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What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois, United States Of America, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

10/05/2026

WHAT DID THEY FIND UNDER PLANO’S AMTRAK STATION?

PLANO — Construction at the historic Plano Amtrak station has hit an unexpected roadblock — underground.

Work on the station's new platform has reportedly been paused since around Sept. 20 after crews excavating the site uncovered an unidentified concrete foundation beneath the project area.

Because of the site's history, the discovery now requires additional review before construction can move forward.

Exactly what the buried structure was used for — or how old it is — hasn't yet been publicly determined.

And naturally, this being Plano, we'll help the rumor mill get started:

Local legend says crews may have finally discovered the long-lost resting place of the Holy Grail.*

For those already grabbing shovels: No, there is absolutely no evidence the Holy Grail is underneath the Plano Amtrak station.

What crews actually discovered is an unidentified underground concrete structure, and officials need to determine its historical significance before work continues.

The station itself dates to 1913, giving investigators more than a century of history to sort through.

The larger project includes a new platform and accessibility improvements, and despite the unexpected discovery, the overall project has been described as still roughly a year to a year-and-a-half from completion.

So what's buried beneath Plano?

Probably an old foundation.

But until somebody opens it, we're not completely ruling out Indiana Jones. 😂

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

🏈 PLAINFIELD POWER SHIFT — WEEK 7 CHANGED THE CONVERSATION

Four weeks ago, Plainfield East looked like the team to beat.

Today? Plainfield North and Plainfield South are 6–1, East has dropped three straight, and the Plainfield football picture suddenly looks very different.

PLAINFIELD NORTH 27, PLAINFIELD EAST 6

North didn't sneak past East. The Tigers controlled the matchup and extended their winning streak to four.

East started the season 4–0, scoring 209 points while allowing just 12. Since then: losses to Yorkville, Plainfield South and now Plainfield North.

North isn't just winning anymore — it's separating itself.

PLAINFIELD SOUTH 36, YORKVILLE 35

Maybe the comeback of Week 7.

South trailed Yorkville by 21 points in the first quarter and came all the way back to win by one.

Armani Ford threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns, while Kodi Garner scored three rushing touchdowns.

South's only loss remains a 35–6 defeat against Oswego. Since then, the Cougars have answered — including wins over East and Yorkville.

Down 21. Never dead. South steals it, 36–35.

MINOOKA 40, PLAINFIELD CENTRAL 6

Central's search for answers continues.

The Wildcats have lost six straight after winning their opener and fall to 1–6. Minooka, meanwhile, put up a season-high 40 points.

THE PLAINFIELD SCORECARD

North: 6–1
South: 6–1
East: 4–3
Central: 1–6

A month ago, East owned the Plainfield conversation.

Now North has won four straight, South just completed a 21-point comeback, and East's 4–0 start has turned into three consecutive losses.

This isn't just a standings change. It's a Plainfield power shift.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

BAILEY VS. PRITZKER — WHAT ARE THEY ACTUALLY PROMISING ILLINOIS?

With Election Day less than a month away, Illinois voters have heard plenty of speeches, attack ads and campaign talking points.

So let's strip away the noise.

Here’s where Darren Bailey and Gov. JB Pritzker say they want to take Illinois on six issues that hit close to home: taxes, schools, energy, public safety, cost of living and state spending.

No endorsement. No winner. Their positions, side by side.

TAXES

BAILEY: Says Illinois has a spending problem rather than a revenue problem. He opposes increases in the state income and sales taxes and has proposed a 1% property-tax cap, while arguing the state could redirect spending to help schools offset reduced local property-tax revenue.

PRITZKER: Points to elimination of the state grocery tax, the Child Tax Credit and other targeted tax relief. His administration also defends the roughly $55.9 billion FY2027 budget as balanced and fiscally responsible.

SCHOOLS

BAILEY: Wants more authority returned to parents and local school districts and fewer mandates from Springfield. He argues increased education spending hasn't produced strong enough academic results.

PRITZKER: Wants continued state investment in education and points to increased K-12 funding, preschool expansion, improved graduation rates, vocational programs and increased college financial aid.

One important fact-check: Bailey has sometimes overstated the percentage of Illinois students performing below proficiency. Illinois does have significant proficiency challenges, but the statewide numbers aren't as high as some of his campaign statements have suggested.

ENERGY

BAILEY: Supports economic development and data centers but argues existing residents shouldn't be stuck paying for the infrastructure and energy costs associated with them. He has proposed taking a harder look at state tax incentives.

