I was born in Joliet and grew up across from Nowell Park on the city's far east-side where I delivered the Joliet Herald-News. I attended grade school at St. Mary Nativity on Broadway. Some of my favorite memories growing up revolve around St, Joseph's Park where I played Little League baseball and had several Catholic Youth Organization basketball games.
At 13, our family moved to Plainfield. By the time I was 16, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. As a teen, I made a few extra bucks as a sports stringer for The Plainfield Enterprise taking photos and covering Plainfield's high school football and basketball games.
I graduated with a journalism degree from Eastern Illinois University. I have had a strong passion and commitment for public service journalism ever since. I am grateful to have covered so many different places throughout the greater Midwest.
After college, I worked for The South Bend Tribune, the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Omaha World-Herald and on the statewide investigative team for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, where I was based at The Post-Crescent in Appleton for five years.
I'm thrilled to be joining Patch as the Joliet Editor at this point in time when more and more people prefer to access their local news through web-only platforms and mobile devices.
Joliet and Will County always seem to have a lot of news going on, and I will do my best to bring you a superior news product.
Aleasha was severely stabbed to death over 20 times by her roommate as a result of a domestic violence battery incident, the GoFundMe noted.
Wilmington and Braidwood Included in Expansion of Pace Dial-a-Ride Services.
All porch and park locations are in close walking proximity. Activities include local artists, kids’ activities and a lemonade stand.
Unlike any other event in the region, New Orleans North features four separate areas of distinctly different musical entertainment.
River Hawk Brewery flopped in Channahon and now the owners of the Will County Brewing Company are focusing on Shorewood.
Merichka's House Dressing is the original salad dressing recipe created at the iconic restaurant in Illinois, the bottle label explains.
Jodi Ruggerio, 36, "was loved and admired by both customers and employees alike. Jodi had a smile that would light up the darkest of rooms."
Bob was a generous, loving, kind-hearted person who would do anything for anyone, he will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
It appears that 33-year-old Steven Hurst became entrapped between the trailer and the truck being loaded, Grundy County's Coroner noted.
Wallace drove away from the traffic stop at a high rate of speed, causing the vehicle’s door to shut on the officer's arm, police noted.
Gary Lobello of Plainfield approached the male, grabbed him by his jacket, and threw him to the ground, Joliet police said.
Monday morning's fatality happened after 10 a.m. and the Illinois State Police is in charge of the investigation.
Last week, Joliet's long-time corporation counsel, Chris Regis, a close confidant of former two-term Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, was let go.
At 10:55 p.m., Joliet officers conducted a traffic stop on a Lexus RX300 near Benton Street and Henderson Avenue for improper lane usage.
The roadway was closed while members of the Joliet Police Department Traffic Unit reconstructed the crash scene.
All tests have come back with results that show there has been no asbestos contamination within the areas tested, Rialto staff said.
One Joliet woman was lying in her bed as the gunman's bullets whizzed past her head, hitting her headboard.
The 7-year-old daughter of the man charged in the killing was released to family members and DCFS was notified.
The van was funded through a $269,000 grant from Will County, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations.
A total of four people were fleeing from the Grundy County Sheriff's Office during an Interstate 55 traffic violation, the agency noted.
