Every year brings change and this year looks to bring maybe more than usual across the Joliet region.

Here are some of the top stories that will get 2026 off to a fast start.

Next bishop

The Diocese of Joliet will need a new bishop in 2026.

Bishop Ronald Hicks leaves Feb. 6 to become archbishop of New York, an appointment announced by Pope Leo XIV on Dec. 18.

The diocese has been silent on the process for selecting the next bishop. But it’s basically up to the pope to appoint the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Joliet.

Joliet data center

The coming year should tell whether Joliet becomes home to one of the largest data centers in Illinois.

The plan for a 795-acre Joliet Technology Center has been on hold since city officials took it off a Plan Commission agenda in October as local residents began to voice concerns.

Even with the data center off agendas, residents have continued to show up at Plan Commission and City Council meetings to protest the plan. Developer Hillwood, meanwhile, has created a website promoting the project, saying it will create more than 7,000 construction jobs.

JCA stadium

Joliet Catholic Academy will or won’t begin building expanded outdoor sports facilities depending on an upcoming Joliet City Council vote on the project.

The JCA plan faces opposition from neighboring residents, mainly because the main attraction is an on-campus football stadium likely to draw a lot of traffic on game nights.

JCA plans to install the field turf for the future stadium in 2026 if it gets city approval. Construction of the stadium could start in 2027.

Will County elections

The 11-11 split between Democrats and Republicans on the Will County Board could change after the Nov. 3 election.

Sixteen of the 22 county board seats will be on the ballot.

The election also will include races for sheriff, clerk, treasurer and regional superintendent of schools. The primary election is March 17.

Route 66 and Rialto centennials

The year 2026 is the 100th anniversary year for historic Route 66 and the Rialto Square Theatre.

The city of Joliet, one of many Will County towns along the route of the historic highway, hopes to see increased numbers of visitors and tourists because of both centennials.

Joliet is completing construction of its new City Square across Chicago Street from the Rialto Square Theatre with an opening date targeted for April 1.

School leadership

Some Will County school districts will see new leaders come on board in 2026.

Joliet Public Schools District 86 will be searching for someone to succeed Theresa Rouse, who announced she is retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Rouse is running for the Will County regional superintendent of schools in the 2026 election.

Keith Wood is in his last year as superintendent of Valley View School District 365U. The school board has already named his successor, hiring Teresa Polson as superintendent effective July 1, 2026.

The Lockport Township High School District 205 board voted unanimously in October to extend the contract of Superintendent Robert McBride by one year through June 2027.

Interstate 80

The biggest story for Will County motorists in 2026 again will be the Interstate 80 project.

The $1.2 billion highway improvement project stretching 16 miles from New Lenox to Minooka and having the biggest impact in Joliet will continue to close lanes and even interchanges at times.

The Center Street/Meadow Avenue interchange in Joliet and Rockdale is now closed until 2028.

In the long run, motorists will get interchanges that are easier to drive, more lanes on I-80, and other improvements that will modernize the interstate.

Eric Lurry aftermath

The January 2020 death of Eric Lurry while in the custody of police will continue to have a big impact in Joliet.

The city continues to negotiate a possible settlement with Lurry’s widow, and a settlement could come to light in 2026. Or, the case may go to trial.

Meanwhile, retired Joliet police Sgt. Javier Esqueda filed a lawsuit against the city in December, alleging malicious prosecution by the city after he released video of Lurry’s arrest, and that case, too, will get attention in the coming year.