No injuries reported when semis collide just outside Manteno

5000 East Road and 9000 North Road east of Manteno were closed for about three hours yesterday after two semi trucks collided. According to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, the accident happened around 1 yesterday afternoon when the semi traveling south on 5000 east road turned on 9000 north road in front of the other semi. No one was injured in the crash. 

Secret Food Pantry today in Bourbonnais

Another of those Secret Food Pantry mobile pop-up events is scheduled for the Village of Bourbonnais tomorrow. This one runs from 11 until noon at the location on Briarwood Lane. Organizers of the event ask you show up no more than a half hour before it starts and that you follow the route outlined by Bourbonnais Police. You can find that your and more information on the Village of Bourbonnais' website or its Facebook Page. A five dollar donation is recommended.

Kankakee man arrested following alleged high speed chase

Kankakee County Sheriff's Police report the arrest of a Kankakee man after he allegedly led them on a high speech chase Tuesday. According to reports, it started about nine yesterday morning when deputies stopped the car driven by 21-year-old Erik F. Sostenes of Kankakee on Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais because the car had a suspended license plate. Reports say when officers started to secure the car for towing, Sostenes allegedly got agitated and struggled with the officer, before taking off with the officer still half inside the car. Sostenes allegedly led officers on a high speed chase through town and onto the interstate where deputies called off the chase because of unsafe speeds. Sostenes turned himself in to deputies Tuesday afternoon and was taken into custody on preliminary charges of aggravated battery to a police officer, aggravated fleeing and resisting police among other charges. The County Deputy involved reportedly suffered some minor injuries.

Watseka man arrested following alleged tussle with Rensselaer Police

Rensselaer Police report the arrest of a Watseka man after he reportedly crashed his bike in the City. In a press release, Rensselaer police say they were called to the area of Vine and McKinley just before 6:30 last night for a report of a man who might be injured after crashing his bike. When they got there, officers reportedly found 52-year-old Thomas Coley of Watseka laying in the roadway with a bike next to him. While talking to officers, Coley allegedly denied crashing his bike and became aggressive toward officers as they continued to try to help. At one point, Coley allegedly threatened police and was taken into custody for intimidation and battery on a public safety official among other charges.

County Fair Continues

The Kankakee County Fair continues today at the fairgrounds just south of Kankakee. 

Municpal Band summer concert series continues

The Kankakee Municipal Band Summer Concert Series continues tonight at the Palzer Band Shell in Bird Park. The free concert starts at seven tonight at the Palzer Band Shell in Bird Park. The Municipal Band's summer concert series runs through August 7th.

Kankakee County Fair opens today

The Kankakee County Fair opens today at the fairgrounds just south of Kankakee.

Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week

Kankakee County Sheriff's Police are looking for information about an attempted burglary that happened July 21st at a shed in rural Reddick.  Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward. 

Livingston County Task Force arrests Kankakee man

A Kankakee man has been arrested by Fairbury Police following an investigation into alleged sex crimes against a child. According to a press release from the Crimes Happening Against Our Students Task Force, 42 year old Jacob D. McCorkle of Kankakee was taken into custody by Fairbury Police early Monday morning in Forrest for allegedly attempting to meet a child for sexual purposes. McCorkle has been charged with indecent solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child, among other charges.

Alabama man arrested after incident at Greater Kankakee Airport

We have more info for you now on an incident that caused the Greater Kankakee Airport to close down for a period of time Friday. According to Illinois State Police, 53 year old John C. Smith of Florence Alabama allegedly threw a backpack over the security fence around 12:30 Friday afternoon. The airport was locked down until the backpack could be safely examined. Smith allegedly fled the scene before being stopped on I-57 by Kankakee County Sheriff's deputies. ISP arrested Smith and was issued a notice to appear for Criminal Trespass to State Land.

