Big Piece Of Will County Building Falls Off, Nearly Hits Employees

JOLIET — A piece of exterior cement tile fell from the outside of the fifth or sixth floor of the building and nearly ended the lives of two county government staff entering the building on Wednesday morning. Nobody was hurt as the stone landed just a few feet away from them.

Michael Theodore, director of communications for the Will County Executive's Office, sent the following information to Joliet Patch on Wednesday afternoon:

"Below is a joint statement from the Will County Chief Judge’s Office and the Will County Facilities Department: Our offices have been closely coordinating together in response to a stone tile falling off the east side of the Will County Courthouse on the morning of January 15, 2025. Thankfully, no injuries occurred.

"Ensuring the safety of both staff and the public has been a top priority during this process. Protective scaffolding has been installed around the entrances of the courthouse, along with many of the walkways adjacent to the courthouse entrances.

"The courthouse operations and services have remained open throughout the day today and will remain open on Thursday, January 16.

The Facilities Department is identifying a contractor, independent of the builder, to inspect the area where the tile fell along with other tiles around the building."

Watch Joliet Patch's livestream from the courthouse: