The Dunkin Grand Opening was celebrated on April 26. A donation check of $500 was given to Victory Reins and lots of other giveaways. Photo by Ed Nelson.

Banquet Liquor Hour Extensions and Fence Variance Denied at Village Board Meeting

By Andrea Arens The request to extend the hours of liquor service on the only banquet hall liquor license in town, at Serendipity, was denied. Owner Calthon Whitley requested an extension to serve liquor till 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, on Friday and Sunday till 11 p.m., and on Saturday till midnight. Trustee Shelley Marevka…

Sgt. Matt Moore, new Officer Daniel Napoli, and Mayor Peter March. Photo by Andrea Arens.

Peotone Hires New Officer

By Andrea Arens In a time when municipalities are struggling to fill their rosters, the Village of Peotone was lucky enough to swear in a new officer at the April 8 board meeting. Officer Daniel Napoli, a lifetime resident of Peotone, graduated from the police academy recently and was sworn in with his family present.…

Peotone residents Maura Culver (left) and Paula Prium (right) with Village President Peter March. –Photo by Karen Haave.

Streetscape to Start in Peotone

By Karen Haave A $3.5 million beautification project slated for Peotone’s downtown historic district is underway, culminating four years of planning, revisions, talks, and meetings. It was scheduled to begin on April 11 but was postponed due to rain. Village officials hosted an open house earlier this month to present details of the improvement plan…

Realtor and property owner Jared Gordon talked with Robinson Engineering at the Streetscape Open House.  About 80 people came out for the open house during the worst weather of the week. Photo by Andrea Arens.

Streetscape Construction About to Begin

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Building Committee Declines to Hire Additional Employees

By Andrea Arens Village Administrator Aimee Ingalls along with Building and Zoning Administrator Henry Walters thought the Building Department, otherwise known as the Community Development Department, could use another employee. Walters was hired last year just before elections essentially to be the go-to for the Building and Zoning Department. While he lacked a lot of…

Village Board Deciding to See What Turns Up

By Andrea Arens Previously approved project payouts were first on the menu for this week’s village board meeting. D Construction’s fourth payout for 88th Ave./Wilmington Rd./I-57 ramps unanimously was approved with Trustee Shelley Marevka and Mayor Peter March being absent. The project is not complete; striping, reflective items, and a sidewalk still need to be…

Village officials and contractors posed for an official picture before groundbreaking actually commences in a couple of weeks. –Photo submitted.

Peotone Village Board Discussed Increasing Spending Authority

By Andrea Arens A proposed ordinance amendment changing the village administrator’s maximum expenditure authority without board approval from $5,000 to $25,000 failed at the March 11 board meeting. Section 31.093 of the village code allows the administrator to approve expenditures up to $4,999 without board approval. The suggested change was explained by village attorney Jim…

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FY ’25 Budget, Streetscape, PR Agreement Topics at Peotone Village Board

By Andrea Arens A light agenda for the Peotone Village Board still proved informative during their February 26 meeting. The board received a presentation of the FY 2025 budget for discussion. A public hearing for the budget will be held at the March 11 board meeting. Talking points of the budget included the additional cost…

The Peotone downtown streetscape plan was approved at the February 12 board meeting. Photo courtesy the Village of Peotone.

Peotone Streetscape Bid Approved for $3.47M

By Andrea Arens The Peotone Village Board approved the bid for the downtown streetscape design at their board meeting on February 12. It wasn’t a unanimous decision, though. Both Trustees Todd Sandberg and Nick Strba voted no. With Trustee Gary Hudson having to abstain due to owning property in downtown, the final vote was given…

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Streetscape Bid Moves to Peotone Village Board Next

By Andrea Arens The Peotone Downtown Ad Hoc Streetscape Committee met February 5 and agreed to recommend accepting the bid from Iroquois Paving. Iroquois Paving was the low bid at $3,248,914.45 and will include streetscape construction and design for both Second and Main Streets. There were two additional, alternate bids, as well. One for construction,…

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Peotone Moves to Handling Tickets in House

By Andrea Arens Tickets for ordinance violations aren’t going anywhere, but the Peotone Village Board moved to handling tickets in house instead of sending them to Will County. Two of the three new ordinances unanimously approved, with Trustees Strba and Marevka absent, at the January 22 board meeting, set the groundwork for having ticket hearings…

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Peotone Scraps Food and Beverage Tax

By Andrea Arens A proposed ordinance to add a 1 percent food and beverage tax on all prepared foods within village limits was removed from the agenda late Monday, just before the Peotone Village Board meeting. Word of the proposed tax made it to social media Saturday, and it sparked outcry from business owners and…

Village President Peter March got gas and made the first purchase at the Peotone Travel Center. –Photo by Jim Piacentini.

