News

Local solar projects are back now that County Board can no longer reject them

Published by admin on Tue, 04/21/2026 - 4:20pm

Though Gov. JB Pritzker put a stop to local governments’ power to reject solar and wind projects in 2023, there was a modicum of hope they could be opposed at the county level.
At the behest of residents who didn’t want the glare, hum, and risks, the Will County Board turned down six proposed solar facilities.
Then the tables turned. Board members were rendered toothless as the state government and multibillion dollar limited liability corporations told them how it would be. Either pass the special use permits for solar plants or suffer the consequences.

Opening Day for Coal City youth baseball, softball

Published by admin on Tue, 04/21/2026 - 4:16pm

Coal City’s youth baseball and softball seasons officially got underway Saturday with an opening day ceremony that felt more like a community festival than a simple first pitch.
The day was about more than just games. Local vendors lined the area, raffle baskets filled tables, and kids eagerly explored a popular “touch-a-truck” display featuring vehicles from the local fire department and equipment brought in by Tyler Curl.

Coal City man dies after vehicle crashes into Nettle Creek

Published by admin on Tue, 04/14/2026 - 4:07pm

Sean Michael Rentauskas, 21, of Coal City, died late Saturday after his vehicle left the roadway and entered Nettle Creek in Morris.
According to authorities, emergency crews were called at approximately 11:30 p.m. April 11, to the area of Ottawa Bend Drive at the west branch of Nettle Creek after receiving reports of a vehicle in the water.
Police said the vehicle had been traveling east on Old Stage Road and was approaching a curve near the entrance to Gebhard Woods when the driver failed to negotiate the curve and left the roadway, entering the creek.

Work starts for Wilmington kayak launch

Published by admin on Tue, 04/14/2026 - 3:52pm

Earth moving has begun for a new kayak launch and parking lot on the North Island Park.
A crew from Austin Tyler Company began moving dirt for the enhanced parking lot that will be near the north tip of the park. The project has been two years in the making after the city originally rejected a possible grant in the summer of 2021 fearing liability if someone drowned.

Will County leaders are told to accept solar projects

Published by admin on Tue, 04/14/2026 - 3:43pm

Certain Will County leaders and a boatload of residents are concerned about solar energy plants being given priority over the decision making by local municipalities.
At the center of the controversy are multiple solar farm proposals—some spanning thousands of acres—that have drawn both support and opposition.
The largest, known as the “Pride of the Prairie” project, would cover more than 6,000 acres in Will County across several townships, making it one of the largest solar developments in Illinois.

Will County committee deadlocks on mega solar project

Published by admin on Tue, 04/07/2026 - 4:00pm

A 6,100-acre solar development proposed for Will County remains undecided after the Will County Land Use and Development Committee split in a tied vote of 3-3, following weeks of intense public scrutiny and testimony.
The project, known as the Pride of the Prairie Solar Complex (Zoning case ZC-25-129) and proposed by Earthrise Energy, would span approximately 6,100 acres across 96 properties in Manhattan, Green Garden and Wilton townships, generally southeast of the Village of Manhattan, and including properties on Wilmington-Peotone Road.

Coal City Theatre earns top spot in State Finals

Published by admin on Tue, 04/07/2026 - 3:53pm

The Coal City Theatre Department received first place in the Musical Theatre division of the 2026 Illinois High School Association [IHSA] Drama State Series.
The Musical Theatre program at the IHSA Drama State Series is an art form that combines the skills of acting, singing and dancing and encourages creativity. This event lets up to six students present a 10-minute musical review with selections from a published score written for musical theatre.

Helping homeless vets––one cookie at a time

Published by admin on Tue, 04/07/2026 - 3:48pm

Girl Scout Bristol Sjostrom, age 14, has turned cookie season into something much better than even Thin Mints and Samoas. The Gardner resident is turning her hard work into hope for veterans and hometown heroes.
Friday, April 3 blew in with ominous news. Mother Nature threatened intense thunderstorms. The odds of golf ball-sized hail didn’t stop Sjostrom and her mother Marie Sjostrom, from hawking cookies at Petro gas station in Wilmington. She’s determined to reach her goal of selling 15,000 boxes of cookies. If it means risking life and limb, so be it.

Trump proposes renaming IL water towers “Trump Towers”

Published by admin on Tue, 03/31/2026 - 12:53pm

In what officials are calling a “bold rebranding of American infrastructure,” President Trump reportedly will unveil a proposal April 1 to place his name on water towers across the United States.
Dubbed the “Make Water Great Again Initiative,” the plan would see thousands of municipal water towers repainted in gold lettering and officially renamed “Trump Towers,” regardless of their current height, shape, or proximity to actual skyscrapers.

Walleye Roundup again hits record pace on the Kankakee

Published by admin on Tue, 03/31/2026 - 12:49pm

What once took hours now takes minutes.
For the second straight year, biologists with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources needed little more than a single pass along the Kankakee River to collect all the walleye needed for their hatchery program — a sign that decades of careful management are paying off in a big way.
Last Thursday, the crew launched their electrofishing boat near the Wilmington pool and quickly got to work. Within just 15 minutes, enough broodstock had been gathered to supply the LaSalle Fish Hatchery for the season.