ExpandMinooka Elementary School at 400 W. Coady Dr. on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Michael Urbanec) Gardening, hip-hop dance, painting and Yu-Gi-Oh! are among the course offerings available in the months ahead as officials in Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201 aim to broaden summer school programming. At a meeting April 21, Jill Forkel, Minooka 201’s summer school coordinator, provided the school board with an overview of what is in store in the upcoming warm weathered months. Minooka 201 is breaking up its summer school program into one of four buckets: course recovery, Camp Minooka, summer enrichment and Minooka Bridge. Course recovery and Camp Minooka have a common thread, with both initiatives zeroed in on such core curricular areas as reading and math. Course recovery has a more intensive focus, geared primarily toward students in grades 5 to 8 who have not met course credit criteria within the parameters of the regular school year. Camp Minooka also focuses on the core subject areas, though it is tailored in a more casual environment for students to stay abreast of skills and concepts in-between school years. This year, Minooka 201 is ramping up its enrichment offerings, encouraging students to take two offerings, rather than the one slot available a year ago. Fourteen different courses – some not previously offered in Minooka 201 – are on the docket this summer. “Last year’s offerings were a little bit different than this year’s,” Forkel, who also serves as assistant principal at Walnut Trails Elementary School, said. To date, she indicated fishing has been the most popular offering of this year’s mix, based on sign-ups. While student interest plays an important part in determining summer enrichment offerings, Forkel said other logistical issues also play into the equation – most notably, teacher availability. “It really is dependent on what staff is willing and wants to teach and share with students,” Forkel said. The last of the four summer school programs, Minooka Bridge, is online-only and tailored to help students transition from one grade level to the next. This year, Minooka 201 is adding supports to assist multilingual newcomers in acquiring language skills. Minooka 201’s summer offerings kick off in late May and will continue, in different phases, through the end of July. In other business April 21, the Minooka 201 school board: Discussed enrollment projections for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. The district-wide figure will play an important role in planning the upcoming fiscal year budget and determining building-specific needs. Superintendent Rachel Kinder said preliminary figures indicate Minooka 201’s district-wide enrollment this fall should hover about 4,300 students. “We’re pretty stable right now, and looking at the cohorts … we’re going to see a little bit of a natural dip because that outgoing 8th grade class is a larger class, and some of our smaller classes are rolling up,” Kinder said. The incoming kindergarten classes are “the wild card,” Kinder said. As of the board meeting, 79 students had been signed up for kindergarten this fall, with more enrollees anticipated in the months ahead. In the long view, Kinder said Minooka 201 is monitoring what is taking place at each of the municipalities within the district’s footprint. “We are working closely with the villages in the new development,” she said. “We’re monitoring it very closely. We could have another gradual climb, based on that residential development.” -Recognized veteran board member Jim Satorius for his decades of service to Minooka 201. Satorius, who is stepping down, has been on the district’s school board for 32 years; within that time frame, he has been the board president for 21 years. -Approved the hiring of Julia Lowry as assistant principal at Minooka Intermediate School for the upcoming school year. Kinder described Lowry as a “seasoned educator and leader.” Lowry grew up in the area. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network 2025 at 8:48 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Mariano Kotrba IL — Grundy County Coroner John Callahan’s Office issued a press release on Wednesday confirming the body of a missing Minooka man was found late Tuesday afternoon Callahan said a civilian member of a search team discovered the body around 5 p.m Several searches took place over the past week Kotrba was pronounced dead shortly before 6 p.m Grundy County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Paul Clampitt told Joliet Patch that a gun was recovered near the body and "no foul play is suspected." A volunteer searcher went off on his own toward the west of Cemetery Road and made the discovery Kotrba's body was found along the deer path in the dense woods about one-eighth of a mile west of the Canadian National Railroad overpass/viaduct along the I&M Canal Trail The body was found about 100 yards into the woods Callahan said the family is grateful for the outreach of support in the search for their son and brother the outcome isn’t what anyone had hoped and prayed for but now we ask you give the family privacy and respect during this difficult time," Callahan said The death investigation continues with the coroner’s office Grundy County Sheriff and Minooka Police Department confidential service can provide people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress or those around them with support Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. ExpandLarry Simotes (center) with his sons Mac (left) and Grant (right) at Simotes Motors on Friday Larry Simotes was looking for a way to give back and came up with an idea that combined both his love of dogs and his respect for veterans That led to the creation of Minooka’s Veterans Dog Park That wasn’t the only reason he won Minooka’s Citizen of the Year at the 2025 State of the Village address He is also a longtime resident and a state championship-winning baseball coach and the owner of Simotes Motors “I’ve always loved dogs and given to dog charities where we lived for a couple of years,” Simotes said “I decided to