Friday, September 19, 2025

The Riverside Healthcare Foundation awarded its Samaritan of the year award last night. This year’s winner, Dr. Joehar Hamdan said he was humbled to win the award

Dr. Hamdan is an oncologist with the Riverside Cancer Institute.

With several days without significant rainfall, drought concerns are starting to return to the area. The map released Thursday by the US Drought Monitor places all of Kankakee, Will, Grundy and Livingston Counties in the “abnormally dry” category. 95 percent of Iroquois County is considered to be abnormally dry, with the other five percent in moderate drought. A little over half of Ford County is in moderate drought, with the rest of that county simply “abnormally dry”  Things are a little better in Northwest Indiana, where 52 percent of Newton County and 82 percent of Benton County are considered to be abnormally dry, with the rest of each of those counties and the entirety of Jasper County without any drought concerns at all. The map includes data compiled by the US Drought Monitor through Tuesday of this week.

Bourbonnais Police report an arrest in an incident where shots were fired in the Village late last week. Officers were called to an address on Stratford Drive early Saturday morning for a report of shots fired. Following an investigation, law enforcement officials say Joshua M Stanger was arrested Wednesday, charged with reckless discharge of a firearm among other charges.

 Local law enforcement authorities report a pair of arrests in connection to a burglary on Lowe Road Wednesday morning. According to reports, it was early yesterday morning when someone broke into a commercial building on Lowe road and stole a 2004 Ford Explorer. Investigators found they used the stolen SUV to take tools and copper as well. Reports say Surveillance footage was reportedly used to identify 41-year-old Jose J Moreno as one of the alleged burglars. Investigators also allegedly turned up evidence that implicated 46-year-old Eddie Mancilla Junior in the burglary. The SUV was reportedly recovered from in front of Mancilla’s home in a mobile home park in Iroquois County. Both Mancilla and Moreno were arrested by agents from the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force for burglary among other charges.

Time now to find out what’s happening around the area this weekend. With that, here’s Nicole Gavin, Executive Director of Visit Kankakee County

During this morning’s meeting of the Kankakee County Board’s Finance Committee, County Treasurer Nick Africano gave an update on property taxes collected by the County this year. Africano pointed out the second installment of taxes was due September fourth

Africano also said there was less property seized for delinquent payment last year, which he also sees as a positive trend

It’s Farm Safety week in the State of Illinois. Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski reminds drivers to pay attention as we enter harvest season

The Illinois Legislature designated September 15-21st as Farm Safety Week in the state.

 Illinois’ unemployment rate is down.  The state Department of Employment Security says the state’s jobless rate dropped point-two percentage points to four-point-four-percent last month.  That is lowest unemployment rate since July 2023.  Non-farm payroll jobs decreased by just over 13-thousand in August.

 The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is recognizing September as National Preparedness Month.  Officials urge Illinoisans to be prepared for severe weather.  Tips include having emergency kits for your home and vehicle and a family communications plan.  So far this year, Illinois has already seen 115 tornadoes touch down in the state, which is the highest number of twisters in the nation for 2025.