This One Time in Kankakee

What really happened the night pop star Aaron Carter got into a brawl at a dive bar in Bradley, Illinois?

In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, Jake LaMore sits down with local artist and musician Tommy Solis—the man right in the middle of the chaos—to set the record straight on one of the most bizarre nights in Kankakee County history.

It was a night that started with 90s nostalgia at The Looney Bin and ended with police lights, ambulances, and a TMZ headline that went global. For years, the internet has known it as the time Aaron Carter was "attacked" by a group of locals. But the truth involves a misunderstood security request, a racially charged insult ("Bye, Felipe"), and a tackle that looked like it belonged in the NFL.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Setup: How a local hip-hop fusion band ended up opening for—and doing security for—the former teen idol.
• The "Bye Felipe" Incident: The exact moment a fan interaction turned into a viral confrontation.
• The Fight: A play-by-play of the "Troy Polamalu" style tackle that stopped the show.
• The Aftermath: Debunking the rumors of a brutal beating, the truth about Aaron’s "injury," and the cancelled encore show.
• The Legacy: Tommy reflects on the eerie "Final Destination" reality that he is the last surviving member of the main trio involved in that night.

Join us for a narrative journey into the collision of fading Hollywood glitz and Kankakee grit.

Guest: Tommy Solis (Member of Ill State and All The Cool Molecules)

Links & Resources:

• Submit your own Kankakee County story: [email protected]

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Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

We launched This One Time in Kankakee on the WVLI Podcast Network in October 2025, and the stories have been nothing short of wild. In this year-end recap, host Jake LaMore cracks open the vault to count down the Top 3 Most Downloaded Episodes of the year.

If you are new to the show, this is the perfect place to start. We revisit the funny, the historical, and the shocking moments that defined our first season.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Tie for Bronze: Two very different brushes with fame and danger.
  • "Jennifer Hudson came to see our musical": That time Jennifer Hudson surprised the cast of Godspell in Bourbonnais (feat. Andrew McBurnie).
  • "A bank robber called me": That time News Director Rob West received a phone call from a bank robber.
• The Silver Medal: A dive into local history with the Village of Bonfield Banned Rhummy. Discover how a harmless card game in 1938 led to a "rebellion" and a crackdown on local gambling.
• The Gold Medal: The #1 story of the year! The hilarious true confession of the "I kidnapped a plaster cow from Perry Farm Park", where a shopping cart and a bad idea led to a police encounter in a living room (feat. Shane Whitlock).

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK: Stick around to the very end for a teaser of our first episode of 2026. We are sitting down with Tommy Solace to get the real story behind the infamous Aaron Carter fight at The Looney Bin. Was it a brawl? Was it staged? And what does "Bye Felipe" mean? Find out next week.

Links & Resources:

• Submit Your Story: Have a "This One Time in Kankakee" moment? Email [email protected]
• Listen to the Full Episodes: Scroll back in your feed to hear Episodes 2, 3, 4, and 5 in their entirety.
• Website: wvli927.com/totk3
• Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

Jeff Cross isn’t usually a planner. But for his 30th wedding anniversary, he decided to go big. In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we hear the incredible true story of how a 1990s meet-cute at a Bourbonnais Blockbuster led to a secret flash mob in downtown Kankakee.

Hear how Jeff organized 50 friends and family members, dodged suspicious bailiffs while sneaking around the Courthouse bushes, and used a "fake cake" to keep his wife from ruining her own surprise. It’s a story about love, logistics, and the community coming together on Court Street.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The Origin Story: How a misheard name at the hospital made Jeff a "Kankakee legend" from birth.
• The Meet-Cute: A nostalgic look back at dating in the 90s involving Subway sandwiches and Blockbuster nametags.
• The Heist: How Jeff secured "clearance" from a local Judge and hid behind trees to keep the secret.
• The Payoff: What it takes to coordinate a dance routine in the freezing February slush.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Kankakee County Courthouse
• Knights of Columbus
• Busse & Rieck Flowers
• Subway (Bourbonnais)
• The "Eagle" distraction technique 🦅

Have a Kankakee story? We want to hear it! Email [email protected] to tell us about "This one time in Kankakee..."

