Braidwood Journal

Drug take back set for April 29

Published by admin on Tue, 04/18/2017 - 3:12pm

The Braidwood Police Department and the Braidwood Area Healthy Communities Coalition (BAHCC) are teaming up for a drug-takeback event later this month.

The city will host a drug take-back event at the police station, 141 W. Main St.,  on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Residents can turn in unused or expired medication for safe disposal during those hours.

Route 53 closed for HSR work

Published by admin on Tue, 04/18/2017 - 3:11pm

Drivers trying to navigate the roads between Braidwood and Godley have once again been detoured.

Starting this week, intersection improvements at Route 53 and Division Street have closed a section of Route 53. The road work is once again part of the High Speed Rail (HSR) Program.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the work requires the road to be closed between Main and Kankakee Street. The Division Street crossing will be shut off during construction. A detour route sending drivers to the crossings north and south of Division Street is posted.

Deal would help enforce Park District rules

Published by admin on Tue, 04/18/2017 - 3:04pm

The commissioners of Braidwood’s Park District are looking for a little extra help from the city when it comes to keeping park grounds safe for everyone.

On April 11, members of the City Council signed off on an intergovernmental agreement to allow the BPD to enforce state law and park district ordinances on Park District property located within the city limits.

Residents question city’s transparency

Published by admin on Thu, 04/13/2017 - 10:30am

A breakdown of how local governments get their information out to the public has some folks in Braidwood scratching their head about transparency.

On March 28, a couple of citizens approached members of the Braidwood City Council, following a report in the Free Press Newspapers comparing transparency on local government websites. The story was printed in the Braidwood Journal, the Coal City Courant, and the Wilmington Free Press Advocate on March 8, and looked at the websites of all three communities.

Homeowner says no way to road widening

Published by admin on Thu, 04/13/2017 - 10:27am

A long-time Braidwood resident is hoping that city leaders will keep their word not to take part of his land to widen one street desperately in need of repairs.

Tim Freckleton, a 39-year resident who lives at the corner of School and First Streets, approached members of the City Council on March 28. Freckleton said his land, which totals about eight-tenths of an acre, has been in his family for decades.

“This land has great sentimental value,” Freckleton told the members of the Braidwood City Council. “Why? Our family and relatives have owned this land for 84 years.”

Easter Egg hunt a big success

Published by admin on Thu, 04/13/2017 - 10:23am

It was a another successful year for kids chasing down those colorful eggs and grabbing up some tasty treats at the Braidwood Park District.

The Braidwood Lions Club, with help from the park, hosted the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Satrurday, April 8 at Old Smokey City Park. The event, which is organized by the Lions each year and is free of charge, saw nearly 150 participants this year.

For more photos from the event, pick up a copy of this week's print edition of The Braidwood Journal

Road closures back for spring

Published by admin on Tue, 04/04/2017 - 7:59pm

Spring has sprung!

And just as allergies are sure to cause headaches, so are traffic hassles.

Signs are already hung for road closures headed to the area as the first wave of construction to hit Braidwood, with closures already underway on Strip Mine Road affecting traffic on the Coal City Road between Wilmington and Braidwood.

Closer to home, traffic is getting ready to come to yet another halt on Route 53 between Center Street and Division Street.

Two dead after call of shots fired

Published by admin on Tue, 04/04/2017 - 7:56pm

A call to the police on Sunday night of shots fired ended with two dead bodies and a death investigation.

The call came in around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 2. The caller complained of possible shots fired at a home in the 200 block of Parkview Lane, near the center of the city.

Inside the home, police found two males, both deceased.

Election 2017 - School board candidates unopposed, but face important issues

Published by admin on Fri, 03/31/2017 - 2:06pm

It may be news to some, but there’s an election headed this way.

The April 4 consolidated election shows only a handful of local elected seats up for grabs, with many of the candidates in contests running unopposed.

One of those contests is four seats on the Reed-Custer School Board. Those seats are each being sought by incumbents with no challenges. The board members up for election but who will be retained are Kris Van Duyne, Devin Dransfeldt, Michael Grace, and Jesse Morris.

Still no answers on stalled trains

Published by admin on Fri, 03/31/2017 - 1:50pm

It’s been more than two weeks since two trains stalled in Braidwood forced closure of two of the city’s three crossings for two hours, and still no word on why the closure happened from the state.

City leaders have yet to hear why the crossings were blocked on March 13, from 9:45 a.m. until 11:45 a.m.

The incident is just more evidence of what local emergency responders warned about seven years ago, when the proposed High Speed Rail (HSR) construction was set to add a siding just north of Main Street.