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Former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, 78, announced Thursday he will step down from the state House of Representatives after 50 years in office. "I leave office at peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I've made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing I've made a difference," Madigan wrote in a lengthy emailed statement. His initial statement said he plans to retire by the end of the month, but by the end of Thursday the letter he submitted to...
Officials from the hotel, restaurant and convention industries told a state Senate panel Thursday that they need a clear plan for how they will be allowed to reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, warning that without such a plan, many will go out of business permanently. “We need to know … a strategy, we need to know the metrics as we move forward because we cannot, we cannot lose another summer here in the state of Illinois,” Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Resta...
The Troy Middle School National Science Bowl Team recently placed third in the Argonne National Laboratory Regional Middle School Science Bowl competition. T.M.S. Science Bowl Team Sponsor Dr. Barbara Will-Henn said the select team of 8th grade members was led by its captain, Jorgia Smidl. Other members were Jackie Dowling, Ben Klein, Alex Randolph and Kevin Trizna. The competition this year was all virtual, Will-Henn said, and included the subjects of biology, chemistry,...
Gov. JB Pritzker outlined a $41.6 billion budget proposal Wednesday that would hold most state agencies at flat funding levels but which relies heavily on changes to the state’s corporate tax structure that lawmakers have not yet approved. The budget proposal, which is only the governor’s request for lawmakers in the General Assembly, does not call for income tax increases. Over the next four months, lawmakers will work on an operating budget of their own to send to the gov...
For the past several weeks the Will County Health Department (WCHD) has been asking the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for more information about COVID-19 vaccine supplies that are on their way. Ever since the first vaccine delivery in December, arrivals of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine have been very sporadic, with little information about how much is coming and when. The good news is that starting this week, WCHD is now being told three weeks out how much is...
Joan and Robert Otte of Lockport were thrilled when they received an email invitation to attend a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. They didn't waste a moment signing up to get the shot together. But little did the 73-year-old pair know they'd be making history when they arrived for their first dose today. Joan was the hospital's 9,999th vaccine recipient – and her husband Robert was the 10,000th! The couple received the news from the hospital's A...
A new exhibit is currently on display in the Gaylord Building Historic Site's first-floor gallery highlighting the work of former Lewis University history professor and local historian, John Lamb. Current gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from noon until 5:00 p.m. Life Along the Canal: The Art of John M. Lamb celebrates the artistic achievement of John M. Lamb, who has been linked with the Illinois and Michigan Canal for over 60...
Lisle Police Sergeant Daniel Taylor has received the Franklin M. Kreml Leadership Award from the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (formerly The Traffic Institute). The award was established in 1984 by Kreml, the Center’s founder, to “recognize and encourage the high ethical and professional values and dedication to public service upon which the Center for Public Safety was founded.” Sergeant Taylor was selected for the award by his classmates in the Center for Public Safety’s ten-week School of Police Staff a...
Will County residents who have their pets spayed or neutered at participating veterinary offices in February can receive a $40 county-sponsored discount. The discount applies for up to two animals per household and is exclusively for pet owners who live in Will County. More than 20,169 pets have been treated since the program originated in 2007. "Our Animal Control Department is committed to ensuring the health of our county's pet population by offering this discounted...
Minooka Community High School senior Alaina Frazier, daughter of Jennifer and Brad Frazier of Shorewood, for being named the Channahon-Minooka Rotary Club “Student of the Month” for January. In the classroom, Alaina maintains a 4.6 grade-point-average (weighted), achieved High Honor Roll all 4 years, and named Student of the Term Junior year for History. Alaina has also participated as President of National Honor Society, Co-Creator of Allies in Diversity, Interact Club, Spa...
SPRINGFIELD – The number of vaccinations administered in one day in Illinois saw a record spike Tuesday as the statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate continued to decrease to levels not seen since mid-October. The rolling case positivity rate hit 4.5 percent as of Wednesday, decreasing for the 19th consecutive day to hit its lowest number since Oct. 13. That came as the state reported 53,628 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered Tuesday, the highest reported o...
While Gov. JB Pritzker issued a new executive order this week allowing for transfers into state prisons at the discretion of the Illinois Department of Corrections director, an association representing the state's sheriffs contends that the move was more show than substance. Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, said Wednesday that the new order's stipulation that transfers are allowed "within the sole discretion of the Director of IDOC"...
