A pair of Kewanee Third Graders, from Ms. Kluever's class, joined WKEI for The Good News, a special Christmas play featuring Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus. Thank you to our incredible performers, Nora and Benji...

On this special edition of Kewanee Back When Dave Clarke and Sean Kernan talk about Christmas. We start discussing favorite Christmas gifts and memories before transitioning into a conversation about the people, businesses and institutions in Kewanee that we are thankful for this holiday season.

Sparks is joined by Chief Hamer to talk about some useful Winter and Holiday Safety Tips including the Christmastime "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Drive High Get a DUI" enforcement campaign; clearing your car, driveway, and sidewalks after a snowfall; securing your home for the holidays; and the free home patrol service that service that the MPD offers while residents are out of town for vacation. 

To inquire about the home patrol service or to add your home to the list, call the Macomb Police Department at (309) 833-4505.

Good news from last night's Kewanee School Board meeting as the annual tax levy will be slightly lower from last year, a combination of factors is helping the school district save a little bit on the tax levy, now among the lowest in the region. Dr. Chris Sullens joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on Tuesday, December 19th, to talk about the tax levy and other aspects of Monday night's final school board meeting of 2023. Dr. Sullens also took a little time to celebrate two spot Kewanee star, Brady Clark who was honored at Monday's School Board Meeting. He made the Class 4A All First team football squad for 2023 as the Quarterback of the Boilermakers. You can hear that and more with Dr. Chris Sullens on Wake Up Tri-Counties.

Peoples National Bank has revamped their loan department and one of the ways they have done that is brought in our friend Jolene Efnor who joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on Tuesday, December 19th, to talk about this new approach to the Lending Process. With that, Peoples National Bank has launched a brand new, and already award winning, website: PNB-Kewanee.com. You can now begin your loan journey online via the new website and their are new options for online banking as well. Find out more in our conversation with Jolene Efnor from Peoples National Bank on Wake Up Tri-Counties.

Respiratory illnesses are common in this time of year but they don't have to be. Kathy Blanford is an infection control specialist with OSF Saint Luke Medical Center and OSF St Clare Medical Center and she joined Samantha Rux on Wake Up Tri-Counties to talk about the best ways to avoid a respiratory illness. Whether it is the common cold, the flu, or COVID-19, the best advice is wash your hands. It's not quite that simple but that is step one in infection control, wash your hands. Other advice, stay home if you are sick, wear a mask if you are sick and have to go out to places, and again, wash your hands.

Brock Tumbleson and Eddie Tolliver with the Kewanee Salvation Army dropped by WKEI on Friday with an update on the progress of the Kewanee Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. The campaign has been a huge success but just over a week left, there is still a little way to go to reach the goal. You can help by dropping some coins in the red kettles or by contacting the Salvation Army to volunteer as a Bell Ringer. Meanwhile, a good chance to make a donation will be on Saturday, December 16th when Santa Clause will be at the Salvation Army Store in Kewanee from 10 AM to 1 PM. And, Brock and Eddie tell WKEI that there will be a bell ringing contest between Santa Claus and The Grinch, outside of the Kewanee Wal Mart on the last day of the Red Kettle Campaign, Saturday, December 23rd, 2023. Details in our interview.

Alina Angel and Cruz Martinez give us The Good News about Kewanee's Holiday Lights at Windmont and Northeast Park.

The Kewanee Public Library is preparing to fully revamp their website. Sara Billiet with the Kewanee Public Library joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on Thursday to talk about the exciting changes coming to the library website that will make it even easier to navigate, contain even more resources, and provide the kind service and information that the current website has delivered with a more modern design. Meanwhile, Christmas and New Years will shorten hours at the Library this month but only right before the Christmas and New Year holidays. And finally, in big news at the library, Sara is currently taking on the role of Acting Library Director while the search continues for a permanent director of the Kewanee Public Library.