Mayor March’s 2023 Village Recap

To All Village Residents: As we move into 2024, I feel it is important for all to see what their village government has accomplished for them in the past year. There was a great deal done with our limited budget and small staff. Here is an accounting of some of our accomplishments in no particular…

The Peotone Police Department participated in No Shave November and presented Sue Wackerlin of Adopt a Soldier with a $500 check. Photo by Andrea Arens.

Peotone Registers New Business and Receives Budget Presentation

By Andrea Arens Before the board got down to business, Police Chief David DeMik presented Sue Wackerlin of Adopt-a-Soldier with a donation check for $500. The police department participated in No Shave November and generously chose Adopt-a-Soldier as their charity. The business registration for the Dunkin’ Donuts at the Peotone Travel Center was approved at…

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Bills, Bills, and New Business

By Andrea Arens The most exciting agenda item at the Peotone Village Board was the unanimous approval of a new business registration for Wellistics Infrared Sauna Studio to be located at 110 N. Second Street. Dr. Peter Radulovic, who once lived in Peotone and was on the village board in the early 2000s, said he…

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Businesses are coming…

By Andrea Arens To Peotone that is. Even with a recent economic development agreement with GMT being sent to the Administrative Oversight Committee for review, two more businesses will open their doors before the end of the year. The Peotone Village Board unanimously approved the new business registration for BEAT the Boutique, although a slight…

From left to right, Detective Gary Miller, Ofc. John Popek, Ofc. Dan Stankus, and Sgt. Matt Moore pose with Mayor Peter March. –Photo by Andrea Arens.

Motions for Paving Projects Die in Peotone

By Andrea Arens At the Peotone Village Board meeting on Monday, September 25, after certificates of achievement for years of service were presented to Gary Miller, Matt Moore, John Popek, and Dan Stankus in the police department, two paving projects to delineate additional parking, while the downtown is under construction next year, died for a…

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Crete Chief Warns of Gypsy Scammers
The Dunkin Grand Opening was celebrated on April 26. A donation check of $500 was given to Victory Reins and lots of other giveaways. Photo by Ed Nelson.
Banquet Liquor Hour Extensions and Fence Variance Denied at Village Board Meeting
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Pickleball Boosts the Budget in Manteno
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Park District Referendum Failure Leads to Idea of a Community Group
Brad (left), Karen (middle), and Dylan (right) Bothwell pose for a picture in their greenhouse. Photo by Stephanie Irvine.
Farmer’s Market Begins at Manhattan’s Bothwell Farms
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VEDETTE SPORTS REPORT
District Attorney John Motylinski explains how the GEMT program works with ambulance rates. Photo by Stephanie Irvine.
MFPD Fire Station Updates on Schedule
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Traffic Study and Planning Dominate Village Discussion
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Vedette Sports Report
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Crete Community to Host Clean Up Day
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No More Potholes on Blue Devil Drive
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Dangerous Intersection A Topic at Board Meeting
No Golf Carts For Crete
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Beecher School Board Tosses Around Idea of a Referendum
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Beecher Board and Lions Club Hash Out Bike and Burnout Show
Sgt. Matt Moore, new Officer Daniel Napoli, and Mayor Peter March. Photo by Andrea Arens.
Peotone Hires New Officer
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VEDETTE SPORTS REPORT
Dixie’s Special Day. Photo submitted by Project Fire Buddies.
Project Fire Buddies Holds Spa Day for Peotone Girl Amid Father’s Cancer Battle
An example of the design of the Hometown Heroes banner for Manhattan. –Image by Village of Manhattan.
Manhattan Honors Veterans with Banner Program
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Angel’s Helping Hands Now an Alternative