Will County News

  House Bill 1237 passed the Illinois House of Representatives on April 10, 2025 by a vote of 71-40. The bill amends the Illinois School code by requiring school boards to prohibit a school from "from using a native name, logo, or mascot, except as provided in subsections (c) and (e)." Subsection (c), (d), (e): You can read the full bill here , Amendment 4  was adopted and passed on April 10, 2025.  The bill now goes to the Illinois Senate for consideration. Local schools that would be impacted by this bill include Channahon Jr. High and Chaney-Monge District 88.    

  The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has published a website where members of the public can view measles vaccination rates by school.  The website allows for filtering schools by county. IDPH released the following press release about the website on April 9, 2025: " SPRINGFIELD  – With cases of measles being reported in more than 20 jurisdictions around the United States, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has unveiled a new data dashboard to help school officials and members of the public assess the potential severity of any outbreaks of measles, should one occur in Illinois. The new   Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard   makes it easy for the public to find out the measles vaccination rate in any school in Illinois, public or private, and to determine the risk of a child being exposed to measles if a case is introduced in their school. Illinois has had no reported cases of measles since an  outbreak in Chicago in early 2024 ...

 The Forest Preserve District of Will County will hold a "Spring Biking Kickoff" on Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 10:00 am to noon at  Prairie Bluff Preserve . According to the event website :  "The weather is warming, and the trails are calling! Come out to Prairie Bluff to get your bike ready for the season and learn about basic maintenance and repair from our partners at REI. Staff from the Orland Park Co-op bike shop and the Forest Preserve will be at the Prairie Bluff Shelter presenting on bicycle maintenance and trail recreation and safety in the preserves. Participants can visit the shelter for the presentation and get swag, trail maps and safety materials then hit the trail for some prairie views to kick off the season!  Have a bicycle you’re no longer using? Bring a Recycle Your Bicycle delivery for us to pass along to  Working Bikes (Opens in a new window) , an organization that refurbishes and distributes bikes locally and globally as tools of empower...

  Hundreds gathered near the site of the old Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet as part of a "Hands Off" rally.  These protests of the Trump administration and Elon Musk's cuts to the federal government were held around the country, and included events in Lisle, Chicago, and Joliet.    View of "Hands Off" rally in Joliet:

  The City of Joliet is seeking resident feedback through a survey to guide its plan for using federal funds. The survey can be viewed here . According to the survey: " Joliet is seeking input from community residents on affordable housing and community development needs of its neighborhoods. The responses will guide the development of the City's Consolidated Plan for 2025-2029, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the expenditure of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The information will also help inform affordable housing funds made available through Will County.   Community input will provide direction on long term goals and types of housing and community development projects that the City can support over the next five years. To learn more about current programs and the planning process, please visit the  City's HUD page . To receive notifications about the plan and additional opportunities to participate...

  Will County Green, a department of Will County's Land Use Department, will host an Electronics and Household Hazardous Waste Collection event at the Bolingbrook Village Hall Parking Lot,  375 West Briarcliff Road,  Bolingbrook, IL 60440  on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. Appointments are required and can be made here . To view full rules and requirements, go to the event website here .  Here are some details about what will be accepted at this event: Electronic Items Accepted include: Televisions (limit 2), Computers, laptops, tablets, notebooks, monitors, printers, copiers, mice, speakers, cameras, video cameras, telephones, answering machines, microwaves, radios, stereos, vacuum cleaners, toaster ovens, blenders (no glass), coffee makers (no glass), power tools, etc.  Small scrap metal items also accepted at this event. HHW Items Accepted include: All types of paints/stains (limit 15 gallons), Old/Unwanted medicatio...