Friday, May 17, 2013
Passed by a 35-21 vote, the bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who has not yet said whether he intends to sign it.
By a vote of 35-21, the Illinois Senate approved legislation on Friday that would allow doctors in the state to prescribe marijuana as pain relief for severe medical conditions. The bill now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn for his signature. According to the Chicago Tribune, the bill covers 33 specific conditions—including multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV infection—and includes several controls, with a four-year trial program, dosage limits, fingerprinting, background checks and licensed dispensing centers. “This bill is filled with walls to keep this limited,” the paper quoted sponsoring Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton), who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation as a compassionate measure for those suffering with extreme pain. In opposition, Sen. …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
As two Will County Board members publicly announce their opposition, Joliet City Councilman Jim McFarland says the city should decide if it wants to pursue the facility or not.
Two Will County Board members announced Thursday they are opposed to the building of an immigrant detention center in Joliet, and one Joliet councilman is pushing the council to decide if it wants to court the project. County Board members Reed Bible (D-Plainfield) and Jacqueline Traymere (D-Bolingbrook) said they could not support such a facility, which would be built and operated by a private company on behalf of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a Joliet Herald News story said. “Placing this type of facility in the hands of private corporations is fraught with difficulties,” said Bible, who spoke at the Thursday press conference. The event was also attended by newly elected At-large Councilman Jim McFarland, …
A resolution in support of the gun law was approved with a 15-6 vote, with the majority favoring it for the "protection of citizens," officials said.
The following article was supplied by Will County: The Will County Board today approved a resolution supporting legislation allowing Illinois residents the right to carry concealed firearms. The resolution does not allow Will County residents the right to conceal carry, as the Illinois legislature must still pass a law. Illinois is the only state that does not allow citizens to carry concealed firearms in public, and faces a June 9th deadline to draft such a law. “We had a healthy and open debate today about concealed carry,” said Speaker Herbert Brooks, Jr. “Not everyone agreed to this proposed change in Illinois law, but everyone did respect the democratic process that provides for discussion and deliberation about issues important to …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
A Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites would anchor the development, which also calls for 8,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space.
A two-hotel development with an attached restaurant and 8,000-square-foot conference center would be built on Houbolt Road, just off Interstate 80, under plans submitted to the city of Joliet. The project calls for a 120-room, five-story Holiday Inn Express and an 80-room Candlewood Suites that would share a lobby area, outdoor patio garden, swimming pool and other amenities, Joliet Planner Jim Torri said. It's proposed for a location northwest of Houbolt and I-80, behind an existing Burger King on Rock Creek Boulevard, Torri said. Assuming the development wins city approval for variances on such issues as building and sign height, construction could be under way this summer and work completed by spring 2014, he said. It is the second …
41.49538
-88.16873
Rock Creek Blvd & Houbolt Rd, Joliet, IL
/articles/two-hotels-restaurant-conference-center-proposed-for-i-80-houbolt-city-of-joliet-five-story-holiday-inn-express-candlewood-suites-variances-requested-meetings-banquets-void-allow-city-to-compete-with-other-towns-200-hotel-rooms
/locations/9388437
Of the 75,000 home and business owners eligible to drop the utility via electric aggregation, between 8 percent and 10 percent did, officials said.
Between 6,000 and 7,500 home and small business owners in Joliet dropped ComEd as their electricity provider through the city-orchestrated electric aggregation program, officials said. That's between 8 percent and 10 percent of the 75,000 residences and businesses eligible to take advantage of the group purchase of electricity in a deal negotiated by the Will County Governmental League. Most Joliet residents have seen a 25 percent to 30 percent drop in their electric bill, depending on their usage, since the program went into effect in February, governmental league Executive Director Steve Quigley said. Electricity is being purchased from FirstEnergy Solutions. "They're basically getting a couple of months of free electricity," Quigley …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Under a new ordinance, Channahon residents will be allowed to drive golf carts on Village roadways.
