Wednesday, November 26, 2025

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. The driver of the Buick fired back at Smith, striking him several times, then drove off. Smith later died of his injuries at the hospital. Investigators located the Buick yesterday morning around 10:30 inside a garage in the 200 block of South Chicago Avenue. The car has since been seized by police. On Monday night, the driver of the Buick arrived at the Kankakee Police Department with legal counsel to speak with investigators. The person of interest provided a statement consistent with the events of the shooting death. The person was then released pending further investigation and review by the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s office. Motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

Most of Illinois and Indiana  will be dealing with very windy conditions today.  The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected in the region.  Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages.  Travel could be difficult.   A wind advisory will be in effect for much of the day.  

A beloved Kankakee area journalist and author has passed away. Jack Klasey died Tuesday at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee at the age of 86. Klasey, who was born and raised in Chicago, moved to Kankakee in the 1960s to work as a reporter for The Daily Journal. Aside from his popular local history column, Klasey authored many books and was one of the Board of Directors for the Kankakee County Historical Society for several years. Visitation for Klasey will be held this Sunday from 2 to 6 at Clancy Gernon in Bourbonnais. A memorial mass will take place 10 Monday morning at Saint John Paul the second’s East Campus.

Bradley Mayor Mike Watson tells us there is an iconic brand that wants to be involved with the indoor water park the village plans to start building soon.

While Mayor Watson said he couldn’t tell us exactly who this well known brand is that wants to be a part of the new water park, he did say that multiple generations are very familiar with this brand. Another clue he gave us was that he recently interviewed with this brand in Florida. More details should hopefully be announced at the next Bradley Village Board meeting December 8th. 

It’s the start of the holiday travel season. If you’re going to be hitting the road, Bradley Police Officer Megan Lanie has a few things for you to remember.

The National Safety Council says some 500 people will die on the nation’s roadways this holiday season.

The Synthetic Ice Skating Rink is now open at The Grove at Goselin Park in Bourbonnais. Village of Bourbonnais Marketing and Community Engagement Director Lindy Casey has the details.

You can learn more at village of bourbonnais dot com. 

Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow and one of the more recent trends has been to deep-fry the bird. EMS Coordinator and Community Risk Reduction Officer for the City of Kankakee Fire Department, Lieutenant Enrique Czako says you need to take precautions if you’re going to deep fry your turkey.

Lieutenant Czako says cooking fires are the main cause for fires in the United States and you should always keep at least three feet between what you’re cooking and any combustibles. He says it’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand as well.

Kankakee City Police continue to investigate a homicide that occurred on the city’s east side Sunday night. With our Crime Stoppers tip of the week is Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Chief Trent Bukowski.

Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward.

Thanksgiving day is tomorrow and Butterball Turkey Talk-line Expert Sue Smith reminds you there are a few things to remember when it comes to food safety with the bird.

She says when it comes to leftovers, she suggests shredding the turkey meat and putting it in a crockpot with some barbecue sauce. The Butterball Turkey Talkline is available now through Christmas.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and law enforcement across the state are reminding the public to buckle up and drive sober this Thanksgiving.  Drivers will see hundreds of additional seat belt enforcement zones and patrols looking for seat belt law violators and drug-and alcohol-impaired drivers through next Tuesday.  During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year in Illinois, 15 people were killed in crashes.  One of the crashes involved an impaired driver.

The Illinois Department of Revenue is offering tips for safe online shopping over the holiday.  Residents should stay alert when shopping online and take simple steps to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft.  Those include shopping with trusted retailers, paying with a credit card, check for secure websites, and avoiding public Wi-Fi for online shopping or financial transactions.