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

It was the winter of 2001. The muffler had just fallen off, and the rust was setting in. But Nick Stalnos wasn't ready to give up on his 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Instead, he grabbed his friends, bought every roll of silver tape he could find, and created a local legend.

In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we sit down with Nick to hear the true story behind "The Silver Bullet." From delivering pizzas on Kennedy Drive to a hilarious run-in with Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White on I-57, Nick takes us back to a time before GPS, when a car was more than just a vehicle—it was a canvas.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why a Kankakee pizza delivery driver decided to wrap his car bumper-to-bumper in duct tape.
• The hilarious reactions from Chicago locals (and one very confused snake owner).
• The story of how the "Silver Bullet" passed an unexpected inspection by Jesse White himself.
• Why the "duct tape craze" of the early 2000s holds a special place in local history.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Daily Journal
• Papa John’s Kankakee
• Jesse White Tumblers
• I-57 & Kennedy Drive

Have a Kankakee story? We want to hear from you! Send us your "This One Time in Kankakee" moment to [email protected]. 

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

What began as a routine trip to the pediatrician at Riverside Hospital quickly turned into a life-altering journey for the Pomranky family. In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, host Jake LaMore sits down with local mom Jennifer Pomranky to share the powerful story of her son, Mads.

Diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at just five months old, Mads faced an uphill battle that required aggressive chemotherapy and a life-saving stem cell transplant. But just as a perfect donor match was found, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jennifer takes us inside the isolation of the hospital, the terror of the diagnosis, and the incredible relief of finally meeting the stranger who saved her son's life. Today, Mads is a healthy, energetic six-year-old who is officially considered CURED.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The Kankakee Moment: How a thorough exam by Dr. Batista at Riverside Hospital led to a critical early diagnosis.
• The Treatment: The reality of navigating chemotherapy and isolation with an infant at Comer Children's Hospital.
• The Pandemic Hurdle: How a global shutdown almost prevented a life-saving transplant.
• The Donor Connection: The emotional story of Kaitlyn, the college student who paused her life to save a stranger, and her heartwarming relationship with the Pomranky family today.
• Life After Cancer: Mads’ development, his love for drawing, and what it means to be "cured."

Mentioned in this episode:

• DKMS: The international nonprofit bone marrow donor center. You can register to be a donor with a simple cheek swab. Visit DKMS.org to save a life.

Share Your Story: Do you have a memory that happened right here in Kankakee County? We want to hear it. Email us at [email protected] and finish the sentence: "This one time in Kankakee..."

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

In the dead of winter 1938, the tiny village of Bonfield, Illinois, made national news for a bizarre reason: it banned the card game Rhummy. On this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," discover the strange and true story of the "Rhummy Rebellion."

Amid the Great Depression, Bonfield was known as a "sinless village" in Kankakee County, thanks to strict Blue Laws that forbade everything from liquor to dancing to playing baseball on Sundays. But when a group of housewives, calling themselves "rhummy widows," lodged a formal complaint, the town board added one more harmless pastime to the banned list.

This episode details the local standoff:

• The Law: Mayor Rubin Orwig and the village board impose a $10 fine (over $200 today) for playing a simple dime-a-hand game.
• The Rebels: Led by defiant barber William Brohm, the local men refuse to give up their only pastime.
• The "Speakeasy": When the ban becomes immediate, the rummy game doesn't stop—it just goes underground, forcing the players into secret hideaways.

Learn how this small-town dispute between morality and camaraderie escalated into a story picked up by the United Press and splashed across the front page of the Kankakee Republican News.

This episode features special voice performances from:

• Denny Case as the 1930s radio news narrator
• Mike Tomano as William Brougham
• Bill Dyche as Leo Reigel
• Rob West as Justice Yeates
• Chris Nickles as Mayor Orwig
• Greg Odeneal as the card player

(This story was researched and written by Jack Klasey. Check out his weekly history blog at kankakeecountymuseum.com.)

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

A short preview of what's to come on the next episode of This One Time in Kankakee. Believe it or not, the card game rummy or rhummy was once banned in the Village of Bonfield. 

Listen to the full episode this Monday, November 3rd. Click the follow button now so you don't miss out!

