ExpandLockport Police Law Enforcement Center on Monday The Lockport Police Department investigated a felony disorderly conduct case against Matthew Judy involving allegations of a school shooting threat (Gary Middendorf/gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com) A Homer Glen man has been charged with posting a comment on the Facebook page for Lockport Township High School District 205 that claimed there would be a school shooting if the school was not closed 2024 incident led to a felony charge of disorderly conduct against 41-year-old Matthew Judy Lockport Deputy Police Chief Ron Huff said Judy was accused of posting a comment that said “Shut down the school or we will have an active shooter.” The comment was posted on the Facebook page for Lockport Township High School District 205. Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins signed a warrant for Judy’s arrest on April 15. Judy was also investigated over another incident on Dec. 10, 2024, involving a series of emails, Huff said. In those emails, Judy had accused a student of committing murder and warned that the student was on their way to the high school. “Officers were able to make contact with the student and determined that no crime had taken place and that there was no threat to the school,” Huff said. Huff said those messages will be used as an enhancement for the charges related to the Nov. 30, 2024 incident. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network have been charged with felony endangerment of the life or health of Trinity Balen-Weiher who died from a suspected drug overdose on Nov (Photos provided by Will County Sheriff's Office) A Will County judge allowed for the conditional jail release of a Homer Glen couple charged with a felony offense linked to their 2-year-old child’s suspected drug overdose death The couple are the parents of Trinity Balen-Weiher Cornelius decision was in response to a motion filed by Cosmo Tedone Weiher and Balen have been facing a felony charge of endangering the life or health of Balen-Weiher by providing her “unsafe living conditions,” which was a “proximate cause” of her death Prosecutors said Balen-Weiher and Balen’s other 7-year-old daughter were living in filthy conditions in a “million-dollar home” with drugs that were accessible to the children Cornelius said the couple were not charged with a homicide-related offense and the felony charge against them was punishable by probation He said neither Weiher nor Balen had a history of “serious criminality” involving violence Cornelius found the couple can be released from jail under certain conditions Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius ruled on Monday that Edward Weiher could be released from jail under certain conditions as their case goes through pretrial proceedings Weiher is expected to be released from jail on Monday He is ordered to remain confined at his home submit to electronic monitoring and undergo a drug evaluation Weiher cannot have contact with any minors under 18 Balen’s attorneys must first find her a place at an inpatient treatment facility before she can be released from jail She must also submit to the same conditions of pretrial release as Weiher Cornelius said it was not his place to take “proactive punitive measures” against Weiher and Balen “It is inappropriate for the court to do so when the issue is detention,” Cornelius said Balen’s 7-year-old daughter was taken to a hospital after deputies with the Will County Sheriff’s Office first responded to the incident involving Trinity Balen-Weiher on Nov. 6. A medical evaluation revealed the 7-year-old child had fentanyl and cocaine in her system, prosecutors said. The child was taken into the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She has since been placed into foster care, according to Tedone’s motion for pretrial release. A Will County Sheriff's Office squad vehicle on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Joliet. The sheriff's office investigated the circumstances of the death of Trinity Balen-Weiher, 2, on Nov. 7, 2024, in a "million-dollar home" in Homer Glen, prosecutors said. (Felix Sarver) 2025 at 10:42 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Steve McMichael who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August IL — Chicago Bears defensive tackle and Hall of Famer Steve "Mongo" McMichael has died McMichael was moved to hospice care earlier in the day Wednesday The Chicago Bears legend had battled ALS for several years I share that Steve McMichael passed at 5:28 PM after a brave fight with ALS I’m grateful to have been with him in his final moments Please keep Steve and his family in your prayers," Payton said on X Jarrett is the son of McMichael's Chicago Bears teammate Walter Payton Jarrett was the presenter for McMichael at the enshrinement ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year His declining health kept him from making the trip to Ohio but celebrations were brought to his home in Homer Glen and several fellow Bears Hall of Famers attended the celebration When people hear the name "Steve McMichael," Steve's wife, Misty McMichael, told Patch last year that she wants people to think one of the greatest of all time," she said McMichael was a member of the Chicago Bears' legendary defense that led the team to a 1985 Super Bowl championship that many consider the best of all time & Granny where they'll talk non-stop 4 a month," McMichael's sister tweeted earlier in the day Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. IL — Homer Glen residents Laura and Lenny Vigna were preparing for the holiday season like every other family the 66-year-old Homer Glen resident has now recovered and is doing very well "This is one of those situations where initially the confidence level wasn't high," Battalion Chief Sean McCormack told Patch Laura was already awake and downstairs in the home "She had expressed that if he had passed out anywhere else that she wouldn't have heard him," McCormack said Not only was Laura able to hear Lenny fall "I would not have been able to flip him," Laura told Patch I don't even know how I got down on the floor with him." but she was able to somehow grab her phone and place a call to 911 The dispatcher began coaching Laura through CPR "The dispatcher told me exactly what to do," Laura said McCormack said that the call originally came in for a fall victim but was escalated to a full cardiac arrest The fire district tries to put seven paramedics on these types of calls and McCormack's job is to talk to the family to get patient information Laura recalls how McCormack kept speaking to her keeping her focus and moving his body to block the scene while paramedics worked on her husband McCormack said at one point during the call Lenny's heart did lose all electrical activity Paramedics were able to get his pulse back "Your survival chances are less than 10 percent if you have a cardiac arrest outside the hospital," McCormack stressed He emphasized the importance of early intervention in these types of calls including trying to do CPR before first responders can get there Not only was Laura able to begin CPR when Lenny fell unconscious but first responders were also able to get to the scene very quickly as the Vignas live down the street from the fire station "It's kind of like a miracle," Laura told Patch "Not every fire house even has the equipment they have A lot of things just worked out the right way." who is a retired City of Chicago fleet management worker said he is doing well after his heart attack and had his bypass operation the day after Christmas "I'm so grateful to the fire department and to those paramedics." "I wanted to meet [the paramedics] face-to-face," Lenny said Lenny and his family and friends even paid a visit to the Homer Township Fire Protection District to thank the paramedics who helped save his life all received awards from the fire district for saving Lenny's life "I don't know if they even realize how grateful we are." 2025 at 6:18 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The consolidated election is Tuesday and Homer Glen voters will decide three candidates to serve on the Homer Glen Village Board The race for Trustee was originally even more crowded as 17 candidates originally filed for the three positions This amount of candidates would have triggered a consolidated primary election; however eight candidates were removed from the ballot after objections Those removed from the ballot included: Heidi "Hadley" Pacella Reynders and LePore never had objections filed against them who is the only current trustee running for re-election is running together with LePore and Nick Muller Homer Glen Electoral Board attorney Michael Carroll said Cesar Marin was removed because he did not reside at the address given on his nominating papers Daniel Gutierrez was removed for having an insufficient number of signatures and didn't appear at any of the prior hearings Fialko was also removed for not residing at the address that was on his nominating papers.Carroll said Heidi Pacella was removed for an improper nickname on her nominating papers.James Roti Theresa "Tammy" Hayes and John Walters were removed due to incapability of offices Roti and Theresa Hayes have filed to run for the Lockport Township High School Board of Education Walters has filed to run for Will Country School District 92 Board of Education and Trzos-Consolino has filed to run for Homer CCSD 33C Board of Education Katie Surges and Kyle Surgers were withdrawn Objections against Modelski and Muller were both overruled after the Electoral Board said in November that both had enough valid signatures Candidates Kyle Surges and Katie Surges both later withdrew