Education
JJC Trustees Approve Contentious FY26 Budget After Heated Debate, Failed Postponement
The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a $322.3 million budget for fiscal year 2026, but not before a tense debate that saw a motion to postpone...
Lincoln Way District 210 Approves $2.1 Million Budget Amendment, Maintains Strong Financial Position
Lincoln Way Community High School District 210 board members unanimously approved an amended fiscal year 2025 budget Thursday night that increases the district's operating surplus to $2.1 million while maintaining...
JJC’s ‘12x12x12’ Initiative Boosts College Credits, Increases Matriculation Rate
Joliet Junior College’s ambitious "12x12x12" initiative is yielding significant results, leading to more high school students earning college credits and a greater percentage of them choosing to attend JJC after...
District 210 Approves Administrative Restructuring, Staff Salary Increases
Lincoln Way Community High School District 210 board members approved administrative restructuring and salary increases for non-union clerical support staff during closed session actions Thursday night. The board unanimously approved...
JJC Board Meeting Highlights Tensions Over Legal Bills, Trustee Conduct
An otherwise routine vote to approve monthly bill payments ignited a tense exchange at the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, revealing ongoing friction over redacted legal invoices,...
Students, Trustees Emphasize Importance of Inclusivity and Flag Raisings at JJC
From a recent graduate’s public plea to trustee remarks on federal policies, the theme of student belonging and inclusivity was a prominent thread at the Joliet Junior College Board of...
L-W School Board June 26 Meeting Briefs
Special Education District Update: The fence installation around the playground at Lincoln Way Area Special Education District 843 has been completed except for one gate section that will allow equipment...
Will County Board Meetings
Report Finding Few Trucks Littering Sparks Debate on Cleanup Responsibility
Article Summary: A Will County report found that a very small percentage of waste-hauling trucks are the source of litter on roadways near the county landfill, sparking a debate among...
Will County Receives Detailed Update on Landfill Expansion Investigation
Article Summary: The Will County Landfill Committee received a comprehensive technical update on the site investigation for the planned horizontal expansion of the county landfill, confirming the project remains on...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Landfill Committee for August 7, 2025
The Will County Landfill Committee on Thursday heard a detailed technical update on the ongoing investigation for the county landfill expansion, confirming that the complex project remains on schedule. Consultants...
Will County Health Department Seeks $1 Million to Avert ‘Drastic’ Service Cuts from Expiring Grants
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Will County Health Department is requesting an additional $1 million in county funding for its 2026 budget to prevent the elimination of 11 critical staff positions, warning...
Will County’s “First-in-Nation” Veterans Center to House Workforce Services, Sparking Debate
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The new Will County Veteran's Assistance & Support Center will also become the home for the county's Workforce Services department, a move officials say will save approximately $250,000 in...
Improved Vendor Service Creates $1.2 Million Shortfall in Sheriff’s Medical Budget
ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Will County Sheriff’s Office is facing a more than $1.2 million shortfall in its budget for inmate medical services, a problem officials attribute to an ironic cause:...
Will County Public Works Committee Unveils 25-Year Transportation Plan, Projects $258 Million Gap
ARTICLE SUMMARY: Will County officials have presented "Our Way Forward 2050," a new long-range transportation plan that provides a 25-year vision for infrastructure projects while forecasting a $258 million shortfall in...
Will County Animal Protection Services Seeks New Facility Amid “Gaping Wound” of Space Crisis
Article Summary: Will County Animal Protection Services is seeking approval for a new facility, telling a county committee that its current building is critically inadequate for housing animals, leading to...
Board Confronts Animal Services Crowding, Explores Future Facility Options
ARTICLE SUMMARY: Will County officials are grappling with an ongoing animal housing crisis that has overwhelmed the county’s Animal Protective Services facility, prompting discussions about expansion, new construction, or even repurposing...
Illinois News
Illinois quick hits: Search continues for Gibson City suspect; manufacturing declines since 2000
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Search continues for Gibson City suspect Illinois State Police continue their search for a suspect wanted in connection with a Gibson...
WATCH: Map debate, case against Texas Democrats continues in Illinois
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois Republican lawmaker says a judge’s ruling this week did not end the case against Texas...
WATCH: Illinois GOP State Fair rally takes aim at Pritzker, ‘woke agenda’
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) − Republicans took their turn at the Illinois State Fair to call out Illinois Democrats for what the...
WATCH: Small business group: Pritzker-signed bills are wrong move
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) − Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation that he says will protect workers, but a small business advocate...
WATCH: Illinois In Focus Daily | Thursday Aug. 14th, 2025
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 highlights from...
Chicago’s commercial property taxes spike to twice national city average
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago business owners are now being forced to pay some of the highest commercial property taxes...
Illinois quick hits: Court rejects lawsuit against Texas Democrats; no charges for police
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Court rejects lawsuit against Texas Democrats An Adams County judge has rejected a lawsuit against 33 Texas House Democrats who absconded...
Illinois quick hits: Human trafficking law signed; Mercyhealth to pay for COVID vaccine discrimination
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Human trafficking law signed Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation requiring state agencies to develop a strategic unified plan to build...
National News
Texas House Democrats may return after first special session is over
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square After the Texas House didn’t reach a quorum on Tuesday, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said absconding House Democrats would return after the first special...
Illegal border crossings reach lowest level in recorded US history in July
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Illegal border crossings nationwide dropped to their lowest level in recorded history in July, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. “CBP...
Everyday Economics: CPI takes center stage as tariff-driven price pressures mount
By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square The economy was already slowing, and that was before higher tariffs kicked in last week, raising import taxes to the highest level since the Great...
Net negative migration is harmful to the economy, economists say
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Though the economy and immigration were issues that helped President Donald Trump secure the White House, some economists have said that too steep a decline...
Details pending on billions in foreign investments coming from trade deals
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square When President Donald Trump announced a string of trade deals with key U.S. trading partners recently, he touted pledges for billions of dollars in U.S....
Texas House sues six Democrats absconding in California
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Following through on his pledge to use all means necessary to find, arrest and return absconding House Democrats to Texas, the Texas House, led by...
With antisemitism on the rise, a glimmer of hope at Jewish delis
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square With antisemitism at its highest level in recorded history, Jewish delis in the U.S. are providing a glimpse of hope, celebration and award-winning pastrami on...
