Education
Mokena School District Terminates Contract with Evans and Sons Blacktop Over Project Deficiencies
MOKENA, Ill. – The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to terminate its contract with Evans and Sons Blacktop for the playground and parking lot improvements...
Mokena District 159 Highlights Strategic Progress, Sets Sights on Advanced Learning and Data Systems
MOKENA, Ill. – Mokena School District 159 administrators presented their annual Strategic Plan review to the Board of Education on Wednesday, showcasing a year of significant progress in curriculum, facility...
District 159 Approves $173,700 Window Shade Replacement Project for Summer 2026
MOKENA, Ill. – The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education has authorized the district to seek proposals for a large-scale window shade replacement project at three schools, slated for...
Mokena Junior High to Get New Hot Water Heaters After Failures
MOKENA, Ill. – The Mokena School District 159 board has approved an emergency expenditure of up to $34,500 to replace two failing hot water heaters at Mokena Junior High School....
District 159 Board Gets First Look at FY26 Budget Draft, Education Fund Deficit Noted
MOKENA, Ill. – The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education received its first look at the fiscal year 2026 budget this week, kicking off a two-month process of review...
Meeting Summary: Mokena School District 159 Board for July 16, 2025
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education took several significant actions at its July 16 meeting, including terminating a contract for summer construction work due to performance issues and...
JJC Trustees Approve Contentious FY26 Budget After Heated Debate, Failed Postponement
The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a $322.3 million budget for fiscal year 2026, but not before a tense debate that saw a motion to postpone...
Lincoln Way District 210 Approves $2.1 Million Budget Amendment, Maintains Strong Financial Position
Lincoln Way Community High School District 210 board members unanimously approved an amended fiscal year 2025 budget Thursday night that increases the district's operating surplus to $2.1 million while maintaining...
Will County Board Meetings
Report Finding Few Trucks Littering Sparks Debate on Cleanup Responsibility
Article Summary: A Will County report found that a very small percentage of waste-hauling trucks are the source of litter on roadways near the county landfill, sparking a debate among...
Will County Receives Detailed Update on Landfill Expansion Investigation
Article Summary: The Will County Landfill Committee received a comprehensive technical update on the site investigation for the planned horizontal expansion of the county landfill, confirming the project remains on...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Landfill Committee for August 7, 2025
The Will County Landfill Committee on Thursday heard a detailed technical update on the ongoing investigation for the county landfill expansion, confirming that the complex project remains on schedule. Consultants...
Will County Health Department Seeks $1 Million to Avert ‘Drastic’ Service Cuts from Expiring Grants
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Will County Health Department is requesting an additional $1 million in county funding for its 2026 budget to prevent the elimination of 11 critical staff positions, warning...
Will County’s “First-in-Nation” Veterans Center to House Workforce Services, Sparking Debate
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The new Will County Veteran's Assistance & Support Center will also become the home for the county's Workforce Services department, a move officials say will save approximately $250,000 in...
Improved Vendor Service Creates $1.2 Million Shortfall in Sheriff’s Medical Budget
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Will County Sheriff’s Office is facing a more than $1.2 million shortfall in its budget for inmate medical services, a problem officials attribute to an ironic cause:...
Will County Public Works Committee Unveils 25-Year Transportation Plan, Projects $258 Million Gap
ARTICLE SUMMARY: Will County officials have presented "Our Way Forward 2050," a new long-range transportation plan that provides a 25-year vision for infrastructure projects while forecasting a $258 million shortfall in...
Will County Animal Protection Services Seeks New Facility Amid “Gaping Wound” of Space Crisis
Article Summary: Will County Animal Protection Services is seeking approval for a new facility, telling a county committee that its current building is critically inadequate for housing animals, leading to...
Board Confronts Animal Services Crowding, Explores Future Facility Options
ARTICLE SUMMARY: Will County officials are grappling with an ongoing animal housing crisis that has overwhelmed the county’s Animal Protective Services facility, prompting discussions about expansion, new construction, or even repurposing...
Illinois News
Governor defends mental health mandate, rejects parental consent plan
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, who represents the 15th Congressional district in southeastern Illinois, is reintroducing legislation...
Illinois quick hits: Arlington Heights trustees pass grocery tax
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Arlington Heights trustees pass grocery tax Arlington Heights village trustees have approved a one-percent tax on groceries. Since Gov. J.B. Pritzker...
Plan launched to place redistricting amendment before voters in 2026
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Two former U.S. Cabinet members have launched a new effort to stop Illinois politicians from drawing their...
Illinois GOP U.S. Senate candidates point to economy, Trump gains
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Economic issues are front and center for Republican U.S. Senate candidates in Illinois. Former Illinois GOP Chairman...
Lawmaker criticizes $500 student board scholarships amid lowered K‑12 standards
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois student leaders serving on state higher education boards will now receive $500-per-semester scholarships under a...
Illinois news in brief: Work begins on $1.5 billion O’Hare expansion; Police catch man accused of road rage, shooting
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Work begins on $1.5 billion O'Hare expansion A new round of construction has begun at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Airline...
Soaring utility bills, solar federal tax credit cuts dominate Illinois energy debate
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Energy prices and clean energy policy took center stage during a senate energy and public utilities...
National News
Pacific region sees higher inflation than national average
By Jamie ParsonsThe Center Square Inflation in the Pacific region was higher than the national average in July due to larger annual gains, according to a report from Common Sense...
Legislative committees advance CA redistricting legislation
By Dave MasonThe Center Square Legislators, taxpayers and others debated passionately Tuesday for several hours as Democratic-led election committees in the California Assembly and Senate advanced congressional redistricting legislation. The...
California schools protect students from ICE agents
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square California schools are providing resources for students if immigration officials visit their campus. As students get ready to go back to school, Southern California schools...
White House touts D.C. crackdown; no timeline on National Guard deployment
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than a week after President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C., his administration is touting the operation as a success as more...
Security clearances of 37 former, current intel professionals revoked
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square The security clearances of 37 former and current intelligence professionals have been revoked, citing abuse of intelligence information, the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard...
USDA reverses use of taxpayer dollars to fund solar panels on farmland
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer subsidize large-scale solar projects placed on farmland or use solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries in any...
Major U.S. retailer reverses course on tariffs, says prices will go up
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A major U.S. retailer that previously said tariffs wouldn't increase prices reversed course on Tuesday, with officials saying they expect "modest" price increases for some...