sponsor the adoption from this not-for-profit that would adopt out maybe 20 dogs per week Simotes said he and his wife paid for all those adoptions and he came up with the project by that helps dogs and honors veterans who survived the sinking of the SS Leopoldville on Dec The Veterans Dog Park in Downtown Minooka on Friday a relative and good friend of his who has been on the Village Board for about 30 years asked if he’d considered combining the two for a dog park right across the tracks from Downtown Minooka “The greatest blessing was when I bought the land with the goal for me to pay for the whole park to be completed I just couldn’t believe the people who would say or I’ll do half of this if you buy the lumber and I’ll build the pergola,’” Simotes said told the crowd at the Minooka State of the Village address that the journey started with talking to Pete Fleming and Brandon Tonarelli to buy the land Fleming wouldn’t take a commission on the purchase and they did the sidewalks without accepting payment Vogt Masonry did the same for the brick columns in the entrance “I never set out for this to be a monetary thing or to be something to make me look like a tough guy,” Simotes said Mayor (Ric) Offerman and all of them are all fantastic.” Simotes said he appreciated all the feedback from the community One piece of feedback stood out more than most It was someone he hadn’t heard from in 30 years Michael UrbanecMichael Urbanec covers Grundy County and the City of Morris, Coal City, Minooka, and more for the Morris Herald-News ExpandRepresentatives from Minooka Community High School and DL Architects break ground on the new Career and Technical Education Center at Minooka Community High School's Central Campus on Saturday Minooka Community High School soon will be getting a little bigger as the district broke ground Saturday on both its south and central campuses for the $82 million fieldhouse and a career and technical center engineers and architects first met at the future location of the fieldhouse behind the south campus at 26655 W District 111 Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer said the new fieldhouse is the beginning of a new era that allows student-athletes to train compete and grow in spaces designed for excellence “No more running in the hallways,” Schiffbauer said The fieldhouse represents a collective commitment to providing the very best to our students.” Principal Jamie Solomon said Saturday was a historical day for a future that will allow Minooka High School to run indoor practices and track meets while providing multipurpose space for other activities said she’s excited for the future students who no longer have to run the hallways or warm up by running in tight circles “We want families to know that this space is going to be open for them,” Schiffbauer said “We know our retired folks will be able to use it for our walking program and it’s important that this becomes the center of our community.” Schiffbauer said the Career and Technical Education Center should be similarly transformational for the district Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer addresses the crowd at the groundbreaking for the fieldhouse at 26655 W School board President Laura Hrechko said the new Career and Technical Education wing of the building reflects a vision and commitment to preparing students for the real-world and meaningful careers “This wing is about honoring and investing in a student’s potential whether they plan to go to college or enter the workforce or learn a skilled trade,” Hrechko said The Career and Technical Education building will be 32,100 square feet and also will come with 24,100 square feet in remodeling The expansion will provide new classrooms with equipment to allow for improved and more technical education courses It also will add a commercial kitchen and remodel the food lab Meyer said that Minooka Police teamed up with Channahon Police the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grundy County Sheriff's Office and Grundy County Emergency Management in trying to find Kotrba Kotrba, who played soccer as a forward/midfielder at the University of St. Francis in Joliet for four years, in 2019 through 2022 Authorities later discovered Kotrba's vehicle parked in the tiny lot along the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail off Cemetery Road and McLindon Road in rural Channahon authorities have not found any of Kotrba's clothing Meyer said the cell tower records obtained by police indicate the last ping for Kotrba's phone was in the general location near Cemetery Road in the vicinity of the Dresden Island Lock and Dam and the Illinois River Shoreline Near Dresden Lock & Dam Draws Attention From Search multiple dogs used by the police to look for Kotrba tracked Kotrba's scent to the area of the Dresden Lock and Dam During these past several days of search efforts Minooka's chief said the search parties canvassed several miles of wooded areas farm fields and areas near the Illinois River and the Illinois & Michigan Canal without locating Kotrba "The K9s led us to the area," Meyer stressed airplanes were used as well as drones and sonar we have no real no updates," Meyer told Joliet Patch on Monday which marks the sixth day since Kotrba's disappearance When asked if anybody fishing or walking along the I&M Canal Trail remembered seeing Kotrba "We're just speaking with the family and friends and trying to gather more information," Meyer added He said that authorities will consider revisiting the area or conducting more searches elsewhere if they receive any new information and leads regarding Kotrba's whereabouts The chief said the authorities have no indication Kotrba was despondent or that someone was trying to harm him around the time he went missing One hopeful possibility is that Kotrba called someone from the parking lot near Cemetery Road and someone picked him up and that he's safe somewhere; the chief said police have nothing to substantiate this theory Minooka police are treating Kotrba's disappearance as a missing and endangered person investigation Authorities plan to monitor the