ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, joined community members and residents as a sponsor of the packed Wesglen Park for a “Touch of Magic” themed Romeoville Park Party.

The second of four Park Parties this summer, this one included appearances from recognizable Disney characters, inflatables and games, to celebrate the start of summer.

“Summer is always more fun when we can spend time with our families outdoors,” Rep. Manley said. “The Romeoville Park District has some great events planned all summer long.”

The next Park Party will be held on July 21 at Sunset Park, 729 Murphy Dr., in collaboration with Lockport Township.

Hot dogs, chips and drinks were provided for the first 300 attendees provided by the Hampton Park Social Athletic Club.

Rep. Manley is also sponsoring the Sept. 8 Community Day of Play at Field Stone Park 2019 W. Ashbrooke Rd, which is a collaboration with Plainfield Park District.

All the park parties are held from 5-7 p.m. Wesglen Park is located at 120 S. Wesglen Pkwy.

State Rep. Natalie Manley, said, “The Romeoville Park parties encourage an evening spent with family and friends and is a great way to enjoy the beautiful parks right here close to home.”

JOLIET, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is highlighting a new round of state grants to help fire and EMS departments with small equipment purchases.

“I’m grateful for our dedicated first responders who put their lives on the line to help us each and every day,” Manley said. “It’s critical that they have the tools they need to maximize their capabilities and perform their job safely and effectively. This is helpful funding that will boost resources for local departments and help to make our communities safer.”

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal is awarding $6 million across 260 fire departments and EMS providers statewide as part of the 2026 Small Equipment Grant Program. This funding will support the purchase of firefighting and ambulance equipment that otherwise would not have been bought.

Communities represented by Manley that are receiving funds include:

• Village of Bolingbrook Fire Department: $12,825
• Joliet Fire Department: $26,000
• Plainfield Fire Protection District: $23,580

Additional information about the grant and a full listing of awardees can be viewed at https://sfm.illinois.gov/news/release.html?releaseid=32586.

For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.

JOLIET, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, sponsored the National Hook-Up of Black Women (NHBW) Golf Outing Monday. Rep Manley has been a longtime supporter of the Joliet chapter for many years, and is a sponsor of this event.

This event, titled “Swing for Strength: Driving Change for Domestic Violence Awareness” Golf Outing Fundraiser, highlights the impact of domestic violence and the importance of early intervention and support services.

“Domestic violence awareness is only one of the many critical women’s issues this organization is dedicated to serving,” Rep Manley said. “For over three decades they have worked toward collective change to improve the quality of life for people in our community. It’s been an honor to be a part of this vital organization.”

The outing brought together community leaders, businesses, advocates and supporters for a full day of golf, networking, raffles and awards. Participants enjoyed a welcoming atmosphere focused on generosity, collaboration and hope for survivors and their families. The National Hook-Up of Black Women Inc, Joliet Chapter, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable community service organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and their families through support of the arts, culture, education, health and wellness, and human service program.

The group provides free health and wellness screenings and seminars, as well as free leadership and life skills programs for both girls and boys. They also provide free empowerment seminars for parents in the community, and free books.

“I’ve been a member of NHW for several years, and learning about their literacy program is what drew me to the organization,” Rep. Manley said. “Their literacy program is just one of the impactful ways the NHBW serves the community.”

“Membership reflects a diversity of women from varied businesses, professions and community disciplines crossing all economic, social and educational levels,” according to the organization’s website, www.nhbwjoliet.com.

The event was held at Inwood Golf Course, 3200 W. Jefferson Street, Joliet.

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, was on hand at the Fountaindale Public Library Tuesday to help pass out treats at the annual Ice Cream Social.

Hosted by the Friends of Fountaindale Library, the evening social offered music, games and food. Kids were able to sign up for the library’s Summer Adventures. Also, kids could visit the bookmobile and the Little Red Donut Truck.

