Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Teen rocker Dustin Walker is making music and living his dream life.
A 16-year-old Christ's Academy student not only is living his dream, he's belting it out in song, too. Dustin Walker, a songwriter and musician from Channahon, has signed with Musik and Film record label, an affiliate of Universal Records, according to a report in the Morris Daily Herald. "I told myself I would have a record deal before I got out of high school," Walker stated in the report. "I am doing it. The most exciting thing is I am living the life."
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A former Plainfield North gym teacher pleaded guilty to meeting a teen for sex. And that was just one of the things going on in court this week.
More than two years after the police caught her in a car with a half-dressed student from the high school where she was a teacher, Ashley Blumenshine copped a plea. Blumenshine, a 30-year-old former Plainfield North gym teacher, will have to do 11 days in jail. She will also spend two years on sex offender probation and 10 yeas on the Illinois sex offender registry. She tearfully apologized before she was taken into custody to start doing her time. Let's look at what else was going on in the area's courthouses this past week: Check out all these stories and more on our Facebook page.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The Minooka Winterguard team won its division in semifinal competition and then placed third in the WGI Color Guard World Championships at Dayton, Ohio.
Flags, rifles, sabers and dance. The Minooka Winterguard proved capable of handling them all during competition at the WGI Color Guard World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Strike the word "capable" and make that "exquisite" — as in, Minooka handled them all exquisitely. Minooka's Wintergaurd team placed third in the Scholastic-A level division with a point total of 94.11. Bellbrook (Ohio) was first with 95.125 and Jamestown (Williamsburg, Va.) placed second at 95.12. To reach the finals, Minooka advanced through the preliminaries and won its division in the semfinals before ending up third in the world. What do you call that? How about exquisite?
41.449415
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Minooka Community High School, Central Campus
301 S Wabena Ave, Minooka, IL
/articles/minooka-places-3rd-at-wgi-color-guard-world-championships
1352724
/locations/9267243
41.418904
-88.259447
Minooka Community High School, South Campus
26655 W Eames St, Channahon, IL
/articles/minooka-places-3rd-at-wgi-color-guard-world-championships
1776278
/locations/9267244
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Minooka Community High School science teacher Sam Pavelka is cancer-free and riding the high of a wish fulfilled by 3 Little Birds 4 Life.
When Minooka Community High School science teacher Sam Pavelka returned home from a recent trip to Johns Hopkins, he was delighted to learn one of his wishes was granted. The team from 3 Little Birds 4 Life—a St. Louis-based non-profit dedicated to enhancing the lives of young adult cancer patients—discarded the mismatched furniture in his old master bedroom and turned the space into his very own sanctuary. “My bedroom makeover was amazing,” Pavelka said. “It completely exceeded my expectations. The TV, furniture, chair and decorations were very nice. It is great to have a fresh start in a new room.” Even greater was the news Pavelka received from his team of doctors a couple days later. After battling Ewing’s Sarcoma—a rare pediatric bone…
The team at 3 LittleBirds 4 Life—with help from a community cast of thousands—successfully completed a bedroom makeover project for Minooka Community High School teacher and cancer patient Sam Pavelka.
Without the help of the following people, 3 Little Birds 4 Life wish coordinator Lauren Greenwood said Sam Pavelka's dream of rehabbing from cancer in an all-new space wouldn't have come about. 1. Design services provided by Nancy Powers (nancy@maggies-place.com) and Roxanne Essex (roxanne@maggies-place.com) of Maggie’s Place (15130 S. Rt 59 #100, Plainfield IL 60544; 815-436-0900). 2. Bedroom furniture discounts and donations provided by store manager Eric Long (eric.long@vcf.com) at Value City Furniture (3355 Mall Loop Dr, Joliet IL 60431; 815-267-8647). 3. Paint supplies ($50) donated by Home Depot (3001 Plainfield Rd, Joliet IL 60435; 815-577-9854). 4. Discount (20 percent) on entire purchase provided by Bed Bath & Beyond (2850 …
41.449415
-88.261338
Minooka Community High School, Central Campus
301 S Wabena Ave, Minooka, IL
/articles/before-during-after-minooka-teacher-s-bedroom-makeover
1352724
/locations/9238136
Some heavy hitters from the political and law enforcement arenas took time out to read to a classroom of preschool children Monday morning at N.B. Galloway School in Channahon.
