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Amid fierce opposition Joliet council approves larger Northpoint warehouse project

Despite desperate calls from residents of mostly neighboring communities – many destined to be impacted by the 2,100-plus acre proposed warehouse development – Compass Business Park has received the stamp of approval from the Joliet City Council. For nearly two hours on Tuesday night, the City Council heard from Jackson Township property owners, Elwood and Manhattan residents, other concerned property owners, attorneys representing Stop North Point and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and officials from both Jackson Township and Elwood.

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COMMENTARY: In 2021, Organized Labor is Again Flexing its Muscles

NNPA NEWSWIRE — We have seen dramatic change in the makeup of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under President Biden. Two former counsels to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – David Prouty, and Gwynne Wilcox – were named to the NLRB while Peter Ohy was named NLRB general counsel and Jennifer Abruzzo became permanent general counsel. Abruzzo immediately began encouraging the board to reinstitute the Joy Silk Mills doctrine, which allows organizing elections to be decided by card-check instead of needing to go to a full vote, providing a real boost for organizing efforts.

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Economic development takes center stage in Will County

Business means jobs and officials from the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) understand that in a big way. The CED is geared up to present its Annual Report to Investors on Friday, Dec. 3 at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. “We’re really excited about this year. This is the first time our investors group, guests and friends are going to be meeting in person since March 2020. We’re really looking forward to that crowd interaction and getting a chance to get in front of people.” John Greuling, President and CEO of the CED said.

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NorthPoint could get greenlight to expand

The proposed NorthPoint development planned for Joliet is about to get a whole lot bigger, much to the chagrin of some area residents opposed to the plans. NorthPoint Development brought a new annexation and development agreement for the proposed East Gate Logistics and Compass Business Park to the Joliet Plan Commission. The new plan seeks to annex another 950-plus acre parcel in addition to the 1,200-plus acres in unincorporated Jackson Township already approved by the Joliet City Council for the proposed warehouse and light manufacturing development.

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Gov. JB Pritzker announces the $1.2 billion plan to overhaul Interstate 80 in 2019, surrounded by local state officials

State officials visited Will County on Monday to recommit to a six-year plan aimed at a complete overhaul of the Interstate 80 corridor. Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation joined by local officials introduced the six-year plan to rebuild Interstate 80 in Will County. Made possible by the Governor’s, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, the $1.2 billion project will replace more than 50-year-old infrastructure on a condensed timeframe and create thousands of construction and permanent jobs while positioning the region for long-term economic opportunity. “We were excited to see Governor Pritzker, Lt. Governor Stratton, and IDOT Secretary Osman visit Will County to emphasize the critical need for completion of the I-80 project. Getting to the finish line on a project of this scale requires consistent leadership from state and local officials, and we are fortunate to have that support,” said Doug Pryor, vice president of economic development for the Will County Center for Economic Development.

Posted inTimes Weekly News

Will County Executive reminds residents of rental assistance ahead of eviction moratorium expiration

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is reminding tenants and landlords of financial assistance available to residents ahead of the Oct. 3 expiration of the Illinois eviction moratorium. Will County COMEBACK Grant funding is available to tenants, landlords, and homeowners who are impacted by economic hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Will County leads national panel on pandemic rental assistance

Will County Board Member Denise Winfrey (Joliet) will moderate a panel on Friday that will examine best practices for counties across the United States that are administering Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) for individuals who face housing insecurity because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The panel is hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) of which Winfrey is the First Vice President.

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Grant aims to address teacher shortage in early education

The Joliet Junior College Child Development (CDEV) program has received a grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to strengthen and diversify the early childhood workforce. JJC is the only community college in Illinois to receive this grant, which is funded by the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five initiative, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development.

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