“Passing out ice cream and visiting with children and parents is one of my favorite jobs,” Rep. Manley said. “Fountaindale Public Library is an amazing place, with many offerings, creative spaces and services for readers of all ages. I love being there.”

Summer Adventure is Fountaindale’s annual all-ages summer reading and activity programs. Readers can sign up online at fountaindale.org, or at the library. Readers earn points by reading books, visiting the bookmobile, attending library programs, crafting, along with numerous other ways. Prizes are given for readers to achieve 25 or 50 points, including books, plushes and bottle bags. There are also grand prizes awarded, such as gift cards to Target, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The library also hosts events, such as storytime, arts & crafts, STEAM & Maker, computers & tech and adult book clubs. The Studio 300 is a cutting-edge, digital media and maker lab, with creative spaces, expansive equipment and software collections.

The library also offers numerous services, such as license plate renewal, voter registration, test proctoring and notary service.

Fountaindale Public Library District is located at 300 W. Briarcliff Rd., Bolingbrook. For more information about hours, visit fountaindale.org.

Romeo Crossing is the only lighted miracle field in Illinois

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, joined Romeoville Mayor John Noak for the grand opening of the Romeo Crossing Community Park, which includes a fully-accessible “Miracle Field.” It is the only lit miracle field in Illinois.

They were joined by Joliet Junior College President Dr. Clyne Namuo, and representatives of the offices of state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avalar, D-Romeoville, and state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, at the ribbon cutting and park party Tuesday.

Rep. Manley secured over $300,000 funding for this new park, which will include a lighted field designed to ensure that individuals who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices can fully participate in recreational activities.

“This baseball field truly is a miracle, particularly for those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices,” Rep. Manley said. “Giving people – especially children, the chance to cruise the baselines like everyone else is what this new park is all about. I was honored to help make that happen.”

The adaptive sports field also contains a soccer field and a challenge fitness course, with a wide array of climbing obstacles. The playground has several slides and swings, including a wheelchair-accessible swing. The park is next to the sledding hill, and Wiggly Field dog park, which opened in 2024. There is a picnic pavilion and restrooms.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the public joined the fun with an inflatable, DJ music and free hot dogs.

CREST HILL, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, congratulates the City of Crest Hill on the 84th anniversary of the Lidice Memorial, commemorating the 1942 total annihilation of the Village of Lidice, in Czechoslovakia by Adolf Hitler.

The City of Crest Hill held a memorial service Sunday morning, June 7, at the monument located at Hosmer Lane and Prairie Avenue. The subdivision, known as Stern Park, located north of Joliet’s Raynor Park, was the first to be named after the village following the horrific event.

Earlier this week, Rep. Manley read House Resolution 933 at the Crest Hill City Council Meeting, which she offered, honoring Crest Hill’s memorial.

“Let the memory of Lidice never be forgotten,” Rep. Manley said. “This memorial is an international symbol of resistance to Nazi brutality.”

The Story of Lidice, Czechoslovakia:

Beginning June 9, 1942, Hitler ordered the total annihilation of the Village of Lidice in retaliation of the death of a high-ranking Nazi officer. At the time, Hitler falsely claimed that residents of Lidice were linked to the death, when in fact, the officer was killed as the result of a top-secret British and Czechoslovakian operation. 

On that evening, Nazi forces executed 173 men and boys by firing squad in groups of ten. Women and girls were shipped to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where they endured forced labor, medical experimentation and execution in gas chambers. Children were evaluated for potential “Germanization” under Nazi racial laws. Nine children were selected for “Germanization” through the Lebensborn Program. The rest were executed in gas chambers, and placed in orphanages, where few survived.

About 20 Lidice residents who were working away from home were captured in following days and executed.

The entire village was burned and plowed flat, while Hitler broadcast the total destruction as propaganda as to what would happen to anyone who resisted the Nazi rule.

Two days later, in the U.S., a local developer of the Stern Park subdivision, (located north of Raynor Park,) Dominic Romano, became the first person to rename his development after Lidice, dedicating it on July 12, 1942. A year later, Romano rededicated it during a visit by exiled Czechoslovakian President Edvard Benes in May 1943. 