from the ballot according to the Will County Clerk's Office Pacella was removed for an improper nickname on her nominating papers She has started a write-in campaign and is running as a write-candidate for Trustee If you are already in line to vote when the polls close If you don't know your polling place, find it here. IL — A new Dunkin' is under construction in Homer Glen Economic Development Director Janie Patch told Patch that the new business is being built at the out lot fronting the Whitmore ACE Hardware plaza "The new coffee and donut store will offer the popular drive-thru," Patch said "The projection for opening is in a couple of months." Homer Glen already has several Dunkin' locations 2025 at 3:30 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Polls will close at 7 p.m IL — The consolidated primary will be held Tuesday and Homer Township residents will vote for several positions for Homer Township government Homer Township voters will be among some of the only voters in Will County to hold a primary All candidates in the Homer Township primary are running as Republicans for the positions of Township Supervisor Will County Clerk Annette Parker previously told Patch that whoever wins the primary will be nominated to appear on the consolidated ballot since no one will be running against the winners of the primary in the consolidated election the winners of the primary are "in theory" the winners of the consolidated election "it is the consolidated election that gets certified so winning the primary doesn’t necessarily certify you as the winner of the entire election process." Here are the candidates who will be on the ballot: There are two slates of candidates running; the Homer Township Reset and the Will County Freedom Caucus Freedom Caucus members include Steve Balich The Homer Township Reset platform includes goals of improving transparency properly maintain township property and being fiscally responsible According to the Caucus website, goals include lower taxes stronger community; unity through community; standing up for residents; protecting parental rights; and helping seniors and veterans and incumbent candidate Rose Reynders as well as running mates Michael LePore and Nicholas Muller were the projected winners of the Homer Glen Village Trustee race Voters chose the candidates out of a crowded field which included several objections and withdrawn candidates Note that election results below are unofficial The Will County Clerk's Office certifies election results on April 22 who is the only current trustee who sought reelection Fialko was also removed for not residing at the address that was on his nominating papers Carroll said Heidi Pacella was removed for an improper nickname on her nominating papers She started a write-in campaign for Trustee 2024 at 3:32 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The ICC issued its decision after an 11-month legal proceeding IL — The Village of Homer Glen is investigating available options to continue to battle against rate hikes by Illinois American Water the Illinois Commerce Commission approved a $110 million rate hike for Illinois American Water about 30 percent less than the $152.4 million increase the company originally proposed according to a release from the commission The decision also approved a 9.84 percent return on equity for the company which was a reduction from the utility's requested 10.75 percent ROE where many residents utilize Illinois American Water said it has contacted the State's Attorney's Office and there is an ongoing criminal investigation regarding potential illegal practices conducted by Illinois American Water "The impact of the rate case decision on individual customers will vary based on customers’ service class and water usage," according to a release from the Illinois Commerce Commission The ICC issued its decision after an 11-month legal proceeding and residents in Homer Glen and Lockport will vote on several races Here are some races that will appear on the ballot: Lockport Township Fire Protection District there are also two agencies asking referenda questions on the ballot which will ask three advisory questions to township residents: The White Oak Library District will also have a proposition for voters in its boundaries The question concerns increasing the limiting rate for the library "Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the White Oak Library District be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.0286% above the limiting rate for levy year 2023 and be equal to 0.208% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2025 (1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $4,689,455 and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $5,437,050.(2) For the 2025 levy year the approximate amount of the additional taxextendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $9.53.(3) If the proposition is approved the aggregate extension for the 2025 levy year will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law)." you still have time to turn it in to a ballot drop box There is a drop box located at the White Oak Library- Lockport branch Eighth St.; which will be open until noon on Monday The ballot drop box at the Will County Office Building will be able to receive deposits of ballots through April 1 at 7 p.m If you don't know your polling place, find it here. IL — With 100 percent of precincts reporting on Tuesday night Homer Township Reset slate candidates led the vote totals The candidates with the highest vote totals will now appear on the April 1 consolidated election ballot Homer Township residents voted Tuesday for several positions for Homer Township government All candidates in the Homer Township primary ran as Republicans for the positions of Township Supervisor according to the Will County Clerk's Office: 100 percent of precincts reporting The Reset slate did not field a candidate for Township Assessor IL — The Village of Homer Glen and the Dan Kenney Group (KW Preferred Realty) will host a shred event on April 5 for residents Residents can bring all documents they no longer need especially those with personal information not businesses in need of professional shred services Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application IL to the late Raymond Sherry and Gladys Wheeler and passed away November 27 Beloved husband of Ellen (nee Jezik) Sherry for 48 years; loving father of Heather (Dave Kummer) Mau and Amber (Joe) Paciorek; proud and loving papa of Ashlyn Mau and Lukas Paciorek; dear brother of Karen (Bob) Slehofer and John (Mark) Cole; fond uncle of many nieces and nephews especially when it came to his grandchildren he was cheering for the local sports teams Notre Dame football was one of his college favorites A visitation will be held at Kurtz Memorial Chapel 102 E 2024 from 3-8pm with a chapel service starting at 7:00pm.  Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors ExpandHomer Glen Village Hall (Photo Provided by Village of Homer Glen) Homer Glen — A Will County judge struck down the appeal of eight aspiring candidates for the Homer Glen Village Board on Jan preventing them from appearing on the ballot in the April 1 election The group of candidates was removed by the Homer Glen Electoral Board in December for flaws in their candidacy forms the attorney for the village of Homer Glen and the village’s Electoral Board said Homer Glen resident Craig Carlson originally challenged 14 of the 17 candidates running for the board while another candidate was challenged by another party Seven of the 15 challenges were dropped or failed in the early stages of the four-day Electoral Board hearings but he was of the opinion that some of these people were running just to force a primary and that it was an abuse of the system,” Carroll said The school boards also could have done it had someone filed an objection.” Four individuals who filed paperwork to run for the Village Board were removed because they also filed paperwork to run for local school boards which is a conflict of interest and not permitted under Illinois law “From time to time the Office of the Illinois Attorney General will release opinions on election law issues Two have been issued on this subject saying a village board or city council position is incompatible with a school board office,” Carroll said “Anyone who has followed election law for any time should know the offices are incompatible.” Carroll noted that it is not illegal to seek placement for both offices; however a candidate must pick one or the other to run for and withdraw from the other before a set deadline the county or state would have,” Carroll said “The school boards also could have done it had someone filed an objection.” Lockport Township High School District 205 Superintendent Robert McBride presides over a meeting with board Vice President Veronica Shaw and board President Ann Lopez-Caneva on Nov The four candidates removed for running for conflicting offices were Theresa “Tammy” Hayes Hayes and Roti both have filed paperwork to run for the Lockport Township High School District 205 Board while Trzos-Consolino filed to run in Homer Elementary School District 33C and Walters filed to run in Will County Elementary School District 92 Hayes previously ran for a seat on the District 92 board and lost while Roti mounted an unsuccessful campaign for a vacant Homer Glen trustee seat in 2023 The Herald-News reached out to both Hayes and Roti for comment but did not receive a response from either candidate Since they have been removed from the Village Board ballot there have been no objections to any of the candidates remaining on the school board ballots Hayes and Roti will be joining 12 other