Friday, August 15, 2025

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 robbery in February 2008.  Minn hopes the film will help investigators find the killer.

Illinois State police are providing an update on the officers who were shot in Ford County this past weekend.  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 County Sheriff’s officer were shot.  Shortly after the shooting, the house caught fire.  Jordan remains on the loose and both officers were treated and released from the hospital.  Neither one fired their weapons during the incident.  They have been placed on paid administrative leave.

The Illinois unemployment rate is unchanged.  The state Department of Employment Security says the state’s jobless rate remained steady at four-point-six-percent last month.  Non-farm payroll jobs were down slightly, dropping by 25-hundred in July.

The Manteno Community Fire Protection District is calling on the Illinois Department of Transportation to make drastic changes to the intersection at Route 50 and County Line Road in northern Kankakee County. The intersection has had multiple fatalities and accidents over the past several years. Fire Chief Rick Peterson tells us what they are requesting from IDOT.

Peterson added there have been 14 accidents and two fatalities at route 50 and county line road so far this year alone.

The Village of Manteno and the Manteo Chamber of Commerce will have their Back to School Bash and Rockin’ on the Square events today and tonight. Manteno Chamber President and CEO Jakob Knox.

 It’s another busy weekend around Kankakee County, with a look at what’s going on around the county, here’s Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County

Drought concerns across the area have all but dried up because of recent rains. The latest map just released Thursday by the US Drought Monitor lists nearly 64 percent of Kankakee County as “abnormally dry” with pretty much the rest of the county without any drought concerns at all. Meanwhile, nearly 70 percent of Iroquois County is without any drought concerns, the other 30 percent simply “abnormally dry”. About 15 percent of Ford County is listed as in “moderate drought” with 27 percent of that county listed as “abnormally dry” and the remaining parts without any drought concerns at all. Pretty much all of Grundy county remains “abnormally dry” while a quarter of Will County is listed as in “moderate drought” and the other 75 percent just “abnormally dry”

Across the state line, Thursday’s map lists nearly 47 percent of Newton County and 39 percent of Jasper County as “abnormally dry”, with the rest of those counties labeled as having no drought concerns. All of Benton County in Northwest Indiana continue to be “abnormally dry”. The latest map includes data gathered by the US Drought Monitor through Tuesday of this week.

During this morning’s meeting of the Kankakee County Board’s Highways, Waterways and Buildings committee, County Transportation and Economic Development Project Coordinator Ben Wilson gave a final update on the Aroma Park Sediment removal project

Wilson was asked if would be any other work done by the county to the river at Aroma Park

Wilson said there was still some paperwork and bills to pay, but he’d been out to the Aroma Park boat launch and there were already people using it for recreational purposes.

Kankakee City Police report an arrest in connection with an alleged robbery. According to reports, it was just after 1:30 Wednesday afternoon when officers were called to the 900 block of East Court Street for a robbery that had just happened. When they got there, officers spoke to the victim who told them he had been in a grocery store when he was approached by three men who robbed him. The man said one of the three had a gun in his waistband and took some clothes, cash and his daughter’s ashes. The suspects also allegedly took the man’s cell phone and smashed it before they left. City Police say their investigation led them to arrest 25-year-old Corey Tharpe Junior on preliminary charges of robbery and criminal damage to property.

Manteno Police are investigating a burglary to a home that happened sometime over the last several days. According to reports, Manteno Police were called to the home on Maple Lane about 5:30 last night where they were told someone had entered the home and took some tools. The home owner said the back door could have been unlocked and they’d not been to the property for several days. Manteno Police are looking into the theft.

It’s one of the last hurrahs of summer, Aroma Park’s Two River’s Festival kicks off tonight in Aroma Park. Festival Committee Member Kathleen Slavin (SLAY-vin) has a rundown of tonight’s events

The Fest starts tonight and runs through Saturday.

The Village of Bourbonnais’ fifth annual Food Truck Fest runs noon til 10 tomorrow at the Grove behind Village Hall. Village Marketing and Public Engagement Manager  Lindy Casey says there’ll be some 22 food trucks available at this year’s fest

Casey notes admission to the concert is free, but seating is limited so you might want to take along a blanket or lawn chair. She says you can find information on all of the day’s activities on  the Village of Bourbonnais’ Website.