The area known as Lidice, Illinois, was incorporated into the City of Crest Hill in 1960. Also, Crest Hill became a sister city to the Czechoslovakian village.

In 1995, vandals destroyed the monument, which received global attention. Through the generosity of the Czechoslovakian American Congress, and global donations, the original monument was replaced with a larger granite monument, plaza and park. Then, in unity with the Park and Peace and Friendship in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, the City of Crest Hill planted 82 rose bushes, in honor of the 82 innocent Lidice children whom Hitler killed.

“The Lidice Memorial is a national treasure, respected around the world,” Rep. Manley said. “It is an important stop along Route 66 for many national and international visitors.”

CREST HILL, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, offered a House Resolution honoring Crest Hill’s memorial to the Village of Lidice in Czechoslovakia, which was destroyed by Adolf Hitler, in 1942. Rep. Manley read House Resolution 933 Monday at the Crest Hill City Council Meeting.

“The Lidice Memorial that the community of Crest Hill has so dedicatedly nurtured for eight decades is an international symbol of resistance to Nazi brutality,” Rep. Manley said. “Many generations of local volunteers have enhanced it, making certain that Lidice will never be forgotten.”

Beginning June 9, 1942, Hitler ordered the total annihilation of the Village of Lidice in retaliation of the death of a high-ranking Nazi officer. At the time, Hitler falsely claimed that residents of Lidice were linked to the death, when in fact, the officer was killed as the result of a top-secret British and Czechoslovakian operation.

On that evening, Nazi forces executed 173 men and boys by firing squad in groups of ten. Women and girls were shipped to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where they endured forced labor, medical experimentation and execution in gas chambers. Children were evaluated for potential “Germanization” under Nazi racial laws. Nine children were selected for “Germanization” through the Lebensborn Program. The rest were executed in gas chambers, or placed in orphanages, where few survived.

About 20 Lidice residents who were working away from home were captured in following days and executed.

The entire village was burned and plowed flat, while Hitler broadcast the total destruction as propaganda as to what would happen to anyone who resisted the Nazi rule.

Two days later, here in the U.S., a local developer of the Stern Park subdivision, (located north of Rayor Park,) Dominic Romano, became the first person to rename his development after Lidice, dedicating it on July 12, 1942. A year later, Romano rededicated it during a visit by exiled Czechoslovakian President Edvard Benes in May 1943.

The area known as Lidice, Illinois, was incorporated into the City of Crest Hill in 1960. Also, Crest Hill became a sister city to the Czechoslovakian village.

In 1995, vandals destroyed the monument, which received global attention. Through the generosity of the Czechoslovakian American Congress, and global donations, the original monument was replaced with a larger granite monument, plaza and park. Then, in unity with the Park and Peace and Friendship in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, the City of Crest Hill planted 82 rose bushes, in honor of the 82 innocent Lidice children whom Hitler killed.

“There is good reason why this jewel of Crest Hill has become a destination stop for visitors along the Historic Route 66, who come from around the world,” Rep. Manley said. I want to particularly thank Mayor Ray Soliman, and Council Member Tina Oberlin, along with countless other past mayors, community members and volunteers, who have dedicated their time to this memorial. Because of them, the memory of those children and people of Lidice will never die.”

The Lidice Memorial stands at Hosmer Lane and Prairie Avenue in Crest Hill. There will be a memorial celebration Sunday, June 7, at 11 a.m. commemorating the 84th anniversary of the Lidice Memorial, which is in conjunction with the Route 66’s 100th anniversary, and the USA’s 250th anniversary.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the spring legislative session concludes, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is highlighting her efforts to address affordability, increase investment in schools and advance support for people who are neurodivergent. 

“Families are struggling to make ends meet, which has been a focus for me here in Springfield,” Manley said. “Illinoisans are counting on us, state legislators, because they know they can’t rely on Washington.”

