WVLI News Update

Firefighter reported injured battling Tuesday evening blaze There are reports of a firefighter being injured while battling a fire in Essex last night. Few details are available, but what we do know is Essex fire was called to a house fire on Kody Alan Drive in Braidwood Tuesday evening. It's thought a firefighter fell through the floor of the home and had to be rescued. We'll have more...

UPDATES 12/23/25 10:30am Kankakee Police update weekend homicide  Kankakee City Police released more information today about that shooting Sunday evening that took the life of a 35-year-old Kankakee man. In a press release, City Police say Travis L. Hayes and another man allegedly tried to force their way into an apartment in the 12-hundred block of East Oak Street just before six Sunday night. Th...

Man shot/killed Sunday evening  Kankakee City Police are investigating after a man was shot to death in the City Sunday evening. In a press release, City Police say it was just before six last night when they were called to the 12-hundred block of East Oak Street for a report of shots fired. The caller told dispatchers someone was trying to break into his apartment and he had shot at them. When th...

🎙️ Listen to Bill Dyche’s exclusive interview with Gayla Peevey, the iconic voice behind “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” Have a news tip to share? Send us a text!

Lawyers for man convicted of Delphi murders files appeal Attorneys for the man convicted of the Delphi murders have filed an appeal.  Richard Allen was found guilty last year of the 2017 murders of Libby German and Abby Williams.  Allen's attorneys have filed a 113-page brief appealing the conviction with the Indiana Court of Appeals.  They argue that the search of Allen's home was uncon...

IL GOP on possible Madigan pardon  Illinois' Republican Congress members are asking President Trump to not pardon former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.  In a letter this week to Trump, U.S. Representative Mike Bost, Darin LaHood, and Mary Miller said pardoning the Chicago Democrat "would send a dangerous message that public officials can betray the public trust with impunity.&qu...

Bradley Police make arrest in October incident Bradley Police report additional arrests in an incident where shots were fired in the Village back in October. In a press release, Bradley Police say it was just after three in the afternoon on October second when they were called to a home on South Jefferson Avenue for a reported burglary where shots had been fired. Two people were arrested that day...

Winter plowing cost Bourbonnais some $130,000 so far this winter At last night's Bourbonnais Village Board meeting, Village Public Works Director Terry Memenga gave an update on Village efforts to keep the streets clear so far this winter.  Memenga said keeping the roads clear this winter has so far cost the Village about 130-thousand dollars.  I57/Rte 54 interchange to be closed overnights s...

P owerball rolls over, again Monday night's Powerball drawing is worth more than a billion dollars.  No one matched all six numbers in Saturday's drawing, so the already massive jackpot jumped again and now stands at one-point-one billion.  The cash option on that works out to more than 503 million dollars but the odds of winning the grand prize are astronomical at around one in 292 mill...

Emil Jones evades prosecution State Senator Emil Jones the Third is striking a deal with prosecutors.  The Chicago Democrat agreed to a deferred prosecution deal that will leave him with no conviction.  As part of the agreement, he must admit to certain illegal conduct and pay a fine.  Jones was set for retrial next month on bribery charges.  His first trial in April ended in a mistrial after the...

State unemployment steady Illinois' unemployment rate remains steady.  The state Department of Employment Security says the state's jobless rate in September was unchanged at four-point-four-percent.  Non-farm payroll jobs decreased by 22-hundred.   Herscher Police "lock your doors" Herscher Police are asking area residents to make sure they lock their doors. In a Facebook post...

Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week There's been a rash of motor vehicle thefts in Kankakee County recently. With our Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week, here's Kankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski.  Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward.  FDA issues cookie dough recall The FDA is issuing its highest consumer risk warning for a coo...

It is official: The Village of Bradley is partnering with global toy giant Mattel to bring iconic brands like Barbie , Hot Wheels , and Fisher-Price to a new water park development along I-57. In this WVLI New Update Special Report , we sit down with Bradley Mayor Mike Watson to break down the massive sub-license agreement with Project Play Holdings LLC. Mayor Watson reveals how this partnership t...

