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Kankakee Police Accepting Applications for Citizens Police Academy
The City of Kankakee Police Department is thrilled to announce the launch of the Citizen Police Academy, an engaging program designed to foster a better understanding between our community and the dedicated men and women who serve and protect. Chief Christopher Kidwell stated: “The Citizen Police Academy is an invaluable opportunity for residents to gain…
Monee Police Blotter: February 1-5
On February 1, at approximately 9:24 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 6600 block of Monee-Manhattan Road to investigate a theft. Reginald L. Johnson Jr., 27, of Lynwood, was arrested for theft-under $500 after he allegedly concealed an Apple Watch Series 9 under his sleeve. Johnson was taken to MPD, where he was…
Winters Sentenced to Life in Prison
Sentenced for predatory criminal sexual assault/aggravated criminal sexual abuse of five-year-old. Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced Vincent Winters, 58, of Joliet, was sentenced to his natural life in prison by Judge Sarah Jones for the predatory criminal sexual assault of a five-year-old girl in 2017. On November 16, 2023, a Will County jury…
House Fire in Peotone
Manhattan Fire Department issued a press release yesterday afternoon that at approximately 11:37 AM, the Manhattan Fire Protection District (MFPD) was dispatched to a reported residential structure fire on the 300 block of West Street in Peotone. MFPD said the first units arrived on the scene within 3 minutes of the initial call for service.…
Peotone Police Blotter January 25-February 1
January 25, 2024 – Peotone Police were requested to McDonald’s on Oriole Dr reference a drive-thru patron attempting to make payment with a counterfeit $20 bill. Subject was described to be a male black with an afro, small mustache, gap in front teeth, and wearing a reflective type vest. Suspect was driving a dark blue…
Monee Police Blotter: January 23 – 29
On January 23, at approximately 9:58 p.m., a traffic stop resulted in the arrest of Marlon Sanchez, 41, of Blue Island. Sanchez was issued citations for not having a valid driver’s license that was expired for more than one year and equipment violations. Sanchez was released with a notice-to-appear via his citations. January 25, at…
ISP Unveils Final ISP Regional Campus Design
State-of-the-art facilities to house patrol, criminal investigation, forensic services, and crime scene command. JOLIET – The Illinois State Police (ISP) unveiled the design for the new Illinois State Police Regional Campus comprised of the Illinois State Police Forensic Laboratory and Illinois State Police Troop 3 and Zone 1 Headquarters. The buildings were designed to increase…
Camp I Am Me Promotes Burn Awareness Week
Helps prevent flammable liquid burn injuries. National Burn Awareness Week is February 4-10, and this year’s theme is “Handle with Care, Flammable Liquids Beware.” Camp I Am Me, by Illinois Fire Safety Alliance – a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children and adults with severe burn injuries, is highlighting the awareness campaign to support its…
Peotone Police Blotter: January 19 – 25
January 23, Peotone Police were requested to Pearl Dodge for a complaint of a stolen vehicle. The Peotone Officer responded and spoke with an employee from the dealership. The officer learned the vehicle was purchased using fraudulent identification and payment. The stolen vehicle then was entered into the national law enforcement database, and the detective…
Monee Police Blotter: January 9 – 19
On January 9, at approximately 5:34 p.m., Monee Police responded to a fraud report from a Monee resident, who attempted to download and use an Amazon App on her phone. She encountered problems with the download, so she called the number provided by the app and encountered a person claiming to be an Amazon representative,…
Will County EMA Issues Update on Wilmington Flash Flooding
Kankakee River Update: January 27 A significant reduction in water levels has been reported on the Kankakee River, as most ice jams have cleared between the City of Wilmington and the Des Plaines River confluence. Water levels were recorded at 6.89 feet at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, January 27. The National Weather Service has expired…
Will County EMA Issues Update on Flash Flooding in Wilmington
January 26 Kankakee River Update: The ice jams have cleared on the river, but water levels remain high, and a Flash Flood Warning remains in effect. Rt. 53 currently is open to traffic, but this is subject to change dependent on river conditions. Residents still are urged to monitor conditions and be cautious about possible…
Will County EMA Issues Wilmington Flash Flooding Update
The Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and City of Wilmington officials responded to flash flooding in downtown Wilmington on the evening of January 25. The flooding occurred suddenly on the North and South Islands, due to rapidly increasing water levels on the Kankakee River. Will County EMA issued a mass notification message to residents,…
Flash Flood Warning Issued for Southwestern Will County
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Flash Flood Warning for southwestern Will County, with an elevated risk of flooding along the Kankakee River. The Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is anticipating an imminent break-up of the Kankakee River ice jam, which will create increased flood conditions from the City of Wilmington to…
Will County EMA Issues Update on Kankakee River Conditions
WILL COUNTY – The Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) advises residents along the Kankakee River of flash flood conditions throughout the week due to ice jams on the river. Flash flooding has been occurring in unincorporated Will County along the river since the morning of January 15. “Our agency has been working with local…
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News Around the Area
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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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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Capitol News
Pritzker commits another $182 million to migrant response, details to come next week
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The state and Cook County announced Thursday a roughly $250 million plan to provide shelter, health care and other services for recently arrived migrants. But according to their own plan, there’s still a roughly $70 million funding gap for the rest of 2024. That missing money…
In last-minute reversal, former Sen. Sam McCann pleads guilty to corruption charges
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com This is a breaking news story and will be updated. As federal prosecutors were preparing to rest their case Thursday in the corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann, the one-time gubernatorial candidate had a change of heart. His attorney announced McCann would reverse his position…
Customers pay for utilities’ lawyers and corporate donations. Advocates want to change that.