Highlights of Manley’ affordability agenda include:

• Freezing the state gas tax and instituting a sales tax holiday (Senate Bill 3019),
• Granting everyone access to digital coupons so that the price people see is the price they pay for groceries and other items (House Bill 45),
• Developing new safeguards against artificial intelligence (AI) schemes that use a consumer’s personal data to raise prices on them (House Bill 4248),
• Creating new transparency requirements to crack down on hidden junk fees (House Bill 228),
• Preventing unfair insurance increases designed to pad profits or make Illinois customers cover losses in higher-risk states (Senate Bill 1486), and
• Supporting utility relief by helping more households access home energy assistance (House Bill 4456).

Also on Monday, Manley supported a responsible and compassionate state budget that increases investment in education, reinforces essential services for seniors and prioritizes support for first responders. Reflecting uncertainty in Washington, the measure strengthens support for critical healthcare services people rely on.

“Our country is facing pessimistic financial uncertainty,” Manley said. “It is more important now than ever to adopt a responsible budget that prepares for these challenges, and puts us on better financial footing moving forward.”

As a founding co-chair of the first-of-its-kind bipartisan, bicameral Illinois Legislative Neurodiversity Caucus, Manley continued to support legislation to help make the lives better for the 15-20% of Illinoisans who identify as being neurodivergent, as well as their families.

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of natural variations in brain function, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, Tourette’s syndrome, dyscalculia (difficulty with math) and dysgraphia (difficulty with writing), numerous rare brain disorders and many others.

Manley successfully passed House Bill 5225, which enables qualified speech-language pathologists to diagnose autism spectrum disorder in children under age three, addressing bottleneck wait times and helping families access care sooner when every moment matters for early brain development.

“People with neurodiversity are a vulnerable and underserved community,” Manley said. “There’s still more work to do, but legislation like this is going to change the trajectory of lives for the better. It underscores what we can accomplish when we put politics aside and focus on making life better for the people we serve.”

For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Recognizing that medical examiners and coroners regularly deal with difficult scenes, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, sponsored and supported a plan that would expand insurance coverage for mental health counseling services for these professionals. 

“The work that coroners and medical examiners perform is not easy, but it’s necessary,” Manley said. “They see a lot of the same trauma our first responders do, and it makes sense to ensure they receive the same access to mental health support.”

Under current practice, municipalities and counties that oversee employee health insurance coverage must provide mental health counseling to defined first responders – including firefighters, police and emergency medical services personnel – without a deductible, co-insurance, copayment or other cost sharing requirement.

The Manley-backed Senate Bill 2770 updates this definition to include county medical examiners and coroners, as well as their deputies.

“In the worst moments, our community’s first responders work together as a team and enable us all to move forward,” Manley said. “I appreciate the important role our medical examiners and coroners provide, and thank them all for their dedicated service. This measure can provide meaningful assistance that they should take advantage of.”

Senate Bill 2770 passed with bipartisan support, and will now head to the governor for final approval.

For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In coordination with the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, sent a plan to the governor Thursday that will clarify and strengthen provisions in the state’s Behavior Analyst Licensing Act, helping residents access the professional care they deserve.

“This is a needed update that clarifies existing law so we can better protect multidisciplinary care models, increase access to services and ensure clinical decisions remain with licensed professionals delivering care,” Manley said. “These are technical changes in our law, but they have real world impact to support our skilled professionals.”

The Manley-led Senate Bill 712 applies to licensed behavioral analysts in the following ways:

• Protects multidisciplinary practices by explicitly including behavior analysis as a related profession with Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy;
• Strengthens consumer protection by explicitly stating that only licensed clinicians can make decisions regarding clinical care;
• Increases access to ABA services by explicitly stating that schools and non-for-profit organizations are exempted from the business structure requirement (this structure only applies to privately-owned entities); and
• Updates additional definitions in state statute.

Senate Bill 712 passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support, and will now head to the governor for final approval. For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.