News

CCHS proud to have 22 State Scholars

Published by admin on Tue, 11/18/2025 - 3:54pm

Few in Illinois can say they are an Illinois State Scholar. But Coal City has 22 of them, ranking them among to top 10 percent of high school students in the state.
For 67 years, the ISAC has recognized seniors for this academic achievement. The honorees are selected based on a combination of exemplary scores on the SAT or ACT college entrance exam and class rank at the close of six semesters of study.

Wilmington Park District planning biggest Christkindl Market yet

Published by admin on Tue, 11/18/2025 - 3:52pm

Wilmington is kicking off the holiday season in a big way on Saturday, Nov. 29, with a bigger than ever Christkindl Market, classic Christmas movies, ice carving demonstration, holiday parade and the North Island lighted Christmas walk.
It’s hopeful the town will be celebrating a state championship football trophy too.
The Wilmington Park District has over 45 vendors signed up so far, so many that the Christkindlmarket is being expanded across the mill race.

Braidwood eyes fourth TIF to facilitate proposed data center

Published by admin on Tue, 11/18/2025 - 3:41pm

The Braidwood city council took action last week to establish a fourth TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district where a proposed data center may be built.
When a TIF district is created, the current property value is “frozen” at the baseline for a specific period of time.
In response to a question by Commissioner Warren Wietting, whose business lies within the city’s third TIF District, city attorney Bryan Wellner explained.

Mudpuppies search may lead to vanished mussel

Published by admin on Tue, 11/11/2025 - 3:17pm

Sarah Douglass is a malacologist––a scientist who studies mollusks with the University of Illinois’s Illinois Natural History Survey in Urbana-Champaign.
In Oct. 2024, Douglass and her colleagues made a once in a lifetime discovery, locating a mussel that hasn’t been seen in Illinois in well over a century.
After more than seven hours of scouring the slippery Sangamon River bottom, salamander mussel were discovered tucked under cement slabs.

Smiles, Support and Stories: The heart of the RCHS English Department

Published by admin on Tue, 11/11/2025 - 3:02pm

The English Department at Reed-Custer High School is being featured for the month of November. There are eight teachers dedicated to English instruction for approximately 375 students.
Mrs. Melissa Rankin teaches JJC Rhetoric and English 12, as well as being a Teacher Leader. Students had the following to say about Mrs. Rankin: Gives great feedback and wants to see her students grow, very nice and understanding, and always greets people with a smile on her face.

Grundy County Health issues warning on listeria in pasta meals

Published by admin on Thu, 11/06/2025 - 1:06pm

According to the Grundy County Health Dept., there has been a listeriosis (listeria) outbreak linked to precooked pasta meals. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), six people have died, and another 27 have been hospitalized.
In addition to Illinois, cases of listeriosis have been reported in California Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Coalers to get first-ever shot at state trophy

Published by admin on Tue, 11/04/2025 - 1:30pm

Coal City’s soccer team will play for Class 1A state trophy starting Thursday after winning the Maroa Super Sectional on Monday.
The Coalers edged Williamsville, 1-0, Monday to advance to the Final Four, improving their record to 23-3 overall.
Senior Adrian Dames scored the game-deciding goal for the Coalers in the second half off an assist from senior captain Julian Micetich. The winning goal propelled the Coalers to the farthest they’ve ever gone in a playoff in school history.

“Skinny Kid” from Braidwood muses on his life in books

Published by admin on Tue, 11/04/2025 - 1:16pm

It has been said that writers are vagabonds who possess restless souls that long to wander, hither and yon, to gather fodder for to stimulate their imagination.
This is certainly true of author, Thomas Raymond Kennedy, who craves adventure. He was born and raised in Braidwood, and lived for a time in Wilmington, as well.
On Oct. 25, the Braidwood Historical Museum hosted a book signing featuring Tom Kennedy, who happily shared his stories about Braidwood and Wilmington with people he’d known in his younger days.
Truck driving man

Coalers-Dixon to 'duke' it out again

Published by admin on Tue, 11/04/2025 - 1:06pm

One team has averaged 50.1 points per game while allowing just 7.1.
The other has averaged 43.7 while giving up just 12.3.
Sounds like quite the recipe for a playoff battle and for the second consecutive year, the Coalers will face Dixon in the playoffs, but this time it's on the road Friday night at 7.
The Dukes play in the always tough Big Northern conference where four teams made the playoffs. Their lone loss was to unbeaten Byron 28-7 in week two and they faced little resistance from Woodstock North in the opening round, winning 45-0.

Playoffs tickets for Friday can be bought in advance

Published by admin on Tue, 11/04/2025 - 1:04pm

The Coalers will travel to Dixon on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Round 2 of the IHSA Football Playoffs. The school is located at 300 Lincoln Statue Drive, Dixon.
Coalers fans attending the game should park in the bus parking lot located adjacent to Peoria Avenue and enter through the back gate. After parking, walk down the alley and through the drop-off lot.
The back ticket gate is located in the southwest corner of the drop-off lot.
There is construction near the school that could limit parking in the area. So fans are encouraged to carpool.