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans pay tens of millions of dollars each year to utilities to cover costs they accrue for lawyers, belonging to trade groups, making charitable contributions and purchasing advertisements meant to boost utilities’ public image. Consumer advocates are pushing for a change to state law that would bar utilities…
Transportation workers rally for new contract amid negotiations with state
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Groups of Illinois Department of Transportation workers represented by local Teamsters unions rallied at facilities in Collinsville and Springfield Wednesday after recently passing a strike authorization and filing complaints against the state. Teamsters Local 916 President JP Fyans said negotiations have been ongoing since before the contract expired…
In day 2 of trial, prosecutor’s detail former lawmaker’s alleged RV rental scheme
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com This story will be updated with further details from the trial. Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann was back in federal court on Wednesday for day two of his trial for alleged misuse of campaign funds. Prosecutors delved into McCann’s alleged scheme to rent out a motor home…
Feds accuse ex-lawmaker of ‘greed, fraud and arrogance’ in misusing campaign funds
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Bass pulled no punches in describing former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann on the first day of his federal corruption trial on Tuesday. “This case is about greed, fraud and arrogance,” Bass said. “Greed for a lifestyle far beyond his means…fraud in…
Ex-Madigan aide sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstruction of justice attempt, perjury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – For most of his adult working life, Tim Mapes only had one boss: former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. And for the more than 25 years he served as Madigan’s chief of staff, Mapes was known for his extreme loyalty to the powerful speaker. His office…
Gun rights groups ask SCOTUS to review Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In a long-expected move, national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Illinois’ ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. In separate petitions filed Monday, the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights and the Nevada-based Firearms Policy Coalition asked the nation’s…
McCann trial delayed another day as he cancels plan to represent himself
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The federal corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann was delayed again on Monday, but this time for only one day to allow a court-appointed standby attorney time to take over his defense. McCann’s trial has been delayed numerous times since his February 2021…
Bertino-Tarrant Attends White House ‘Communities in Action’ Series
Visit includes meetings with Sen. Durbin and Congressmen Jackson and Davis. Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant joined elected and community leaders from throughout Illinois at the White House to discuss the positive local impacts of federal investments from the Biden-Harris Administration. “Will County has received historic levels of federal funding under this administration,” said County…
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Will County Forest Preserve
Nature Foundation Kicks-Off 2024 with New Leader, New Garden Tour Event
The Nature Foundation of Will County is starting 2024 with a new leader, a new garden tour event, and a schedule packed with plant sales and online seminars. Tara Neff, of Joliet, has taken over as Foundation Executive Director, succeeding Cindy Harn, who will remain on with the organization in charge of native plant sales…
Registration Deadline for Forest Preserve’s Beekeeping Workshop is February 14
If you’ve always yearned to be a beekeeper, sign up for the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Introduction to Successful Beekeeping Workshop. “With the cold and snow outside, people may not be thinking about spring just yet,” said Bob Bryerton, a Forest Preserve program manager at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. “However,…
Forest Preserve Programs Feature Woodchucks, Trees, Games
Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of February 12. Online registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org. Nature Play Day After Hours – Happy Birthday Willy the Woodchuck, from 6 – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 13, Plum Creek Nature Center, Crete Township: This nature-themed program for…
Hidden Oaks Nature Center to Close for Renovation
Closure begins February 19 and will last for most of 2024. Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook is about to be transformed, but the process will require the facility to be closed for most of the year beginning Monday, February 19. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but promise it will be an…
Forest Preserve Earns Chicago Wilderness Award for Sand Ridge Savanna Restoration Efforts
Extensive, multiyear restoration efforts at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Sand Ridge Savanna Nature Preserve have been acknowledged with an “Excellence in Ecological Restoration” award from the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. The district received the award on January 17 at a “Celebration of Conservation” banquet at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. The award provides…
Love and Football in the Air at Forest Preserve District
Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of February 5. Online program registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org. Winter Sowing for Monarchs, from 6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 8, Plum Creek Nature Center: Learn the importance of the monarch butterfly and the ins-and-outs of winter seed sowing.…
Forest Preserve’s Site Hosts February 3 Wedding Open House
When Bailey Testerman was first scouting out wedding venues, the bride-to-be said she was looking for a site that was as “green” as possible. “The health of our planet is incredibly important to me…,” she said. “I wanted to reduce the environmental impact of our wedding as much as possible. Choosing an environmentally conscious venue…
Forest Preserve’s 2024 Take It Outside Challenge Debuts with a Twist
If you loved the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Take It Outside Challenge in 2023 or wish you had joined, a new version of the popular program launched on January 21. Last year’s yearlong challenge drew more than 1,200 participants, who completed approximately 115,000 nature-themed missions, ranging from GPS check-ins at various locations, photos…
From Soup to Nuthatches, Forest Preserve Offers Wide Range of Programs
Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of January 29. Online registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org. Birding in the Preserves, Zoom Webinar, from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, February 1: Learn birds and birding from home on this free and all ages virtual hike through a forest…
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