Good morning, Joliet.

A federal judge ruled that the Department of Education must reinstate mental health grants for K-12 schools after Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul + 16 attorneys general sued over the abrupt cut that endangered about 1,300 professionals and nearly 775,000 students; officials will soon meet to set a timeline.

Joliet Central High School electronics students restored Andy the Ambulance, a fire department safety tool, over several months.

Under the guidance (Nicole Gubbins) they updated its lights, voice box, eye mechanism and water-squirting system (joining Freddie the Fire Truck) to support hands-on education.

St. Francis senior lineman Jaylen Torres was named the 2025 Kane County Chronicle Football Player of the Year after his strong play on both offense and defense helped his team win its first state title since 2008.

He recorded 114 tackles and 64 pancake blocks.

Minooka Indians won 49-29 over Montini with Madelyn Kiper scoring 27 points (Naya Carter was injured) and improving their record to 12-1.

Joliet Catholic and Joliet Central showed progress as young players stepped up in close wins to turn their seasons around.

Tuesday's sports round-up showed Lincoln-Way West girls basketball finished third at the St. Viator Tournament in Arlington Heights after Mackenzie Roesner scored 17 points.

Other local teams won matches and set up Friday contests + tournaments spanned Batavia, Wilmette, and Seneca.