News from Sen. Joyce

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“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

These powerful words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which I shared locally a few weeks back to honor Dr. King’s birthday and legacy, are very fitting as we begin 2023.

Last month, I told you about the devastating loss of my colleague Sen. Scott Bennett, who died of a massive brain tumor at just 45 years old. We continue to remember Scott’s tremendous personality and career in the Illinois Senate, while also trying to find ways to move forward.

His wife, Stacy, has had the toughest job of all, raising their young twins without her beloved husband. But as she recently told People magazine, she knew she could not simply grieve his loss quietly alone. She needed the healing touch of filling his seat for the final weeks of his term, which ended Wednesday, January 11, when we were sworn into the 103rd General Assembly.

“Finishing his term certainly complicated things,” she told the magazine, “but it was an important thing for me to do to provide closure to that part of our lives.”

I have recommitted myself in this new year, now serving in a newly redrawn Senate district, to leave a legacy of compassion and compromise like Scott lived every day. We have too much partisanship in our politics and focus too much on pitting people against each other rather than bringing them together. I want to be a legislator and public servant who leaves a positive impression.

I was proud to join my colleagues and local officials in Pembroke Township on January 23 to celebrate my legislation providing a natural gas heating source after decades of going without it. This is an important investment in the community, and we will continue to build on this important milestone.

We celebrated National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9. After having worked closely with our brave law enforcement officers and states attorneys on improving our efforts at criminal justice reform in Springfield for much of past year, I am extra thankful for the selfless sacrifice our men and women in blue make to keep us safe. National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day might only be one day a year, but we should all take a moment to thank our officers for their service.

I was honored to receive the 2023 Friend of Agriculture Award from the Fertilizer and Chemical Association. As a multi-generation family farmer, who has led the Agriculture Committee in the Senate, I am committed to supporting our farmers and creating new opportunities for agriculture’s growth, here and around the world.

Car owners in Kankakee have a win in the new year, after the city administration and council worked together to end the hassle of city vehicle stickers. I thank them for making this commonsense decision.

I will share more with you in the coming months about my legislative priorities for this year. My goals include working to make it easier for those suffering from serious illness to get the health care they need, without the hassles that make care difficult. Everyone should have access to clean and affordable drinking water, and our next generation of leaders needs smaller class sizes and trained, prepared educators in our classrooms helping them learn and grow.

In these challenging times, remember Dr. King’s words and embrace the stone of hope that can help overcome our mountains of despair.

I urge you to contact me anytime I can help: 708-756-0882, or http://www.senatorpatrickjoyce.com/. I will continue to share the latest news on my website and on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/senPatrickjoyce40/.

Sen. Patrick Joyce

D-Essex, 40th State Senate District


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Illinois News


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Area News

Peotone Park District Seeks Referendum on March 19 Ballot

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Spread the loveBy Karen Haave A referendum question on the March 19 Primary Election ballot will ask Peotone voters to approve a tax rate increase. The question reads: Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Peotone Park District, Will County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to…


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Peotone School Board Approves Summer Projects

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Spread the loveBy Andrea Arens A whole lot of projects are getting done. After good news, the Peotone School Board didn’t hesitate to approve more than $766K worth of improvement projects in less than 30 minutes. Connor Shaw Center will get new carpet installed in rooms 207 and 208 for $11,985.38, plus Marquez Painting  also…


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Peotone FFA members competing at Section 10 Proficiency Award Judging at Tri-Point High School on February 14, include, left to right: Michael Coffey, Hayden Mueller, Bryce Thomas, William Bialko, Emma Bialko, Paisley Land, Hanna Clousing, Mark Jones II, and Avery Klecka. Brianna Schubbe was unavailable for the picture. –Photo submitted.

Peotone FFA Members Find Success at Proficiency Awards

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Spread the loveTen Peotone FFA members interviewed for the Section 10 Proficiency Awards at Tri-Point High School on the evening of February 14. Seven members were announced as the winners, while three were awarded runner-up in their respective areas. Proficiency Awards are FFA awards for students in their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). SAEs are experiences…


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Helping Hands volunteers pose for a minute with the check from 'Souper Bowl Sunday' collections at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Pictured, from left, are: Front row - Helen Lewis and Bev Christensen - with check; back row - Bob Lewis, Sandy Teske, Judy Tompkins, Jan Leffelman, and Peggy Schwiesow. –Photo submitted.