Illinois River over the coming days The chief also explained that morel mushroom hunting season is starting soon so he asked people "to keep their eyes open." ExpandMinooka's Zane Caves (4) throws a pass against Oswego during a football game at Oswego High School on Friday Officials within Minooka Community High School District 111 had strong words in opposition to a piece of legislation working its way through the Illinois General Assembly it could affect the school district in the years ahead The District 111 board on April 21 directed Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer to issue a statement to the community that takes aim at House Bill 1237 the legislation prohibits a school from using a Native American name HB 1237 passed in the House across party lines April 10 and currently is in the hands of the Senate. If it passes through that chamber of the General Assembly, it could land on Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for a signature and become law. “This has definitely caused for some sleepless nights in the Schiffbauer household, for sure,” Schiffbauer said of the legislation. If the high school is forced to adopt a new logo and mascot, and create new imagery on everything from stationery envelopes to gymnasium floors, Schiffbauer said he estimated the cost to District 111 would “easily be north of $3 million.” Amendments in the House before the measure’s passage included several provisions. Schools using the specific name of a federally recognized tribe, for instance, could continue doing so if members of the specific community give their approval. For Minooka Community High School, however, the generic use of “Indians” could mean the loss of the name since a specific tribe is not referenced. Several District 111 board members, including Terry Spivey, blasted the bill during a lengthy discussion at the recent meeting. “We’re trying to understand and make sense out of nonsense,” Spivey said. “I find it offensive, actually, that somebody that far removed is so focused on something that is completely irrelevant, in terms of the hierarchy of things, and the state of where we are at today.” Spivey was referencing state Rep. Maurice West II, D-Rockford, who introduced the bill this legislative cycle. School board President Laura Hrechko said she believed the district’s official statement is important since there are people in the community who will be opposed to a mascot and name change. “There’s a lot of people in the community that don’t even know this is going on.” Hrechko said of the bill. In other business, the District 111 board: 2025 at 11:28 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Mariano Kotrba has been missing since Wednesday (Image via Minooka police force )MINOOKA — A Minooka man who has vanished is now the subject of a Facebook plea from the Minooka Police Department The police were out working with Channahon on Thursday night and had no success finding Mariano Kotrba His last location was the area around Mclindon Road and Cemetery Road in Channahon Minooka police said there will be increased police activity of the I&M Canal towpath near Hansel Road as multiple police agencies look for Mariano and people are urged to stay away from that area If you have any information about Mariano or his whereabouts you're asked to call the police department at 815-467-2161 ExpandMinooka baseball coach Jeff Petrovic recently recorded his 500th career win (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf) When he took over the head baseball coaching job at Minooka in the 2003-04 season, Jeff Petrovic wasn’t looking ahead to milestone wins. He took over a program that had been successful under previous coaches Dan Goggins and Bob Tyrell and reached new levels of success. Petrovic’s Indian teams won 30 or more games in five of his first seven seasons, they finished third in the state in 2006 and fourth in 2012. And are consistently one of the top teams in an area known for its strong and competitive baseball play. On Monday, Petrovic notched his 500th career win with a 1-0 victory over Oswego East and shows no signs of letting up. “Getting 500 wins shows your age a bit,” Petrovic said. “You never know when you start how long you are going to be doing this. I was told that the shelf life for a head coach is about 10 years, but here we are, 22 years later.” Petrovic’s stellar work goes beyond the baselines. “Jeff is not only an exceptional coach, but an even better person. He consistently leads with integrity, puts the needs of his players first, and embodies everything we value at Minooka,” Minooka athletic director Matt Williams said. “We’re grateful for the lasting impact he’s made on our school and community.” During his tenure, Petrovic’s teams have won 11 regional championships, three sectional championships, and several conference titles. He is quick to credit the players he has coached as well as his coaching staff for his success. His assistants over the years have included Jim Lamping, Derek Rapsky, Joe Host, Wes Anderson and Nick Borello. “We live in a great community here at Minooka,” Petrovic said. “I’ve been lucky to have great kids and parents and a great coaching staff. The big key is that I have surrounded myself with great people on the staff. We also get a great deal of support from the school administration and community. “Wes Anderson and Nick Borello, who are on the varsity staff now, spent time at the lower levels and they have taught the kids what we expect at the varsity level. The kids buy into it and so do the parents. Having the success we had early in my career certainly helped with that.” The one thing that Petrovic, who teaches U.S. history, said he has been able to lean on the most is his family. “My wife, Kelly, and my kids, Luke and Mackenna, have been very supportive of me, and it’s not easy,” he said. “Kelly comes to all of our games that she can, and I can remember the kids playing on the dirt pile behind our dugout when they were little. Luke and Mackenna were both involved in sports. Luke played travel baseball and golfed, and Mackenna was in club volleyball. Kelly spent a lot of