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
Chicago posts fewest homicides since 2016, arrests rate also declines
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, studies Chicago’s somewhat mixed-bag crime trend data with little question...
Illinois quick hits: Prosecutors charge two more in Tren de Aragua case; Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee meets today; Illinois Little League team loses in World Series
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Prosecutors charge two more in Tren de Aragua case State prosecutors have charged two more migrants as part of an investigation...
WATCH: IL state reps challenge IEMA-OHS responses to local agencies
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security officials are promising to be more responsive to...
Illinois takes over health insurance marketplace in 2026 amid skepticism
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois will fully take over operation of its health insurance marketplace in 2026, moving away from...
Illinois quick hits: ‘Lawsuit inferno’ bill takes effect after Pritzker signed 267 measures Friday
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square 'Lawsuit inferno' bill takes effect Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation which led the American Tort Reform Association to label Illinois...
State defends gun ban district court ruled unconstitutional
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) − Ahead of oral arguments over Illinois’ gun ban in the federal appeals court, attorneys for the state...
Pritzker acts upon 269 bills, vetoes 2, signs ‘lawsuit inferno’ measure
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In a Friday announcement of the status of 269 bills, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation which...
National News
Trump: Zelenskyy could end Russia-Ukraine war ‘if he wants to’
By Caroline BodaThe Center Square Ahead of the summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Washington on Monday, President Donald Trump said Ukraine should give up...
$750 million facility to protect Texas cattle, wildlife from screwworm threat
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Responding to calls by state lawmakers and the agricultural industry for immediate action to be taken to protect cattle and wildlife from a parasitic fly,...
Three years later, Inflation Reduction Act blamed for higher Medicare costs
By Tom JoyceThe Center Square This past weekend marked the third anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022. While the law...
Report: Human Rights Campaign pressures transgender procedures on minors
By Tate MillerThe Center Square (By Tate Miller) – The Human Rights Campaign pressures children’s hospitals into performing transgender procedures on minors, according to a Do No Harm report. Do...
Everyday Economics: Housing market and Fed policy in focus in the week ahead
By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square This week brings crucial updates on America's housing market struggles and hints about where interest rates might head next. Housing Data Dump Several major housing...
Businesses brace for new tax challenges amid global tariff focus
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square U.S. businesses and their partners across the globe are looking to make sure they comply with the highest import duties in decades amid a worldwide...
Judge expands restraining order against ‘Beto’ O’Rourke, adds ActBlue
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A judge has expanded a temporary restraining order against former U.S. Rep. Robert (Beto) O’Rourke and his organization, Powered by People, as well as ActBlue...
