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 Finance Committee Approves Juvenile Detention Center Upgrades
Committee votes to keep facility operational, moves forward with compliance modifications Will County Finance Committee members voted unanimously Monday to recommend keeping the River Valley Detention Center operational and making...
Major Grade Separation Projects Advance with Engineering Contracts
The committee approved two significant engineering agreements for major railroad overpass projects totaling over $4 million. TranSystems Corporation received a $4,003,256 contract for construction engineering services on the Lorenzo Road...
County Authorizes Condemnation for Francis Road Project
The committee authorized the State's Attorney's Office to proceed with condemnation cases for right-of-way acquisition needed for Francis Road improvements between Gougar Road and Interstate 80. Eight property parcels are...
Solar Farm Access Approved for Manhattan-Arsenal Road
The committee granted access approval for a solar farm development on Manhattan-Arsenal Road approximately 1,000 feet east of Cherry Hill Road. The MCH Solar 1 project, developed by Soltage LLC,...
Will County Finance Committee Meeting Briefs
Budget Transfers Approved: The Finance Committee approved transferring $18,643 within the Supervisor of Assessments budget to move funds from software licensing to computer hardware purchases. Animal Protection Services Funding: Committee...
Public Works Committee Briefs
Major Projects Update: Construction continues on several major projects including the 80th Avenue expressway overpass, Laraway Road widening near Cedar Road, and Bell Road improvements. The Bell Road project at...
Capital Improvements & IT Committee Briefs
Bed donation program: Will County donated old beds from Sunny Hill Nursing Home to Joliet Junior College and Project Cure after the nursing home received all new beds for residents....
Illinois News
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 sports wagers decline after implementation of new tax
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Gaming Board has reported a 15% drop in September sports betting, after the state imposed...
Chicago mayor threatens layoffs, property tax hikes if council rejects head tax
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is threatening service cuts, layoffs and property tax hikes if aldermen reject his...
Illinois quick hits: Four officers injured during ICE protest
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Four officers injured during ICE protest Four state and local law enforcement officers were injured and 21 people were arrested Friday...
Illinois quick hits: Chicago treasurer to boycott U.S. securities to protest against Trump; Governor marks opening of new union training center; Illinois farms expected to lose $67.2 million a year
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Treasurer to boycott U.S. Treasury securities to protest against Trump Chicago’s finances may take another hit after City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin...
Illinois quick hits: WARN Act reporting shows 1,600 job losses in October
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square WARN Act reporting shows 1,600 job losses in October The Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act for October reports...
National News
Supreme Court declines to hear public prayer case
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court declined to decide a case about public prayer in Florida. The case, Cambridge Christian School v. Florida High School Athletic Association,...
Supreme Court to decide immigration asylum case
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court will decide a case that would determine at what point an individual seeking asylum "arrives" in the United States. The Trump...
Everyday Economics: Jobs data returns as government reopens
By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square With the government shutdown finally over, this week brings a double dose of good news: federal workers start receiving paychecks again, and economic data collection...
Supreme Court case could have major effect on 2026 midterms
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could have an effect on the 2026 midterm elections. The case, Watson v....
Competing crypto plans create ‘narrow path’ for adoption
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Two competing plans seeking to define market structure for digital assets in the U.S. have left a "narrow path" to pass regulations for cryptocurrency. The...
Congress used government funding bill to ‘erase’ $3.4 trillion in deficits
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Quietly tucked inside Republicans’ funding deal to end the government shutdown is a provision wiping the congressional Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) scorecard, effectively forgiving nearly $3.4 trillion...
Illinois patient relies on ACA tax credits, experts warn they drive higher premiums
By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square President Donald Trump signed a House-passed short-term spending bill late Wednesday, ending the shutdown and keeping the government open through January, notably without the Affordable...