time taking them to their events when I was busy with my team. “I couldn’t do this without the great support I have had from them.” Petrovic has coached in about 750 games, so it’s difficult for him to find one or two that stick out. “When you do it this long, the postseason is what you remember the most,” he said. “I remember we had great runs in 2006 and 2012. I also remember a great game by [future major leaguer] Mike Foltynewicz against [Joliet Catholic] in the WJOL Tournament in 2010 where he struck out 15 and hit two home runs. “Mostly what I remember is the kids. After all these years, there isn’t a day that goes by that a former player doesn’t text me or I text one of them. Getting to know all these kids and stay involved with them is the best part. Minooka has definitely given me far more than I have given it.” ExpandMinooka Village President Ric Offerman addresses the crowd at the Minooka State of the Village address on Thursday with the Canadian National logistics hub project coming to the area and a developer looking to bring 400 more homes to the area and Village President Ric Offerman touched on a bit of all of it during the State of the Village Address Offerman said depositions just wrapped up in the village’s lawsuit against Canadian National which it filed to see if it would be allowed to enforce already-existing weight limits on Ridge Road to prevent increased semi traffic “We’re not against the project,” Offerman said The only problem we have is we don’t want their truckings coming through Minooka.” Offerman said their boundaries go all the way down to Route 6 and the logistics hub is only a couple of miles from Brisbin Road so Minooka’s hope is that the semis head that direction and stay off of Ridge Road He also shared an update on an Equinix data center being planned a several billion dollar investment that would put seven new buildings on 300 acres of land north of Minooka Offerman said it would bring around $8 million in utility tax and an additional $20 million in property taxes along with 100-200 permanent jobs and several hundred indirect jobs that the data center would use up a large portion of the village’s water: It was initially expected that it would use six million gallons of water per day at a time when Minooka is becoming part of the Grand Prairie Water Commission a group of six communities collaborating on a $1.5 billion project to bring in water from Lake Michigan “They came in last week and said they’ve reconsidered and they believe they’re going to go with air-cooled computers so the water won’t be needed,” Offerman said company that has over 260 data centers in 33 different countries Offerman also said Interstate 80 was widened to allow for more lanes and added sound barriers to improve the quality of life for Minooka residents Minooka Community High School is hosting groundbreakings at 9 a.m first on the building’s south side for the fieldhouse and then on the west side for the Career and Technical Education addition Both projects are expected to be completed by fall 2026 Guests are asked to register at mchs.net by Monday the district’s Director of Community Relations ExpandThe Grundy Area Vocational Center Director award winners for April from Minooka Community High School (Photo provided by Minooka Community High School) Seven Minooka Community High School students taking classes at the Grundy Area Vocational Center were presented with Director Awards for their outstanding performances in class Director Award winners in December were Kailynn Wietting for agriculture Hunter Poe for computer graphics multimedia design Director Award winners are presented with a prize package and have their names and photographs displayed at the GAVC for the duration of the school year The GAVC offers students the ability to explore potential careers promoting academic excellence and lifelong learning among its students by addressing the integration of core academic skills Shaw Local News NetworkShaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois ExpandMinooka's Gracie Anderson tags out Joliet Catholic Academy's Callan Kinsella to end the game Tuesday JOLIET – Just a few days ago - Thursday of last week, to be exact - Minooka collected 11 hits against Joliet Catholic Academy in the WJOL Softball Tournament. The trouble for the Indians was they were able to score only one run in the loss. That wasn’t the case Tuesday when the teams met again. Minooka rapped out 15 hits and made better use of them in a 10-9 victory that saw the potential tying run for JCA thrown out trying to score to end the game. The Indians (6-4) led 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, but JCA (4-4) made things very interesting. Molly Ryan (3 for 4) led off the inning with a double to center and scored on a single by Addy Rizzatto (2 for 4, triple, RBI). Addie Fanter followed with a single that sent Rizzatto to third, with Fanter taking second on the throw. Keigan Sprovieri then singled down the third base line to bring home Rizzatto and Fanter to make it 10-8. An out later, Callan Kinsella reached on an error, with courtesy runner Kelli O’Hara scoring to make it 10-9 and Kinsella reaching second. That brought up Emma Mackey, who laid down a bunt in front of the plate. Minooka pitcher Marina Hristov, who had the rare distinction of earning the win and the save, fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Olivia Boyd, who was covering first. Kinsella rounded third and headed toward home, but Boyd was alert and fired to catcher Gracie Anderson. Anderson chased Kinsella back toward third, finally diving to tag her out before she could get there and end the game. Softball game between Minooka at Joliet Catholic Joliet Catholic Academy's Molly Ryan scores a run in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday against Minooka. (Gary E Duncan Sr. for Shaw Local) “It was a little closer at the end than we wanted,” said Anderson, a Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit who went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. “Liv [Boyd} made a perfect throw, and I was kind of hoping to just turn and tag the