candidates in the race for District 205’s six open board seats In addition to the four candidates removed for running for more than one office the Electoral Board removed two candidates it became clear he lived in Orland Park,” Carroll said “He lived in Homer at one point but not currently where he has a mailbox as his home address.” Heidi “Hadley” Pacella was removed for using the “improper nickname” Hadley on her nominating papers which is allegedly linked to her position on a construction project on Hadley Road Carroll said using a nickname that is a recognized short form of a person’s given name or something they are known to go by – such as Hayes being listed as Theresa “Tammy” Hayes on the ballot – is appropriate However it cannot be a title such as “reverend” or “coach” and cannot be tied to a political issue “The Hadley Road project was subject of several fairly contentious fights at the village “It would be like if I tried to run as Michael ‘taxes are too damn high’ Carroll Daniel Gutierrez was removed after certain signatures on his petitions were stricken Several of the candidates had signatures on their petitions from people who had signed more than the allowed number of forms Each resident is only allowed to sign for as many candidates as there are open seats and several signatures had to be removed from petitions because they appeared on four or more Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike (Photo from the Village of Homer Glen) The candidates tried to appeal their removals citing improper due process and conflicts of interest on the part of the Electoral Board members Judge Ben Braun reportedly dismissed the appeal because the paperwork had not been filed properly Carroll said the removed candidates failed to list the village Electoral Board or Carlson as objectors on the filing and Carlson also was not properly notified of the appeal “There were a bunch of things they wanted to challenge but the fatal errors in the filings jumped off the page at me,” Carroll said Carroll noted that the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office joined in his motion to dismiss the appeal because the candidates also were asking that ballot printing be paused during the process. Carroll said although it is unclear how the candidates found to have residency and conflicting office issues intended to argue they should not have been removed, the conflict-of-interest complaints stemmed from the members of the Electoral Board. One of those members is Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike, who has supported other incumbent members of the board. The board comprised three members: Neitzke-Troike, Village Clerk Candace Bielski, and Village Trustee Sue Steilen. Carroll said Steilen was added as a substitute for senior Trustee Dan Fialko, who recused himself from the proceedings since his son Ethan was one of the challenged – and ultimately removed – candidates. When asked about the candidates’ appeal being dismissed, Carroll said “the Electoral Board took very seriously the potential of disenfranchising voters who signed petitions supporting certain candidates but believes it is more important to follow election law, and the law is very clear on these issues.” With the eight candidates removed from the ballot, only nine candidates remain for the three open Village Board seats in Homer Glen: John Hayes; Kevin Koukol; Michael LePore; Nicholas Muller; Richard Modelski; Katie Surges; Kyles Surges; former Trustee Ruben Pazmino; and the race’s only incumbent, Rose Reynders. The reduced number of candidates eliminates the need for a primary, and all the candidates will advance to the consolidated election April 1. ExpandWill County board member Steve Balich speaks at the Will County board meeting on Thursday (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf) Homer Township — The Homer Township Republican primary Tuesday saw the challenging Reset Party led by Homer Glen Village Trustee Sue Steilen triumph over the incumbent Freedom Caucus led by township Supervisor Steve Balich Balich also is a member of the Will County Board. with Steilen defeating Balich for supervisor with 59.4% of the vote and all other Reset candidates winning their contests Tamara “Tami” O’Brien defeated incumbent township Clerk Vicki Bozen with 58.3% of the vote and John Robinson received just under 59% of the vote for highway commissioner over incumbent Brent Porfilio Sara Pallermo won her race for township collector with 61.2% of the vote over Rose Fialko Kenneth “Ken” Marcin and Donald Melody received the most votes for the four trustee positions Marcin and Melody each received about 15% of the vote Dominic Pacella and Angel Constance Marie Shake none of whom received more than 11% of the vote something the Freedom Caucus tried to link Steilen to in their campaign based on statements she made at 2024 Village Board meetings Steilen denied that she was aiming to eliminate the seat she was running for as the Reset candidates accused the incumbents of mishandling the funding and construction of a new township civic center on the Trantina Farm property on 151st Street “The results confirmed that the community wants to be united and work together,” Steilen said Wednesday Comments from our residents say it best: Truth and kindness won they appreciate the idea that people who put the community first and care about others can get elected it’s about local community needs and issues.” Balich had accused the Reset candidates of not being “true Republicans” in the lead-up to the election arguing that they had not done enough to campaign for candidates in the national election in November and criticizing bipartisan endorsements touted on the Reset slate’s Facebook page “We stayed out of the negative campaigning and told the truth,” Steilen said “I hope we can encourage others to get involved in our township and run in future elections.” Although Steilen has denied any desire to eliminate the township as a unit of government she did express before the primary that the Reset party plans to focus on “restoring limited government accountability and fiscal responsibility.” She said the Reset party will spend the coming months “preparing to take office after the April election is certified.” Balich did not respond to The Herald-News' requests for comment on the results The winning slate is going to be running unopposed in the April 1 consolidated election The only incumbent who will retain their seat is Township Assessor Carmen Maurella III 2025 at 2:04 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Edward Weiher of the 12200 block of West Thorn Apple Drive in Homer Glen (Mugshot via Will County Jail )JOLIET — After spending two months inside the Will County Jail facing felony child endangerment charges following the death of his 2-year-old daughter Trinity 49-year-old Homer Glen business owner Edward Weiher walked out of the Will County Jail around 6 p.m Weiher's release from detention was made possible because of the persistence of his private criminal defense lawyer Tedone was retained to represent both Weiher and his girlfriend Alexa Balen in connection with the criminal charge they face after the death of their daughter Will County Judge Vince Cornelius granted Tedone's motion for relief subject to home detention and electronic monitoring for Weiher who lives in a million-dollar home on West Thorn Apple Drive Weiher must appear to the pretrial services and must immediately obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and comply with all recommended treatment," the judge instructed Cornelius' order goes on to explain that Weiher "is prohibited from having any contact with any children under the age of 18." In the case of Balen she was ordered to go to an inpatient treatment facility upon her release from the Will County Jail Cosmo Tedone Outlines Arguments For His Clients' Release Before Monday's court ruling that went in his favor Tedone filed a motion indicating that his clients Weiher and Balen called 911 after their 2-year-old child stopped breathing "The conditions of the home were in question," Tedone wrote "The child in question was previously taken by the Department of Child and Family Services and placed with the maternal grandmother who eventually left the child in the care of the defendants There was (another) child who was also in the care and custody of DCFS "It was evident that the defendants may have been drug addicts," Tedone wrote regarding his clients "It was further found that the child had heroin and fentanyl in her system although the coroner has not come back with a report it was learned that the remaining child of Ms Balen is now in foster care and not residing with the defendants." The judge's ruling acknowledged the fact that Weiher and Balen are charged with a detention-eligible offense the Will County Jail logs still had Balen listed as an inmate The Homer Glen parents are also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance accuses Balen of providing an unsafe living conditions for her other daughter Will County's prosecutors noted that Trinity was dying from the apparent drug overdose for approximately four hours before Weiher and Balen finally called 911 Balen used her phone to make her first Google search seeking information on how to stop an overdose at 7:46 p.m. $1M Trust Fund House Of Terror: Dad Denied Pretrial Release In Toddler's Death Toddler Dies In Filthy Home, Parents Had Cocaine, Heroin: Sheriff IL — A "swatting incident" was the cause of a disturbance on Mallard Lane in Homer Glen on Tuesday Will County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Kathy Hoffmeyer told Patch Swatting is a term used to describe when a hoax phone call is used to report