Kingston McGhee, a 6th grader from Crete-Monee Middle School, won the 2026 Will County Regional Spelling Bee after 14 rounds of competition, and will advance to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Education
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Joliet West Student earns first place at regionals, qualifies for state math competition
Zeb Zamoras of Joliet West High School has qualified for the state math competition after placing first in the Algebra 2 event at the regional contest.
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Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship available
The Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship Fund is offering $50,000 in scholarships to 20 applicants residing in 10 Illinois counties to help ease the financial burden of continuing education.
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Two Plainfield East High School seniors named 2026 National Merit
Kyleah Edison and Rishi Shah of Plainfield East High School have been named National Merit Scholarship 2026 finalists and will compete for one of 2,500 scholarships.
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JOLIET PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT 86 STUDENTS ADVANCE TO SCIENCE REGIONALS
Samantha Trujillo and Nathaly Velazquez from Dirksen Junior High School won Double Gold Trophies for their “Light Engineered” design project at the Joliet Public Schools District 86 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Extravaganza, and will be joining other gold medal winners at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Region 9 Science Fair Exposition in 2026.
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Joliet Township High School Students Named 2026 Illinois State Scholars
Ninety-four students from Joliet Township High School’s graduating class of 2026 were recognized at the February Board of Education meeting for earning the prestigious Illinois State Scholar designation.
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Joliet West senior Charlotte Dean selected to sing national anthem at IHSA Girls Basketball State Final
Charlotte Dean of Joliet West High School has been selected to perform the national anthem at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Final on March 7 at CEFCU Arena, after earning a top score in the Illinois Music Education Association District 1 festival.
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Joliet Central students advance to IHSA Speech Sectionals
Four Joliet Central High School students, including a freshman who made history by winning two events, are advancing to the IHSA Speech Sectionals after strong regional performances.
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Will County Families Invited to Attend Presidents Day Kids’ Fair
County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant invites families to attend the 10th annual Kids’ Fair on February 16, 2026, at Troy Middle School, featuring interactive activities, live performances, games, crafts, and special appearances from local mascots and characters.
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JJC sets new standard through ARPA grant funding
Joliet Junior College partnered with Will County to deliver $2.5 million in ARPA grant funding to students studying to work in essential roles, resulting in 928 students enrolled, 476 degrees and certificates awarded, and every dollar distributed.
