English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Joliet, IL

A few people have posted on Facebook their observations of the slowly sinking boat in Joliet's graveyard of ships docked near Rockdale.

JOLIET, IL — Hollywood movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet drew worldwide acclaim in "Titanic." Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot came up with his ballad "The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald," about the iron ore freighter that sank in Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew members in 1975.

Now, Joliet has its own boat taking in water, but it remains to be seen whether Joliet-area megastars such as Lionel Richie, Melissa McCarthy or Nick Offerman will use their creative juices and artistic talents to draw worldwide attention to the saga surrounding Joliet's slowly sinking ship.

For those who have talked about it on social media, it's an eerie sight for motorists traveling along Route 6. The old houseboat, tied up by a rope to a dock for years, is slowly taking on water. The sinking of the boat has only been evident in March.

The houseboat and an adjacent tugboat are part of a collection of old abandoned boats that have turned into a ship graveyard of sorts. One of the main boats docked in the Des Plaines River just north of the Brandon Road Bridge is an old Mississippi riverboat called the King's Landing. The King's Landing has been docked near Rockdale for at least 20 years, according to village of Rockdale leaders.

Rockdale officials told Joliet Patch they just became aware of the sinking houseboat this past week, but there's really nothing the village can do about it since the houseboat is in the Des Plaines River, not the village of Rockdale proper.

On Friday, a Joliet planning commission member told Patch he no longer owns the sinking houseboat or the other collection of boats being kept along the concrete walls of the Des Plaines River. He said the sinking boat is now owned by a man who lives in southern Illinois, and the man has been made aware of the situation.

The former houseboat owner told Joliet Patch one of the recent fierce storms that rocked the Joliet area is what caused the houseboat to take on water and start to sink. It remains to be seen if the boat will continue to take on more water and completely submerge underwater.

The former owner believes the houseboat will not become completely submerged and that it has taken in about as much water as it can. Most of the surrounding property along Route 6 is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Egan Marine, he said.

The Joliet City Council on Thursday approved plans for a 795-acre data center, which would be the largest such facility in Illinois.

Only one council member voted against the project. The decision came after months of back and forth over the facility, which would hold servers and storage for artificial intelligence.

The proposed site would go in a rural field right next to the Chicagoland Speedway at the intersection of Rowell and Bernhard roads. That's where 24 buildings housing the equipment would be built on what is currently farm land. The developer, HW Technology Park Development LLC, said the project would be up and running in 2030.

"This annexation agreement sets clear expectations for infrastructure, services, and community benefits while helping ensure the project moves forward in a responsible way," Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty said in a statement. "It also delivers substantial new revenue for local taxing bodies and longterm financial benefits for the community."

At a public hearing on the data center on Monday, Joliet officials listened to several hours of comments from the public, mostly from people opposed to the data center over concerns about its impact on health and utility bills. Public comments lasted so long at Monday night's meeting, the council had to delay the vote on the data center until Thursday.

The crowd attending Thursday's council meeting was so large, some had to sit in the lobby to listen in. At one point, police officers removed people who were talking out of turn.

The vote was met with a lot of emotion, with some people in Joliet in tears over what the project will mean for their community. Others welcomed the move with applause, optimistic it could bring in more jobs.

"I'm extremely disappointed today after the vote," Serena Guzman said. "I would like to say that I would like to see committees that involve our Spanish-speaking communities. I am so disappointed that there are two Hispanics up there that have failed your community. There is one person up there with a backbone."

Thomas Fulara, a union member, said he supported the data center because of the jobs it would bring in for the construction industry.

Longtime Joliet resident Kathleen Garthus said other development in the city has left her homeless, and she's devastated to see the pattern continue.

"It affects your whole life. Your quality of life is gone, your peace and quietness is gone, and your health suffers," she said.

ComEd officials have said the energy needed to keep the center operating would not raise electric bills for residents or businesses. The developer said no water would be needed to cool the facility, only to get it up and running. They also said it could bring Joliet $2 billion in tax revenue.

Joliet officials estimated the project would create 7,000 to 10,000 construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs. The developer also has pledged $100 million to improve sidewalks, streets, and other city services in Joliet.

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JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) -- The Joliet City Council chambers as well as several overflow rooms were packed on Monday night, mostly with opponents who do not want a data center in town.

Developers have proposed building the largest data center in the state near Bernhard and Rowell.

It is about 800 acres of mostly farmland near the Joliet speedway. Developers say it is an ideal site for what they are calling the Joliet Technology Center.

The city's plan commission has already approved the project. But many of the residents at Monday night's meeting spoke out against the center, urging city council members to reject it.

Residents cited environmental concerns about water and electricity consumption. They also raised concerns about noise generated by the plant. Those are all issues, they say, that convinced several other Chicago-area communities to reject data centers.

One resident presented nearly 5,000 petition signatures against the center.

SEE ALSO | More data centers coming to Illinois as residents complain about noise, electric bills: What to know

Meanwhile, supporters of the development say it will provide thousands of construction jobs and 700 full-time jobs once the center is completed.

And the company has promised $100 million in payments directly to the city. Analysts have predicted that the site would generate about $2 billion annually in tax revenue.

