WVLI News Update

Sept 15-21 is Farm Safety Week in IL This has been designated “Farm Safety Week” in the State of Illinois. 106th District State Representative Jason Bunting says the idea is to call attention to the dangers of agriculture and what can be done to prevent them.  Representative Bunting “Farm Safety Week” includes highway safety.  Bunting adds farmers also need to keep an eye on their mental health du...

Two Bradley homes damaged by fire Fire damaged a pair of homes in Bradley Thursday afternoon. Acting Bradley Fire Chief Jim Spoon says it was about 2:30 yesterday afternoon when firefighters were called to the 100 block of Quincy where they found fire that it had started on the back deck of one home and had already spread to a neighboring home where it traveled up the outside wall and into the att...

Representatives Haas and Bunting reflect on 9/11 The Kankakee Area Chamber of Commerce held a legislative reception last night at the Kankakee Country Club. 79th District State Representative Jackie Haas and 106th District State Representative Jason Bunting were both on hand for the event. Today being the 24th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks in New York, we asked each of them for thoughts on the e...

Bailey says he'll run again Darren Bailey is seeking a rematch with Governor Pritzker.  The former Republic state senator is reportedly planning to run for governor of Illinois again next year.  Cook County Republican Party Chairman Aaron Del Mar said he has agreed to be his running mate.  A formal campaign announcement is expected later this month.  Bailey lost to Pritzker in the governor&ap...

Judy Kilbride passes Word has reached the newsroom of the passing of Judy Kilbride. Kilbride, along with her late husband Gerry founded the Kilbride Family Foundation, a local not-for-profit. She was retired from the Bourbonnais Elementary School District where she had served as the Director of Student Services. Services have yet to be announced. She was 86 years old River body identified The body...

Notable Night Sky News for Sept 8th Let's find out now what's going on overhead this week. With our Notable Night Sky News, here's Madeline Shepley, Astronomy Professor and Director of the Strickler Planetarium at Olivet Manteno Police investigate shots fired Manteno Police are investigating after shots were fired in the Village Friday night. In a press release, Manteno Police say i...

Fire destroys Bourbonnais eatery Fire destroyed the Harolds Chicken location across from Olivet in Bourbonnais overnight. Bourbonnais Fire Protection Chief Jim Keener says firefighters were called to the scene just before two this morning when someone called in they'd seen smoke coming from the building. When they got there, firefighters found fire inside the building. Chief Keener says the b...

Powerball jackpot rolls over....again The Powerball jackpot is jumping to a staggering one-point-seven billion dollars. There wasn't a winner on Wednesday night of the one-point-four billion dollar jackpot, the fourth largest in game history.  If you win, you can elect to receive annuity payments of over five-million annually for over 30 years, or take a one-time lump sum of 770-million-dolla...

Bourbonnais PD has new Patrol Commander During last night's Bourbonnais Village Board meeting, Police Chief Dave Morefield swore in Brent Barrie as a new Patrol Commander in the Village.  Also during last night's meeting, Chief Morefield noted the hire of a new patrolman, which brings the department up to full strength.  Bourbonnais Village Board has first reading of Ordinance to outlaw...

Second property tax payment due this week Now that Labor Day is passed, Kankakee County Treasurer Nick Africano wants to remind you that the second installment of your property tax bill is due this week.  Africano says you can also pay your tax bill online if you like. He adds once this year’s taxes are paid and we hit the first of next year, you can register for another way to pay your property t...

Tourism up in Kankakee County Tourism in Kankakee County showed major returns in 2024. Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County, breaks down the numbers for us.  According to a press release sent by Gavin, visitor spending dipped slightly last year by one half of a percent but claims that's indicative of a strong and stable tourism sector.  What to do around Kankakee County t...

Kankakee City Police make arrests in August 7th shooting Kankakee City Police report a pair of arrests in connection with an incident earlier this month that sent two people to the hospital. According to reports, it was just after 11:30 in the evening on Thursday August 7th when officers were called to a report of gunfire at Crestlane Apartments. When they got there, officers say they found a larg...

Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week Kankakee City Police are looking into a pair of robberies to pizza delivery people Saturday evening. With our Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week, withKankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy, Trent Bukowski.  Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward.  Tourism up in IL Illinois leaders are touting record-breaking tourism revenue...

Powerball jackpot rolls over....again  The Powerball jackpot rolled over again.  With no grand prize winner on Monday night, the jackpot jumps to 815-million-dollars.  The next drawing takes place Wednesday with the cash option just shy of 368-million-dollars. Kankakee house hit by gunfire Just after 1:30 Monday morning, Kankakee City Police were called to the 700 block of South Wall for a report...

CSL's plasma donation cite on Rte 50 not on closure list CSL Behring says their plasma donation center on Route 50 is not one of those scheduled to be closed by the company. Late last week it was announced Behring plans to make a 15 percent cut to its workforce and close of 22 of it's plasma donation centers in the U.S. In an email, CSL Behring representatives say the 15 percent reductio...

Governor signs "Missing Persons Identification Act" A new Illinois law will create new guidelines for missing persons investigations.  Governor Pritzker signed the Missing Persons Identification Act last week.  The bill requires law enforcement to immediately take a report when they are notified of a missing person and enter it into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.  The law also...

Drought concerns lessen The latest map just released today by the US Drought Monitor shows significant improvement in drought conditions across the area. Today's map puts just over two percent of Kankakee County in the "abnormally dry" category and the rest of the county without any drought concerns at all. Today's map places pretty much all of Iroquois, Livingston and Grundy C...

Former O'Bama administration staff members call for fairer legislative maps in IL Two bipartisan former Obama administration officials are pushing for fairer maps in Illinois' state legislative districts.   Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley and ex-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood are leading an effort to establish a ballot initiative in 2026 to reform the redistricting process...

Powerball rolls over again The Powerball jackpot has rolled over once again.  There was no grand prize winner on Monday night, pushing the already-massive jackpot up to an estimated 643-million dollars.  Taking the cash option on that would net you nearly 291-million bucks.  Of course striking it rich is anything but easy.  Odds of walking away with all that money are roughly one in 292-million. ...

Notable Night Sky News Time now to take a look at what's going on overhead this week. With a look at our Notable Night Sky News. IDOT looks for "snowbirds" It may be August, but the folks at the Illinois Department of Transportation are already thinking about winter. IDOT is looking for what they call “snow birds”, the seasonal employees that will work for IDOT either by the month o...

Documentary planned for Lane Bryant murders A documentary is in the works about the 2008 Lane Bryant murders in Tinley Park.  Filmmaker Charlie Minn is putting together a documentary titled "Who Killed These Women: The Tinley Park 5."  No arrests have been made after five women were shot and killed inside the Lane Bryant store inside the Brookside Marketplace Shopping Center during a rob...

ISP continues search for alleged Gibson City shooter Authorities are still searching for a man accused of shooting two officers in Ford County over the weekend.  State police say officers responded early Saturday to the 100 block of Ash Street in Gibson City on a report of a naked man, identified as David Jordan.  While making contact with Jordan at his home, a Gibson City Police officer and Ford...

Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week Manteno Police are looking into a burglary that happened last Saturday.  Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward. County Board sets officials salaries During Tuesday morning's Kankakee County Board meeting, the Board voted to set the State's Attorney's annual salary. The County Board also voted to set the Public Defenders...

Manhunt continues for Gibson City man Illinois State Police continue the search for the man believed to have been responsible for shooting two police officers and setting fire to a home in Gibson City early Saturday morning. Troopers say officers responded about 2:30 Saturday morning to the 100 block of Ash Street in Gibson City on a report of a naked man, identified as David Jordan, walking outsi...

Man wanted in Gibson City shooting Illinois State Police are investigating after two police officers were shot in Gibson City early Saturday morning. Troopers say it was just after 2:30 Saturday morning when officers were called to a report of a naked man, identified as 70-year-old David D Jordan of Gibson City, walking in the 100 block of Ash Street. Reports say when officers tried to make contac...