County Road 7080, West Plains, Missouri, was stopped at Dixie Highway and Chestnut Lane for having an expired registration and found to have a…

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Will County Animal Control Offering Free Microchipping in December

The Will County Animal Control Department is offering free microchipping services to dogs and cats owned by county residents throughout December as part of their “Home for the Holidays” Program. “We’re hoping to incentivize pet owners to microchip their pets,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “Having pets microchipped, with updated tags, helps ensure they…

Mrs. Stolarek's Beecher Elementary School first grade students who recently wrote to Santa. –Photo submitted.

Santa Letters from Mrs. Stolarek’s BES First Graders

Recently, the first graders at Beecher Elementary took on a very special project and a most important one, too – the annual writing of letters to that jolly man at the North Pole. After reading some of the correspondence, we think you will agree it was a most important task. This week, The Vedette is…

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Area News

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry is excited about the new Will County state-of-the-art election equipment that will be in place for the 2024 elections. –Photo submitted.

New State-of-the-Art Election Equipment Demonstration Planned

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry is inviting the public to a demonstration of new state-of-the-art election equipment that will be used to cast and count ballots in next year’s Primary and Presidential Elections. County Clerk Staley Ferry and her team will conduct demonstrations of the new ballot counters, ADA-compliant ballot-marking devices, and poll books…

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Bertino-Tarrant Announces Re-election Campaign

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant filed petitions with the Will County Clerk’s office this week, officially kicking-off her re-election campaign. Pledging to continue prioritizing public safety, balanced budgets, and an open and transparent government, Bertino-Tarrant points to her promises made and kept in her desire to seek a second term. “When I ran for county…

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Darrius Brown Convicted of Aggravated Domestic Battery for 2018 Attack

Brown previously convicted of aggravated domestic abuse of child’s mother, sentenced to eight years in prison. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced Circuit Judge Carmen Goodman on Monday, November 20, found Darrius Brown, 42, of Plainfield, guilty of Aggravated Domestic Battery (a Class 2 felony), Aggravated Unlawful Restraint with a Deadly Weapon (a Class…

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JJC Becomes Statewide Leader in Dual Credit Enrollment

Joliet Junior College has established itself as a statewide leader in dual credit enrollment, *reporting a record 23.93 percent increase in dual credit enrollment hours compared to fall 2022. This is the first milestone since the October 2022 introduction of the 12x12x12 program, an aggressive dual-credit initiative envisioned by JJC President Dr. Clyne Namuo that…

Support the Francis Fund on Giving Tuesday, November 28. –Photo submitted.

Support USF’s ‘Francis Fund’ Giving Tuesday, November 28

If you ever wanted to support the pursuit of a higher education for students at the University of St. Francis (USF), you have the opportunity to do so on Tuesday, November 28, a day known globally as Giving Tuesday. Join fellow Saints worldwide as they come together to celebrate USF students and encourage giving to…

Will County Board Passes Budget After Last Minute Amendment

By Stephen Nelson Responding to a request from the Will County Public Defender’s Office, County Commissioners at their Thursday November 16, meeting were able to pass a budget for the next fiscal year beginning December 1.  Several persons who work in the Public Defender’s Office showed up complaining they were left out of budget discussions…

Representatives from more than 60 local governments and agencies attended a “Will County Public Information Officer Workshop” on best practices for emergency public communications. –Photo submitted.

Will County Hosts Workshop: Keeping Public Informed During Emergencies

The Office of Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and the Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) hosted a county-wide workshop for local agencies on how to keep the public well-informed during emergencies. “This is the first time in several years the county has been able to host an event focused on providing best practices for…

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Winters Found Guilty of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a jury recently found Vincent Winters, 58, of Joliet, guilty of three counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child (a Class X felony) and three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (a Class 2 felony) of a five-year-old girl in 2017. The jury returned its…

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Talbot Sentenced to Six Years in Lockport Drug Induced Homicide

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that Steve Talbot, 36, of Joliet, has been sentenced to six years in prison for selling heroin and fentanyl to a 24-year-old woman, who died of an overdose in Lockport in 2016. Talbot pled guilty to one count of Drug Induced Homicide, a Class X felony, and was…

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Illinois Supreme Court Decision Rejects Bank’s Attempt to Obtain Refund from Joliet

Regarding property taxes on Evergreen Terrace Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow and Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy announced a landmark decision by the Illinois Supreme Court will save the City of Joliet from paying $6 million in back property taxes that had been sought by the former owner of the Evergreen Terrace property, which was…

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry and her election judge coordinator, Heather Sanders, examine new equipment election judges will use during the 2024 elections. –Photo submitted.

Will County Clerk Seeking 2024 Election Judges

Clerk plans to add 500 qualified judges from both parties to the roster. Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry strongly encourages individuals from both major political parties to apply to serve as election judges in the March 19 General Primary Election and the November 5 Presidential Election. Last week, County Clerk Staley Ferry began the…

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Francimore Guilty of Murder, Armed Robbery in 2018 Shooting Death

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a jury found Anthony Francimore, 25, of Joliet, guilty in the shooting death of Nathan Ballard in 2018. The jury deliberated for approximately three-and-a-half hours before finding Francimore guilty of First Degree Murder and Armed Robbery (a Class X felony), following a five-day trial over which Circuit…