runner. But she went back to third and I had to chase her. “After losing to them last week at the tournament, we wanted to let them know that we aren’t a 2-1-losing team. We’re a get-a-lot-of-hits-and-score-a-lot-of-runs team.” The Indians did indeed get a lot of hits and runs. Besides Anderson’s production, Karli McMillin went 3 for 4; Addisonn Crumly was 2 for 3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs; Jaelle Hamilton was 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI; Cadence Murphy was 2 for 4 with an RBI; and Payton Psinas was 2 for 3. Hristov started in the circle and worked the first five innings. She gave way to Emma Best, who retired the side in order in the sixth but was relieved by Hristov after the first four hitters of the seventh. Softball game between Minooka at Joliet Catholic Minooka's Marina Hristov winds up during Tuesday's game against Joliet Catholic Academy. (Gary E Duncan Sr. for Shaw Local) “We did a much better job scoring today than we did the last time we played them,” Minooka coach Mark Brown said. “We had a good approach today. We made their pitchers throw strikes, and we were able to barrel some up. We have some things to clean up in the field and baserunning. JCA is a scrappy team and took advantage of the mistakes we made. “Marina was great coming back in. I didn’t even have to ask her. I just looked at her and she took her jacket off. She was ready to get back in there.” JCA fell behind 4-0 after an inning and a half but scored three in the bottom of the second to make it 4-3. The Angels tied it with a run in the third when Addie Fanter hit a grounder to score Rizzatto, who led off with a triple. Minooka went ahead 7-4 with three in the fourth, highlighted by back-to-back RBI doubles by Crumly and Hamilton. The Indians added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Anderson, but JCA got it back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Kinsella (2 for 4). Crumly launched a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to put the Indians ahead 10-5. “We slept through the first couple of innings,” JCA coach Tina Kinsella said. “We knew Minooka would put the ball in play, but we were asleep on defense early. But we had them on the ropes in that last inning. We beat them last week by a run and were within a run of them today. They are a good 4A team, so that lets our girls know that they can compete with anybody.” 2025 at 11:57 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A sheriff's deputy spotted the fleeing vehicle on Bedford Road near Lisbon Road and a pursuit began (File image John Ferak/Patch )MINOOKA — Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley issued a Facebook press release on Tuesday revealing that Monday night's chase topping 105 mph resulted in the capture of a Joliet 17-year-old who had a loaded stolen gun and had revealed plans to shoot someone Grundy County learned that the 17-year-old was driving to Joliet or Minooka to shoot an unknown male in connection with an incident earlier that day and had stolen a vehicle from a business in Peru The Illinois State Police tried to stop the vehicle in the Ottawa area Grundy deputies and Morris police were alerted that the teenager was driving recklessly on Route 6 by the Arby's in Morris A sheriff's deputy spotted the vehicle on Bedford Road near Lisbon Road and a pursuit began The pursuit began on Interstate 80 east from Morris and went into the Shorewood area after heading north on I-55 The fleeing teenager turned on Ridge Road and drove south back toward Grundy County and a Minooka police officer put down spike strips near Ridge and Midpoint roads and managed to deflate the tires the police stopped the disabled vehicle on Ridge Road at Mondamin Road A loaded .38-caliber handgun was recovered The teen is now held in the LaSalle County Juvenile Detention Center on several charges including aggravated fleeing from police reckless driving and speeding 105 mph in a 45-mph zone Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. ExpandMinooka Community High School students during their graduation in 2024 Minooka Community High School will celebrate its graduating seniors with its graduation ceremony at 5 p.m The district said in a Monday news release that the graduates will report at 4 p.m. Students can pick their diplomas up at the Central Campus main office from 7:30 a.m Any diplomas not picked up will be mailed home but special seating is available for the handicapped elderly and those who have difficulty sitting in bleachers The first two rows of stadium seating on both the home and visitor sides are designated as handicapped and wheelchair accessible There will also be a limited number of folding chairs set up on ground level Those looking for more information can call Mary Hamiti Seniors and their families will be given notice by 1 p.m The district also acts that the audience remain seated through the program and refrain from any loud outbursts and the audience shouldn’t leave their seat for photos or to hand out flowers ExpandRobin White (Photo provided by Robin White) Village of Minooka Trustee RN Teach CPR/First Aid/AED at Three Rivers Safety Center Have lived in Minooka for the past 33 years Associate Degree of Nursing from Joliet Junior College. Licensed RN for 48 years this spring.Certified CPR/First Aid/AED instructor thru National Safety Council. Married to Bob White for 47+ years. Raised 2 sons who attended Minooka Schools. I voted to increase Police Staff & for License Plate Readers to keep up with growth and to keep our Village safe. Pro SMART Economic Growth to benefit our Village and the residents. Have and will continue to champion Park updates, by searching out and using grant monies and by working with community organizations. Our local law enforcement officers must follow the rule of law of the State of Illinois. Smart Economic Development is the key to keeping our Village the place we all want to live. Not every “new project” is right for Minooka. Some projects could totally ruin our Village, so the Village Board needs to keep vigilant and only encourage development that will bring a