Brief: Special Joliet leaf pickup ends Monday
The city will stop curbside leaf pickups in specially designated areas Monday. The program allows Joliet residents in those areas to rake leaves to the roadside for pickup.

Area toy drive brings out the spirit of giving
It's tough enough to get through the holiday season in the face of this economy. Add to that a child sick with cancer, medical bills, constant trips to the hospital for treatments, illnesses and overnight stays and Christmas doesn't look so merry. One bright spot in the middle of all this, for the past eight years and counting, has been the Mark Staehely Toy Drive.

Man: ComEd work unfinished
A gaping hole in a yard in Misty Creek subdivision caused at least one resident safety concerns.

Sheriff: Give thanks to those who buckle up
The National Center for Health Statistics reports an estimated 2,446 children ages 14 and under die in motor vehicle crashes every year. In 2006 alone, 1,794 children were killed and an estimated 208,000 were injured.

Richest congressmen? They're right here
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster long ago labeled himself a businessman and a scientist. The Geneva Democrat's apparently pretty good with money, too: Foster ranked 19th in net worth for 2008 in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives, according to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics, which is known for the Web site www.opensecrets.org.

Crash claims life of Minooka woman
A crash claimed the life of a rural Minooka woman late Sunday afternoon. Dorothy O'Connor, 83, was killed in the crash, Grundy County Coroner John Callahan announced.

Morris Hospital CEO exits after less than a year
Bill Bruce has resigned as president and CEO of Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers, a position he held since April. He indicated his resignation was for personal reasons, according to a hospital spokesman.

Channahon fire lands sterilizing device
The Channahon Fire Protection District has purchased a sophisticated disinfecting device that will help combat the spread of viruses and bacteria, such as H1N1, MRSA, TB and more. Channahon is the first fire district in the state to purchase the Zimek device, which cost about $40,000.

Grundy sheriff aims to curb traffic deaths
Grundy County Sheriff Terry Marketti announced today that his office will join Gov. Pat Quinn, the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety, state police, local law enforcement agencies and hundreds of other communities throughout Illinois involved with Operation Save 100.

Minooka club dedicated to living by Columbine victim's values
A chain reaction has been resonating through Minooka High School since October; but its beginnings can be traced back to 1999 following the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo.

Valley residents relate health care struggles
While the health care legislation approved by the House is "far from perfect," U.S. Rep. Bill Foster says he voted for it because it "included many of the principles that I believe to be critical in improving how Americans receive health insurance."

Minooka fire honors girl for area burn-camp efforts
Sabrina Shafer, better known to family and friends as Bini, was honored at a Minooka Fire Protection District meeting for her donation to the burn camp, Camp I Am Me.

Braidwood Depot move on DVD
Braidwood now has a video documenting the move of the historic Braidwood Depot.

Shorewood nixes billboard proposal
All signs do not point to Shorewood for one business owner. The village board Tuesday denied a request for a billboard to be installed on the Joliet Inn property along the Interstate 55 east frontage road north of Route 52.

Saying thanks to 'Coach'
Honoring a coaching legend is not always easy. But the Troy School District found a fitting way to honor recently-retired Noel Blasing, a longtime teacher and coach. The Troy School District named the basketball court in the Troy Middle School gymnasium Noel Blasing Court.

Time for 'Right Choices'?
A nationally known speaker will be in town this week to talk about making good choices in relationships with others.

Grundy gets H1N1 vaccine
The Grundy County Health Department received a shipment of 200 H1N1 vaccine doses.

Fur flies over fine after Billy's big escape
For such a tiny dog, Billy has created a whole heap of trouble. The foot-tall Chinese-crested powderpuff pup has spent most of his 10 months of life inside Dwight Correctional Facility for Women, where he was being trained as a service dog for the disabled. But last month he was sprung from those prison walls for the weekend. Problem was, Billy wasn't used to life on the outside.

Morris hosting veterans events
Ken Buck, commander of Morris' American Legion Post, announced the schedule for Wednesday's 2009 Veterans Day Observance.

Grundy's newest look at growth
How can officials seize opportunities in today's limited economy to bring necessary growth to Grundy County? This was the $64,000 question at the Community Foundation of Grundy County's fourth annual Grundy County Growth Conference.

