Friday, September 5, 2025

• Fire destroys Bourbonnais eatery

Fire destroyed the Harolds Chicken location across from Olivet in Bourbonnais overnight. