State Senator Emil Jones the Third is striking a deal with prosecutors. The Chicago Democrat agreed to a deferred prosecution deal that will leave him with no conviction. As part of the agreement, he must admit to certain illegal conduct and pay a fine. Jones was set for retrial next month on bribery charges. His first trial in April ended in a mistrial after the jury couldn't reach a verdict on three criminal counts. Jones was accused of taking money from a red-light camera company executive to kill legislation requiring traffic studies for automated camera systems.
Seniors across Kankakee County are invited to a special Holiday Food Giveaway tomorrow in Bradley. According to a press release, seniors from all over the county are invited to a food giveaway beginning at 9:00 Saturday morning at the Bradley Community Building on West Broadway. Food will be given out on a first come, first served basis. There is a limit of one package per household. Event organizers ask seniors residing in Kankakee County to show up early to ensure they get some food. The event has been made possible by the Bradley Lions Club, Speckman Realty, and the Women's Club of Kankakee.
While you're in Downtown Kankakee this weekend for the Christmas Parade, you can get a sneak peek of the new tea room set to open soon at the French Heritage Museum. Kankakee County Historical Society Executive Director Veronica Featherston with the details. The Judy Anna Tea room will open on a regular basis at the French Heritage Museum sometime next year.
There's no doubt that the Holidays can be a stressful time of year for many of us. Rachel Nietfeldt from Riverside's Pathways Program gave us a few tips on how to manage that stress on a recent episode of the Kankakee Valley Community Happenings podcast with Mike Tomano.
(Riverside)
You can listen to the full episode of Kankakee Valley Community Happenings wherever you get your podcasts.
Two Kankakee County bridges will get replaced at no cost to the county board, thanks to the Illinois Department of Transportation. At Thursday morning's Highways, Waterways, and Buildings Committee meeting, two resolutions were passed for bridge replacements on County Highway 13 over Pike Creek and County Highway 14 over Trim Creek. County engineer Greg Heiden. Heiden says that figure is for the Pike Creek bridge, which will be replaced first on Vincennes Highway. The cost of the Trim Creek bridge that IDOT has also offered to cover is three hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
The Kankakee County Board Highways, Waterways, and Buildings Committee passed a resolution Thursday morning to recommend the Veteran's Assistance Commission of Kankakee County be allowed to remodel their front office in Bourbonnais, but not without some debate. VAC Superintendent Eric Peterson says they specifically budgeted for this project in their 2026 budget. The lowest bid for the VAC front office remodel project was around eighty eight thousand dollars from Johnson Downs. The remodel still needs approval from the VAC board and full county board in order to move forward.
Despite recent snowfall, drought concerns are growing across the area. The latest numbers just released Thursday by the US Drought Monitor
Hear the unforgettable true stories of Kankakee County. Search for "This One Time in Kankakee" wherever you get your podcasts or click here: https://pod.link/1843321847