PRITZKER: Previously promoted data-center incentives as an economic-development tool. His administration has since paused new incentive agreements amid concerns about electricity demand, water use and costs to consumers.

Neither candidate is simply saying "no data centers."

The disagreement is increasingly about who pays for the growth and what conditions Illinois puts on it.

PUBLIC SAFETY

BAILEY: Continues to criticize the SAFE-T Act and elimination of cash bail. He promises stronger support for law enforcement and tougher treatment of violent and repeat offenders.

PRITZKER: Defends Illinois' current pretrial system, where judges can detain defendants considered dangerous rather than detention depending on someone's ability to post cash. He also points to Illinois State Police hiring, violence-prevention programs, crime-lab investments and gun-control measures.

COST OF LIVING

Both candidates say Illinois families need relief. Their approaches are very different.

BAILEY: Connects affordability primarily to taxes, property taxes, utility costs and government spending. His argument is that reducing government's financial footprint leaves families and businesses with more of their own money.

PRITZKER: Emphasizes targeted government action, including elimination of the grocery tax, tax credits, childcare assistance, prescription-drug initiatives and temporary tax-relief measures.

Put simply:

Bailey is largely promising affordability through lower taxes and less government spending.

Pritzker is largely promising affordability through targeted tax relief, credits and government programs.

STATE SPENDING

BAILEY: Wants a broad audit of Illinois government to identify waste, potential fraud and programs that could be eliminated or reduced. He argues those savings could help finance tax relief and other priorities.

PRITZKER: Defends continued state investment while pointing to Illinois' improved financial condition during his administration, including balanced budgets, elimination of the old bill backlog, required pension contributions and multiple credit-rating upgrades.

And both men have questions they'll eventually have to answer beyond campaign slogans.

Bailey needs to explain where enough spending can realistically be cut to finance his proposed tax relief and other priorities.

Pritzker needs to explain when Illinois' improved state finances will translate into enough household relief for residents who still feel squeezed.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Strip away the commercials and personalities, and these are two substantially different approaches to governing Illinois.

Pritzker: Continue investing through state government, maintain the fiscal direction of his administration and use targeted programs and tax relief to address affordability.

Bailey: Reduce taxes and government spending, audit state programs, return more authority to local communities and parents, and change Illinois' approach to public safety and affordability.

Illinois voters shouldn't have to choose based on who produces the better commercial.

Ask both candidates the same questions:

What will you cut? What will you fund? What happens to my taxes? What happens to my electric bill? What changes in my child's school? And how will my family know whether your policies actually worked?

Those are the questions worth answering before Election Day.

WGO NEWS | LOCAL NEWS. LOCAL VOICE.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

JOLIET WANTS SEMIS OUT OF DOWNTOWN — CITY LOOKS FOR LEGAL WAY TO REDIRECT TRUCK TRAFFIC

JOLIET — City leaders are looking for ways to get heavy truck traffic out of downtown Joliet and back onto roads designed to handle it.

Mayor Terry D'Arcy says officials have been meeting with local and state leaders to determine how Joliet could legally restrict trucks from downtown streets and redirect them toward routes including I-80, I-55, Larkin Avenue and Houbolt Road.

D'Arcy pointed specifically to downtown bridges dating to the 1930s that now routinely carry semitrucks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds. The city also sends Joliet police officers to help reroute traffic when congestion and bridge issues create problems downtown.

The mayor says Joliet has contacted Gov. JB Pritzker's office and is working with state legislators and neighboring communities on possible solutions.

The larger issue isn't unique to Joliet.

Communities including Manhattan, Elwood, Crest Hill and Lockport are participating in regional discussions about freight movement, while a two-year transportation study is examining potential truck-routing and road improvements.

The Houbolt Road corridor was specifically developed to provide trucks serving the massive CenterPoint intermodal facilities with more direct access to I-80. Federal transportation officials say the Houbolt Road bridge was designed to handle thousands of trucks each day while reducing congestion on surrounding roads.

For WGO readers, there's a familiar theme here.

Yorkville has recently increased semitruck enforcement on Corneils Road between Route 47 and Eldamain Road. Now Joliet is wrestling with its own version of the same question: How do growing communities support a massive freight economy without turning local streets into truck routes?

D'Arcy cautioned that a solution won't happen overnight.