Law enforcement leaders and state legistators took time out on Monday to read to a classroom of preschool children at N.B. Galloway Elementary School in Channahon. They also took time to call on state lawmakers to support high-quality preschool as a critical strategy to reduce crime, lower prison costs and save taxpayers money, according to a news release from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. "As the former police chief and now the village administrator in Channahon, I take this community's long-term safety seriously," said Channahon Village Administrator Joe Pena in the release. "Proven programs like preschool help make Channahon a safe place to grow up." He was joined at N.B. Galloway Elementary School by Channahon police chief Jeff Wold, …
41.44022
-88.212978
Galloway Elementary School
24805 W Roberts Rd, Channahon, IL
/articles/local-law-leaders-push-to-fight-crime-by-educating-preschoolers
1352758
/locations/9267262
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Miguel Ruiz was on top of his game in the season-opener for Minooka Community High School's sophomore baseball team.
Talk about starting the season off with a bang. Minooka Community High School's Miguel Ruiz tossed a no-hitter in the Indians' 7-1 baseball victory over Plainfield Central on Tuesday (April 2) in the season-opener for Minooka's sophomore team. Plainfield Central took advantage of two Minooka errors in the first inning to score its only run. Otherwise, Ruiz had his way with the Wildcats in a dominating performance. He struck out seven, walked two and hit one batter. "He had good command of all three of his pitches," Minooka sophomore coach Trent Bontrager said. "Plainfield Central literally did not hit the ball out of the infield the entire game. "All of their outs were either strikeouts or groundballs. We did turn one double play." Ruiz …
41.418904
-88.259447
Minooka Community High School, South Campus
26655 W Eames St, Channahon, IL
/articles/minooka-sophomore-fires-no-hitter-in-opener
1776278
/locations/9169061
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The center has been a long-standing part of the Joliet-based school, but has consistently operated in the red for the last several years, officials said.
Joliet Junior College's Fitness Center lost nearly $300,000 in the past year, making its closure a possibility as administrators look for places to trim $1 million from the 2013-14 budget. The suggestion was presented at the JJC Board's workshop meeting Tuesday, along with proposals to evaluate the school's Renaissance Center and Child Care Center, both of which also operate in the red. This is not the first time the fitness center has been proposed for closure. The idea was broached more than a year ago, and impassioned pleas were made by staff and students to keep it open. Beyond that, an internal audit of the center was conducted last year and suggestions made on ways to make facility more efficient and economical, yet the deficit …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
11-year-old Joey Ruettiger is an honor roll student and state champion Pokeman Trading Card Game player.
He is an honor roll student and an altar boy at his church. He plays youth basketball, flag football and holds a red belt in Karate. Minooka’s 11-year-old Joey Ruettiger also holds his own in Pokemon Trading Card Game battles with the best players in the world. In fact, many nearly twice his age often seek his advice during tournament play. “He’s a good kid—a level-headed kid,” said Ruettiger’s mother, Rose. “I’ve had comments from people who say he’s mature beyond his years. He’s so focused. The big kids are always asking him, ‘What do you think?’ Is this going to work?’ “He’ll say, ‘Yeah, let’s play it out. They treat him as equal because when it comes to the game they feel he is their equal.” Like in many other card games, Pokemon …
41.45779
-88.264633
Minooka Intermediate School
305 W Church St, Minooka, IL
/articles/minooka-s-joey-ruettiger-another-star-is-born
1352684
/locations/9118210
There will be room for nearly 400 more people in Minooka Community High School's football stadium after two new portable bleacher seating sections are installed.
Two new portable bleacher seating sections will add room for nearly 400 more people in Minooka Community High School's football stadium. And the new bleacher sections are expected to be in place on time for Minooka's graduation ceremony, according to a Sun-Times News Group report. Minooka barrowed portable bleacher seating sections from Seneca last season and was able to use the space to feature its marching band in the end zone, according to the report. "After using those from Seneca, you could see the need for them," board of education and finance committee member Jim Butterbach stated in the report. The two new bleacher sections will cost the district $70,914, according to the report.
41.449415
-88.261338
Minooka Community High School, Central Campus
301 S Wabena Ave, Minooka, IL
/articles/minooka-adding-more-bleacher-seating-at-football-stadium
1352724
/locations/9104495
41.418904
-88.259447
Minooka Community High School, South Campus
26655 W Eames St, Channahon, IL
/articles/minooka-adding-more-bleacher-seating-at-football-stadium
1776278
/locations/9104496
forget me
2:16 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Why sugar coat it. If he was on idol he would have been kicked off. That's the problem you may have a dream but wake up if you don't have the talent, then don't lie to the poor child. Your just setting him up for a lot of heart ache. He will only have a chance if he gets auto tuned or does scream o music. He is just trying to ride springfields coat tails. There are kids in channahon & minooka … more ›