WAM 3 Communicator

 Smile League Dental is a dental office in Joliet, Illinois with a commitment to providing top quality dental care (according to the Joliet Patch). The services they provide are general dentistry, emergency dentist, cosmetic dentist, etc... According to the Joliet Patch Smile League Dental is said to have experienced and caring dental professionals, convenient location and flexible scheduling, and affordable treatment options. Smile League Dental is located off of 3587 Hennepin Drive and is open from 9 am to 6 pm Mondays through Friday's, 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.  Smile League Dental is one of the top-rated dental offices in the Joliet area (according to the Joliet patch). This dental office has many resources to book an appointment such as their website https://smileleaguedental.com and phone number (815) 782-6243. Smile League Dental also has a blog on their website with the purpose of being an educational resource as it talks about Medicaid, Dental i...

  Photo Via: Will County Jail A man has been arrested after stealing from a Walmart in Joliet.  58-year-old Paul Schenk was placed under arrest after he allegedly walked out of the Walmart located on the 2400 Block of West Jefferson Street in Joliet with stolen merchandise this past weekend.  Joliet Police responded to the store around 1:45 p.m. Friday afternoon following a report that someone had stolen merchandise. Schenk had allegedly attempted to walk out of the store with $60 worth of merchandise stuffed inside of his clothes. Schenk was confronted and detained by employees until police arrived at the scene.  Schenk was officially charged with retail theft.  According to the Joliet Patch , Schenk had an active warrant out for his arrest from Champaign County at the time of this incident. The warrant had been issued for failure to appear in court. The criminal charge he had received prior was for criminal damage to property, Champaign County Jail records sho...

 People in Joliet know that Halloween is a time for ghosts, goblins, and haunted graves. But this year, the spirit of the season has taken a more creative turn inside City Hall. The Joliet Police Department and the Joliet Fire Department are two of the local agencies who are taking part in a fun pumpkin decoration contest with a musical twist. City workers look forward to this fun autumn event every year. It challenges departments to paint pumpkins with a similar theme. This year's subject is music and music artists, and City Hall has become a gallery of musical tributes that show off both comedy and creative brilliance. There is a beautiful display of pumpkins at the City Manager's office that honors some of the most famous musicians in the world. There are some great tributes to the late Ozzy Osbourne and the famous rock band Metallica. Country lovers will like the pumpkin that looks like Dolly Parton, while pop fans will like the one that looks like the Spice Girls. T...

Photo credit: Brianna Cottrell, Google BY: Morgan Jensen St. Joseph Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet. It is located at 416 N. Chicago St. Joliet, IL. The church has Mass on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Sundays.  St. Joseph parish has a lot of way to get involved in serving others. They just participated in a campaign for Waterleaf's Baby Bottles for Life Campaign the beginning of October. This campaign raises money for local families. The organization helps give men and women physical, emotional and spiritual support as they face pregnancy-related circumstances.  In the second half of October, the parish participated in "Undy Sunday" a collection of basic needs items for the clients of the Catholic Charities. This year they focused on collecting items such as: diapers, Pull Ups, baby wipes, and new boy's and girl's socks and underwear. This collection ended Oct. 26 and supported the people wit...

WCSF to host Annual Rummage Sale By: Scarlett LaBuda Image from WCSF Facebook The USF radio station, 88.7 WCSF, will be hosting its Annual Rummage Sale this year on November 15. The “Mega Music Rummage Sale” will take place on the St. Clare campus on the corner of Plainfield Road and Theodore Street. The sale will be in the Assembly Hall and will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Rummage Sale attendees will have the opportunity to pay $20 for Earlybird admission to get into the sale an hour early.  This sale is dependent on donations that WCSF receives throughout the year. People have the opportunity to donate any used media they no longer need. Hidden gems can be found in the sale in a variety of forms, including LPs and 45s, compact discs, cassettes, sheet music, movies, music books, musical instruments, stereo equipment and more music-related items.  Items will range in price depending on their condition and demand, with the lowest priced items starting at just o...

  SGA budgets to be cut by 25% The front of Motherhouse at USF. Photo via: Google Maps By Rudy Flores There are many changes that have been announced at the University of St. Francis over the past weeks. Some may know that many staff and faculty members have been laid off, or that the school is around $6 million in debt after it was previously reported that there was only a deficit of only $1 million.  One change that has not been widely publicized throughout campus has been the cuts that have been made to student clubs. At the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22, it was announced that the entire budget of SGA, reported to be $155,000, is going to be cut by 25%.  It is not known at this time how the cuts will affect clubs on campus. At that SGA meeting, club presidents and class senators were asked to fill out a form on how the budget cuts should be spread out. There is a large disparity in how much clubs receive from SGA, with many clubs re...