But his objective is clear: move more semis out of downtown Joliet and onto the highways and designated freight corridors built to carry them.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

ILLINOIS HOMELESSNESS FALLS 6% — BUT CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS JUMPS 28%

ILLINOIS — A new statewide report shows progress on homelessness in Illinois, but one number tells a much more troubling story.

Overall homelessness declined 6% from 2025 to 2026, while the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness increased 28%.

The state's unsheltered population also increased 22%, showing that fewer people being counted as homeless overall doesn't necessarily mean the most severe forms of homelessness are improving.

The figures largely rely on the annual Point-in-Time count, a snapshot taken on a single night in January, and the 2026 numbers remain preliminary pending federal review.

Illinois is continuing its Home Illinois strategy, with nearly $620 million expected to go toward homelessness-related programs in fiscal year 2027.

The numbers leave Illinois with a difficult question:

If homelessness is falling overall, why are more people becoming chronically homeless or living without shelter?

That's the number behind the headline worth watching.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

BAILEY TAKES CAMPAIGN TO DeKALB — COST OF LIVING TAKES CENTER STAGE

DEKALB — Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey brought his campaign into Northern Illinois Saturday, making a stop at Wehrli Custom Fabrication in DeKalb as the race for governor enters its final month.

Bailey appeared at Wehrli's biannual open house on Saturday, Oct. 3, where he met supporters from across Northern Illinois and answered questions from reporters. The Bailey campaign said the stop grew out of a friendship Bailey developed with the company's owners earlier in his campaign.

The setting put Bailey directly among the kind of voters and businesses affected by several issues he has made central to his campaign: transportation costs, taxes and affordability.

And in DeKalb, Bailey said one concern is coming up repeatedly.

The cost of living.

Bailey told Northern Public Radio that affordability is the chief concern he says he's hearing from Illinois voters as he campaigns around the state. That's the candidate's characterization of what voters are telling him, rather than an independent statewide measurement of voter priorities.

GAS, TOLLS AND THE COST OF DRIVING

Transportation costs have also become a major part of Bailey's campaign against Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker.

Earlier this summer, Bailey publicly opposed the Illinois Tollway's proposed capital program and toll increases, arguing that higher tolls would add another expense for Illinois families already dealing with higher everyday costs. He has subsequently proposed eventually eliminating tolls altogether, although doing so would require replacing revenue currently used to operate, maintain and finance the tollway system.

Illinois' motor-fuel tax is another pocketbook issue with particular relevance at an event centered around diesel trucks.

The state's current motor-fuel tax is 48.3 cents per gallon for gasoline and 55.8 cents for diesel, after Illinois suspended a scheduled inflation adjustment for six months beginning July 1.

For truck owners, commuters and businesses that depend heavily on transportation, those aren't abstract numbers. They're expenses that show up every time a vehicle hits the road.

WHY DeKALB MATTERS TO WGO

Saturday's appearance also puts Bailey squarely inside WGO's broader Northern Illinois coverage footprint.

A campaign stop doesn't tell us how DeKalb County — or Northern Illinois generally — will vote in November. But it does show where Bailey is choosing to spend campaign time and which issues he's emphasizing when he gets there.

At Wehrli, the message was affordability.

The location was fitting. Wehrli Custom Fabrication's open house brought together diesel and automotive enthusiasts at its DeKalb facility, with the event beginning Saturday morning.

Bailey is seeking a rematch with Pritzker after losing the 2022 gubernatorial election. Northern Public Radio reports Bailey received about 42% of the statewide vote in that contest.

With less than a month remaining before Election Day, WGO will continue tracking where both candidates campaign in Northern Illinois, what they're telling voters when they arrive and how their policy proposals would affect communities across the region.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

TODAY WE CELEBRATE | OCTOBER 5

Good Monday morning, WGO! ☀️

Today we're celebrating teachers, kindness, apples, architecture, healthy kids — and the day Illinois basketball fans got their very first look at a rookie named Michael Jordan. 🏀

🎉 TODAY'S CELEBRATIONS

🍎 National Apple Betty Day
😊 National Do Something Nice Day
👩‍🏫 World Teachers' Day
🏠 World Habitat Day
🏛️ World Architecture Day
💙 World Day of Bullying Prevention
❤️ National Child Health Day
🛍️ National Consignment Day
🕺 National Get Funky Day
📖 National Storytelling Day

World Teachers' Day is observed every October 5, while several Monday-specific observances—including Child Health Day—also land on October 5 this year.

