Fairmont students will have a safer walk to school thanks to an Illinois Safe Routes to School grant awarded to Will County.

Protecting local students was the driving force behind seeking this $75,000 grant which will pay for the engineering and construction of 1,000 feet of sidewalk leading to the school, said Will County Executive Larry Walsh.

The Will County Land Use Department has been recognized nationally for its efforts in bringing government to the people and enhancing the transparency of its operations.

The Department was notified that it had won the American Society for Public Administration’s 2012 Public Integrity Award, which will be presented March 6 during the ASPA awards ceremony in Las Vegas.

The Workforce Services Division of Will County has announced the February schedule of its Mobile Workforce Center.

The mobile unit travels throughout Will County to help residents with resume development, cover letters, and job applications. The traveling workforce center contains 11 computer stations, high speed internet, and offers keyboarding lessons, as well as resume and job search assistance.

The Workforce Services Division of Will County has announced the February schedule of its six-workshop series.

"Workforce Services has developed some wonderful workshops to aid our residents," said Will County Executive Larry Walsh, who oversees WSD. "These classes will give residents an edge when looking for and applying for jobs."

The Will County Land Use Department and the County Board’s Ordinance Review Subcommittee will host two workshops to give residents an opportunity to comment on proposed changes to its zoning ordinance.

Dubbed Renewing Will County, the revised draft ordinance for unincorporated areas will be discussed at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Sugar Creek Administration Center, 17510 W. Laraway Road, and at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Frankfort Township office, 11000 W. Lincoln Highway, Frankfort.

The Workforce Services Division of Will County has announced the January schedule of its six-workshop series.

"Workforce Services has developed some wonderful workshops to aid our residents," said Will County Executive Larry Walsh, who oversees WSD. "These classes will give residents an edge when looking for and applying for jobs."

The January schedule of the Will County Mobile Workforce Center has been released.

The Workforce Services Division’s mobile unit travels throughout Will County to help residents with resume development, cover letters, and job applications. The traveling workforce center contains 11 computer stations, high speed internet, and offers keyboarding lessons, as well as resume and job search assistance.

Will County reminds residents of change in Illinois electronics recycling laws effective Jan. 1, 2012

Small and personal electronics will be banned from landfills in 2012

The Will County Land Use Department wants to remind all residents that effective Jan. 1, 2012, a number of personal electronic items will not be accepted into any Illinois landfills. This is in accordance with a new Illinois State Law SB2106 (P.A. 97-0287) which went into effect August 2011 that has drastically limited the types of items that can be disposed in landfills.

Marta Keane, Will County recycling specialist, co-chaired the Illinois Recycling Association’s E-Scrap Task Force which played a large role in advancing this new legislation. The association’s focus is on creating convenient methods of recycling and educating the public about the importance of keeping recyclables out of the waste stream, said Keane.