serious crimes to police Tuesday by a man who said he was holding his wife hostage and was going "to do a bad thing" at the Homer Glen home The man told dispatch he had shot his wife and would hurt anyone who responded to the home SWAT members and Will County Sheriff deputies responded to the call and set up a perimeter as negotiators attempted to contact the residents Deputies at the perimeter could see into the home and saw residents inside tending to normal activities Contact was made with the residents at the front door "It was determined that this was a swatting incident," Hoffmeyer said the couple’s grandson had been playing video games online when the hoax phone call was made to 911." IL — Homer Glen Village Trustee Craig McNaughton will resign from his position at the end of the month Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said during Wednesday's Village Board meeting Neitzke-Troike said McNaughton submitted his resignation on April 7 McNaughton was elected to the position in April 2023 "There will be a second seat available on this Board," she said "I have not received Trustee Steilen's resignation at this moment." Trustee Sue Steilen was elected earlier this month as Homer Township Supervisor Election results will be certified on April 22 Neitzke-Troike said the Village has 60 days from the formal resignation of the seat to fill the spot The Village is now seeking resumes to fill McNaughton's vacancy You can email mayorchristina@homerglenil.org to submit your resume and be considered for the position 2025 at 5:46 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Eric Strasser IL — A Lockport man facing three counts of first-degree murder remains in custody at Will County Jail after a court appearance on Tuesday Eric Strasser, 62, wasarrested April 17, almost one year after his wife, Rosy Strasser, 51 died of a gunshot wound. Rosy Strasser was pronounced dead on May 1 in the couple's home in the 900 block of McKinley Court in Lockport Lockport police told Patch they were investigating the circumstances of her death and that her manner of death had not yet been determined "This was a fairly complex homicide investigation," Lockport Police Deputy Chief Ron Huff told Patch this week "Investigators had to wait on various crime lab results and were required to track down and interview numerous witnesses the case was submitted to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review and approval which ultimately led to the three counts of homicide." According to the criminal complaint filed in Will County Court May 1 and said he needed an ambulance because there was an accidental shooting "can you please just get them over here?" and hung up Lockport Police officers arrived at 6:02 a.m and found Rosy Strasser in the bathroom of the home with a gunshot wound and noted that the approximate time of death was 3 a.m. Eric Strasser told the officers where to find the revolver used in the shooting the weapon was on a counter several feet from Rosy and the crime lab was not able to recover any fingerprints for comparison An autopsy also revealed that there was no evidence of close-range firing of the gun A friend said the lacerations and marks on her body had not been there a day earlier and would not tell police any information about Rosy's death Divorce proceedings for the couple had started in January Rosy was doing well at work and had received a promotion and had plans to move out of the home and to a new town the complaint states that Eric complained via text message to a relative about money he had to give to Rosy and that he had been fired on April 26 from his job for falsifying time sheets Rosy Strasser was to receive a lump sum of $65,000 Eric Strasser went to a bar in McCook and stayed there for several hours drinking nine beers with friends and a relative according to video surveillance recovered by Lockport Police The complaint states that Eric's phone location data shows he returned home at 10 p.m and stayed there until he was removed by the police at 7 a.m Rosy's phone data showed she was home all day and night on April 30 Rosy had texted her boyfriend on April 30 saying that Eric had come home drunk and she had also asked her boss if she could take some boxes for moving to Rosy herself (even though she was at home) and finally numerous calls to his divorce attorney Police also found a pair of blue disposable gloves in the kitchen A friend told police that Rosy would wear this kind of gloves while cooking Eric's blood and Rosy's DNA on the kitchen gloves Eric Strasser remains in custody at Will County Jail; the Will County State's Attorney's Office has asked the judge to deny pre-trial release He will appear in court on May 8 for a detention hearing ExpandHomer Township Building (Photo from Homer Township) Homer Township — The Homer Township Board is one of only two races in Will County which will face a primary on Tuesday when two slates of Republican candidates will face off Running on the Freedom Caucus Republican slate is a group of incumbents headed by current Township Supervisor Steve Balich Also running on the slate are Township Clerk Vicki Bozen They are opposed by a group of Republicans dubbed the Homer Township Reset party headed by current Homer Glen Village Trustee Sue Steilen She is joined by Highway Commissioner candidate John Robinson At the Lockport City Council meeting on Wednesday Clausen and Bonomo spoke to Lockport residents who live in Homer Township to remind them of the primary and drum up support for the Freedom Caucus slate of candidates they said the Reset Party is in favor of enforcing the Homer Glen referendum from 2024 that voted narrowly to dissolve Homer Township as a governing body The referendum was advisory only and was likely not legally enforceable as it only asked Homer Glen residents and not residents from Lockport and the township’s unincorporated areas Bonomo and Clausen emphasized that dissolving the township would be “disastrous” for unincorporated residents with Clausen stating “the county will not pick up those services like the proponents of the referendum said they would.” which is a unit of government regulated by state law and comprised of a set perimeter would be legally challenging and present many challenges Steilen said it is not an issue because her party is not running for township office to dissolve it “Our campaign has never been about dissolving the township,” Steilen said We’re for reducing government when applicable but we are not for dissolving part of it.” The Reset Party issued an official statement viewed by the Herald-News which says “the candidates of Homer Township Reset want to reassure all residents that Homer Township will not be dissolved anytime in the foreseeable future Out focus is on restoring limited government The statement also acknowledges “the power to dissolve a township resides with the Illinois General Assembly” and instead states “we will seek ways to consolidate government while providing the same or better services the township residents are accustomed to.” “Our campaign has never been about dissolving the township.” Balich and the Freedom Caucus have continued to state Steilen is for eliminating the township government because she was on the record at a Homer Glen Village Board meeting saying “I would be in favor of dissolving the township.” When asked about her seemingly changed stance Steilen said “Dissolving the township could mean many things There are more layers of government in Illinois than there are in most states I think the township level could be eliminated in the future but it is a conversation that needs to be started It’s certainly not happening in the next four years.” Steilen continued to say that “we can’t get rid of the township government at this time because there is too much unincorporated territory and I would never support forced annexation If those areas were absorbed by Lockport and Homer Glen and New Lenox though then maybe it would be a conversation to have.” The Reset Party also notes on its Facebook page that one of its candidates lives in unincorporated Homer Township and “strongly opposes” dissolving the township Another point of contention between the two slates of candidates is the construction of a township civic center The previous township board got approval in a referendum to seek grant funding for the construction of a “pole barn style structure” on the Trantina Farm property located at the intersection of Gougar Road and 151st Street The current board received $500,000 in grant funding for the project and spent an additional $1.7 million from the township open spaces funding to construct the facility which Balich said will be ready for use in May or June The facility currently includes minimal amenities but has heating and air conditioning and full bathrooms and will have a pickle ball court outside made possible through a private donation these facilities will begin hosting events for seniors this summer Steilen and the Reset party have expressed concerns about funding the project going forward The plans for the facility include additions of a kitchen and stage but the open spaces fund does not have money to support those projects “The construction of this project has drained funds and they don’t have the money to fully finish it,” Steilen said “They talk about hosting all these programs but that requires funding that we don’t believe is there.” Balich accused the his opponents of lying about the funds and said it is “under control.” Steve Balich at the Will County board meeting at the Will County Office Building (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf) “We’re going to be applying for grants for the other amenities,” Balich said and we