Honestly, if you're trying to get across the river in Joliet today, you're probably already annoyed. It’s Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and the Cass Street bridge just officially shut down.
This isn't just another "construction as usual" situation. This is part of that massive, multi-year plan by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to move all the downtown bridge controls to one central hub. They’re calling it an upgrade, but for the next six weeks, it basically means a giant headache for anyone using U.S. 30.
The Cass Street Bridge Mess and Your Commute
The bridge closed this morning, and it’s staying that way for about a month and a half. Why? IDOT says they need to take "precise measurements" to prep for the actual mechanical upgrades coming later this spring. It feels a bit like closing a whole kitchen just to measure for new cabinets, but here we are.
If you usually take Cass, you've probably noticed the detour signs pointing everyone toward Scott Street, Ruby Street, and Plainfield Road. It's making the downtown crawl even slower. The long-term goal is actually pretty cool—having one person in one room controlling all the lifts—but the short-term reality is just more idling in traffic.
Joliet IL News Today: The District 86 Situation
Beyond the traffic, the biggest story hitting the city right now is coming out of Joliet Public Schools District 86. There's a school board meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at the J.F. Kennedy Administrative Center, and the agenda just got a serious last-minute update.
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The board is moving to officially fire Jeremy Ledesma.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s been all over the local police blotters lately. Ledesma was a custodian for the district, working at Eisenhower Academy and Keith Elementary. He’s currently sitting in the Will County Jail facing multiple counts of possessing child sex abuse materials.
What most people are getting wrong
There’s a lot of chatter online about how this was handled. Some people think he was still in the schools recently. According to Superintendent Theresa Rouse, the district actually pulled him from the buildings back in October 2025 as soon as they heard about the police investigation.
- He hasn't been in a school for months.
- He passed his initial FBI and state background checks in 2022.
- The charges don't actually involve anything that happened on school grounds.
Still, the fact that he was working around kids while under investigation is a tough pill for parents to swallow. His detention hearing was supposed to be today, but his lawyer couldn't make it, so a judge pushed it back to Thursday. For now, he stays behind bars.
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Brown’s Chicken Makes a Comeback
On a lighter note, if you’ve been missing that specific buttermilk batter, Brown’s Chicken is officially back in Joliet. They just opened up at 410 S. Chicago St. over the weekend.
It’s kind of a nostalgia trip for locals. We used to have locations on Jefferson and South Larkin years ago, but they’ve been gone for a while. Seeing a new business open up on the south side is a nice change of pace from the usual "store closing" headlines we've been seeing across the region lately.
Safety Warnings and the "Puffing" Problem
The Joliet Police Department put out a specific warning this week that everyone needs to hear. Winter is fully here, and car thefts are spiking.
The big issue? "Puffing." That’s when you leave your car running in the driveway to warm it up while you pop back inside for your coffee. It takes about five seconds for someone to hop in and drive off. JPD is basically begging people to stop doing this, especially with the recent rise in vehicle hijackings across the state.
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The Bigger Picture for 2026
Since we're just hitting the stride of 2026, it's worth noting that the city is actually in a weirdly stable spot financially. The City Council passed the budget last month, and for the second year in a row, there is no property tax increase.
That’s almost unheard of in Illinois.
They’re leaning heavily on the "Rebuild Illinois" funds and the gambling revenue from the casinos to keep things afloat without squeezing homeowners. Most of that money is earmarked for public safety and—you guessed it—more bridge and road work.
Actionable Steps for Joliet Residents Today:
If you live or work in the area, here is what you actually need to do to stay ahead of the chaos:
- Check the Detour: If you're heading Westbound on U.S. 30, give yourself an extra 15 minutes. The Scott Street to Ruby Street detour is already bottlenecking.
- Attend the Workshop: The city is holding a "Comprehensive Plan" workshop on January 14 (tomorrow) at City Hall. It’s focused on open space and parks. If you want a say in how the riverfront looks after all these bridge repairs are done, that’s where you need to be at 6:30 p.m.
- Secure Your Vehicle: Don't leave your car running unattended. Even if you think you’re in a "safe" neighborhood, the police are seeing these thefts happen everywhere from the West Side to the Cathedral Area.
- Watch the Board Meeting: If you're a District 86 parent, the Wednesday night meeting (Jan 14) is open to the public. It starts at 6 p.m. at 420 N. Raynor Ave. This is the best place to ask about updated vetting processes for school staff.
Joliet is a city in transition right now. Between the massive I-80 reconstruction and the total overhaul of the downtown bridges, the landscape is literally shifting. Stay patient with the traffic, keep your car locked, and maybe grab some fried chicken to take the edge off the commute.