St. Paul the Apostle Celebrates ‘Souper Bowl Sunday’

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Spread the loveOn Super Bowl Sunday, February 4, youth from St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church’s Religious Education Program were at the church doorways after Mass to participate in the “Souper Bowl of Caring.” As a result, the parishioners contributed a total of $380, which was forwarded to Helping Hands Food Pantry. The Souper Bowl…


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Helping Hands Food Pantry

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Spread the loveHelping Hands Food Pantry will be open to all area residents (including senior citizens and adults both with or without children who reside within the boundaries of the Peotone School District and are in need of food assistance) on Wednesdays, March 6 and 20, from 1 to 5:30 p.m., at the Community Presbyterian…


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Peotone Library News

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Spread the loveMark your calendars for the Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale – Thursday, April 18, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20. Interested in the Homebound Delivery Program? Contact the Adult Services Department for more information and guidelines. Register for events on the website calendar or call the library at 708-258-3436. Mark…


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PHS Celebrates Boys’ Basketball Seniors on Senior Night

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Spread the loveHunter Becker is the son of Anita and Sean Becker and is a four-year member of the boys’ basketball team. His favorite memories from the basketball team were the bus rides after a win. After high school, Hunter plans on going to college to play baseball and study school administration. Michael Bettenhausen, son…


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Peotone FFA members receiving their State FFA Degree in 2024 are, left to right: Bryce Thomas, Kaylee Traub, Reese Parker, Quinn Pollak, and William Bialko. –Photo submitted.

Peotone FFA Advances 6 State Degrees, Including 1 STAR

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Spread the loveThe Peotone FFA Chapter has six students from Peotone High School set to receive their State FFA Degree at the Illinois FFA State Convention in June. On Friday, February 9, six Peotone FFA members sat in an interview with agricultural educators from area schools for recommendation for their State FFA Degree, with all…


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DeLuca Works to Protect Family Farms; Supports Plan to Overhaul Estate Tax

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Spread the loveWanting to ensure family farms can be passed from one generation to the next without unreasonable tax burdens, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, is backing an overhaul of the state’s estate tax specific to farms. “When a loved one passes, we don’t want state taxes to force families to sell land, lose equipment, and…


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Emergency Blood Shortage: Give March 12

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Spread the loveThe American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. Help those in need as the University of St. Francis (USF) hosts its next American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, March 12, from 1 to 6 p.m., in the…


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PHS FFA member Mark Jones II will advance to state competition in March. –Photo submitted.

Mark Jones II Advances to FFA State Competition

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Spread the loveMark Jones II, a senior Peotone FFA member, recently was named as the runner-up in the District II Agricultural Education Career Development Event. In the Agricultural Education CDE, members write a lesson plan, demonstrate 10 minutes of the lesson plan to mock students and judges, reflect on their lesson’s success, and take a…


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The Peotone downtown streetscape plan was approved at the February 12 board meeting. Photo courtesy the Village of Peotone.

Peotone Streetscape Bid Approved for $3.47M

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Spread the loveBy Andrea Arens The Peotone Village Board approved the bid for the downtown streetscape design at their board meeting on February 12. It wasn’t a unanimous decision, though. Both Trustees Todd Sandberg and Nick Strba voted no. With Trustee Gary Hudson having to abstain due to owning property in downtown, the final vote…


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Aqua Proposing a $14.2M Rate Hike

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Spread the loveBy Karen Haave Water and sewer bills for Will County residents served by Aqua Illinois will be going up if the company’s proposed rate hike is approved later this year. Aqua has applied for a $19.2 million rate hike for the 14 counties it serves in Illinois, including Will.  Shane Gustafson, Morreale Communications,…


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Connie Lemon presented a tablescape for  rustic/formal high tea at the Kultivators recent meeting. –Photo submitted.

Kultivators Begin Yearly Event Planning

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Spread the loveThe Kankakee Kultivators Garden Club met at the Kankakee Library on February 8, with planning beginning for several upcoming events. Mark your calendars and save the date for these future events. March and April: Kultivator members begin selling gift cards for Benoit Greenhouse, Kankakee. Proceeds help fund the many projects of the club,…


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Former Illinois State Police trooper who pleaded guilty in relation to deadly crash postpones hearing

Peotone Police Blotter: February 10-15

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Spread the loveFebruary 10: Peotone Police responded to the report of a dispute in the 300 block of Glenview. Officers spoke with the individuals involved, who advised they had been arguing, but everything was OK and calmed down, and they did not require any assistance. February 10: A complainant walked into the Peotone Police Department…


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