Bradley Sportsplex ribbon cutting tonight

The grand opening of the Bradley 315 Sports Complex is tonight. The sports complex grand opening is from 5:00 until 7:30 tonight, with the ribbon cutting at 6:00.

Bradley trustees table new tax proposal

At last night's Bradley Village board meeting, trustees voted to table an ordinance which would create a 5 percent amusement tax on things like admission to the future water park, which Finance Director Rob Romo says is expected to bring in a lot of tourists from outside the village. Romo says the village's goal is to raise revenue for the general fund without hurting Bradley homeowners.  Romo added that the tax would be added to customer bills similarly to a sales tax. The ordinance was tabled after trustees voted in favor of further discussion of the potential impacts of the tax. The board will return to the ordinance at a later meeting.

Notable Night Sky News

Time now to find out what's happening overhead this week. 

MSMF Scholarship Winners

The Merchant Street Music Fest Music Education Scholarship Winners were announced Saturday at the fest in Kankakee.  King said they received over 30 applicants for the music education scholarship this year and plan to offer the scholarships again next year. 

Heat Advisory again today

A heat advisory goes into effect for us at noon today and runs through eight tonight. The National Weather Service says we can expect a heat index today somewhere between 105 and 109. The hot temperatures and high humidity could cause heat-related illnesses. Experts say you should drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room when possible, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors, especially the elderly. Remember your pets during the hot weather as well, they should not be left outside for extended periods of time and make sure they have access to plenty of water.

State could owe Feds millions

It looks like the State of Illinois could be on the hook for several hundreds of millions of dollars owed to the federal government. 53rd District State Senator Chris Balkema says it's all because of possible mismanagement of the State's SNAP program.  The SNAP program provides food benefits to low income families to help them with their grocery budgets. Balkema says the problem with the program is "payment accuracy".  Balkema's 53rd District includes a good portion of our southern and western listening area. 

Drought concerns deepen

Despite recent rains, drought concerns continue to worsen across the county. The latest map released Thursday by the US Drought Monitor now puts 10 percent of Kankakee County in the "severe drought" category, with just over 70 percent of the county in "moderate drought" and the remaining 20 percent listed as "abnormally dry". That's a significant change from last week when about 50 percent of the county was considered in "moderate drought" and none of the county was listed as in "severer drought". Today's map lists 80 percent of Iroquois County as "abnormally dry" with the other 20 percent without any drought concern at all, an improvement over last week's numbers. Meanwhile, about 15 percent of Ford County is considered to be in "Moderate Drought", 70 percent listed as "abnormally dry" and the rest of the county without any drought concerns at all. About 89 percent of Grundy County is considered to be in moderate drought with the rest of the county listed as "abnormally dry". More than 70 percent of Will County now falls into the "severe drought" category.

Across the state line, nearly 40 percent of Newton County, 85 percent of Benton County and 39 percent of Jasper County are considered to be in "moderate drought" with the remainder of those counties listed as "abnormally dry". The latest map includes data gathered through Tuesday of this week. 

Braidwood Police report auto theft arrest

The Braidwood Police Department reports an arrest in connection with a car theft yesterday.  Officers were called to the 500 block of West Anndon Street yesterday for a report of a stolen car. Officers were able to track the car using license plate recognition technology to the Joliet area,  where the stolen car was seen heading southbound on Larkin Avenue at McDonough Street just after 1:30 yesterday afternoon. The car then entered westbound I-80 and transitioned to southbound I-55. Officers from the Grundy County Sheriff's Department Pro-Active Unit followed the car onto New River Road in Wilmington, where the car pulled into a hunting area. The driver of the car, identified as Gabriel Alvarez of Braidwood, reportedly rammed the car into an unmarked police vehicle in an attempt to flee, but was ultimately boxed in. Alvarez then allegedly fled on food before being detained by officers. Alvarez is charged with Motor Vehicle Theft and Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer among other charges.

