Illinois News
Local News
Peotone Second Street Demolition
By Andrea Arens & Arline Adamsick The end of an era began on Wednesday, February 16, as townspeople gathered to watch the start of demolition at the old Second Street Saloon. The building had been condemned and vacant for a number of years before the village bought the property last April for $5,000. Since then,…
President March’s Variance Approved by Planning & Zoning
By Andrea Arens The continuance of the public hearing regarding the approval of a 1,000-square-foot addition to March Family Dental had less attendance than the first. Planning and Zoning Commission Board Members Connie March-Curtis was again not in attendance and neither was Allen Gillis, who had questions from the previous hearing. The hearing began with…
Jackie Haas Re-Election Bid
By Eric Peterson Taking a position of leadership is no easy task. When that is combined with a global pandemic, social issues, and other unforeseen complications, the term “Baptism by fire” comes to mind. Though, having experience in dealing with stress, State Rep. of the 79th District Jackie Haas takes it all in stride. After…
Locals Come Together to Give Back
By Eric Peterson Celebrating “Random Acts of Kindness Day” on Thursday, February 17, was an excellent way to spread much-needed positivity across the country. Luckily, for a few locals, that holiday was appreciated but not needed, to make a positive impact on their community. On Tuesday, February 8, Cindy Scripter and young entrepreneur Preston Grove,…
Manteno Trivia: February 24
By Melanie Holmes Last week’s question asked: How many existing homes in Manteno were moved from the country to a place within village limits? And where are they now? First, a bit of history. The existence of the Manteno State Hospital – which employed thousands of workers over its 55-year run – and the hospital’s…
Peotone Circle K Break-In
By Andrea Arens Early Wednesday morning, the Peotone Circle K station’s front door was smashed, while the business was closed. The vehicle, identified by cameras, was involved in an incident in Manteno and had been reported stolen. No one was injured, and Peotone Police still are investigating.
War of Words Erupts at Green Garden Township Board Meeting
By Stephen Nelson A long time feud over the proper use of Green Garden Township money in the assessor’s office between Assessor Jane Bushong and Township Supervisor Don Murday erupted again in a tense war-of-words during the township board meeting on Wednesday, February 16. Murday claims he didn’t know Bushong was going to hire an…
Peotone’s Mason Kibelkis Reaches 1,000-Point Milestone
By Dennis Bowling Peotone’s Dave and Melissa KIbelkis watched their son and senior guard, Mason Kibelkis, evolve into one of the top players in this area. His exceptional work ethic and dedication to the game of basketball has helped him be a real high achiever, which aided him in entering a very select group on…
Monee Village Board Sets Guidelines for Murals
By Karen Haave The renovation of a Main Street building, to include an outdoor mural, has prompted Monee officials to consider an ordinance to set guidelines for artwork that would be displayed. “The board will recall that Second Place Church, when they came to the board meeting, mentioned…a drawing on the side of their building,”…
Manteno Trivia: February 17
By Melanie Holmes This week’s question is: How many existing homes in Manteno were moved from the country to a place within village limits? And where are they now? If we were to discuss the moving of “structures” in general, and flipped the question around, asking instead about the number of structures that have been…
Steam Hollow Celebrates Third Anniversary
By Eric Peterson Steam Hollow Brewing Co. managed to pack the public areas of the 7,500 square-foot brewery, from wall-to-wall, as they toasted successes and celebrated their three-year anniversary on February 5. The anniversary event featured live music, a special release anniversary beer, raffles every hour, and food provided by The Neighborhood Kitchen, with no…
Disney Trivia Night March 9
Best Buddies is hosting a Disney Trivia Night Fundraiser on Wednesday, March 9, at the Peotone High School Commons, at 6:30 p.m. The fee is $25 per table, with up to eight people per team. Contact Mrs. Crabbe with questions at ccrabbe@peotoneschools.org.
Manteno Trivia: February 10
By Melanie Holmes Last week’s question asked: What does the “5” stand for in Manteno Community Unit School District No. 5? Some might presume that “5” is part of a countywide numbering system, but the answer is more complicated, and comes with a ton of history. We begin a long time ago, with nine schoolhouses…
Record Snowfall Dumps on Will and Kankakee Counties
By Andrea Arens Snowmageddon 2022 struck with a force Tuesday night. By noon on Wednesday, February 2, Peotone had seen 9.25” of snow, and it just kept coming. By Wednesday night, Peotone weather.com indicated official Peotone snowfall was at 10.7 inches. The storm dumped about 20 inches of snow in central Illinois. Near whiteout conditions…