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
U.S. military strikes another suspected drug boat near Venezuela
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A U.S. military strike on a suspected drug boat off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday killed six suspected traffickers, the latest in recent weeks...
Exclusive: District to repay $3 million to property owners
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square The National Taxpayers Union Foundation recently secured a major legal victory in Colorado that will result in $3 million in taxpayer reimbursements for certain property...
WATCH: CCTV footage captures attempted murder of Pennsylvania governor
By Christen SmithThe Center Square The Dauphin County District Attorney's Office released more than five minutes of CCTV footage that captured Cody Balmer setting fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro's official...
Most Americans say U.S. heading in the wrong direction, poll finds
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A new poll shows about 55% of registered voters think the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, including 74% of Latino voters, a key...
Balmer pleads guilty to attempted murder of Pennsylvania governor
By Christen SmithThe Center Square The man accused of firebombing the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in Harrisburg pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson and terrorism on Tuesday. Cody Balmer also...
Maine Gov. Janet Mills officially launches U.S. Senate bid
By Chris WadeThe Center Square Maine Gov. Janet Mills formally announced Tuesday that she will seek the Democratic Party's nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in next year's...
AARP under fire after $9 billion payment from UnitedHealthcare revealed
By Tom JoyceThe Center Square AARP is facing new scrutiny after disclosures showed it will receive $9 billion from UnitedHealthcare under a restructured deal to market AARP-branded Medicare Advantage plans....
