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 Committee Approves Rezoning, Denies Landfill Permit for Former Joliet Beach Club Site
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday narrowly approved rezoning the former Joliet Beach...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Land Use & Development Committee for November 6, 2025
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 The Will County Land Use and Development Committee navigated a series of contentious zoning cases on Thursday, November...
Committee Rejects Rezoning for Fencing Company in Joliet Township
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 Article Summary: Citing incompatibility with the surrounding residential neighborhood, the Will County Land Use and Development Committee unanimously denied...
County Sales Tax Revenues Strong, Cannabis Funds Dispersed to Community Programs
Will County Finance Committee Meeting | November 2025 Article Summary: Will County's key sales tax revenues are on track to meet or exceed budget projections for fiscal year 2025, though...
Will County Committee Grants Extensions for Crete, Washington Township Solar Projects
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee granted 180-day extensions for two commercial solar energy projects...
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...
Will County Committee Denies Appeal for Crete Township ‘Tiny Home’ Permit
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday upheld the denial of a temporary use...
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 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...
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...
National News
Book: Foreign countries pose greatest threat to free speech on college campuses
By Tate MillerThe Center Square A senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression argues in her new book that the greatest threat to free speech in higher...
Ohio congressional districts must be redrawn this fall
By J.D. DavidsonThe Center Square While politics is pushing redistricting efforts in other states, Ohio is under a rule of the people to change congressional maps before the midterm elections....
Treasury sanctions accused Costa Rican drug traffickers
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Trump administration announced sanctions against four Costa Rican drug traffickers and two business entities as part of an effort to crackdown on cocaine. “Costa...
S&P keeps U.S. outlook stable, but says federal finances won’t improve
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A top-credit rating agency decided to keep its outlook for U.S. credit stable, but said the federal government's financial position "won't meaningfully improve" in the...
Mayor Karen Bass’s charity skips working Americans, data suggests
By Kenneth SchruppThe Center Square Less than 1% of aid recipients from the official charity of the office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported receiving the earned income tax...
Putin, Zelenskyy to meet after ‘successful’ peace talks with Trump
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Russia and Ukraine appear to be inching closer to peace, as the two leaders are set to meet after rounds of meetings between President Donald...
WATCH: Dems, GOP battle over CA redistricting
By Dave MasonThe Center Square Emotions ran high Monday as Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento accused each other of sabotaging democracy before the 2026 mid-term congressional elections. The parties' press...