If you see your neighbor driving down the street in a golf cart, don’t slam on the brakes, hit yourself over the head and mutter under your breath, “Holy, Bubba Watson! Was that a hovercraft?” Because chances are, your neighbor will be driving around in an ordinary old golf cart, not something out of a Bubba Watson/PGA Tour fantasy YouTube video. Under an ordinance recently passed by the Village board, Channahon residents now will be allowed to drive golf carts on Village roadways having a posted speed of 35-mph or less. No kidding. How did all of this come about? “I think what happened is the mayor had some people inquire about it,” Channahon Village Administrator Joe Pena said. “He had the (police) chief put together an ordinance. And …
41.435774
-88.21959
Village of Channahon
24555 S Navajo Dr, Channahon, IL
/articles/golf-cart-ordinance-begs-question-what-s-next
1352743
/locations/9385219
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Leapfrog Group measures how safe hospitals are for patients and grades them on an A-F scale.
In recent days and weeks, the folks at Morris Hosptial & Healthcare Centers have endured flooding that forced evacuation of patients and led to massive clean-up efforts. Through it all, the hospital has retained its 'A' grade service. Janet Long, public relations manger for the hospital, said Morris Hostpial & Healthcare Centers earned an 'A' rating for the third straight time since Leapfrog Group's Hospital Safety Score report was launched in June of 2012. Using an A, B, C, D, F scale, the Hospital Safety Score report evalutes hospitals' surgical outcomes and use of evidence-based patient safety processes on 26 performance measures, Long said. She said Leapfrog Group's letter grade reflects how safe hosptials are for patients with respect…
Friday, May 10, 2013
Lisa Berger will direct a three-day 'Exam Cram' session for high school students at the Minooka Brach of the Three Rivers Library.
Death, taxes and ... final exams? Yes, final exams are right around the corner. And the Three Rivers Public Library District is offering an "Exam Cram" program to help students prepare for their tests, spokesman Jennifer Lyons said. The three-day program will be May 16-17 and 20 at the library's Minooka branch. Lyons said the library's meeting room will be reserved as a quiet space for students to study for finals. She said snacks and caffeinated beverages will be provided by library staff members to help students stay energized. "We don't want anyone to get 'burned out' studying, so, in addition to the snacks and caffeine, the last 15 minutes of each our we will take a break and unwind by playing games that will take you back to teh days …
41.455487
-88.261486
Three Rivers Library
109 N Wabena Ave, Minooka, IL
/articles/three-rivers-library-to-host-exam-cram-event
1352725
/locations/9368043
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The three-day electronic music festival, which tours all over the country, will be unlike anything every produced in the Chicago area.
You may not have heard of the Electric Daisy Carnival, but chances are you'll know it's in town come Memorial Day weekend. In something of a coup for Chicagoland Speedway, the three-day electronic music festival will take over the Joliet racetrack with five live music stages, huge electric art installations, "immersion" art, carnival rides and circus-style performers. About 30,000 people will attend daily, 5,000 of whom will camp on the racetrack grounds at Route 53 and Laraway Road. That's about a third the size of race weekend crowds, but enough to pump as much as $134 million into the Joliet economy based on the numbers generated by a similar-sized Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas a few years ago. That event has since grown and now …
41.48079
-88.08027
S Chicago St & W Laraway Rd, Joliet, IL
/articles/never-heard-of-the-electric-daisy-carnival-that-will-change-may-24-chicagoland-speedway-joliet-city-council-electronic-music-festival-immersion-art-amusement-park-rides-circus-style-performers-camping-fireworks-security-plan-free-water
/locations/9375234
Minooka village trustess approved a plan for reduced sewer and water connection fees on new construction, according to a Sun-Times News Group report.
Call it a new construction incentive plan. At a recent meeting, Minooka's village trustees approved a plan for reduced sewer and water connection fees for new residential and commercial buildings, according to a Sun-Times News Group report. "It's all part of the incentive package we've been working on the last several months," Village Administrator Dan Duffy stated in the report. The cost for connection to sewer and water service for new home construction is now set at $5,000, according to the report, down from the previous total of $7,850. Also, homeowners can receive a rebate of $10,000 upon completion of construction—half from the village and half from participating developers, according to the Sun-Times News Group report. "I think …
41.448122
-88.250644
Village of Minooka
121 E McEvilly Rd, Minooka, IL
/articles/minooka-incentive-plan-designed-to-encourage-new-construction
1352729
/locations/9355398
Bob
11:41 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
Just decriminalize it like in Colorado.People want to smoke it they are going to legal or not. more ›