positive impact to the environment and the Village as a whole. We will continue to work with developers but ensure that the land donations for our parks are not used as a bargaining chips. Public transportation in the Village very much centers around the expansion of I-80. This is a major transportation artery for the Village and the upgrades are well overdue. The sound wall along I-80 should help with the constant traffic noise when the wind is out of the north. The Village is collaborating with other municipalities in Grundy County on a program “Regional Infrastructure Collaboration” as a means of coordinating regional goals by building on existing plans: Grundy Moves, Illinois Long Range Transportation Plan, Illinois State Freight Plan and Illinois Multiyear Multimodal Program. The Grand Prairie Water Commission will ensure water for the Village not only in the near future but also for our descendants. The Village Board has a obligation to support our current local businesses, but to also encourage and bring in new business and economic growth to continue to make Minooka a place people want to call home. As I stated earlier, I am for SMART growth in the Village. Traffic congestion is a huge worry. We want to keep our families safe on our roads, but at times we need to share those same roads with travelers getting off of I-80. Travelers are good for our community as they buy gas, eat at our restaurants, etc. A safe traffic plan is utterly necessary. I voted for License Plate Readers for the exits off of I-80 so that if there is a vehicle that has been stolen or involved in criminal activity our Police Department is notified and action can be taken. These readers are controlled by computers and did not necessitate a staff increase. If you live in the Village of Minooka, you are a resident and should feel included in the Village. The Village has changed greatly in the 33 years since my family and I moved here and will continue to grow and evolve as new residents move here. My family and I felt welcomed and I will push that all residents, new and old, continue to feel welcomed. My personal phone number is listed on the Village Website, Village Newsletter, etc. I live here and many times residents will approach me at the store, post office, church, park, etc. I have and will continue to listen. Hannah Soukup is an editorial assistant with the Shaw Local News Network ExpandMinooka Community High School's South campus at 26655 Eames St An outside consultant will soon review bus routes in Minooka Community High School District 111 and Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201 and potentially recommend efficiencies. At its most recent regular monthly meeting, District 111’s board of education approved the transportation consultant’s hiring. Colorado-based School Bus Logistics will be overseeing the review at a cost of $45,400. Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer said School Bus Logistics’ imminent review of current protocols – which will take place over several months – will bring an “unbiased” and “fresh set “We’ve got to find a solution, and we need someone that thinks that way – thinks a little outside the box – to tie these routes up and give us that help we need,” Schiffbauer said at the March 19 board meeting. District 111’s approval of the contract comes on the heels of District 201’s approval on March 17 of an intergovernmental agreement with their high school counterparts for busing in the road ahead. Under terms of the agreement, the two districts will share bus fleets and workforce, with all transportation personnel being District 111 employees, beginning this fall. Previously, both districts only shared administrative personnel. While there will be less autonomy, Schiffbauer said District 201 will remain a partner with District 111 on all busing-related matters. “It’s not a takeover,” Schiffbauer said of the intergovernmental agreement. “We’re working together, we bargain together. It’s still the two districts, with their administration and our administration.” There are a number of drivers behind the top-down look at busing between the two districts. The post-pandemic bus driver shortage issue that has been a nationwide trend has occurred as well in Minooka and is one factor. Speaking solely about the high school, Schiffbauer said some students have to endure long wait times. He described them as “significant” in some instances, amid a situation that is ripe for review. In addition to approving the consultant agreement, the District 111 board of education and Schiffbauer discussed bus lease bids for the upcoming school year at the March 19 meeting. The current proposal calls on leasing six buses – four for District 111 and two for District 201 – although specific details are still being reviewed. Diesel-powered buses reportedly have skyrocketed in cost in recent years. As an alternative, gas-powered buses are being considered. “There are some other districts that have started to switch,” Schiffbauer said. “They do a similar thing that we do, where we lease and give back. Diesel – yes, they last longer, but when we’re giving them back after a handful of years, it could be just as cost effective for us to go with the gasoline bus.” In other business March 19, the District 111 board: • Discussed with administrators a potential adjustment to block scheduling, particularly at the south campus for freshmen and sophomores. While no action has been taken, administrators are proposing a combined English and math block that would give high schoolers in the lower grades the opportunity to have the core subjects five days a week, rather than staggered under the current scenario. • Heard an update from Schiffbauer on House Bill 1237 in the Illinois General Assembly. As proposed, the legislation would amend the statewide school code and prohibit the use of Native American names, logos and mascots. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to advance further – at least as of right now,” Schiffbauer said. “But I think this is a piece of legislation that we will continue to see come back.” ExpandJosh Stell (Photo provided by Josh Stell) I own a small business called CTRL-ALT-FIX doing IT managed services for other local businesses Minooka stellforminooka.com I have completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University, where I gave the commencement speech! I am a member of the Minooka Lions Club, and I volunteer in my free time as opportunities arrive. Most recently, I’ve donated food to the St. Mary’s Church food pantry and I’ve volunteered my time to pack meals at the Village Christian Church in Minooka. I’m engaged to my wonderful fiance Mary, who is finishing her Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s Degree program. My priority is ensuring our infrastructure keeps up with Minooka’s growth while protecting our neighborhoods from being overrun by semi-truck traffic. I will advocate for responsible road improvements, better traffic management, and enforcement to keep heavy truck traffic where it belongs—on designated routes, not in residential areas. The Village Board should play a key role in fostering economic development by ensuring that regulations don’t overburden hardworking entrepreneurs looking to start a business in Minooka. I support expanding infrastructure that would support economic growth, including bringing fiber optic internet to our community, which would benefit both residents and businesses by improving connectivity and making Minooka a more attractive place for both budding and experienced entrepreneurs. ExpandDarren Reynolds from Canadian National explains the ins and outs of the project to the Open House attendees People from around the Channahon-Minooka area got their first glimpse at Canadian National’s plans for the Chicago Logistics Hub an intermodal hub it hopes to have open in 2028 The logistics hub would have Route 6 as its southern border the Canadian National track as its eastern border and Sand Ridge Road as its western border Entrances would come off McLindon Road to the far northeast of the property and on the north side of Route 6 to the south. The McLindon Road entrance is a sticking point for the village of Minooka Canadian National sent a letter to the village noting that it believes the ordinance was preempted by federal law according to a June article published in The Morris Herald-News “They’re still talking about 20% of a million – that’s 200,000 trucks extra on Ridge Road and I-80 which is our most accident-prone area,“ he said ”That’ll just add to the problem with the school buses and trucks that we already have and the problem is it sits 93% in Channahon Channahon Mayor Missey Moorman Schumacher said everybody is concerned 50 years ago I was a third grader at Pioneer Path School and it has changed dramatically in my lifetime and we are going to keep it in appropriate places so we can protect our residential areas and keep the industrial and commercial on the outskirts.” Schumacher said the farmer sold the property and Channahon doesn’t really get a say in that The area has been annexed and zoned industrial for 25-plus years the media and public affairs director for Canadian National “Some is a bit more concerned and has more specific questions related to traffic and we’re happy to take those and answer them and we take it back and we see how we can make the project better.” Abecassis said Channahon is a good location for the hub because of its proximity to two highways it’s location between the CSX and Canadian National railroads and it’s proximity to the rest of the Chicago area there will be more people making Channahon and Minooka a permanent residence more big-box stores and more businesses that need to get their goods Canadian National has a website with information on the Chicago Logistics Hub available at cnchicagologisticshub.com and it explains the benefits the hub would bring to the area it would bring about 600 construction jobs immediately and about 6,5000 permanent jobs after the project is finished It also would generate about $20.9 million in tax revenue for surrounding cities said in a news release Tuesday night that she’s upset with the lack of public comment allowed for the project “It’s extremely disappointing to me that Canadian National is bringing this massive intermodal facility without giving the opportunity for the public to comment nor are they listening to the concerns of the very residents this plan will affect directly,” Ventura said “The area is already heavily impacted with increased truck traffic that causes accidents and unsafe driving conditions as additional trucks on the road will add the ongoing problem of air pollution and many of these jobs are low-wage jobs hurting our economy.” Ventura said she is concerned with how it would affect retail shops how it would increase traffic accidents and how it would create environmental problems through air and noise pollution “As any resident in the 43rd District could tell you truck traffic has been a major concern for the area over the last few years – especially with additional warehouses put in residential areas – not just how it affects daily commuting but also the environment," Ventura said then serious consideration needs to be given to the fairness of Minooka.” She said the project will add 3 million more trucks to Interstate 80 and Canadian National needs to use Brisbin Road as the lone exit for truck traffic Offerman pointed out that Brisbin Road is only a couple of miles away with no stop lights or reduced speed limits between the hub and I-80 Train congestion also is a concern for Offerman “We’re looking at a possible 15 miles of trains coming every day and leaving on one single track and we’ve only got two roads north out of town,” Offerman said and this hub would have eight trains coming through town per day Abecassis said he thinks more cargo traveling by train would mean fewer trucks “It’s in our interest to have a very fluid project,” Abecassis said “We don’t want truck traffic that doesn’t help us move goods A top-down map of where the Canadian National Chicago Logistics Hub is proposed MINOOKA – Hits were hard to come by for Minooka and Morris on Tuesday afternoon. But sometimes timing is more important than