Plainfield Moose Wins Tom Cross 'Ovation' Award

The award recognizes the Moose for its community service.

Editor's note: The following is a press release from State Rep. Tom Cross. Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and his Ovation to Business Advisory Committee presented his monthly Ovation to Business Award to the Plainfield Moose Family Center #2491 today for their extensive community service and support of numerous civic and charitable causes. “The members of the Plainfield Moose embody all the attributes of community service the Ovation Award represents,” said Cross. “I congratulate the Plainfield Moose on their tremendous impact in directly improving the lives of countless local families.”  The Plainfield Moose Family Center, located at 16310 S. Lincoln Highway in Plainfield, is a not-for-profit organization offering various programs, services …

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State of the State: What Does Illinois Need to Fix?

Gov. Pat Quinn give his fifth State of the State address on Wednesday afternoon. What do you think should be his top priorities over the next year? Tell us in the comments' section.

Written by Amie Schaenzer Gov. Pat Quinn voiced his support for gay marriage in Illinois, a minimum wage hike and tougher gun laws during his State of the State speech Wednesday afternoon, according to the Chicago Tribune.  The Associated Press has posted the full text from Quinn's State of the State speech. Here are some of the highlights: Quinn also spent much of his speech touting his accomplishments during his term as governor, such as cuts to Medicaid and ethics laws that have been passed, according to Crain's Chicago.  Quinn has said he will run for re-election in 2014. If he does, he is expected to have an opponent in the March 2014 Democratic primary.  Quinn has gotten low approval ratings in recent months. A Democratic-leaning …

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JD

3:56 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013

I'm curious how you mention states with liberals at the head like California and New York, but you can't mention any conservative states where to many "conservatives are destroying it?" Most miserable cities in the US http://realestate.msn.com/10-most-miserable-us-cities-of-2012#8 (ALL run by Liberals and have been for a loooooooong time)   more ›

Food Pantry Profits from Cross Press Conference

Half of the groceries used as a prop during a GOP event on the one-year anniversary of the state income tax increase were donated to the Plainfield Interfaith pantry.

State Rep. Tom Cross, who used $1,000 worth of groceries at a press conference to demonstrate how much the average family paid in additional taxes over the last year, donated half of the food Thursday to the Plainfield Interfaith Food Pantry.  Cross (R-Oswego), House Republican leader, was joined by state Sen. Christine Radagno (R-Lemont), Senate Republican leader, and other GOP officials in Chicago at the media event on the one-year anniversary of the state income tax hike signed into law by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. For the average family of four, the increase added up to about $1,000, officials said. Cross said the state should have cut Medicaid and pension expenses before voting for the tax increase, according to an article in the …

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Goodson Named County Board's Majority Whip

The District 5 representative succeeds Laurie Smith, who is moving out of the state and giving up her board seat.

Lee Ann Goodson, a Will County Board member from Plainfield's District 5, has been named the board's Republican majority whip. She was appointed by Majority Leader Jim Bilotta, succeeding Laurie Smith, who is moving out-of-state and leaving the board. “I highly value Lee Ann’s perspective, and she has proven a strong leader for the constituents of Will County over her 10 years of service to this board,” Bilotta (R-Lockport) said.  “In her role as the chair of the board’s legislative committee, she continually keeps us updated on the many pieces of legislation that affect local government proposed both in Springfield and Washington. I look forward to working with her to grow our county and continue to make it a great place to live and work…

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DuPage Flooding Could Be Resolved with Dredging, Activists Say

The DuPage River Storm Water-Concerned Group is launching a campaign to raise money and awareness of the downstream flooding problems.

Don’t be surprised to find DuPage River clean-up activists knocking on your door this spring. The DuPage River Storm Water-Concerned Group is writing mission statements, setting talking points and designing leaflets as they gear up for door-to-door canvassing. They are looking for cash flow to fund a massive river clean-up and dredging effort. The group is made up of people who live in Plainfield’s older downstream neighborhoods who want to stop upstream subdivisions from building flood walls along the river, which they maintain have the potential to cause flooding on their property.  They speak out against losing watershed acres to new housing and business development.  But they’ve narrowed their focus. The group is launching a new public…

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New Laws on Sexting, Speeding and Campaign Reform Start Jan. 1

Complete list of the 192 bills that become law this Saturday can be found at www.tomcross.com.

More than 190 new laws go into effect on Saturday, including one that places limits on campaign contributions and another that changes the pension systems for some state employees. A full list of the new laws can be found at the Web site for state Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego), www.tomcross.com. One of the major pieces of legislation, according to Cross, establishes pension reform for future employees in the state's five pension systems, which include legislators, judges, state workers and university employees.  These changes for future employees include increasing the retirement age to age 67, capping the maximum retirement benefit and tying cost of living increases to the Consumer Price Index. It's estimated the changes will save the …

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More of Route 59 Reopens Next Week & in Mid-December, Officials Say

After mid-December, the only portion of the road widening project not completed will be the stretch between Renwick Road and Route 126.

Construction of Route 59 between Theodore Road and U.S. 52 will be completed early next week, followed by the stretch between Theodore and Caton Farm Road in mid-December, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Thursday. The road update was issued by state Rep. Tom Cross (R-Plainfield), whose district encompasses the work area. "We know that businesses that are located on Route 59 and residents who travel that road have been extremely patient with the construction to make this road more accessible and less congested," Cross said. "We appreciate everyone's patience and we hope that the final product will be worth the wait." The seven-mile, $89 million reconstruction and widening of Route 59 through the Shorewood, Joliet and …

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About Town

They Came for the Services, and Stayed for the Doughnuts

State Rep. Tom Cross' 3rd annual senior fair offered flu shots, hearing impaired phones, free medical screenings and other assistance.

David Lea turned out for a senior fair hosted by state Rep. Tom Cross at St. Mary Immaculate Parish Wednesday. He wanted to get an idea of what kind of services might be there for him ... just "in case I ever get old," he said. Lea nearly lost his chance to grow old, he told me. He is a Plainfield tornado survivor who spent nearly a month in intensive care with a crushed chest and other injuries too numerous to tell, he said. "I pulled the car into the drive way and the next thing I knew I found myself laying in the bean field," he said. Lea looked pretty good considering his ordeal. He was looking over a guitar case full of amplified telephones the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living was offering. By noon, center workers Marie …

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