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Several dozen supporters of President Donald J. Trump braved the cold rain Saturday morning to show their support of the controversial 45th president. The rally was held on the corner of Jefferson St. and Larkin Ave. in Joliet in front of the White Castle fast food restaurant. The parking lot of the former K-Mart even featured a place to purchase Trump 2020 flags, hats and shirts. Originally, there was scheduled to be a demonstration opposing the POTUS, however, none was prese...
While all teams would like to come out of a holiday tournament with a championship, the Maine South boys basketball team came out of the 2019 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic with a better sense of identity – which is the ultimate goal. The Hawks posted a 2-2 record in the tournament, sandwiching two wins in between a pair of losses. The final contest was a 62-56 loss to Richards in which, Maine South had double digit leads multiple times in the game, but were outscored 1...
We already have Black Friday - the large retail shopping day the day after Thanksgiving - now add Green Wednesday to the list. While it will not carry the annual gravitas of Black Friday, for one day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 rivaled that day. That is the day Illinois began to officially legalize recreational marijuana after HB 1438 was signed into law in June. Weed connoisseur's waited in line more than four hours outside Rise dispensary, 2903 Colorado Ave. in Joliet to...
Anyone who ever visited a bar or restaurant in the Joliet and Crest Hill area knew Dennis Ledenbach, Jr. They may not have known him by name, but, they knew the guy who often times donned a Chicago Bears, Star Wars or WWE wrestling shirt and much of the time appeared to be working when he wasn't on the clock. That is what Ledenbach was doing Sunday. He was hanging out at Anthony's Restaurant & Pub near the Louis Joliet Mall in Joliet. As he usually did, Ledenbach, 46, made...
Through the first seven games of the season, Notre Dame College Prep and Minooka were unbeaten and had themselves ranked among the elite teams in Class 8A. Both battled through difficult schedules, made history for their programs, and advanced to the IHSA playoffs, notching at least one win before being eliminated. Both teams are also connected as they produced the 2019 Enterprise Publications Football Players of the Year. SETH LEHR, QB MINOOKA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Aft...
The Christmas tree was lit in downtown Joliet the day after Thanksgiving, the downtown shops are decorated and on December 22 another recent Joliet tradition will take place as the Oak Ridge Boys return to the Rialto Square Theater for their 30th annual Christmas concert. "That theater is just a beautiful place, it has been fixed up nice and there is not a bad seat in the house. It is a great place to do a show," said Richard Sterban, bass singer for the Oak Ridge Boys. "Even...
Dan the Cattle Auctioneer. That doesn't really have the same ring to it as Larry the Cable Guy, but that was the dream of a young Dan Whitney. "I wanted to be a cattle auctioneer and then drive a potbelly hog hauler - that was my big goal," Whitney said. "I remember when I was a kid, I got in trouble because I kept calling the radio stating in Omaha long distance to request the song 'Convoy' by CW McCall and my mom and dad would get mad at me." Later in life, Whitney was bit...
In 2013 as a sophomore at Downers Grove South, under then-Mustang and current Minooka head coach John Belskis, offensive lineman Erik Swenson made a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan – the team he rooted for growing up. By the end of his senior season, Jim Harbaugh had replaced Brady Hoke as head coach of the Wolverines, Swenson’s scholarship was rescinded and he found himself without a team just weeks before signing day. It didn’t take long for Swenson to find...
Does someone's name truly define them? In the case of Benet Academy senior Hattie Monson, the answer is a resounding yes. Monson said her parents chose her name as they drove through Hattiesburg, Mississippi and liked how it sounded. However, by its American origin, the name means "Home Ruler." A self-admitted gym rat, Monson made the Benet volleyball court her home the last four years and she ruled it with authority. Monson posted 370 digs, 98 assists and 12 service aces on...
Dan the Cattle Auctioneer. That doesn't really have the same ring to it as Larry the Cable Guy, but that was the dream of a young Dan Whitney. "I wanted to be a cattle auctioneer and then drive a potbelly hog hauler - that was my big goal," Whitney said. "I remember when I was a kid, I got in trouble because I kept calling the radio station in Omaha long distance to request the song 'Convoy' by CW McCall and my mom and dad would get mad at me." Later in life, Whitney was bit b...
Last season, as Benet Academy placed third in the state in Class 4A, then-junior Colleen McGuire was not on the floor at Redbird Arena. After playing on the lower levels her first two seasons at Benet, McGuire decided not to play last season in order to focus on training for her future in beach volleyball, which she will play next season at the University of California-Davis. This year, she decided to return to the Redwings and the move paid off for both her and the team. McGu...
Tradition. That is at the heart of all Joliet Catholic Academy athletics and the girls volleyball team is one of those top programs. This season, the Angels battled injuries as well as a schedule that featured a conference that has a pair of nationally-ranked teams that played in the final four in Class 4A. JCA overcame all of that to place second in Class 3A at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. The Angels fell 25-16, 25-19 to defending...
