Will County News

I recently found some old newspaper clippings containing records of land bought by the US Government for the J oliet Army Ammunition Plant. Once farmers were told the Government decided to buy land near Elwood for the plant, the farmers had very little time to move. Some moved to farmland near the Arsenal, others moved farther away. Some houses and at least one barn were moved out of the Arsenal onto neighboring farms. You can click on the pictures below for larger views.

Enbridge tanks in Manhattan, Illinois Enbridge tanks in Manhattan, Illinois Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois Construction of the Enbridge diluent tanks in Manhattan, Illinois The Canadian company Enbridge is building a pipeline and storage facility in Manhattan, Illinois. For more information on this project, visit:  http://www.enbridge.com/shipper/refiner/pdf/southern-lights-project-jan-2009.pdf  for a January 2009 update on the project which was posted on the Enbridge website. Also, check here for a great article from the Coal City Courant Newspaper regarding the pipeline, the use of eminent domain , and local reaction to the pipeline.

The Farmers Market in Manhattan has moved to the grounds of the historic Round Barn Farm. The focus is on “Fresh, home grown, farm grown and handmade items,” said Terry Bibeau, who coordinates the event for the Manhattan Park District . The Park District sponsors the event along with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce . There are also health and wellness items, she said. Community organizations will also participate. Both the Manhattan Fire Department and the Manhattan Public Library were on-hand at Tuesday’s market. Hours are from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through September.

The Bloom Biodiesel Bus was recently on display at the Will County Earth Day Event at Lockport's Dellwood Park. The bus runs on biodiesel created by Bloom High School students as part of the Honors Chemistry Curriculum.  The students turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, a 5-step process, displayed below: For more information on this program, visit its website: www.bloombiodiesel.com