will not need to raise taxes to finish it and I’ll explain it all after the election I’m not going to say everything and have them twist it on me.” Balich also said programs would be run by existing township employees and volunteers but did not elaborate on where program funds would come from “We’ll make use of what we have,” she said but that may not involve as many programs as they’ve talked about We’re going to limit its use to what is affordable.” The Republican Primary for the Homer Township board is on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Voting location information is available on the Will County Clerk website. Winners of the primary will face democratic opponents in the consolidated election on Tuesday, April 1. Homer Glen — Edward Weiher and Alexa Balen, the Homer Glen couple charged with felony child endangerment in the drug-related death of their 2-year-old daughter will continue to be held in jail at least through the end of the year following a hearing on Tuesday were arrested last month after their daughter died on Nov 6 from ingesting both cocaine and fentanyl which were found in significant quantities around their house was also found with drugs in her system and removed by the Illinois Department of Child Protective Services after the incident Both children had previously been removed from the couple’s custody and placed with their maternal grandmother who had reportedly returned them to the Homer Glen home three months before the death of 2-year-old Trinity Balen-Weiher Weiher and Balen have repeatedly been denied pretrial release following their arrests on Nov Edward Weiher (Photo provided by Will County Sheriff's Office) The couple’s lawyer Cosmo Tedone submitted a petition on Dec. 6 requesting their release once again after Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak denied a petition for release on Dec. 3. On Tuesday, the couple was back in court before Judge Vincent Cornelius. Alexa Balen, 27, was arrested on Nov. 18. (Photo Provided by the Will County Sheriff's Office) Tedone argued in the petition that under Illinois' SAFE-T Act in order to deny pretrial release “the state must prove by clear and convincing evident ‘the defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case’ and ‘no condition or combination of conditions can mitigate the real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community.’” The motion claims since Weiher and Balen are not accused of a violent crime and have no violent criminal records there is no grounds to keep them detained. Tedone also proposed in his petition that they do not pose a threat to anyone because Balen’s surviving daughter has been removed from the home and placed in foster care with non-relatives. At the Dec. 3 detention hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Amanda Tasker read numerous texts from Balen to her drug dealer which illustrated that drugs were regularly delivered to their home at 12229 West Thorn Apple drive at all times of day and were often left in the open in the home’s garage or on the porch. Tasker argued at the time this proved the couple did create a dangerous situation for neighbors and the surrounding community, especially children. The home of Edward Weiher at 12229 West Thorn Apple Drive in Homer Glen. Weiher charged with endangering his 2-year-old child who died from a suspected overdose death on Nov. 7, 2024. (Photo by Felix Sarver) Tedone said in his motion that “such danger could be mitigated by a condition of release, such as an order barring clients from being around children as well as regular drug testing.” Tasker submitted the state’s response to Tedone’s motion on Tuesday. Since Tedone and Cornelius did not have time to thoroughly review the response, the judge decided the hearing needed to be continued. With the holidays and the end of the year approaching, Cornelius said he would not be available to hear the issue again until Jan. 3, ensuring couple will remain in the Will County jail through the end of the year. 2024 at 2:34 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}17 candidates originally filed for three open Trustee positions IL — A crowded field of candidates in the race for Homer Glen Village Trustee has been slightly reduced after several filed objections against candidates led to removal by the Homer Glen Electoral Board 17 candidates originally filed for three open Trustee positions The amount of candidates triggered a consolidated primary election eight candidates have been removed from the ballot due to the objections Village staff told Patch that there will not be a primary in February Those removed from the ballot include: Heidi "Hadley" Pacella candidate Heidi Pacella had objected to Muller's petition Resident Craig Carlson objected to the petitions of 14 other candidates: Kate Surges As for why eight candidates were removed from the ballot the Homer Glen Electoral Board gave reasoning for each at the Dec Modelski and Muller will also appear on the ballot after the Electoral Board ruled in November that both had enough valid signatures The current form of government is what is considered a Council-Manager form of government. The concerned citizens are alleging that Mayor Neitzke-Troike is trying to establish a “Strong Mayor” form of government, which would require referendum to change the government system from the current Council-Manager form to Mayor-Council style Mayor Neitzke-Troike was successful in the most recent April 2023 election for Mayor while getting her slate of three trustees elected That would give the incoming Mayor three votes with the Mayor’s vote being the tie breaker The link to “Previous” Resolution No. 22-011 that current Mayor Neitzke-Troike is looking to amend: https://ecode360.com/documents/HO3123/public/717707763.pdf This compels the question of whether this proposed ordinance is legal and whether it would have to go to referendum Link to previous Homer Glen ordinance is here: https://ecode360.com/28849580 Village of Homer Glen, IL Manager: § 45-8 Duties and authority; termination of employees. (ecode360.com) This agenda item considers to approve ordinance No 23-027 – an ordinance amending Homer Glen Village Code sections 10-6 and 10-7 regarding appointment of standing committees Mayor Neitzke-Troike is seemingly looking to remove all authority from the Village Board of Trustees to approve appoint and dismiss chair and co-chair appointments She seems to give herself full authority for these decisions with “recommendations” from the board of Trustees There is also language included that permits co-chairs to be residents – and not members from the Village board The legality of this ordinance is also in question https://ecode360.com/documents/HO3123/public/624627080.pdf Agenda item E is for the hire of a new village attorney current Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady as O’Grady made significant financial contributions to Neitzke-Troike and her slate of candidates New Homer Glen Mayor Neitzke-Troike Called “Dictator” by Concerned Citizens Who Say She is Illegally Changing Form of Government Log in to leave a comment The Chicagoland Journal is the premiere news source of the Greater Chicagoland area 2025 at 2:16 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}All candidates are running as Republicans for the positions of Township Supervisor IL — Homer Township residents will be some of the only voters in Will County to vote in the Feb All candidates are running as Republicans for the positions of Township Supervisor Will County Clerk Annette Parker told Patch that whoever wins the primary will be nominated to appear on the consolidated ballot IL — Homer Glen residents were surprised to find in recent weeks that the doors to the Chili's location on Bell Road have permanently closed Homer Glen Village Manager Joseph Baber said the Homer Glen location had been open for about 10 years He added that it was not the only location in the Chicagoland area that had abruptly closed A similar closure happened in Plainfield, where the Chili's location there also closed its doors suddenly Google lists the Homer Glen location as permanently closed and the location is no longer listed on Chili's website the Homer Glen Village Board approved decreasing its number of liquor licenses due to the closure of Chili's The closest Chili's to Homer Glen is now the New Lenox location or the Orland Park location 2024 at 1:28 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Village's electoral board is set to meet at 2:30 p.m IL — A crowded field of 17 candidates for three Homer Glen Village Trustee positions has resulted in a consolidated primary election objections have been filed against 15 of those running for the board The Village's electoral board is set to meet at 2:30 p.m The last day to file objections was Tuesday The 17 candidates who have filed to run are: Only Reynders and Trzos-Consolino currently on the board Village staff told Patch that objections have been filed against all but two candidates: Reynders and LePore candidate Heidi Pacella objected to Nicholas Muller's petition 2025 at 12:00 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Residents of Homer Township will be voting on Republican candidates running for Township Supervisor Township Highway Commissioner and four Township Trustees Homer Township voters will be among the only residents in the county who will vote in a consolidated primary on Feb According to a news release from the County Clerk's Office residents of Homer Township will be voting on Republican candidates running for Township Supervisor The other primary in Will County will be held for residents in the City of Aurora The winners of this primary election will have