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News from Plainfield • Joliet • Shorewood • Lockport • Crest Hill • Bolingbrook • Romeoville • Downers Grove • Westmont • Woodridge • Lisle • Niles • Morton Grove • Park Ridge & more
Joliet West speech team has undefeated regular season The Joliet West Speech Team had a historic undefeated season, with a total of eight tournament wins. The team’s undefeated record includes the following tournament wins: November 11 - The Marian Classic at Marian Catholic High School; November 18 - The Burbank Cinematic Universe Tournament at Reavis High School; December 2 - The D230 Flavortown Forensics Feast at Carl Sandburg High School; December 9 - Noel in the OL at Oak Lawn Community High School; December 16 - The Ugly Sweater Soiree Tournament at South Elgin High School; January 6 - Tournament of Heroes at Thornton Fractional North High School; January 20 - SPC Conference at Plainfield South High School; and January 27 - Ike’s Forensic Faction of the Stars at Eisenhower High School. Joliet West Speech Team members are Leah Blunk (9) - Impromptu Speaking; Ashley Calderon (11) - Oratorical Declamation; Madison Casey (11) - Informative Speaking; Dominic Denton (11) - Humorous Duet Acting; Kara Duensing (11) - Humorous Duet Acting & Infor-
mative Speaking; Ava Enderli (10) - Dramatic Interpretation; Giada Flores (11) - Dramatic Duet Acting; Savannah Groh (12) - Original Oratory & Prose Reading; Anaiya Hale (11) - Dramatic Duet Acting & Poetry Reading; Kimberly Hernandez Munoz (11) - Original Comedy; Adelyn Hill (9) - Impromptu Speaking; Ellen Johnson (12) - Prose Reading; Jaedyn Jumper-Uwumarogie (12) - Dramatic Duet Acting & Extemporaneous Speaking; Julissa Lule (10) - Dramatic Duet Acting; Belle Magosky (11) - Poetry Reading & Radio Speaking; Mia Malone (9) - Oratorical Declamation; Sariana Mateo (11) - Extemporaneous Speaking & Prose Reading; Katie Mongelli (11) - Humorous Duet Acting & Original Comedy; Kameron Moreno (10) - Dramatic Interpretation; Molly Murdock-Schey (11) - Oratorical Declamation & Original Oratory; Karis Posteluk (12) - Dramatic Duet Acting & Dramatic Interpretation; Kendra Posteluk (11) - Humorous Duet Acting & Humorous Interpretation; Alaina Potocki (10) - Radio Speaking; Cecilia Rizo Flores (11) - Extemporaneous Speaking & Original Oratory; Dan-
iel Sanchez (12) - Original Comedy & Special Occation Speaking, Zoila Torres (11) - Dramatic Duet Acting & Special Occasion Speaking; Isabella Vienne (9) - Humorous Duet Acting; Nevaeh Walker (10) - Poetry
Reading; Calloway Walsh (10) - Humorous Interpretation & Special Occasion Speaking; Tabitha Witthouse (9) - Humorous Duet Acting; Bethany Yanchick (11) - Impromptu Speaking & Informative Speaking;
Elena Yanchick (9) - Radio Speaking; and Aaliyah Zepeda (9) - Humorous Interpretation. The Joliet West Head Speech Team Coach is Kristin Blake. Assistant Speech Coaches are AJ Galli and Tony Nardi
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Gun rights groups ask SCOTUS to review Illinois’ assault weapons ban By peter hancock Capitol News Illinois
In a long-expected move, national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Illinois’ ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. In separate petitions filed Monday, the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights and the Nevadabased Firearms Policy Coalition asked the nation’s high court to reverse a decision of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. That court ruled 2-1 in November not to issue a temporary injunction against the law, finding that rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution are not absolute. The gun rights groups were among the lead plaintiffs in two of the many federal lawsuits that have been filed beginning almost immediately after state lawmakers passed the ban in January 2023. The ban came in reaction to numerous mass shootings around the country in which gunmen used highpower, rapid-fire rifles with large capacity magazines. Among those was a 2022 mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park that left seven people dead and dozens more
injured and traumatized. The National Association for Gun Rights backed a suit originally filed in the Northern District of Illinois challenging both the statewide ban and a local assault weapons ban enacted by the city of Naperville. In February 2023, a federal judge in that case re-
fused to grant a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law pending the outcome of a trial in the case. The Firearms Policy Coalition backed a separate suit in the Southern District of Illinois that also had support from the Illinois State Rifle Asso-
ciation and the Second Amendment Foundation. A judge there granted a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of the law, saying the ban likely violated the Second Amendment. Both of those cases, along with others, were part of a consolidated appeal
before a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit, which ruled 2-1 in November not to block enforcement of the law. Another petition seeking to overturn an assault weapons ban in Maryland was filed Feb, 9. The court has not yet announced whether it will hear any of the appeals.