NORMAL - Coming into the IHSA Class 4A state volleyball semifinals, Benet Academy had only one loss on its resume, a 25-13, 25-21 loss at Marist in the final regular season match of the season. That same Marist program had defeated the Redwings in the 2018 semifinals and went on to win its second-straight title. To say Benet was focused was an understatement. That focus showed as the Redwings used a dominant first set and a come-from-behind second to defeat the RedHawks...
Joliet Catholic Academy senior middle hitter Bella Ray said there was one word to sum up the Angels' IHSA Class 3A semifinal match against University High of Normal – revenge. "We knew they were going to come out with revenge in their eyes because we knocked them out last year and we were thinking that we had revenge in our eyes because we wanted to make it to the state championship match last year and we didn't make it," she said after JCA's 25-23, 25-20 sweep of the Pioneers...
As if winning the IHSA Class 2A soccer championship wasn't enough, the way Benet Academy won was unprecedented. The Redwings defeated Crystal Lake South 2-0 – the eighth consecutive shutout of the playoffs, leaving Benet unscored upon the entire postseason run. In the 11 years of the three-class system, no Class 2A champion has ever blanked every opponent from the regional opener through a championship. "It is almost overwhelming to think about," said Benet coach Sean W...
If only the game were a little bit longer. Notre Dame found its offensive rhythm in the second half of the second round matchup at Lincoln-Way East, but needed more time as the clock ran out on the game and the season with a 23-13 loss to the No. 1 ranked team in Illinois. "They counted us out from the beginning and I think we held our own against the No. 1 team in the state," said junior quarterback Anthony Sayles. "I give them credit, but we held our own." The Dons found...
The Plainfield North volleyball team had a goal this season – and that goal was met. With a 22-25, 25-23, 29-27 win over Naperville North on Halloween night, the Tigers won the Oswego Regional championship and met their goal set at the beginning of the season. "We had a tremendous season overall," said Plainfield North coach Matthew Slechta, "Our goal was to win regionals and see what happened, so everything after that was icing on the cake." The regional championship was the...
For the second-straight season, the IHSA girls Class 4A state volleyball finals will feature a match between a pair of nationally ranked teams. And, for the second-straight season that match will feature Benet Academy and will take place in the semifinal match. Conference opponents Benet and Marist will be the feature match of the opening night and will allow only one team in the USA Today Volleyball top 15 rankings to compete for a state championship. In the most recent...
The last time Bolingbrook was in the IHSA Class 8A quarterfinals was 2014 after defeating Oswego 31-28 in overtime to get past the second round. Saturday night, the Raiders advanced again with another win over Oswego – only this time it took two overtime periods and the Raiders won 31-30. The teams traded first-play touchdowns in the first extra period and after Antonio King scored the go ahead touchdown to open the second OT, Oswego answered, but instead of sending the g...
On his final meeting as a member of the Valley View School District, James 'JT' Boudouris said the service of the Boudouris family had come to an end after his parents had spent more that 70 combined years working in the district. After a recount of votes, that service has returned. The Will County Clerk's Office on Tuesday amended the results in the school board race for the Valley View School District in the April 2, 2019 Consolidated Election by order of the 12th Judicial...
On his final meeting as a member of the Valley View School District, James 'JT' Boudouris said the service of the Boudouris family had come to an end after his parents had spent more that 70 combined years working in the district. After a recount of votes, that service has returned. The Will County Clerk's Office on Tuesday amended the results in the school board race for the Valley View School District in the April 2, 2019 Consolidated Election by order of the 12th Judicial...
The last time Bolingbrook was in the IHSA Class 8A quarterfinals was 2014 after defeating Oswego 31-28 in overtime to get past the second round. Saturday night, the Raiders advanced again with another win over Oswego – only this time it took two overtime periods and the Raiders won 31-30. The teams traded first-play touchdowns in the first extra period and after Antonio King scored the go ahead touchdown to open the second OT, Oswego answered, but instead of sending the g...
Maine South coach Dave Inserra has been around a long time - 19 years to be exact. He has led the Hawks to four state championships and three second-place finishes. Along the way, Inserra has coached a lot of talented football players. Friday night, he said good-bye to Peter Skoronski - the one he calls the best he ever coached. "He is a true All-American and the greatest player I have ever coached," Inserra said of the two-way lineman. Skoronski's career and the career of...
From 2001-06, Lisle advanced to the IHSA football playoffs every season for six years in a row. From that point on, the Lions advanced three times heading into this season, but never two years in a row. That changed this season, when Lisle qualified for the postseason, it was the first time in 13 seasons the Lions have qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. "It was a great season," said Lisle coach Paul Parpet. "For the first time since 2006 Lisle has been to the...
Within five years, Marine Corps Sergeant Nick Wallace went from living in a homeless shelter on Chicago's west side to living in his own home in Joliet – one gifted to him by 'Building Homes for Heroes.' "In 2014 or 15, I was living in the city and I became homeless. I was living in a homeless shelter on the west side of Chicago and it was during that time that I got hired at Verizon, so I was driving from the homeless shelter to Schaumburg every day until I had enough m...