What to do around Kankakee County this weekend

Time now to find out what events and activities are happening in the area this weekend

Merchant Street Music Festival kicks off tonight

Merchant Street Music Fest kicks off late this afternoon at the Harold and Jean Minor Festival Square in Kankakee. The fest runs through Saturday in Downtown Kankakee. More info and tickets at merchant street music fest dot com.

Another of the "ComEd 4" sentenced

A ComEd lobbyist and confidant of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is going to prison.  Michael McClain was sentenced Thursday to two years behind bars for helping run a scheme to benefit Madigan and get legislation for ComEd.  The 77-year-old defendant is the third of four co-defendants to be sentenced in the case. Madigan has officially filed an appeal of his federal corruption conviction.

New Restaurant to open in downtown Kankakee

A new restaurant is set to open soon in Downtown Kankakee. At Monday night's City Council meeting, aldermen approved a Class G Liquor license for the new spot. Mayor Curtis added they hope the new Mexican restaurant will open in the next 90 to 120 days. The new business will occupy the former 815 Lounge location at 239 East Court Street. A name of the new bar and eatery was not given.

City buys equipment to help with street repairs<

Jasper County Fair continues today in Rensselaer 

The Jasper County fair is running all this week in Rensselaer Indiana. With a look at today's events.   The fair runs through Saturday at the fairgrounds in Rensselaer.

Kankakee Municipal Band summer concert series continues tonight

The Kankakee Municipal Band Summer Concert Series continues tonight at the Palzer Band Shell in Bird Park.   The free concert starts at seven tonight at the Palzer Band Shell in Bird Park. The Municipal Band's summer concert series runs through August 7th.

Dangerous heat continues

Dangerously hot weather continues across the area today.  The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for us, it runs until 10 tonight. Highs are expected in the 90s again today, with heat index values near 105.  Experts say you should drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room if possible, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors, especially the elderly and very young. Also, don't leave your pets out too long in this heat. Make sure they have plenty of water and keep them inside if possible.

Heat and Health

With temperatures in the 90's and a heat index over 100 for the next few days, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to avoid illnesses such as heat exhaustion.  Chapman added you should avoid sun exposure for long periods of time when extreme heat watches and warnings are in place. If you do need to be out in the sun, Chapman says you should wear a hat, along with sun screen, and drink plenty of water. 

Jasper County Fair continues

The Jasper County fair is running all this week in Rensselaer Indiana. With a look at today's events.  The fair runs through Saturday at the fairgrounds in Rensselaer.

Changes at MSMF

If you’re going to Merchant Street Music Fest in Downtown Kankakee this weekend, there’s a couple of new things you should know about ahead of time.  The fest is this Friday and Saturday in Downtown Kankakee. You can go to Merchant Street Music Fest dot com for more information and tickets. 

Cooling centers open

With the extreme heat and humidity we expect over the next couple of days, cooling center will be open across the region. Most libraries and municipal centers can be used if you need somewhere to get out of the heat. When the heat index is over 100, River Valley Metro buses can be used as mobile cooling centers, or as a way to get to someplace with air conditioning, like the mall. You might check your particular municipality's website for more local cooling centers. 

Bourbonnais hires news Police Chief

The Village of Bourbonnais has a new Police Chief. During last night's Village Board meeting, Mayor Jeff Keast announced his pick for law enforcement's top spot in the Village.   That vote was not without its controversy as the majority of the trustees stated while giving their vote they had concerns about the way the search was conducted. Many feeling the Village Trustees had been left out of the decision making process, taking away the "advise and consent" guaranteed them by Village Ordinance. For his part, Chief Morefield said with his 32-and-a-half years at Bourbonnais and a prior seven with the County Sheriff's Department, he feels he's the right person for the job.  Also during last night's meeting, Trustees passed an ordinance setting spending limits in the village for the new fiscal year, with spending pretty much on par with where it's been in recent years. 

