Friday, November 28, 2025

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.

Several windows on someone’s car were smashed on Kankakee’s West side Tuesday. According to Kankakee City Police reports, the incident happened sometime between 7 and 8 Tuesday night in the 1100 block of West Jeffrey Street. The victim showed police that not only the front and back windshield of her car were smashed by someone but the two left side windows of the car were completely broken as well. Apparently nothing was stolen from inside the car.

A Chicago man was arrested on I-57 near Manteno Tuesday night for aggravated driving under the influence while speeding well over the legal limit. According to Illinois State Police, 35 year old Ricardo C. Blackwell of Chicago was stopped by troopers on I-57 northbound at milepost 322 near Manteno around 11:16 Tuesday night for speeding 96 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone. Blackwell was arrested and charged with a DUI, aggravated speeding, among other charges.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining a group of attorneys general in suing the federal government for cutting off SNAP benefits for immigrants.  Raoul and the coalition filed a lawsuit in order to block new guidance from the USDA which prevents certain legal immigrants from receiving food assistance, including permanent residents who were granted asylum or admitted as refugees.  The group argues that the guidance contradicts federal law and could impose massive financial penalties on states.

Riverside Medical Center has received a Gold Tier ranking from the Illinois Department of Public Health. According to a press release, Riverside was recognized with Gold Tier status, as the hospital has implemented all key priorities identified by the IDPH, including leadership commitment, accountability, expert pharmaceutical knowledge, tracking and reporting, and education for healthcare providers and patients. Fewer than twenty percent of all Illinois hospitals have achieved this recognition. Riverside is the only hospital in the region to have achieved gold tier status.

The U.S. Speaker of the House is expected to speak with Indiana House Republicans- potentially about redistricting.  Reports indicate House Speaker Mike Johnson will have a conference call with Republican state lawmakers from the Hoosier state.  The call is expected to happen Saturday- just days before elected officials reconvene to consider drawing new Congressional maps.  The Indiana House reconvenes Monday, and the Indiana Senate will gather a week later.

It’s the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend and that means there’ll be a lot of people on the road. Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski has some tips for safe holiday travel.

The National Safety Council says more than 500 people are expected to lose their lives in crashes over the Thanksgiving Holiday period.

Watseka’s Annual Lighted Christmas Parade steps off tonight. The parade hosted by the Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Watseka starts at seven tonight. This year’s theme is Characters of Christmas. Lineup begins at 6:15 at the Glenn Raymond Middle School on South Second Street. It will then proceed down Walnut to Fifth Street, south on Fifth to Cherry Street, west to Third Street, south on Third to Washington.

The 40th Annual Fill The Bus Toy Drive takes place tomorrow in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods on Route 50 in Bradley from 10 to 1. The event is put on by many community leaders including  Danielle Dugan and her family.

Dugan says to bring a new unwrapped toy between 10 and 1 tomorrow to fill the River Valley Metro Bus to make Christmas a joyous morning for all children in our community.

There’s a lot going on around Kankakee County this weekend. With a look at a few of the events, here’s Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County.