Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Madgian appeals convictionFormer Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is appealing his conviction on federal corruption charges.  Madigan's attorneys claim prosecutors flouted recent Supreme Court rulings reining in the use of the bribery and fraud statutes and stretched the laws "past their breaking points."  Madigan began serving his seven-and-a-half-year federal prison last month after being convicted earlier this year on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery.  Federal prosecutors say Madigan conspired with others to get ComEd to make monetary payments to his associates in exchange for favorable legislation.State fire service moves to new platformFire departments across Illinois are transitioning to the new National Emergency Response Information System.  The Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office says NERIS is a secure, cloud-based platform built to modernize how emergency incidents are reported and analyzed.  It will provide local agencies with timely data tools, location-based analytics, and flexible options for incident reporting - at no cost to departments.Crime Stoppers Tip of the WeekLocal authorities continue to look for those responsible for a double homicide from January first. Kankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski has our Crime Stoppers Tip of the weekKankakee Christmas Parade awards increasedThose who enter a float into the City of Kankakee's Christmas Parade this year have a chance to win up to one thousand dollars. Fourth Ward Alderman Lance Marczak announced the news at Monday night's city council meeting.  Marczak says the reason for the prize money increase is to give people an incentive to decorate their floats. This year's Christmas parade is on Saturday, December 13th. Dwight Police report arrests following chaseDwight Police have announced a pair of arrests that involved one man fleeing the scene of a traffic stop Monday morning. In press release from Dwight Police, officers pulled over a car for speeding driven by Eddie Brown the Third near the intersection of Mazon Avenue and Saint Louis Street around 2:45 Monday morning. During the stop, officers located a stolen firearm in Brown's possession. After getting handcuffed, Brown fled the scene on foot. Brown was located about three hours later in a residential area in Dwight and taken back into custody without incident and booked for several charges. The female passenger traveling with Brown, Keaira Wilkins, was also arrested and charged with obstructing justice.Short term rental tax discussed in MantenoDuring Monday night's meeting of the Manteno Village Board, Visit Kankakee County Executive Director Nicole Gavin addressed the Board about comments made two weeks ago regarding a proposed short term rental tax.  Gavin pointed out a similar tax is already used in places like Champaign, Springfield and the Quad Cities.  Gavin said it's one way to increase tourism dollars without affecting local residents. Manteno Trustee asks Mayor to sign contractDuring the Trustee's Comments segment of Monday night's Manteno Village Board meeting, Trustee Todd Crocket asked Mayor Annette LaMore to sign the contract for Village Administrator Chris LaRocque.  Mayor LaMore pointed out that most Village employees work without a contact. Crocket said he feels LaRocque has proven himself to be valuable to the Village. Have a news tip to share? Send us a text!Listen to more great shows on the WVLI Podcast Network:This One Time in Kankakee  (Narrative Storytelling)Kankakee Valley Community Happenings  (Businesses & Non-Profits)The voices you trust, beyond the dial.