"This is it," Bolingbrook Mayor Roger C. Claar said to the large crowd gathered to see him off at his final board meeting after serving the village for nearly 34 years - 33 years, 8 months and 7 days to be exact. Claar gave his final address to the board and residents from center stage of the Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center, where the meeting was relocated to in order to accommodate the amount of people that showed up to the event - which was maybe the first mayoral...
More than 200 federal agents will head to Chicago this week as state and local officials take a more measured tone of acceptance after railing against a potential federal surge earlier in the week. That's because the Trump Administration has offered assurances that the Illinois operations – an expansion of the Operation Legend initiative boosting law enforcement efforts in Kansas City, Mo. – will be different than recent actions by agencies in Portland, Ore. In that city, ther...
The Niles Police Department was devastated last week when three men affiliated with the department were struck when an alleged drunk driver going in the opposite direction swerved into their lane and hit them head-on. The crash occurred about 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 12 on a highway in Kerrville, Texas, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio. The men were members of the Chicago chapter of the Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, which is comprised of active and...
Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday gave only vague answers to reporters' questions about potential future restrictions Illinois might put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in certain areas. He took the inquiries Tuesday morning at an unrelated news conference in Chicago, hours before the Illinois Department of Public Health announced another 707 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 26 more virus-related deaths. That brought the total COVID-19-related casualties in...
The chairwoman of the Illinois House Energy and Environment Committee said this week she will not hold hearings to examine what impact Commonwealth Edison's lobbying and bribery practices have had on utility ratepayers, rebuffing a request from two Republican lawmakers. Instead, Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said in a statement that she plans to introduce "tough new amendments" to the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act next year "to ensure that we hold utilities accountable and ta...
A proposal for Plainfield District 202 students to start the 2020-21 school year with remote learning failed by a 3-3 vote at Monday's regular Board of Education meeting. The proposed "Return '20" plan would have allowed students to return to in-person learning for the second quarter this fall if COVID-19 conditions improved. The Board directed administration to bring back another proposal. The Board's next regular meeting is August 17, 2020 but Superintendent of Schools Dr....
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will begin following up with Plainfield households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census next week. When visiting homes, census workers will ask basic questions including how many people live in your home. Responses to the survey are only used to produce statistics and are protected by federal law. Census takers will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit your home. If no one is home, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with...
In a ceremony that lasted the whole weekend and was forced by weather to take place in two different places, the seniors from Minooka High School graduated July 11-12. The students were divided into groups based on last name and were able to hear their name called, walk the stage and pose for photos with properly masked school administration. Weather forced Saturday’s edition to take place indoors at the Performing Arts Center, while Sunday graduates were able to graduate o...
Since January, Illinois residents and visitors have spent nearly $240 million on legalized recreational marijuana, producing $52 million in state revenue, according to a news release from the governor's office. Of that, $34.7 million came from excise taxes, while $18 million came from sales taxes. Per the law, 8 percent of that revenue will be shared with local governments, while the Illinois Department of Revenue estimates $25.9 million from excise and sales taxes will be...
The Village of Romeoville will hold an essential workers parade on Saturday, July 18. The staging ground will be at White Oak Library. Things will kick off at 1:00 p.m. and follow the route indicated on the map below, ending at Boucher Prairie Park. "We wanted to give the community a chance to thank the supporting agencies and employees of the village who have kept Romeoville running through the pandemic," explained Mayor John Noak. Spectators will see representatives from...
The DuPage County Board awarded a total of $1 million to 56 local nonprofits today through the DuPage County Human Services Grant Fund. The County Board created this fund to partner with local agencies that directly serve the needs of DuPage County residents. “DuPage County residents continue to face new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. These dollars will help our nonprofits to pursue additional private and public support to assist the largest number of people possible and provide vital community services, p...
With fewer than four months remaining until the general election, House Republicans said Tuesday they want to remind Illinoisans of Democratic lawmakers’ “failure” to address corruption in the General Assembly. It has been 260 days since former Chicago Democratic Rep. Louis Arroyo was charged by federal officials with bribery, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said during a virtual news conference. Arroyo’s case remains pending. Durkin, of Western Springs, also mentioned the case of former Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago...