Stanley: Couple share life, job through Joliet police force

From reading the want ads 18 years ago, Christina Grutzius found her calling, her family and some recent recognition. Joliet needed emergency dispatchers and Christina needed a job, but her trainer, Julie Ponce-Doyle, warned her half the new hires wash out right away. Christina could …

Stanley: Drug habit sparks downward spiral for Frankfort woman

Michelle DeFrank got another chance. She’s going to do something with it. She wasn’t offering excuses, but moving from Richton Park to Frankfort when she was in junior high was a rough transition. Being bullied made her more eager to fit in. Besides drinking and …

Stanley: Minooka firefighter to make professional MMA debut

Jimmy Fritz is a firefighter, but the night of April 6 will mark the first time he gets paid for another kind of fighting.

After six years of amateur competitons, the Minooka firefighter will make his professional debut in a mixed martial arts match in …

Stanley: Father shares his pain at Will County drug court

Bill Robinson was looking forward to Thursday afternoon. He had an audience, but the New Lenox man joked that as a father and husband, nobody listens to him. Bill said his son Brandon had a good sense of humor and described him as “a witty …

Stanley: Joliet officer ‘one of the best’

Often the best stories are the ones the journalist wasn’t looking for. And while I didn’t expect to hear it, at the end I wasn’t surprised at all. March 28 marks the first anniversary of Jack Loy’s passing. When Jack retired from the Joliet Police …

Stanley: Day in court goes from funny to sad to tragic

As the bailiff says, there’s never a dull afternoon in bond court. Thursday was no exception as the proceedings shifted from hilarious to intense to sad and back again before Will County Judge Roger Rickmon. Using cameras and microphones, most suspects “appear” in court via …

Stanley: Contemplating a life of crime

Frequently when hearing about a case I have told the cops if everyone behaved logically they would not have jobs. By extension, neither would I. Almost as often the cops tell me, “If they were smart, we wouldn’t be able to catch them.” Now I’m …

Stanley: Shorewood woman’s 12-year odyssey as refugee ended in U.S.

Though I sometimes wish I traveled more, I’m also glad I have the option not to. “I saw a lot of the world, yes, but not as a tourist,” Janine Rychalski told me last week. We were waiting before I interviewed her husband Tony, who …

Stanley: Every queen deserves her ‘Castle’

Card? Check. Flowers? Check. Sliders? Why not. Curiosity got the better of Herald-News customer service liason Angela Lesniewicz this week. After years of seeing messages about Valentine’s Day dinner reservations on the local White Castle signs, she decided to combine her husband Mike’s love of …

Stanley: Birthday cake came with wedding proposal

Jean said she had a “nice” 90th birthday last month, but none are as memorable as her 23rd. Marion “Jean” DeMars grew up in Havre, Mont., and decided to become a nurse. While she was training at Michael Reese Hospital’s School of Nursing, the United …

Stanley: Retiring officer remembers ‘Super Cops’

At every cop retirement I’ve covered, someone always jokes they can’t tell the best stories because the statute of limitations hasn’t expired. Francis Ruettiger’s might be the first time I’ve had concerns it was true. But “Rudy” told everyone that while his mouth got him …

Stanley: 27 years later, murder victim’s family still waits for answers

Despite 27 years of silence, Timothy Blackwell’s sister holds out hope someone knows who killed him.

“Maybe (bringing it up again) can get my family and I the answer we have waited for to close a painful chapter in our lives,” Tiffany McCullum said recently. …

Stanley: Firefighters issue warning about thin ice

Joliet. The City of Champions. The Crossroads of Mid-America.

“And we’ve also become the land of 1,000 retention ponds,” Fire Capt. Ron Fox reminded me last week.

And with an unofficial average of 12-feet deep, those ponds are Fox’s biggest concern as people start playing …

Stanley: 40 years later, family recalls Stateville guard killed in line of duty

Lucille was 15 years old when she met James Zeiger in 1948. Her neighbor liked James’ brother and wanted a one-time double date for a football game. “What I liked the most is he was always a gentleman (with) a lot of charisma,” she recalled …