Another of the "ComEd 4" headed to prison

Another member of the so-called "ComEd Four" is headed to prison.  Anne Pramaggiore was sentenced yesterday to two years behind bars.  The former ComEd CEO, John Hooker, Michael McClain, and Jay Doherty were all found guilty in 2023 of conspiring to influence and reward former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in order to assist with the passage of legislation favorable to the utility.  Pramaggiore was ordered to report to prison on December 1st.  Hooker was sentenced last week to a year-and-a-half in prison and ordered to report October 14th.  McClain will be sentenced Thursday and Doherty will learn his fate August 5th. 

Governor signs squatter bill

A bill cracking down on squatters in Illinois is set to become law.  Governor JB Pritzker signed the state's Squatter Bill into law yesterday.  The bill makes it easier for police to remove squatters from someone's home.  It also differentiates squatters from tenants, making it easier for property owners to regain control of their home.  The law goes into effect next year.

Friday night crash kills one

Illinois State Police report a two-car crash on Route 45/52 near Manteno Friday evening killed a Minooka man. According to reports, it was just after 8:30 Friday night when the car driven by 54-year-old Marc Eyman of Minooka was westbound on 10-thousand North Road, failed to stop at 45/52 and was hit broadside by a northbound car. Reports say both cars ended up in a field northwest of the intersection. Eyman was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries. County Coroner Bob Gessner says a preliminary autopsy shows Eyman died of massive chest and head injuries from the crash. State Police say there were no other injuries reported. 

Richard Allen transferred to OK prison

Richard Allen, the man convicted of the February 2017 murders of teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German on a trail in Delphi, has been transferred to a prison in Oklahoma.  Allen was sentenced to 130-years in prison and given credit for 786 days served.  He is now held in the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center in Lexington, Oklahoma.  That is a maximum security state prison in that state and officials have not revealed the reason for the transfer. 

Iroquois County Fair Friday

The Iroquois County Fair continues today.  The Iroquois County Fair runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds just outside  Crescent City.

What to do this weekend around Kankakee County 

It's another weekend and time to find out about some of the activities going on around the area with Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County

Drought concerns deepen

Despite recent rainfall, drought concerns continue to grow around the area.  The latest map just released Thursday by the US Drought Monitor puts 47 percent of Kankakee County in the "moderate drought" category, up from just 19 percent last week. The rest of the County is considered to be just "abnormally dry". Iroquois County is unchanged from last week, with just six percent of the county  in "moderate drought" and the rest "abnormally dry". Ford County is also unchanged from last week at 34 percent in "moderate drought". Meanwhile, nearly 60 percent of Will County is listed as in "severe drought" with the rest of the county in "moderate drought"

Across the state line, about 27 percent of Newton County, 85 percent of Benton County and 38 percent of Jasper County are considered to be in "moderate drought" with the rest of those counties listed as "abnormally dry". The map includes data gathered by the US Drought Monitor through Tuesday of this week. 

St. Mary's earns recognition

The Lown Institute, which describes itself as "a nonpartisan think tank advocating bold ideas for a just and caring system for health" recently recognized St. Mary's hospital for achievements in its commitment to "delivery high quality, equitable care" to the community. St. Mary's earned A grades in the Lown Institute 2025-26 Hospitals Index for pay equity, health equity, patient safety and inclusivity.

Haas announced re-election bid

79th District State Representative Jackie Haas has announced she's running for re-election. In a press release, Haas said "now more than ever Illinois families are counting every dollar. Families need leaders who will fight to make life more affordable, make our communities safer and who will work to bring better opportunities to Illinois". Haas has represented the 79th District since December of 2020. 

State reports unemployment down

The number of jobs in Illinois continues to set records.  The state Department of Employment Security says non-farm payroll jobs reached a record high last month, increasing by 94-hundred to six-point-one-seven-five-million.  That beat the previous record set in March.  The unemployment rate dropped to four-point-six-percent in June, the lowest unemployment rate since August 2023.