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Pritzker commits another $182 million to migrant response, details to come next week By andrew adams Capitol News Illinois
The state and Cook County announced Thursday a roughly $250 million plan to provide shelter, health care and other services for recently arrived migrants. But according to their own plan, there’s still a roughly $70 million funding gap for the rest of 2024. That missing money could come from Chicago, although a proposal for additional funding has not been brought to Chicago’s city council. At a news conference, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson did not indicate any plans for the city to fill the remaining budget gap, noting that a lack of federal intervention could be an “incredible burden for the city of Chicago.” A source briefed on the matter told Capitol News Illinois Johnson had committed to providing the remaining funds at a Feb. 5 meeting between the mayor, governor and Cook County Board
President Toni Preckwinkle. When he was asked about this on Thursday, Johnson said he was “not aware” of any deal between the three, also adding that “there is no disconnect” between his administration and Pritzker’s. In a Thursday news release, the governor’s office said the state’s portion funding will come from the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget. Gov. JB Pritzker, who committed the state to providing more than half of the needed funds, is expected to provide more detail about where the money is coming from next Wednesday in his annual budget address. House Democrats’ chief budget negotiator, Rep. Jehan Gordon Booth, D-Peoria, and the head of a working group focused on recently arrived migrants, Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, told Capitol News Illinois in a joint statement they will review the full details of the state’s portion of the spending plan next
week. “We will remain focused on continuing to bring stakeholders together to continue making smart and compassionate decisions for our state and all of our communities,” they said. In December, following a Governor’s Office of Management and Budget forecast, the governor urged caution for this year’s budgeting process. That office projected a potential $891 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. But GOMB also predicted a $1.4 billion surplus for the current fiscal year, due to several one-time revenue streams. In a statement, Pritzker indicated disappointment at the lack of a coordinated federal response to the influx of migrants. “With thousands of asylum seekers continuing to come to Chicago in desperate need of support and with Congress continuing to refuse to act — it is clear the state, county, and city will
have to do more to keep people safe,” Pritzker said. Pritzker has been outspoken in calling for more federal involvement, repeatedly calling on President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to designate a federal office to coordinate the nation’s migrant response and provide additional resources. “As critical funding for this ongoing humanitarian crisis stalls in Congress, Cook County stands committed to the well-being of the region,” Preckwinkle said in a news release. “We cannot wait for additional resources and Cook County is proud to stand alongside Governor Pritzker in this joint funding plan, ensuring that shelter capacity, healthcare and wraparound services remain accessible to those in need.” A compromise deal in the U.S. Senate that was meant to help address the increase in border crossings disintegrated last week after Republicans backed out of
the agreement. The state in November committed to a $160 million spending plan, although portions of that plan – such as a 2,000 bed shelter in Chicago – have yet to come to fruition. The state also claims that it has spent $478 million through existing channels, such as through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, over the past two years. The influx of migrants coming from Texas has slowed in recent weeks, with Chicago’s shelter system being at its lowest capacity since last fall. As of Wednesday, there were about 12,900 people staying in city shelters – down from a peak of around 15,000 a few weeks ago. There were also no migrants at the city’s airports or at the “landing zone” facility, the location that the city instructs bus companies to drop people off.
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real estate TAX DEED NO.: 2024TX000016 FILED: 1/17/2024 TAKE NOTICE County of Will Date Premises Sold: January 10, 2022 Certificate No.: 20-00657 Sold for General Taxes of (Year): 2020 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) and Special Assessment Number: N/A Warrant No.: N/A Installment No.: N/A THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Located at: 58 Tahoe Lane, Romeoville, IL 60446 Legal Description or Property Index No.: 1104-07-107-021-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for delinquent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on July 15, 2024. The amount to redeem is subject to increase at 6 month intervals from the date of sale and may be further increased if the purchaser at the tax sale or his or her assignee pays any subsequently accruing taxes or special assessments to redeem the property from subsequent forfeitures or tax sales. Check with the County Clerk as to the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before July 15, 2024. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court of Will County in 100 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL 60432, Room 905, on July 29, 2024 at 9:00 AM. You may be present at this hearing, but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before July 15, 2024 by applying to the County Clerk of Will County, Illinois at the Office of the County Clerk in Joliet, Illinois. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT THE COUNTY CLERK 302 North Chicago St. Joliet, IL 60432 815-740-4615 Myriad Capital LLC Purchaser or Assignee January 25, 2024 Pamela Clark Occupant Dave J. Clark Jamal Clark State of Illinois Department of Revenue State of Illinois Department of Revenue Attorney General for the State of Illinois Department of Revenue Lauren Staley Ferry, County Clerk of Will County, Illinois Claimants, Judgment Creditors, and Decree Creditors, if any of the above described as “Unknown Owners” “Unknown owners or parties interested in said land or lots” 8146-939309
Published 2/7/24, 2/14/24, 2/21/24
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