Trick-or-Treat Hours 4 to 7 p.m. Monday

If you live outside the village in an unincorporated area, Halloween hours are 3:30 to 6 p.m., the sheriff's office says.

The village of Plainfield's Halloween trick-or-treat hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Monday. If you live in unincorporated Plainfield or Wheatland townships, the hours are 3:30 to 6 p.m., according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.  Police have also issued these safety tips for trick-or treaters: Safety tips for drivers on Halloween are: The Plainfield Fire Protection District offered these additional Halloween tips:   The Plainfield Fire Protection District has some Halloween fire safety tips to keep your holiday celebration enjoyable.

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16 Ticketed in Latest Train Crossing Crackdown

Plainfield police also wrote tickets for infractions involving lack of insurance and driver's license violations.

Did you get stopped Tuesday for stopping too close to the railroad crossing at Route 126, just east of Route 59? Worse, did the police catch you actually stopped on the tracks? Twelve folks did, and their wallets are going to be a lot lighter thanks to the fine they're going to have to pay as a result. Plainfield police conducted one of their regular crossing checks, watching for drivers who stopped within the railroad grade crossing, disobeyed activated railroad signals or failed to stop when required. In addition to catching railroad crossing scofflaws, they also issued two tickets to people driving without insurance, one to someone driving with an expired license and one to someone unlawfully using a driver's license. Three people were …

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Get the Junk Out of the Trunk; Improve Gas Mileage

With gas prices steadily rising, drivers can have some control over a vehicle's gas mileage.

Unless your name is Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, you probably cringe every time you have to fill the tank at the gas station. And, it appears gasoline prices will not be decreasing any time soon. “While gas prices have been the highest on record for this time of year, consumers should get used to paying these higher prices as with spring comes a switch to a summer blend of gasoline and another rise in gas prices,” said Beth Mosher, director of public affairs for AAA Chicago in a news release.   Rather than getting angry, drivers should be aware they have some control to improve their vehicle’s gas mileage. While, there may be some cursing while filling the tank, drivers shouldn’t drive away angry from the station. Aggressive driving wastes…

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Plainly Plainfield

So Close, Yet So Far Away -- A Snowstorm Dilemma

The stranded cars were just yards from the house, yet the drivers made no effort to seek refuge.

The blizzard stopped being fun about the time I first saw those yellow lights flashing out my living room window.  All through the day, I kept an eye on the cycle of fender-benders at 119th Street and Essington Road. It was a looping drama as SUVs, vans and squad cars cluttering up the corner and then being cleared away. The flow of traffic crested when school let out, held steady through rush hour and gradually trickled down to zilch.   We had stocked up on groceries, hiked up the heat and hunkered down to ride out the blizzard. As the sun set, I thanked my own personal weather deities that my house was beautifully bright and warm. With a sip of cabernet, I toasted whatever fortune had sent me the good sense to stay inside.   By about 9, …

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