In Month of ‘Tragic Loss,’ Manhattan School District Mourns Students and Former Board Member
Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025 Article Summary:Manhattan School District 114 is grieving the recent deaths of two junior high students, Danny Bayles and Chance Hunnicutt, and...
Will County Finance Committee Forwards 1.75% Compromise Property Tax Levy to Full Board
Will County Finance Committee Forwards 1.75% Compromise Property Tax Levy to Full Board Article Summary:The Will County Board’s Finance Committee on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, narrowly approved a series of...
Manhattan D114 Projects Flat Tax Rate Despite Higher Levy Request, Plans Abatement
Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025 Article Summary:Manhattan School District 114 officials presented the tentative 2025 tax levy, which includes a higher request to capture value from...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan Village Board for November 4, 2025
Manhattan Village Board Meeting | November 4, 2025 An emotional and lengthy discussion on improving safety along U.S. Route 52 was the central focus of the Manhattan Village Board meeting...
Manhattan Man Arrested on Six Felony Counts of Child Pornography
Article Summary:A 25-year-old Manhattan man was arrested on multiple felony child pornography charges following a lengthy investigation that began with a tip from law enforcement in Nebraska. Police said evidence...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District Board for September 2025
Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District Board Meeting | September 2025 The Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District Board of Trustees handled key annual financial duties and updated its personnel policies during its regular...
Will County Saves $5.7 Million in Bond Refinancing, Maintains High Credit Ratings
Will County Finance Committee Meeting | November 2025 Article Summary: A recent bond transaction successfully saved Will County over $5.7 million in future debt payments, while a presentation from the...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan Park Board for September 2025
Manhattan Park Board Meeting | September 2025 The Manhattan Park Board at its Thursday, September 11, 2025, meeting ratified the emergency purchase of a bucket truck to aid in park...
Manhattan Approves Purchase of FOIA Redaction Software for Police Department
Manhattan Village Board Meeting | November 4, 2025 Article Summary: To handle a surge in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for body-camera footage, the Manhattan Village Board approved the...
Library Board Adopts New Cell Phone Stipend Policy for Employees
Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District Board Meeting | September 2025 Article SummaryThe Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District Board of Trustees has approved a new policy to provide a cell phone stipend for...
Manhattan Announces Proposed 6% Property Tax Levy Increase
Manhattan Village Board Meeting | November 4, 2025 Article Summary: The Manhattan Village Board has announced a proposed 2025 property tax levy of $3,828,252, which represents an approximate 6.09% increase...
State Veto Session Passes Energy Bill Limiting County Zoning, Approves Toll Hike for Mass Transit
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Legislative Committee for November 4, 2025 Article Summary: A state lobbyist reported to Will County that the Illinois General Assembly passed a major energy bill...
Education
In Month of ‘Tragic Loss,’ Manhattan School District Mourns Students and Former Board Member
Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025 Article Summary:Manhattan School District 114 is grieving the recent deaths of two junior high students, Danny Bayles and Chance Hunnicutt, and...
Manhattan D114 Projects Flat Tax Rate Despite Higher Levy Request, Plans Abatement
Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025 Article Summary:Manhattan School District 114 officials presented the tentative 2025 tax levy, which includes a higher request to capture value from...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for October 2025
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees took major steps on two significant, long-term projects during its October 15...
JJC Celebrates “Future Wolves” Partnerships with Joliet and Troy School Districts
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryJoliet Junior College celebrated its "Future Wolves" initiative by issuing proclamations honoring its inaugural partnerships with Joliet Public...
JJC Receives Surprise $1.9 Million from IRS Employee Retention Credit
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryJoliet Junior College has received an unexpected $1.9 million windfall from the federal Employee Retention Credit (ERC), a...
JJC Advances ERP Modernization with New Vendor and Two-Year Budget
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryJoliet Junior College is entering the next phase of its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system overhaul, with the...
JJC Authorizes Land Buy for Grundy County Expansion, Secures Site in Morris
Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryThe Joliet Junior College (JJC) Board of Trustees has authorized negotiations for a land acquisition to build a...
