Manteno’s LaRocque to Wear Multiple Hats
By Jeff Vorva Chris LaRocque is wearing another hat for the time being. The Village of Manteno’s Village Administrator was named interim director of building and zoning at the September 3 meeting. He replaces Ryan Marion, who left in June. Mayor Tim Nugent said there were applicants for the job, but the board decided to…
Another New Police Officer for Manteno
By Jeff Vorva Former Manteno Village Board Trustee Sam Martin was honored at the August 19 board meeting more than a month after he resigned, and Mayor Tim Nugent presented Martin with a plaque. Martin did not make any public comments, except to say “thank you,” and Nugent said Martin did his talking as a…
Manteno’s Oktoberfest to be Sponsored by Gotion
By Jeff Vorva Oktoberfest celebrations are meant for fun and good times and are usually free of controversy. But this year’s Manteno Oktoberfest, which is run by the Chamber of Commerce, is riling up a segment of the community that has been riled up for months. The September 26-29 Oktoberfest’s main sponsor is Gotion –…
Boudreau Appointed to Manteno Village Board
By Jeff Vorva When C.J. Boudreau was a kid and stopped by at a village board meeting in Manteno two decades ago, he was hooked. Mayor Tim Nugent recalled the child’s appearance back then, and noted: “I’m not sure how many years ago it was, but C.J. came to a village board meeting when he was…
Trustee Resigns, Planned Unit Development Approved at Manteno Village Board Meeting
By Jeff Vorva Sam Martin missed the July 1 Manteno Village Board meeting and resigned as trustee the next day. At the end of the meeting, Mayor Tim Nugent read a short letter, dated June 28, from Martin saying he is resigning July 2 but gave no reason. Neither Nugent nor the board commented on…
Silence Broken at Manteno Village Board
By Jeff Vorva The silence was broken. And in one resident’s mind, it caused some fighting words. One of the things that has Gotion protesters at Manteno Village Board meetings seeing red is the silence of the board during the public comments section. It’s a standard policy for some governing bodies to choose to let…
Manhattan Welcomes New Officer, Smoker Storage a Hot Topic
By Stephanie Irvine The Village of Manhattan hired a new full-time police officer at the June 18 meeting. Officer Gerald Causer was sworn in and comes to the Village of Manhattan with 20 years of experience, most recently with the Braidwood Police Department. Two agenda items received considerable discussion, including the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) regarding…
Vandalism Didn’t Take the Pillow Out This Time in Manteno
By Jeff Vorva The jumping pillow on the Square on Second in Manteno opened five years ago, but is feeling its age. The attraction has proven to be popular, and people are missing it, as it is closed for repairs for an undetermined amount of time. Superintendent of Public Works Jim Hanley gave an update…
Marion Resigns From Manteno
By Jeff Vorva Ulcers and Gotion and many other tough issues were a byproduct of Ryan Marion’s tenure in Manteno. Marion survived some tough times and was lauded for his near decade of service to Manteno. The 34-year-old village’s director of building and zoning is stepping down after seven years in that role and nine…
Liquor on Sunday Mornings, but Limited
By Jeff Vorva Liquor will be sold on Sunday mornings in Manteno. But it will be regulated. And it will be limited. At the May 6 meeting, the board allowed for alcohol to be sold Sunday mornings, but not by businesses. The board is allowing non-profit organizations to sell liquor at events from 8-to-11 a.m.…
Pickleball Boosts the Budget in Manteno
By Jeff Vorva The boost in pickleball popularity is helping to boost up the budget. The Manteno village budget shot up from $9.5 million in 2023-24 to $13.6 in 2024-25. The board approved the budget at a special meeting and public hearing on April 22, and officials said $3 million of that increase is due…
Intersections and Liquor Hours Topics of Discussion for Manteno Village Board
By Jeff Vorva In light of the tragic March 28 accident near Manteno that took the lives of a woman and her granddaughter, some residents expect the village board to be able to make some changes at that intersection. Board members said they would like to make changes, but it’s in the state’s hands, and…
Apartment Complex Has Manteno Principal Concerned
By Jeff Vorva You might say Matthew Glenn is looking for an exit strategy. Or, at the very least, an exit solution. Before the usual group of citizens spoke to harangue the Manteno Village Board on March 18 about the Gotion EV battery factory, Glenn, the principal at Manteno Elementary School, spoke first and is…
Thies Park Improvement Bid Won by Bourbonnais Company
By Stephen Nelson/Andrea Arens At the Monday, March 4, Manteno Village Board meeting, trustees voted to accept a bid for Phase 2 improvements at Thies Park from Tenco Excavating of Bourbonnais. The cost for the improvement work is $2,075,972.75, with the project expected to begin this spring. It includes work on the parking lot, pickle…
Manteno Park Improvement Approved by Village Board
By Stephen Nelson The Manteno Village Board meeting on February 20 had a light agenda, but trustees did approve the purchase of netting for the baseball fields at Heritage Park. The improvement will cost the village $23,990. Installation work will be performed by Do-All Fence, Inc., of Mokena. Congratulations were in order for Sergeant Zairius…
Manteno Village Board Revises Public Participation
By Andrea Arens In a consent agenda with no discussion and no dissension, the Manteno Village Board unanimously voted to revise the public participation rules for village board meetings. The revised ordinance provides that each speaker addressing the board be given three minutes, but once the three minutes is over, if the speaker does not…
Manteno Citizens Group Files Lawsuit Against Gotion
By Stephen Nelson Concerned Citizens of Manteno filed a lawsuit in Kankakee County Court on December 22 in an effort to reverse a zoning decision approved by the village’s planning commission and the village board that would allow the Chinese-based company Gotion to build a lithium battery manufacturing plant on the former Kmart warehouse property.…