Briefs: Veterans Day event set in Romeoville
A Veterans Day ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Veteran's Memorial Garden, Montrose Drive and Route 53.

Morris man had an adventurous spirit at work, play
James Fleming of Morris was never afraid to try something new. In one lifetime, he worked the careers of six men, starting with a position in the printing trade when he came home after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Then he worked as the project manager for owner-completed homes, teaching the residents the basics of wiring, plumbing and insulation.

Library's 'Go-To Guy' going West
Those who frequent the Minooka Branch of the Three Rivers Library, whether to rent DVDs, check out books or bring their children to story hour, surely recognize the face of Branch Director Herb Kinder.

Will, Grundy marriage licenses
Marriage licenses issued in Will and Grundy counties during October.

Channahon reviews funds for Will Co. CED
The village may withdraw it support for the Will County Center for Economic Development this year.

Morris OKs safety upgrade to dangerous crossing
Drivers will soon be safer crossing at the junction of Liberty and Chapin streets, under action taken by Morris aldermen Monday night.

Tea Party turns up the volume on Foster
When the shouting started at the Tea Party rally outside U.S. Rep. Bill Foster's district office Thursday afternoon, the group was drowned out by louder voices screaming that the representative, President Obama and former St. Charles Mayor Sue Klinkhamer, now a Foster staffer, were all "Communists." A group of about 30 to 40 area citizens concerned about taxes joined the rally.

Channahon police work toward accreditation
A team from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, provided by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, will arrive Nov. 30, to examine all aspects of the Channahon Police Department's policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Chief Joe Pena announced.

Briefs: New Red Cross officer
Julie Wilkinson has joined the American Red Cross Grundy County Chapter as a community development officer.

Loud noise, smell due to pipeline check
On Monday, some residents may have heard a high-pitched noise that sounds like a jet engine or they may have detected the smell of natural gas in the air. Neither of these events are harmful to residents, officials from TransCanada's ANR Pipeline system reported.

Auditor: Minooka fiscally stable
An audit of village records shows the village to be in a stable financial position, said auditor Brian Zabel of Brian Zabel and Associates. In this economy, stable is a reassuring word, said Village Finance Director John Harrington.

Area Notes

Taking lessons from the land
Fourth-graders might not have realized they were participating in an important pilot program designed to test the waters of what the Forest Preserve District of Will County hopes will be a new environmental education program for students.

Minooka youths elude abductors
A young boy escaped the clutches of a band of Hispanic women who tried to lure him into a pickup Thursday.

Minooka Junior High dean resigning
William Geasa, dean and athletic director at Minooka Junior High, tendered his resignation at the Minooka Grade School Board meeting Wednesday night. Geasa will leave the district at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

Educator awarded for fire safety
Cindy Wilson, fire and life safety education coordinator for Channahon and Minooka fire protection districts, received the New Horizons Award from the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association.

Schools fighting flu
Minooka Grade School District is taking all possible precautions to minimize the spread of H1N1 and other flu viruses in its schools, Superintendent Al Gegenheimer said.

Minooka volunteer is crisis go-to guy
Minooka village clerk Mary Ray swore in Minooka's newest emergency management coordinator Tuesday, putting into motion the village's plans to be prepared for any type of disaster.

Officers in training take fitness challenge
Keeping in good health and fitness might be more important to law enforcement officers than it is to most people. That is why some local criminal justice students jumped at the chance to participate in this year's Illinois National Guard Law Enforcement Challenge.

Orthodontist gets in the Halloween spirit
Ritchey Orthodontics is not for the faint of heart in October. Every fall Dr. Alex Ritchey's staff decorates the Joliet and Morris locations in Halloween themes such as "Mad Scientist Lab."

Area Notes

Village to sell abandoned Caddy
The village of Channahon will have a car up for sale soon, along with a bit of property.

Health Calendar

City pecks at chicken rule
The chicken debate went down to the wire at Wednesday's city council meeting. With four aldermen in support and four in opposition, interest in the issue was piqued. The mayor cast the tie-breaking vote, rejecting a proposal to allow the raising of chickens within city limits.