WVLI News Update

In this edition of the WVLI News Update hosted by Rob West, comprehensive local reporting covers major public safety, municipal government, and community developments across Kankakee County and surrounding areas. Coverage opens with details on the arrest of 24-year-old Jaciah D. L. Eason by Kankakee City Police on kidnapping charges following an investigation that led officers to the Peotone Trave...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, top regional news stories cover the reopening of US 231 in Jasper County following a multi-day closure due to a cooking oil spill, key guidance from pediatric psychologist Dr. Bakht Siddiqui for Suicide Awareness Prevention Month, and new findings published in The Lancet suggesting that 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed throu...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, key news headlines and holiday weekend updates across Kankakee County, Will County, and surrounding areas in Illinois and Indiana are covered in detail. The report begins with an ongoing heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service, bringing heat index values near 105 degrees ahead of expected relief by Sunday. Regional travel updates...

Stay informed with the latest regional news, weather, and sports coverage on this episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West. High temperatures and excessive heat advisories continue across Illinois, with heat index values projected to reach as high as 110 degrees. Ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, gas prices see an uptick across Illinois and Indiana as Indiana prepares to re-implement it...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update, host Rob West provides essential local news, weather alerts, and safety information for Kankakee and the surrounding Illinois areas. Coverage begins with an active National Weather Service heat advisory, high temperature forecasts, and key advice on recognizing heat-related illnesses from Riverside Medical Center emergency preparedness coordinator Jay Kindl...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update, host Rob West covers critical developments across Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Extreme heat conditions hit the region with heat index values reaching up to 105 degrees, prompting heat advisories from the National Weather Service. In state news, Indiana Governor Mike Braun announces an official investigation into Northern Indiana Public Service Company (N...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update, host Rob West covers key local, regional, and national developments. The broadcast opens with details on two weekend fires addressed by the Grant Park Fire Protection District on Saturday afternoon: a garage fire on Esson Farm Road and a home fire on Lake Matonga Trail. In local political news, three Manteno residents—Eric Peterson, Jacob Carlile, and Eric...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update hosted by Rob West, top regional news and community events across Illinois and Indiana are covered in detail. The report opens with coverage of a severe crash at the intersection of Center and Bar Roads near Peotone that sent two people to the hospital, including one victim airlifted in critical condition. Kankakee County Health Department Administrator John...

This episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West covers key local headlines across Illinois, including the confirmation of the state's first human case of West Nile Virus in Piatt County alongside additional probable cases in Northern Illinois. The update also features details on a mobile food pantry pop-up in Bourbonnais, daily event schedules for the 123rd Will County Fair, an arrest in W...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, local coverage begins with the arrest of a 44-year-old Manteno resident on child sex-related charges following a joint investigation. The update highlights the annual U.S. News & World Report public high school rankings, where Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School and Manteno High School took top local honors in Kankakee County. Additi...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update, Rob West covers key local and regional headlines impacting Kankakee County and surrounding areas. Fire crews respond to an industrial blaze at the IKO Shingle Manufacturing plant on Kankakee's south side, where firefighters successfully contained a high-pressure oil leak and brought the incinerator fire under control. In regional news, Indiana Governor...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, key coverage includes the guilty verdict in the Xandria Harris murder trial following the December 2021 shooting of Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and Officer Tyler Bailey. The update highlights community reactions outside the courthouse, official statements from Bradley Police Chief Don Barber, and key arguments from the defense. A...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update hosted by Rob West, the trial of Xandria Harris is expected to move to jury deliberations today following rebuttal testimony from Kankakee County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski. Kankakee County Auditor Colton Ekhoff reports over $2.6 million spent on storm damage recovery through July, while Olivet Nazarene University prepares to welcome more tha...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update hosted by Rob West, primary coverage focuses on day nine of testimony in the Xandria Harris murder trial in Kankakee County Circuit Court. Reporter Jake LaMore outlines Harris taking the stand in her own defense, detailing allegations of long-term abuse and her account of the fatal shooting night, followed by cross-examination from State's Attorney Jim...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, defense attorneys present their case in the murder trial of Xandria Harris in Kankakee County Circuit Court. Testimony from psychiatric and substance abuse specialists outlines mental health diagnoses, domestic trauma assessments, and evaluations of battered women's syndrome relating to the December 2021 shooting death of Bradley Police S...

This episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West covers critical legal, civic, and community developments across Kankakee County and Northwest Indiana. Coverage opens with week two of testimony in the Xandria Harris murder trial, detailing defense motions, witness testimonies from dispatchers and family members, and key proceedings surrounding the December 2021 shooting of Bradley police officer...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, primary coverage focuses on the second full week of testimony in the Xandria Harris murder trial regarding the 2021 Bradley hotel shooting that killed Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and critically injured Sergeant Tyler Bailey. The broadcast details emotional court testimonies from medical experts, officer Tyler Bailey, and details surround...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West , local headlines cover critical courtroom proceedings, law enforcement investigations, statewide emergency declarations, and community events across Kankakee County and the surrounding region. Key Stories Covered in This Episode Xandria Harris Murder Trial : Day-by-day courtroom reporting detailing testimony from former officer Tyler Bailey, m...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, comprehensive reporting covers regional storm recovery, county government financial updates, ongoing high-profile court proceedings, and key community headlines across Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Key stories covered in this episode: Severe Weather & Power Restoration: Indiana Governor Mike Braun indicates plans for a statewide emergenc...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, storm restoration efforts continue across Illinois and Northwest Indiana following severe weather, leaving thousands without power and impacting local gas stations. In local government news, the Kankakee County Board approves a local agency agreement for widening and resurfacing County Road 17, along with a new three-year contract for county h...

In this episode of the WVLI News Update, host Rob West covers key local headlines and regional updates. Defense cross-examination continues in the trial of Xanderia Harris regarding the line-of-duty death of Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and the wounding of Officer Tyler Bailey. Kankakee City Police investigate a residential burglary on West Walnut involving missing airsoft guns, and l...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update, Rob West covers critical developments across local news, legal proceedings, state politics, and regional sports. The update begins with severe overnight weather in Kankakee County, where the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning following reports of rotation and high winds that knocked down tree limbs and left approximately 250 residents without...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, local coverage begins in Kankakee County Circuit Court as opening statements are set for the murder trial of 30-year-old Xandria Harris. Harris is accused in the December 2021 shooting death of Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and the wounding of Officer Tyler Bailey. Following the selection of 12 jurors and six alternates, trial proc...

In this edition of the WVLI News Update, host Rob West delivers comprehensive local reporting on legal proceedings, law enforcement actions, community events, and regional news across Kankakee County and neighboring areas. Key topics covered in this broadcast include: Jury Selection in Police Shooting Trial : Ongoing jury selection details in the murder trial of 30-year-old Xandria Harris, charged...

This episode of the WVLI News Update with Rob West delivers essential local headlines and updates across Kankakee County and surrounding areas. Key stories in this edition include courtroom developments and jury selection in the Xandria Harris murder trial, an arrest following a hit-and-run collision in Gibson City, and an ongoing burglary investigation on the east side of Kankakee. The report als...