TODAY'S ILLINOIS HISTORY 🏀

BEFORE THE TITLES. BEFORE THE LEGEND.

October 5, 1984. Peoria, Illinois.

A rookie named Michael Jordan stepped onto the court for his first professional game as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

It was preseason.

The Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers 102–98, and Jordan gave Illinois its first glimpse of what was coming:

18 points in 29 minutes.

He shot 7-for-16 from the floor and made four of five free throws.

Nobody in that Peoria crowd could have known exactly what they were watching.

Six championships, five MVP awards and an entire transformation of Chicago basketball were still years away.

But on October 5, 1984...

Michael Jordan's Bulls career had begun.

Source: Chicago Bulls

WGO QUESTION OF THE MORNING 👩‍🏫

Since it's World Teachers' Day, let's give some hometown recognition where it's deserved:

WHO WAS A TEACHER YOU'LL NEVER FORGET?

Maybe they pushed you harder, believed in you, made you laugh or simply made school a little better.

Drop their name and school below and give them a shout-out. 👇

Good morning from WGO!

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/04/2026

HAIN RETIRES NOV. 1 — UNDERSHERIFF AMY JOHNSON TO TAKE OVER DAYS BEFORE ELECTION

A major leadership transition is coming to the Kane County Sheriff's Office — just days before voters head to the polls.

Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain has announced he will retire effective November 1, ending a law-enforcement career spanning roughly three decades.

Hain said he is stepping away to focus on his health and to provide continuity of leadership after spending months largely away from public view.

But the timing of his departure creates another significant development.

Undersheriff Amy Johnson is expected to take over as Kane County sheriff when Hain's retirement becomes effective — just two days before the November 3 election.

Johnson is also the Democratic candidate seeking the office in that election, facing Republican candidate Rob Russell.

Johnson has already been overseeing much of the Sheriff's Office's day-to-day operations during Hain's absence, but assuming the sheriff's position immediately before Election Day puts an unusual spotlight on the transition.

Hain's retirement and health should also remain separate from another unresolved accountability issue surrounding the Sheriff's Office unless evidence establishes a connection.

Earlier this year, a county-owned AR-15 r***e was stolen from a Kane County deputy's vehicle outside the deputy's Aurora residence.

The Sheriff's Office subsequently announced an internal review of the incident.

That leaves several legitimate questions for Kane County residents:

• Was the stolen r***e ultimately recovered?

• What did the Sheriff's Office's internal review determine?

• Were department policies followed when the r***e was stored in the vehicle?

• Was any disciplinary or corrective action taken?

• Have fi***rm-storage procedures changed since the theft?

Those questions stand on their own.

There is currently no established evidence that the fi***rm incident played a role in Hain's decision to retire, and WGO will not imply otherwise.

But with leadership of the Kane County Sheriff's Office changing immediately before voters select their next sheriff, transparency about unresolved departmental issues matters.

WGO will continue following both the leadership transition and the unanswered questions surrounding the stolen county fi***rm.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/04/2026

⏰ ILLINOIS COULD STOP CHANGING THE CLOCKS — BUT NOT YET

The twice-a-year ritual of changing the clocks could eventually disappear in Illinois — but despite some recent headlines, it hasn't happened yet.

The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July, legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent for most of the country and eliminate the spring-forward, fall-back clock changes.

The measure passed the House 308–117 and was sent to the U.S. Senate, where it remains under consideration.

So, for now, Illinois residents still have to change their clocks.

The issue has received renewed national attention as President Donald Trump pushes for permanent daylight saving time while some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, have raised concerns about what the change would mean for dark winter mornings.

And that's really where the debate gets interesting for Northern Illinois.

Permanent daylight saving time doesn't create another hour of sunshine. It essentially shifts when we experience that daylight.

During the darkest part of winter, we'd get more evening daylight — but sunrise would come later in the morning.

For parents, commuters and schools, that could mean more children heading to school before sunrise.

For businesses, families and anyone tired of it getting dark ridiculously early in December, it could mean another hour of usable daylight at the end of the day.

The legislation still needs Senate approval before it could become federal law.

Until then, keep the microwave manual handy.

WGO QUESTION:

⏰ If Illinois stopped changing the clocks, which would you rather have?

🌅 More daylight in the morning

🌇 More daylight after work and school

Sound off below. 👇

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/04/2026

FAMILY SAYS THEY WARNED SCHOOL BEFORE 6-YEAR-OLD JENNA MENIAS WAS KILLED

Wrongful-death lawsuit alleges bus-stop safety concerns were raised and denied before fatal Frankfort crash

FRANKFORT — The September death of 6-year-old Jenna Menias was already an unimaginable tragedy.

