WVLI News Update

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...

ICC cuts rate increase requests The Illinois Commerce Commission is cutting down the rate requests of two big gas utilities in the state.  The ICC reduced Ameren Illinois' rate request for its natural gas delivery services by nearly 56-million-dollars.  The ICC also cut more than 146-million-dollars off Nicor's Gas' rate request for its natural gas delivery services.  The decision w...

Senator fires staffer who posed as lawyer A staffer of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is out of the job after being accused of posing as a lawyer for a man detained at an ICE facility.  Capitol News Illinois obtained a letter Duckworth sent to the acting director of ICE on Monday, notifying him that Edward York had been fired.  York was a constituent outreach coordinator in Duckworth's Bellevil...

Bourbonnais Board passes tax abatement ordinances The Bourbonnais Village Board last night voted to abate taxes that would have been collected next fiscal year to make bond payments. Village Finance Director Tara Latz.  Latz says without the abatement, Bourbonnais residents' tax bill would be anywhere from 146 to 511 dollars more next year depending on the value of their property.  One injure...

No injuries from Sunday crash There were no injuries reported from a crash on I-57 Sunday morning. According to reports, it was just after six Sunday morning when State Police were called to the Southbound side of the interstate just north of the Bradley/Bourbonnais exit for a two car crash. Reports say one car rear-ended the other...the crash is still under investigation. Notable Night Sky News T...

Full SNAP benefits restored Those in Illinois that get SNAP benefits will get their full benefit amounts for November.  The State Department of Human Services is restoring the benefits now that the federal government shutdown has ended.  IDHS anticipates that the remaining benefit payments will be made over the coming days, with all SNAP recipients receiving their full November benefits by Novembe...

In this WVLI News Update Special Report, Rob West gets expert advice from Sue Smith, a 26-year veteran of the official Butterball Turkey Talk Line . Get ready to master your holiday meal as Sue, a registered dietitian and "Butterball University" graduate, shares invaluable tips to help you spend less time stressing and more time enjoying the day. In this episode, you'll get answers...

Mahomet school board member pleads not guilty in Kankakee County crash A Mahomet School Board member charged with hitting a State Trooper's car earlier this year in Kankakee County is pleading not guilty.  State police say in March, the trooper responded to a report of debris in the roadway on I-57 near Chebanse.  The trooper parked their squad car in the right lane and removed the debris.  T...

Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week Local authorities continue to look for information about a double homicide from New Years Day. 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.  Lottery jackpots grow There was no winner in last night's 900-million-...

It's Veterans Day Today Today is Veteran's Day, the day we set aside to honor those who have served in America's armed forces. Originally called Armistice Day, November the 11th marked the end of World War I and the signing of the Armistice between Germany and the Allies.  Hostilities in the first world war ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It wasn't unt...