A number of union leaders representing trade organizations urged the council to approve the center, saying it would create much needed jobs for the community. Joliet's Chamber of Commerce agrees.

"The data center is a great project. That's huge for Joliet," said union leader Tom White.

The city council committed to letting everyone who wanted to speak get an opportunity. As of 10 p.m. Monday, the meeting had been going on for over four hours with no end sight.

Tomczak Law Group Attorney Anna Rose Bertani said, "It is time to stop this vindictive action against Councilman Moreno."

(The following edited press release was issued on Monday by the downtown Joliet law firm of Tomczak Law Group.)

JOLIET, IL — The Tomczak Law Group, in conjunction with Odelson, Murphey, Frazier, & McGrath, Ltd. and Attorney Frank Andreano, achieved victory against Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow and his attempt to remove Councilman Juan Moreno, Jr. (D) nearly six months after he was duly elected by the Citizens of Joliet. Glasgow’s challenge to Mr. Moreno’s election came directly after his failed attempt to remove Cesar Guerrero (D) from the ballot.

On Monday morning, a Motion for Summary Judgment was granted in favor of Moreno, with the Honorable Will County Circuit Judge Jennifer Lynch finding that “the time for objections to the Respondent’s (Moreno’s) candidacy and judicial review of the same has long since passed.”

As a result, the State’s Attorney’s Office may be required to pay fees for their frivolous lawsuit.

This marks the third time the Office of James W. Glasgow has sought to attack either the candidacy or the election of minority candidates, with Moreno being the second Hispanic elected official Glasgow’s office has attacked.

Attorney Burt Odelson previously defeated James Glasgow through Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Pyles in the matter of Guerrero, who is currently serving as the Supervisor of the Joliet Township Government.

Guerrero’s case was argued before the Third District Appellate Court just last week.

In Monday's press release, Tomczak Law Group Attorney Anna Rose Bertani remarked, "It is time to stop this vindictive action against Councilman Moreno. The Court has clearly held that this action is not only ill conceived, but without merit in its entirety. It is nothing more than a personal and unfounded attack on Joliet’s top vote getting Councilman. I strongly urge the State to immediately withdraw their Notice of Appeal and allow Councilman Moreno to move on with his political career and continue serving the people of Joliet.”

Attorney Burt Odelson said, “Every now and then an elected official exceeds their authority and hurts people with far less means. This was such a case.”

Councilman Moreno said, “I want to personally thank Anna Rose Bertani, Frank Andreano, and Burt Odelson for their wonderful legal work defending my candidacy and election. The Citizens of Joliet elected me to represent them on the City Council. These fine attorneys and their work on this case will allow me to continue to serve them. I hope everyone knows that I am not a man of great means. I am a union worker trying to make ends meet while doing my best to serve my community. Obviously, the costs in this matter are more prohibitive and come at great expense to my family and their future. On the other hand, Mr. Glasgow’s and Mr. Pyles’s vindictive attack costs them personally nothing.

"Unfortunately, the Joliet and Will County Taxpayers are forced to bear the brunt of this spiteful litigation. I call upon Mr. Glasgow to finally do the right thing and terminate this litigation immediately.”

By Monday evening, Joliet Patch learned that Will County State's Attorney Glasgow had already filed his appeal in the Moreno case to the Third District Appellate Court.

Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce Announces 2026 Great Teachers

Congratulations to the Joliet Public Schools District 86 teachers who were named 2026 Joliet Area Great Teachers by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Twenty-six educators were recognized at a banquet held at the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate on March 9, 2026. Hundreds of teachers were nominated by students, parents, colleagues, administrators, or community members for the annual award.

This year’s Joliet Public Schools District 86 winning teachers include Vanessa Barrera, M.J. Cunningham Elementary; A.J. Galli, Pershing Elementary; Clifford Hunt, Hufford Junior High; Amy Johnson, Gompers Junior High; Cynthia Morgan, Lynne Thigpen Elementary; and Julie Savaglio from Gompers Junior High School.

Vanessa Barrera has spent over 25 years in education, including the last eight years at M.J. Cunningham Elementary School. She currently serves as a bilingual kindergarten teacher. A.J. Galli student taught at Cunningham and has spent the last 10 years at Pershing Elementary School, where he currently teaches fourth grade.

For the past 25 years, Clifford Hunt has served as the Director of the Hufford Junior High Quadrant Orchestras, sharing his love of music with students at Cunningham, Farragut, Thomas Jefferson, Forest Park Individual Education, Pershing, Carl Sandburg Elementary Schools, and Hufford Junior High School.

Amy Johnson and Julie Savaglio are both teachers at Gompers Junior High School. Amy is an eighth-grade social studies teacher and has been in Joliet Public Schools District 86 for the past 14 years. Julie serves as a health teacher and has been in education for more than 17 years.

Cynthia Morgan, currently a fourth-grade teacher at Lynne Thigpen Elementary School, has nurtured and motivated students for more than 28 years.

“Thank you to the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce for recognizing so many amazing teachers in the area, including our own great teachers,” said Joliet Public Schools District 86 Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse, “I am proud and grateful to have so many wonderful teachers supporting our students and families across the district.”