Mattel coming to the Village of Bradley’s waterpark Mattel, the toy manufacturer behind such iconic brands as Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price, will be a big part of the waterpark the Village of Bradley plans to break ground on next year. A resolution to sign a sub-license agreement between Bradley and Project Play Holdings LLC to use Mattel brands on the new waterpark was passed at last night...

Notable Night Sky News Time now to find out what's happening overhead this week. With a look at our Notable Night Sky News, here's Madeline Shepley - Astronomy Professor and Director of the Strickler Planetarium at Olivet Powerball jackpot climbs The Powerball jackpot is on a roll for the holidays.  No one matched all six numbers in Saturday night's drawing so Monday's jackpot...

Park Forest Police Officer Passes Away The Park Forest Police Department is mourning the passing of a beloved officer.  Park Forest Detective Tim Jones has died, nearly a decade after he was shot in the line of duty in March 2016.  He was 24 years old at the time of the shooting, which left him paralyzed.  The department praised Jones, saying he "will always be an inspiration and a reminder o...

Powerball jackpot grows, again The Powerball jackpot is climbing again after no one won the jackpot in last night's drawing.  The estimated jackpot for Saturday's drawing is now 820-million-dollars, with the cash option working out to around 383-million-dollars.  Some players did luck out, however, with a two-million-dollar ticket sold in Kentucky and one-million-dollar winers in Florida...

Crime Stoppers tip of the week Law enforcement authorities continue to look for help in connection with a double homicide from almost a year ago. Kankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski has our Crime Stoppers Tip of the week.  Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward  Manteno trustees set levy for fiscal year The Manteno Village Board las...

Bourbonnais Trustees hear tax levy proposal Bourbonnais trustees last night took the first steps toward levying taxes for the Village for the new fiscal year. Village Finance Director Tara Latz.  Latz credited increased property values for the decrease in taxing rates and reminded Village residents that Village taxes amount to about five percent of a homeowners total tax bill. Trustees heard the f...

Notable night Sky News for December 1st Time now to find out 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 Sounds of the Season this weekend It's another sure sign that Christmas isn't far away, Sounds of the Season is coming up this weekend at Olivet. Music D...

Winter Storm Predicted this Weekend A winter storm is expected to hit a large portion of Illinois and Indiana this weekend.  The National Weather Service says heavy snow will likely begin falling tomorrow, with up to six inches possible in some parts.  A winter storm watch will be in effect throughout the day.  The hazardous conditions could make travel very difficult. Car Windows Broken on Kankak...

Kankakee Police Provide Update on Sunday Night's Homicide Kankakee City Police have provided an update on Sunday night's Homicide investigation of a Chicago man on East Court Street. According to a press release, surveillance footage shows 20 year old Donnie Smith of Chicago exit the store, remove a handgun from his waistband, and fire at the driver of a Buick sitting in the parking lot....

Fight at Bradley Central School Basketball Game A fight at a Junior High Basketball game in Bradley led to the arrest of a Saint Anne man Thursday night. According to police reports, Bradley officers along with Kankakee County Sheriff's deputies and Bourbonnais police responded to Bradley Central School in the 200 block of North Wabash Avenue around 6:30 Thursday night in reference to a fight...

Man Shot and Killed in Kankakee Sunday Night A person was shot and killed late Sunday night on Kankakee's east side. According to a press release from Kankakee City Police, the homicide occurred just before 10:30 Sunday night in a parking lot in the 900 block of East Court Street. When officers arrived on the scene after reports of several gunshots fired in the area, they found 20 year old Do...

Kankakee City Police Make Weapons Arrest A weapons call made to Kankakee City Police Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a 25 year old Kankakee man. According to police reports, officers were called to a business in the 500 block of South Washington Avenue just after eleven Wednesday morning to a report of two people sitting in a blue SUV outside the business. The caller also stated the driver had...