Will County Board Meetings
Will County Board Approves New Fee Schedule for Recorder of Deeds
Article Summary: The Will County Board has approved a revised fee schedule for the Recorder of Deeds office, which will take effect on October 1, 2025. The changes, based on...
Will County Board Formally Opposes Heavier, Longer Trucks on National Roadways
Article Summary: The Will County Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing any federal legislation that would increase the size and weight limits for commercial trucks on the nation's roadways. The...
Will County Board Approves Permits for Landscaping Business and Restaurant Liquor Service in Frankfort Area
Article SummaryThe Will County Board unanimously approved three separate special use permits for businesses in the Frankfort area, allowing a landscaping operation in Green Garden Township to continue and two...
Crete Township Community Center to Get New Digital Sign
Article Summary: The Will County Board approved a special use permit and two variances for Crete Township, allowing for the installation of a new on-premise dynamic display sign at its...
Will County Awards $1.46 Million Contract for Kankakee Street Bridge Replacement in Manhattan Township
Article SummaryThe Will County Board has awarded a $1.46 million contract to "D" Construction, Inc. of Coal City to replace the Kankakee Street Bridge over Jackson Creek in Manhattan Township....
Board Approves Engineering Contracts for Mokena Road Widening
Article SummaryThe Will County Board approved over $1.1 million in supplemental engineering contracts to advance the ongoing 80th Avenue improvement project in Mokena. The additional funding addresses project delays and...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board for August 21, 2025
The Will County Board received County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant’s proposed $791 million budget for fiscal year 2026, which holds the line on the property tax levy while funding key services....
Will County Executive Proposes $791 Million Budget Focused on Stability Amidst Economic Uncertainty
Article Summary: Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant presented a balanced $791 million budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 that aims to maintain services and prepare for potential economic challenges without...
Illinois News
Chicago council committee rejects mayor’s proposed tax hikes
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago City Council Committee on Finance has rejected a package of higher taxes proposed by Mayor...
Illinois quick hits: Elections board considers primary election petition objections
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Elections board considers primary election petition objections Gov. J.B. Pritzker has one challenger in the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary. Former Chicago...
193 youth in care of Illinois’ child welfare agency missing in 2025
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – So far this calendar year, Illinois’ child welfare agency reports 193 missing youth in care, an increase...
Hemp industry advocate promises to work with Pritzker, lawmakers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker and an advocate for the Illinois hemp industry have different views on reform after...
Illinois truckers back federal pause on non-domiciled CDLs, hope state follows suit
By Catrina Baker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois truckers are applauding a federal rule and hope the state enforces a pause on non-domiciled...
WATCH: DCFS updates missing children numbers; Budget cuts EO transparency criticized
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the latest...
Illinois quick hits: Armed robbery charges after incident at Senate President’s office
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Armed robbery charges after incident at Senate President's office A Chicago man has been charged with armed robbery after an incident...
National News
Feds: Illegal commercial drivers licenses issued in California
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square A federal agency reported the California Department of Motor Vehicles illegally issued thousands of commercial drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants. According to the U.S. Department...
Socialist candidate runs against Los Angeles mayor
By Dave MasonThe Center Square A trend of socialist mayoral candidates in the nation’s biggest cities is continuing with housing advocate Rae Chen Huang’s candidacy against Los Angeles Mayor Karen...
Bill would make health care sharing ministries tax deductible
By Tate MillerThe Center Square The president of a health sharing ministry says he supports a bill that would make health share systems tax deductible, additionally stating that health sharing...
HHS terminates Biden-era rule that rewarded doctors for ‘anti-racism’ plans
By Tate MillerThe Center Square In a win for a return to meritorious health care systems and patient trust in them, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services terminated...
Average cost of family insurance nears $27,000 a year
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Average family health insurance premiums rose 6% in 2025, nearing $27,000, underscoring consistent increases and warning of more hikes ahead. Higher healthcare spending, including increased...
U.S. House to vote on releasing the Epstein files
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square After pressuring Republicans for months to oppose any mass release of government records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump changed course just...
Vermont looks to encourage legal immigration pathways
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Vermont legislature is looking toward legal immigration pathways to address labor shortages throughout the state. Vermont passed a bipartisan bill in May calling for...