their names placed on the April 1 consolidated election ballot There won't be any early voting in Homer Glen or Lockport; early voting will take place at the Will County Clerk's Office in Joliet The County Clerk said residents who are registered to vote can request a vote by mail ballot to be sent to their homes Ballots will be mailed out starting on Jan Homer Township residents only have a Republican ballot available The last day to request your vote by mail ballot is Feb Requests can be made through the online application found at willcountyclerk.gov or residents may call the County Clerk’s Office at (815) 740-4615 to have an application mailed to them There are two slates of candidates running; the Homer Township Reset Party and the Will County Freedom Caucus Freedom caucus members include Steve Balich 2024 at 2:04 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}In the United States one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square IL — Whether you're headed out to a noon year's eve event with the kids or a New Year's Eve event later in the night; there's plenty to do in and around Homer Glen and Lockport on Dec Embers in Lockport will offer a New Year's Eve party, with doors opening at 9 p.m. on Dec. 31. It is $60 pre-sale or $70 at the door for an unlimited drink package and DJ It is $10 pre-sale or $20 at the door if you're not buying a drink package Also in downtown Lockport, the ROXY, 1017 S. State St., will host a New Year's Eve bash featuring Sonny and the SwingRolls There will be a dance lesson from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. and includes a prosecco/sparkling cider toast at midnight and finger foods Here is a look at some additional events happening around Homer Glen and Lockport: The transition from one year to the next is often marked by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish folk song whose title roughly translates to “days gone by,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica and History.com The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians who made promises to return borrowed items and repay debts at the beginning of the new year which was in mid-March when they planted their crops the pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year Many secular New Year’s resolutions focus on imagining new The failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is about 80 percent but a big one is they’re made out of remorse — for gaining weight for example — and aren’t accompanied by a shift in attitude or a plan for coping with the stress and discomfort that comes with changing a habit or condition 2025 at 10:34 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Funding for the School District Library Grant Program is appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly IL — State Senator Rachel Ventura announced 11 school districts in the greater Joliet area have received nearly grants to provide resources to libraries through books according to a release from Ventura's office and providing our students with high-quality educational resources and materials is a priority of our state,” said Ventura “I look forward to seeing how these funds will be used in our area and the positive educational development it will bring to our students.” school districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school with a qualified library Funding for the School District Library Grant Program is appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly Lockport Township High School District 205 received $3,338; Will County School District 92 received $1,173 Lockport School District 91 received $850 and Taft School District 90 received $850 will support school library services for over 1 million students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade across the state IL — Voters in Homer Township will see three advisory questions on their ballots for the April 1 consolidated election The April 1 election will include local races for school boards Homer Township Board has approved placing three advisory questions on the ballot and are generally asked to gauge public opinion on matters The three questions that voters will see are: Township Supervisor Steve Balich told Patch that "these are very important issues that need to be addressed." "Pension reform is needed to protect people with existing retirements and at the same time provide property tax relief," Balich said Balich said some of the unfunded mandates from the state may be OK but the state should pay for them if they want implementation "Local government is strapped for cash and increased burden from the state is just wrong," Balich said Balich said redistricting maps drawn by a political party foster a one-party rule by drawing district boundary lines to suit the party in power "That is why the current districts make little sense," he said Homer Township residents will see all three questions on the ballot in April for the consolidated election ALSO: Voters who live in the White Oak Library District will also see a referendum question on their ballots. 2024 at 12:04 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Many grocery stores will close early on Christmas Eve so it’s a good idea to check with your local store IL — Most grocery stores in and near Homer Glen and Lockport will be closed Wednesday so you need to plan ahead to get everything you need for holiday meals whether Christmas Dinner or the first night of Hanukkah A handful of drugstores will be open on Christmas Day. Most 24-hour Walgreens stores will be open as usual, and others may be open for limited hours on Christmas Day. Most CVS locations will be open from 10 a.m Many grocery stores will close early on Christmas Eve so it’s a good idea to check with your local store before making a trip Here’s what we know about grocery and related store hours for Christmas Eve Aldi: Stores will close at 4 p.m on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day Stores also close early on New Year’s Eve but are open regular hours on New Year’s Day Berkot's Super Foods: 7 a.m Costco: Stores are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day The member wholesale stores are open from 10 a.m Food4Less: Stores close at 8 p.m (fuel centers at 7 p.m.) on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day Stores are open regular hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Jewel-Osco: Stores generally close at 6 p.m and are open as usual on New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve Mariano's: All stores and fuel centers will close at 6 p.m Stores will remain closed on Christmas Day Meijer: Most locations will be open from 6 a.m on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day Stores will be open as usual on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Sam’s Club: The member wholesale stores close at 6 p.m Target: Stores close at 8 p.m Trader Joe’s: Stores are open 8 a.m on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Eve Walmart: Stores are open until 6 p.m Whole Foods: Most stores are open for modified hours on Christmas Eve (8 a.m This list was curated from store websites, Patch emails, Simply Recipes, Pioneer Woman and Parade ExpandThe home of Edward Weiher at 12229 West Thorn Apple Drive in Homer Glen Weiher charged with endangering his 2-year-old child who died from a suspected overdose death on Nov Homer Glen — The Homer Glen parents charged with child endangerment in the death of their 2-year-old daughter have once again been denied pretrial release by a Will County judge Alexa Balen, 27, and Edward Weiher have both been charged with two counts of child endangerment and possession of both cocaine and heroin after their daughter “They [the defendants] have at the least exhibited no care whatsoever if the allegations presented are true,” Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak said at a hearing on Tuesday was also in the home at the time of the incident and a medical exam revealed she had both cocaine and fentanyl in her system (Photo Provided by the Will County Sheriff's Office) After previously appearing in court separately Balen and Weiher were represented Tuesday by attorney Cosmo Tedone who said that both of his clients plan to plead not guilty and argued that the state had not presented “clear and convincing evidence” that the couple presented an ongoing danger to the community that could not be mitigated by conditions put on their release He argued that neither of his clients had a history of violent behavior or previous convictions and suggested possible conditions including home confinement, electronic monitoring, drug testing, and a prohibition on access to underage children—including Balen’s daughter and Weiher’s children from a previous marriage Tedone noted that Weiher had attempted CPR on Trinity Balen-Weiher when she stopped breathing and had called 911 and that both defendants had cooperated with the authorities allowing police to inspect the home when they arrived Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Amanda Tasker challenged this description of events though, saying the 911 call was “not a valiant effort on his part” since the couple did not call emergency services until Trinity Balen-Weiher had stopped breathing. This was nearly four hours after she had first become unresponsive and Balen and Weiher had tried and failed to revive her with Narcan ordered through Door Dash. Tasker also classified the delivery as “exposing another person to their house of horrors.” Will County Assistant State's Attorney Amanda Tasker in court in Aug. 2023. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf) While Tedone pointed out that the highest offense the couple is charged with is a Class 3 felony, Tasker said that it is likely further, more serious charges will be brought after the autopsy report is completed. “It’s looking pretty good for that based on the toxicology report,” Tasker said, noting the toxicology report on Trinity Balen-Weiher showed the presence of cocaine and fentanyl in her system which was five times the lethal dosage for an adult. “In order to challenge a detention status, new information needs to be available, or something needs to have changed,” Tasker said. “The only new information is the toxicology report which, if anything, makes things worse.” The full toxicology report on Trinity Balen-Weiher has not yet been released by the Will County Coroner’s Office. Court documents describe the scene witnessed by Will County sheriff’s police inside the house at 12229 West Thorn Apple Drive on the night of Nov. 6 as “unkempt and in complete disarray” with Tasker describing it as “complete and utter squalor.” Court documents state “the entire floor was covered with garbage, food, urine, and feces,” with drugs and drug paraphernalia found throughout the home in easy reach of the two children. Tedone argued that on home confinement with regular drug testing and with Balen’s 6-year-old daughter in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the couple would “pose no threat to society.” Tasker said that the couple’s neighbors could be at risk. Tasker cited text messages from Balen’s phone which repeatedly directed her drug dealer to leave drugs on the porch or in the open garage for her at all hours of the day, suggesting the substances were within easy access of the public, including other neighborhood children. “They’re heroin addicts,” Tasker said. “They’re going to continue to try to use if they are released. There are other children in the neighborhood who could be at risk, and other people who don’t want drug dealers on their street in the middle of the day.” She also noted that, if released, they could try to seek supervised visits with their other children. Currently, Weiher’s children are with their mother and Balen’s daughter is in foster care. Tasker said that she was not with family since DCFS had already removed both Trinity and her older sister from Balen and Weiher’s care and placed them with their maternal grandmother in May 2023. However, the grandmother had apparently brought both girls back to the Homer Glen residence in August and allowed them to live there in the months leading up to Trinity’s death, Tasker said. DCFS was apparently unaware of the girls’ changed living situation. Additionally, Tasker said that Balen and Weiher could pose a threat to Balen’s brother, who Balen said in her texts had been at the house during one of her drug dealer’s deliveries and who Tasker said is disabled and in need of regular assistance. While Tedone said that it was unfair to “punish the defendants for their addiction,” Bertani-Tomczak said, “I stand by my original ruling.” A discovery hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17, and a hearing is slated for Dec. 10 regarding the requested return of personal property by Weiher. Homer Glen (Photo Provided by the Will County Sheriff's Office) a Homer Glen woman charged with drug possession and child endangerment after her 2-year-old daughter died of a suspected overdose earlier this month was denied pretrial release by a Will County judge Friday Balen, 27, and her boyfriend Edward Weiher each are charged with two counts of drug possession after cocaine and heroin were found in their home One of the child endangerment charges is a felony because it resulted in the death of the couple’s young daughter The other is a Class A misdemeanor and relates to Balen’s 6-year-old daughter from a previous relationship being in the home at the time of the toddler’s death. Balen was arrested Nov. 18 after a hospitalization following the death of her daughter, Trinity Balen-Weiher, on Nov. 6. Weiher was arrested Nov. 7. He remains in the Will County jail after being denied pretrial release. Balen’s pretrial detention hearing in Will County initially was scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed after Balen failed to hire an attorney Her petition to be assigned a public defender was denied; however she was granted one for the purpose of her detention hearing while she seeks other representation The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office sought to deny pretrial release for Balen on the grounds that the endangerment charge was a serious felony and argued that, if released, she would pose a continued threat to her 6-year-old daughter and the community. Assistant State’s Attorney Amanda Tasker on Friday presented photographs and evidence from Balen and Weiher’s home at 12229 W. Thorn Apple Drive in Homer Glen on the night of Trinity’s death as well as text messages from Balen’s phone to illustrate the defendant’s drug addiction and neglect of her daughters. “The house was in completely despicable condition,” Tasker told the court. “Every inch of the home was covered in garbage, and drugs were all over the home in reach of both children.” The home of Edward Weiher sits at 12229 W. Thorn Apple Drive in Homer Glen. Weiher is charged with endangering his 2-year-old child, who died from a suspected overdose death Nov. 7, 2024. (Photo by Felix Sarver) Tasker reported that cocaine and 9 grams of heroin were found at the scene – including next to a container of chocolate milk and near a child’s doll – when police and firefighters responded to Balen’s 911 call on Nov. 6 that her daughter was unresponsive. “There were drugs on the mattresses, in the bathroom, on the kitchen counter and the coffee table,” Tasker said. “There was one room with a gaming area, which looked pristine, so [Balen and Weiher] were capable of cleaning. It’s just obvious they did nothing to keep drugs away from the children in this home.” There also were several spent containers of Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, around the room where Trinity was found, which the parents admitted they had unsuccessfully tried to administer before calling 911, according to court records. Tasker noted that a search of Balen’s cellphone showed she had first searched for instructions on how to use Narcan at 7:46 p.m. before buying a second dose using an Uber delivery driver at 8:14 p.m. By the time emergency services were called at almost 11:30 p.m., the child had been unresponsive for three hours and 41 minutes, according to court records. “The defendant waited over three hours before calling for help while this baby was lying there dying,” Tasker said. Balen, who was escorted into the courtroom by Will County sheriff’s deputies, stood with her head down, crying as Tasker made her presentation to the court. Tasker also noted that Balen’s 6-year-old daughter was taken into the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and underwent a medical examination that showed she had fentanyl and cocaine in her system. Tasker said that allowing Balen to be released, even on home confinement with electronic monitoring, could pose a risk to the 6-year-old as well as others in the community, based on text messages exchanged with a drug dealer that were retrieved from her phone. Tasker read several of the messages aloud in court. The often profanity-laced messages detailed Balen’s demands for her drug dealer to provide her with more, stronger heroin and included instructions for him to leave the drugs in her garage, at the door or even to give them to the 6-year-old to bring inside. One message stated that she had spent $6,000 on a single transaction with the drug dealer. “All she cares about is making sure she has the right caliber of drugs,” Tasker said. “Drugs, which ultimately killed her child.” Balen’s temporary counsel, Public Defender Raymond Durrenberger, said that since the 6-year-old was taken into DCFS care, allowing Balen to remain on home confinement with regular drug testing and electronic monitoring would not pose a risk to the child. “Given the defendant’s lack of prior history, we can’t say those conditions won’t work,” Durrenberger said. “I understand she has been – neglectful is an understatement – but there’d be no children present, and the state has not presented clear and convincing evidence these measures would not work.” Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak disagreed with this argument and granted the state’s petition to deny pretrial release. “There is a sustained burden of proof she was involved in these offenses at this point,” Bertani-Tomczak said. “These are serious offenses. There are no conditions that would ensure the safety of her living child [and] the community or that would change these habits.” Balen’s next hearing is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 3. Weiher also is appearing in court separately the same day for a preliminary hearing. A sign across the street from the Reed Elementary School on 143rd Street in Homer Glen trumpets some residents’ feeling about a possible widening of the road To simplify the situation relating to the proposed widening of 143rd Street in Homer Glen: the county board voted against the expansion 12-9 and Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant signed off on it she realized she signed it in error and immediately slapped a veto on the decision She said in a statement at the time that the resolution failed to address traffic demands and public safety The waiting game continues while the Will County Circuit Court decides whether the veto is valid considering Bertino-Tarrant had signed the resolution to stop the project 28 Homer Glen Village Board meeting that lasted more than two hours residents and board members aired their concerns about the project that rests with the county and courts “I can’t move forward knowing that this might go forward with the five lanes,” said Christy Nahser who owns a horse farm that will be affected by the widening She takes in animals and has been in the community since 2002 “The five lanes will come right next to my house We need to stop this right now so I can go ahead and develop my piece of property and take in more rescue animals.” stupid” road and added “I’m telling you right now I will not keep my 31 acres and my 1,300-plus feet of frontage along 143rd Several others vented with the common theme that the board members were not doing enough for the residents “We do hear you on this and I believe this is a serious issue,” trustee Craig McNaughton said am concerned and just know that I stand with you.” “There was a young lady that spoke about being here for 40 years Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike rejected accusations that the board is doing nothing and doesn’t care “We’ve read thousands of pages of documents,” she said “Doing this research and reading these plans “The original reason they claimed that they needed to expand 143rd Street was because our population by 2030 was supposed to be 43,000 residents That means in six years we are supposed to double in size She said the village has actively opposed the widening “We’ve met with the county several times,” she said “We’ve called news reporters and had the news channels out here on 143rd Street We’ve spent hours pleading our case to different members of the county getting them to vote.” But Neitzke-Troike notes that the village has kept certain information about this issue close to the vest She pointed out that previous issues “went crazy” when the village divulged too much information “We’re doing this for you,” she told the crowd “I’ll sit up here and listen to you guys yell at me take the hits and come out at the end and say ‘we did it for this reason.’ Neighboring Orland Park favors the widening Orland Mayor Keith Pekau said the work is vital to reduce accidents and boost development Pekau added that 143rd Street is one of just three east-west links between I-355 and I-294 there are three roads that connect 355 and 294 – 159th Street 143rd and Odgen (Avenue)," Pekau said in the story He added that 143rd has five lanes from Southwest Highway to Interstate 294 And he noted that a recent widening project on 159th Street helped ease its traffic woes Molly Czechanski and her family visited New York City in March and hit Broadway to see  “Hadestown.” “I absolutely fell in love with it The three Lincoln-Way schools and two schools from Tinley Park mauled their first-week nonconference opponents Aug Orland Park Fire Protection District Chief Michael Schofield has been named vice president of the National Football Players Father’s Association Evisha Ford knows that becoming an adult is not always what it’s cracked up to be The three-day Frankfort Fall Festival again brought hundreds of thousands downtown Aug The 56th annual fest featured artisan boot… He is a rough-and-tumble sailor with a unique dialect and can-do attitude Franciscan Health Olympia Fields’ cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been reaccredited by the American Association of Cardiova… Have you ever felt a sense of accomplishment from completing simple small tasks such as cooking a pot of homemade soup or sending a belated t… The Forest Preserves of Cook County have opened its newest site at 6101 Oak Forest Ave. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account 2025 at 3:03 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Several school districts across the area have announced early releases or e-learning days IL — Winter weather advisories have been issued in anticipation of a winter storm on Wednesday The National Weather Service said the heaviest snow will be between 11 a.m especially during the Wednesday afternoon and evening commutes several school districts across the area have announced early releases or e-learning days 2024 at 11:38 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Halloween falls on a Thursday this year IL — There are just a few weeks until Halloween so it's time to finalize plans for Halloween costumes and even make some early purchases of Halloween candy recommended trick-or-treating hours are 2 to 7:30 p.m If you'd like an alternative to trick or treating on Halloween you can head out to the Village's trunk or treat event The Village will host the family-friendly event from 3 to 5 p.m Kids can wear costumes and trunk or treat from decorated 2025 at 3:30 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}There are several local races in the April 1 election IL — The consolidated election on April 1 is six weeks away and early voting is set to begin even sooner at both Homer Township and Lockport Township buildings Homer Township voters should note that early voting for the primary election on Feb Early voting will begin March 17 for the consolidated election nearby early voting sites will be at Homer Township Hours for early voting at Homer Township will be: Hours for early voting at Lockport Township will be: There are several local races in the April 1 election will be closing its doors at the end of the month Commenters on social media expressed their dismay over the closing saying the restaurant has the best Chinese food in the area "We want to thank you for your support and loyalty over the years," the business said on Facebook 2025 at 12:00 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The artist lineup includes a mix of returning favorites and fresh faces ensuring a variety of offerings for patrons IL – Nik & Ivy Brewing Company in Lockport will welcome spring with a special Makers Artisan Market at the business over 18 local artists and makers will gather for an afternoon of creativity this outdoor market will feature a diverse array of handmade goods and everyone is encouraged to stop by for a casual festive afternoon of browsing and discovering unique “Downtown Lockport is such an amazing area full of small businesses,” said John Streetz “I'm excited to bring a curated mix of local artists into this part of town to show the locals that sipping and shopping with the Streetz Artz Alliance is a great way to celebrate spring and find some amazing handmade goods.” The artist lineup includes a mix of returning favorites and fresh faces New artists to this venue include The Crafty Lotus Hyper-local artists from the area include Brittlilly Mucha Salsa Mexican Restaurant will be setting up inside the brewery to serve up a menu of tacos “We always have so much fun in August during our anniversary parties with the art fair in our back alley and food pop-ups Mucha Salsa will be setting up inside the brewery with delicious Mexican cuisine Robert Rolfe Feddersen will take the stage at 7 p.m This should be a great night!” Nik & Ivy Brewing said Homer Township — Homer Township will need to hold a primary election Feb 25 before the consolidated election April 1 because of a large number of Republican candidates who registered to run Homer Township residents who choose to take part will be voting on Republican candidates running for the offices of township supervisor township highway commissioner and township trustee incumbent Stephen Balich is being challenged by village of Homer Glen Trustee Susanna Steilen Will County Board members Stephen Balich (left) and Mike Fricilone (right) field questions from local residents Sept County Republicans held a community forum to answer questions about a pending gas tax Incumbent Township Clerk Vicki Bozen is being challenged by Tamara “Tami” O’Brien Township Collector Mike Gondek is not running for another term Residents will have a choice between Rose Fialko and Sara Palermo Current Highway Commissioner Brent Porfilio is facing a challenge from John Robinson There are eight candidates seeking four open trustee seats on the township board Voters will be able to choose four to support in the primary Angel Constance Marie Shake and Michael Bonomo are seeking reelection They are joined in the race by Dominic Joseph Pacella Trustee Rob Rivera is not running in the primary People vote at the Homer Township Public Library on Tuesday Township Assessor Carmen Maurella III is the only elected official running unopposed Homer Township is one of only two government bodies in Will County holding a primary this February Registered voters in Homer Township can request a mail-in ballot for the primary until Feb Requests for mail-in ballots can be made online at the Will County Clerk’s Office website or over the phone Early voting for the primary also will be held at the Will County Clerk’s Office, 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet On the day of the election, Homer Township residents will be able to vote in person at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church, Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, the Lockport Township Building Parker Road Bible Church and the Will County Clerk’s Office Sample ballots and detailed polling place information is available on the Will County Clerk’s Office website on the elections page The winners of the primary will face Democratic challengers in the April 1 consolidated election Homer Township voters also will be asked to vote on three advisory referenda The three referenda are only nonbinding advisory questions and largely deal with state-level political questions Although these questions address ongoing debates across state and national politics it is unclear what the township will do to act on the voters' decisions beyond lobbying Springfield in the event that they are approved