quantity. Minooka’s Braydon Zilis swatted one of those scant hits in the bottom of the seventh inning, pushing across the winning run in a 2-1 Minooka walk-off victory. “You’ve got to put it in play,” Zilis said. ”Make them make a play, and good things happen when you put the ball in play." Zilis’ hit was a needed response to Morris, which tied the game in the top of the seventh with an inning that seemed to have potential for a lot more. A walk and an error put two on with none out, and after a drawn-in infield managed to help Minooka (4-0) record the first out of the inning, a hit batter loaded the bases. The drawn-in infield delivered again, getting a forceout at the plate for the second out of the inning, but the defense couldn’t wriggle completely out of the jam as Jack Wheeler coaxed a bases-loaded walk to tie the score at 1. A groundout ended the threat, leaving Minooka needing to deliver one more run before earning the victory. The bottom of the seventh started fine for the Indians with a hit batter, and a sacrifice bunt moved that runner over to second, but a strikeout followed on a lengthy at-bat for the second out, thrusting Zilis into the hero position. “He’s a really good baseball player,” Minooka coach Jeff Petrovic said of Zilis. “He had a 0.50 ERA last year, he hasn’t given up a run this year. He plays shortstop every day for us, and he’s a super sure-handed infielder too. “It’s cliché to say he does it all, but he does it all. He’s one of the better baseball players that I’ve coached.” Zilis also started the contest on the mound in addition to his offensive heroics. An Illinois State recruit, Zilis admittedly didn’t have his best stuff but found a way to escape trouble in the first and second innings. “I wasn’t at my best today, but you’ve got to battle through adversity sometimes,” Zilis said. “It felt good just to get the win, get some big-time outs and keep them down to zero.” It was key that Zilis did that for Minooka, as Morris (2-3) largely matched the parade of zeros on the scoreboard. The only hiccup came in the second inning, in which two Morris errors elongated the inning and allowed the Indians to scratch across the only run of the first six innings. It was another close call for Minooka, which also carded a one-run win over Joliet Catholic to start the season. “We’ve played four games, and two of them have been one-run games,” Petrovic said. “Obviously, those are the games that make you better. I think that it’s really important to come out on the good end of those one-run games. It’s good to know that you can win those games and maybe expect to win them. And I think it will help us down the road.” ExpandChannahon Minooka Rotary Student of the Month Nyah McCallum Minooka Community High School student Nyah McCallum,daughter of Lynell and Susan of Channahon has been named the Channahon-Minooka Rotary Club Student of the Month for April and she has achieved high honor roll every semester as well as received her Seal of Biliteracy in American Sign Language She is very involved in extra-curricular activities according to a Tuesday news release: She participates in marching band and has read the school’s morning announcements for three years she has drummed for six different churches in the last five years Band Director Kyle Adelmann nominated Nyah and she she is a model member of the MCHS band program “Because of her high level of musicianship and leadership our percussion section continues to be one of our strongest in the entire band,” Adelmann said “Nyah’s personality will be greatly missed after she graduates and we wish her well on her future musical endeavors.” Nyah said community service is important to her because her community isn’t just her home as much as it is the people who live there with her “Being an active member is who I strive to be in hopes I can make my community a happier She plans to attend Ohio State University and major in finance with aspirations to become a corporate lawyer ExpandGabriela Martinez (Photo provided by Gabriela Martinez) Circulation Assistant at Three Rivers Public Library Associates in Applied Science, AutoCAD program, Paraprofessional Certification, Health Navigator Three Rivers Public Library 50th Anniversary Committee St. Mary’s CCW International Commission Co-Chair Morris Hospital Volunteer - Surgery Waiting Safety and well-being of village residents by working with the police and implementing and/or revising any ordinances to relieve some of the resident’s concerns. Keep taxes from increasing drastically by having some of these larger companies in our area provide more tax revenue to ease some tax burden off residents. Alleviate some of the burden of higher water costs for fixed income senior residents by implementing a special fund or seeking government funding. By promoting renewable natural resources and recycle wastewater generated by industries as often as possible. By observing and addressing population growth and allocating resources for infrastructure improvements. Collaboration between city council and local businesses is important for a successful partnership.Local government can play a role in streamlining regulations to make it easier for businesses to operate. They can also provide businesses with mentorship and network opportunities. One of my top public safety concerns for our community is the predicted increased traffic of trucks on our streets/roads. I would propose imposing weight limits and restricting trucks to help preserve roads, reduce noise, and improve safety. It’s about balancing community needs with commercial interest. I would like to see a community advisory board implemented that would address any resident’s needs and/or concerns and actively search for solutions. Another method would be to partner with businesses, local schools and nonprofit organizations to promote inclusive initiatives. Yes, I believe government officials should be held accountable by filling out the yearly ‘conflict of interest’ forms and recuse themselves from participating in decisions related to that conflict. My phone number and email address are both listed on the village website and newsletter.