A newly filed wrongful-death lawsuit now raises an even more difficult question:

Could her death have been prevented?

Jenna's family has filed suit against Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 and Frankfort School District 157-C, alleging that officials were warned about safety concerns involving Jenna's bus drop-off arrangement before she was struck and killed by a school bus on September 8.

According to the lawsuit and the family's attorneys, Jenna's mother raised concerns several weeks before the crash because her 6-year-old daughter was being dropped off alone, hundreds of feet from her home and on the opposite side of a street without sidewalks or a defined crosswalk.

She asked that the arrangement be changed.

The family alleges the district denied that request. Attorneys say Jenna's mother had raised a similar transportation concern involving Jenna's brother in 2022 and that request was also denied.

SIX SECONDS

What investigators and attorneys say happened after Jenna stepped off the bus is particularly troubling.

WGO News reviewed police reports and video from Jenna's bus and another bus behind it. According to that reporting, Jenna exited at approximately 3:20 p.m. and began moving toward the front of the bus to cross the street.

The substitute driver was looking at other children and a route map. He then closed the door, retracted the stop arm and began moving.

Six seconds after Jenna stepped off the bus, she was struck.

The police report reviewed by WGO characterized the crash as preventable and said the driver's distraction caused him to take his eyes off the roadway as Jenna attempted to cross.

The family's attorneys additionally say onboard video shows Jenna was plainly visible in the roadway in front of the bus and alleges the driver proceeded without properly checking his exterior mirrors or windshield.

A SUBSTITUTE DRIVER ON AN UNFAMILIAR ROUTE

According to the police report, the substitute driver had received his school-bus license only in July — approximately two months before the crash — and September 8 was his first time driving Jenna's route.

Another piece of evidence raises questions about what was happening inside the transportation department that afternoon.

We obtained an internal District 210 email sent at 1:19 p.m. on September 8, roughly two hours before the crash.

The email, titled “Challenging afternoon,” described numerous late driver call-offs and said two dispatchers were also absent, worsening an already difficult staffing situation.

Two hours later, Jenna was riding home with a substitute driver unfamiliar with her route.

The lawsuit does not by itself establish that those staffing conditions legally caused Jenna's death. But the timing is now part of the family's allegations and the broader questions surrounding the transportation system that afternoon.

THE WARNING BEFORE THE CRASH

Perhaps the most consequential allegation isn't what happened during those six seconds.

It's what allegedly happened weeks earlier.

News reports District 157-C denied the family's request on August 26, explaining that individual house stops could not be provided because of route timing and efficiency requirements.

The lawsuit contends Jenna's designated stop left her on the opposite side of Aberdeen Road from her home.

The family's attorneys argue there was another option: because the street is a dead end and the bus ultimately had to turn around, Jenna could have been dropped off after the turnaround, placing the bus door on the same side of the roadway as her home.

And there is another striking detail.

Other news reports home-camera footage from August 24 — two days before the family's request was denied — shows a different driver dropping Jenna at the foot of her driveway, where she safely walked home with her father.

CHANGES AFTER JENNA'S DEATH

The questions aren't merely retrospective.

News outlets reports that after Jenna's death, District 157-C said several bus stops had already been adjusted, other routes were being reviewed to find opportunities for students to enter and exit buses on the side of the roadway closest to their homes, and an independent transportation consultant would conduct a comprehensive review of the transportation program.

That inevitably raises another question:

If those changes improve student safety today, could similar precautions have protected Jenna on September 8?

That question will ultimately have to be resolved through investigation and litigation—not social media.

Both school districts have declined to discuss the pending lawsuit while expressing condolences to Jenna's family.

The allegations contained in the lawsuit remain allegations and have not been adjudicated in court.

But this case has moved beyond the immediate circumstances of a fatal collision.

It now raises serious questions about school-bus routing, staffing, substitute-driver preparation, supervision, transportation policies and what happens when parents tell school officials they believe a bus stop is unsafe.

A 6-year-old child cannot be responsible for designing a safe transportation system.

The adults and institutions entrusted with getting children home safely are.

Jenna's family is now asking the courts to determine whether those institutions failed her.

Keeping Hometowns Connected.

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

What's Going On Kendall County, Illinois

10/05/2026

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