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What happens when an EGOT winner and Chicago legend unexpectedly shows up to your community theater rehearsal? On this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we hear the incredible true story from director Andrew McBurnie about the night Jennifer Hudson visited Bourbonnais to see Acting Out Theatre Company's production of Godspell.

Andrew shares a behind-the-scenes account of how a passing joke among the cast turned into a secretive, last-minute confirmation during the most stressful week of the show. Hear about the moment the cast realized an A-list celebrity was in their small audience, the invaluable advice she gave them during an impromptu Q&A, and the unforgettable moment she stood just feet away and sang "Memory" with no microphone.

This is more than a celebrity story; it’s a powerful tale about humility, the validation of local arts, and the deep connection that makes the Kankakee County community so special.

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

Every town has landmarks, but what happens when a group of bored teenagers decides to relocate one? In this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," we bring you the legendary story of a crime that wasn't the crime, and how a 500-pound plaster cow ended up in a suburban living room.

In 2008, Shane Whitlock and his friends, armed with a "borrowed" shopping cart and a severe case of late-night boredom, set their sights on the iconic cow statue outside the Exploration Station Children's Museum at Perry Farm Park in Bradley, IL. What follows is a hilarious comedy of errors, including a herculean effort to push their prize through town, a brilliantly timed but unrelated arrest for stealing a Wendy's banner, and a mother's rude awakening to find a farm animal and a police officer in her home.

This is a quintessential Kankakee County story about how the dumbest decisions make the best memories, the absurdity of youth, and the long, painful walk of shame when you have to carry a 500-pound cow back where you found it at sunrise.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• The "kidnapping" of the cow statue from Perry Farm in Bradley.
• How to move a 500-pound bovine using a Jewel-Osco shopping cart.
• Getting arrested for stealing a banner, but not the giant cow in your living room.
• A mother's reaction to finding a life-sized farm animal next to her couch.
• The grueling, pre-dawn journey to return the statue to the park.

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 - Intro: The night a landmark disappeared 

01:13 - Meet Shane: Teenage life in 2008 Bradley, IL 

02:18 - The Target: The Perry Farm Park Cow Statue 

03:10 - The Heist: A Cow in a Shopping Cart 

04:34 - Mission Accomplished: A Cow in the Living Room 

04:57 - The Unrelated Crime: Stealing a Wendy's Banner 

06:02 - Mom Wakes Up to a Cow and a Cop 

07:38 - The Mission: Return the Cow 

08:34 - The Long Walk Home (for the cow) 

09:40 - The Aftermath & A Generational Tale of Pranks

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

What happens when the subject of your news report calls you directly? In this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," host Jake LaMore sits down with veteran Kankakee radio news director Rob West (WVLI, WFAV, River Country) for a story that blurs the line between journalism and a real-life crisis negotiation.

In 2008, after reporting on a bank robbery in Bourbonnais, IL, Rob received a shocking call on his personal cell phone. On the other end was the robber himself, who wanted to tell his side of the story because he trusted Rob from listening to his newscasts. This single phone call triggered a tense, multi-day saga involving the Bourbonnais Police Department, a manhunt, and a dramatic, high-speed conclusion on Route 50.

Join us for a gripping Kankakee County true crime story that explores the unique bond between a local radio personality and his audience, the ethical tightrope of a journalist caught in the middle of a crime, and the desperate actions of a man on the edge.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• The 2008 robbery of the Centrue Bank in Bourbonnais.
• A local news director's direct phone conversations with an active bank robber.
• The collaboration with Bourbonnais Police to identify and locate the suspect.
• The profound trust and connection inherent in local radio.
• The dangerous and dramatic conclusion to the manhunt at the O'Zinga Brothers quarry.

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:52 - Meet Rob West: A Career in Kankakee Radio 

02:04 - The 2008 Bourbonnais Centrue Bank Robbery 

02:51 - "Hi, I'm the bank robber." - The First Call 

04:42 - A Journalist's Dilemma: Involving the Police 

06:25 - The Manhunt & Learning the Robber's Name 

07:34 - A Warning from the Police Chief 

08:57 - The Final Call & The Chase on Route 50 

10:58 - The Aftermath: Justice for Rick James Pierce 

11:47 - The Unique Power of Radio and Audience Trust

Send us Fan Mail

Want more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. 

Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.com

The Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.