UPDATE AS OF 3:45PM - Phelan Acre residents are now allowed to go back to their homes. Emergency personnel has just decided that the area roadways are clear of water. If Nicor utilities are turned off in your home a professional HVAC serviceman will have to check your service for safety before the utility can be restored to your home.
All roadways in the Wilmington area are currently safe and open. -end-
Update as of 3pm:
The Kankakee River has continued to receed throughout the day. Emergency personnel remain in staging areas in case of unpredictable changes in the water.
PHELAN ACRES RESIDENTS are being advised to stay away from the area until tomorrow morning. Although water levels have dropped considerably it remains dangerous for people to be in the area. If conditions remain to improve throughout the evening, residents may return to their homes at daylight. Sheriff's deputies will not be allowing residents into the area until then.
If residents have any questions they may call the EMA hotline at: 815-724-1617. -end-
Update as of 1:30pm:
Emergency personnel remain in the area and continue monitoring conditions along the Kankakee River. They are now in a maintenance phase. The Kankakee River remains highly unpredictable. No new areas along the river have been identified as being on hightened alert at this time.
The Phelan Acres neighborhood has been evacuated.
Blodgett Road and I55 to Will Road has now been closed due to water on Blodgett making it impassable.
Harold Damron, Director of Will County Emergency Management, will have an update at 3pm at the City of Wilmington, Village Hall, 1165 S. Water Street in Wilmington.
EMA hotline has been set up for residents. 815-724-1617 There is no voice mail available so please call back if no one answers.
-end-
Will County Emergency Management, ESDA, Will County Sheriff's Office, and several emergency area agencies are now on hand in the evacuation of Phelan Acres in Wilmington. Area residents are being advised to leave their homes until the rising water and ice move through. Utilities in the area are being monitored closely. Residents should plan to be out of their homes for at least a few days. Once water receeds utilities will have to be restored and checked.
The following roads, west of the City of Wilmington are closed around these intersections: Cottage and Lorenzo, Will and Willow, Blodgett and Kelly, Will and Lorenzo and Will and Cottage. Roads are closed along the river in the Phelan Acres subdivision. Houses on Cottage have been evacuated.
The City of Wilmington is currently not being effected by the water.
Director of Will County Emergency Management, Harold Damron, will be speaking at a press conference at 11:30am at the Wilmington City Hall, to give an update on the situation.
A hotline for the public is being set up for residents who are looking for updated information: 815-724-1617.
Updates will be made available as new information is received.
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announces that it will be awarding over $50,000 in college scholarships throughout the State of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2019-2020 academic year. The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books and fees only. The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within the State of Illinois.
A scholarship for $1,000.00 will be awarded by the Will County Sheriff.
There will be no restriction on any applicant because of race, age, creed, color, sex or national origin. The only limitations are as follows:
Applications are now available on-line at www.willcosheriff.org
Students must complete the application; answer the essay question and return all documentation to the Sheriff’s office by March 15, 2019 (must be postmarked by this date).
Return completed application to:
Will County Sheriff
Attn: Carol Stein
16911 W. Laraway Road, Suite 101
Joliet, IL 60433
In September 2018, the Will County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a northern suburban police department regarding a possible criminal sexual assault that had occurred in Peotone Township. The information stated that a female juvenile conveyed to school officials that back in July of 2018, while at a party with family members in Peotone, she was sexually assaulted by Isai Moreno, (age 26, of 121 N. 15th Avenue in Melrose Park).
Sheriff’s detectives began investigating the incident and interviewed Moreno in December. Moreno made statements incriminating himself during that questioning. On January 23, 2019, detectives obtained and served an arrest warrant for Moreno. He was charged with Aggravated criminal sexual abuse/over 5 yrs. old; (2 counts) Criminal sexual assault/13-17 yrs. old; and (2 counts) Criminal sexual assault/family member. He is being held at the Adult Detention Facility without bond and will appear in video court sometime today. -END-