  Photo Via: Will County Jail A Wilmington man is receiving assault charges for the second time. Andrew Sombraske, 33, spent three days in Will County Jail after allegedly strangling his girlfriend. The Wilmington police department responded to Sombraske’s home on the 300 block of West Kahler Road on Oct. 16. Police reported hearing a man and woman arguing when they arrived at the home. According to the Joliet Patch , the woman told officers Sombraske charged at her and she slapped him in self-defense. Sombraske allegedly grabbed the woman by the wrist and pinned her to the wall in front of their 1-year-old daughter. As she picked up her child, Sombraske pointed a knife at her. She received a superficial cut on her wrist as well as a bruise on her inner thigh, according to court files.  Sombraske also allegedly choked the woman for 10 to 15 seconds, leaving bruises on her neck according to police.  Earlier this year the woman had obtained an order of protection against So...

  BY: Morgan Jensen The sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Ronald A. Hicks, is set to visit the campus of University of St. Francis (USF) during the fourth full week of October 2025.  USF's radio station, WCSF, has the opportunity to speak with Bishop Hicks. Anthony Musiala, Radio Station Manager at WCSF has been coordinating and preparing with two students to conduct an interview. The interview will be about 30 minutes long and it will be recorded with the intention of putting it out on the radio station at a later time. Musiala will be the producer for this interview, meaning he will run the sound board. Some things that Bishop Hicks will be discussing include the two newly canonized saints, their stories and how even young people can be an example. He will also talk about living a holy life and the plentiful ministry opportunities on the USF campus and in the larger Joliet community.  There have also been some other appearances made by the Bishop recently. On Oct. ...

 On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., the City of Joliet's Land Use and Economic Development Committee will have a special public hearing in the City Hall Council Chambers at 150 West Jefferson Street. The goal of the workshop is to go over a few important development projects that will affect local growth, infrastructure, and zoning changes. The meeting's agenda includes approving the minutes from the special meeting on September 3, 2025, and giving people a chance to speak out about agenda issues. People from the community who want to speak will have up to four minutes to do so. People who can't make there can send in written remarks ahead of time via email to publiccomment@joliet.gov. One of the most important items on the agenda is a resolution allowing a lease agreement with La Sociedad, Inc., an ordinance approving an amendment to the development agreement for Senior Suites, and a proposal designating an area as the Joliet River Edge Development Zone. Th...

          Event Poster for Human Trafficking Awareness Lecture. Photo Via: CSJU Human Trafficking Awareness Lecture By Rudy Flores             This week at USF the Criminal and Social Justice Department, along with the Career Success Center and the Criminal Social Justice Charter Club (CSJU) will be hosting a special guest lecture on human trafficking awareness. The lecture will be taking place on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at noon in the Sexton Auditorium, located in Tower Hall.  This event has been planned during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, something that the three collaborators took into account. Along with this, the event goes along with Alpha Phi Sigma’s, Criminal and Social Justice Department’s honors society, academic theme of the year, human trafficking.  While the event is held by these three clubs, they are bringing in the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Special Victims Unit to give the presentation. In...

T hieves steal historic artifacts from Louvre Museum Image from Landon Kerr depicting the Apollon Gallery ceiling. By: Scarlett LaBuda  On Sunday, October 19 the Louvre Museum, one of the most visited museums in the world, was hit by thieves in just four minutes. The Louvre closed for the remainder of the day and the following Monday to investigate how the thieves did it and how they got away with it in broad daylight.  The heist occurred just half an hour after the museum opened with visitors already gathering inside. This is being considered one of the highest profile heists in living history. Staff of the Louvre museum explained that as their staff thins, the crowds still come leaving the remaining staff strained and stressed from being overworked.  The Louvre museum located in Paris is a national art museum and is considered one of the most famous museums in the world. The Louvre museum is well known for being the home of the Mona Lisa painting. While this is what it ...

City officials said that work on the County Line Road Widening and Resurfacing Project will start on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 8 a.m. For the duration of the operation, Tom Giarrante Drive will be completely closed at the intersection of County Line Road. There will be a sign showing a diversion route that will take drivers to Hadrian Drive. The major purpose of the project is to widen County Line route to four lanes between Kennedy Drive and Van Dyke Road to make traffic flow better and make the route safer. Along with broadening, the work will also entail putting in a box culvert extension under the newly widened road, repairing the old pavement, and installing and adjusting storm sewers. New curbs, sidewalks, street lights, and seed restoration in all disturbed areas along the east side of County Line Road are also planned. During the work, one lane of traffic in each direction will be open, thanks to temporary traffic management and safety measures. As construction goes on...

 Dan's Homemade Candies is a small candy shop off Plainfield Road and East Cass Street in the Joliet area. This shop sells a wide range of sweet treats such as chocolate malt balls, candy apples, popcorn and even their best sellers (Barks, assorted chocolates, dandies and caramels). Dan's Homemade Candies has been around since 1919 with a sheer determination to serve the Joliet community with the fresh homemade treats that they serve on a daily basis. Dan's Homemade Candies is also good for delivering their product all across Joliet. Their western location (Plainfield Road) is open from 9:00am to 5:30pm Mondays through Saturday's and closed on Sunday's, as for the eastern location (East Cass Street) they are also open from 9:00am to 5:30pm Mondays through Friday's. Dan's Homemade Candies was founded by Dan McGowan alongside his wife with the passion of serving the community with fresh homemade candies. Dan's Homemade Candies also serves sugar free treats...

Photo Via: Will County Jail Reginald Rogers, 33, is in Will County Jail after he struck a victim in the head. Police responded to Rogers residence on 317 Youngs Avenue just before 2 a.m. on Sept. 27. A 36-year-old man was found on the lawn of the residence with injuries.  According to the Joliet Patch, the victim sustained a laceration on his forehead after Rogers had struck him with a handgun. Rogers allegedly pointed the gun at the victim after the attack. The victim refused to go to the hospital.  After the incident, Police obtained a warrant for the arrest of Rogers and a warrant to search his home.  Last Friday, a shelter in place warning was issued to the area around Rogers’ residence. The Joliet Police Department Special Operations Squad raided the home and arrested Rogers. After a search of the home, a loaded magazine as well as two handguns were recovered.   Rogers has officially been charged with armed habitual criminal charges and aggravated battery. ...

  By: Rodolfo Flores Dr. Hnedrickson walking off after the inauguration. Photo Via: Julie Zuniga Dr. Ryan Hendrickson, chosen as the tenth president of the University of St. Francis (USF) on Feb. 18, was officially inaugurated into his position during a ceremony on Oct. 3 at the Pat Sullivan Center. While more of a symbolic gesture, as Dr. Hendrickson has been in his role as President of the University since July, the event was a great success in bringing many members of the University together.  The inauguration had a great turnout of staff, students, alumni and many other members of the Joliet community. Multiple USF sports teams were present in their gear, including the softball team, women’s basketball team, and the men’s and women’s cross country teams. Helping run the event were the Saints Ambassadors, led by Krzysztof Noga who was the American Flag Bearer in the opening procession. During that opening procession, students of different nationalities followed Noga in with...

  Published professor at USF By: Scarlett LaBuda Image from USF Newsroom Professor Anna Iones of the USF English department, who teaches American Literature, writing, and cultural theory, has announced the release of her newest book, “Painful Forms: Aesthetic Violence in American Literature and Art, 1945-2001 ,” set to be available Oct. 21. This book is being published by the University of North Carolina Press.  Iones’s book is a work of literary criticism that explores five forms of displaying violence in a post-war era. Painful Forms explores a depth of analysis not previously seen of US figures portrayed through US art and literature.  In “Painful Forms” Professor Iones explores a concept coined aesthetic violence. Aesthetic violence is described as the experience of trying to make sense of artworks that are in fact designed to thwart or frustrate our sense-making strategies. While aesthetic violence was originally a term utilized only in the visual arts, Iones makes t...

Photo credit: stfrancis.edu BY: Morgan Jensen The Diocese of Joliet announced on Sept. 3, 2025 that they will be partnering up with the University of St. Francis (USF) to order admissions scholarships. The University of St. Francis is a Franciscan university located in Joliet, Ill. The Diocese will be implementing this scholarship in order to advance students' education while keeping them engaged with the Catholic church. The university collaborated with the Diocese, creating something called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU states that graduates of the Diocese-affiliated high schools will be guaranteed admission to the USF. This opportunity will be available to students who have graduated from the following high schools: Benet Academy, Bishop McNamara Catholic School, IC Catholic Catholic Prep, Joliet Catholic Academy, Montini Catholic, Providence Catholic and St. Francis. Students who qualify for this will also be able to earn the Joliet Franciscan Scholars award of u...

                                                           Photo Via: Patch.com  Two men were hurt in a shooting and stabbing in Joliet Township on Tuesday, and a 25-year-old guy is now being charged with a felony. The Will County Sheriff's Office says Maximiliano Lara has been charged with an aggravated battery/use of a deadly weapon, which is a crime. Officials from the sheriff's office said that more charges could be brought as the probe goes on. Around 11:45 a.m., deputies were called to the 1400 block of Elgin Avenue because there had been reports of a shooting. Police said that when they got there, they found a 66-year-old guy with a gunshot wound to his leg. The man was taken to a nearby hospital to get help. A second person with a stab wound was also found at the scene. Deputies said the man got help right away at the sc...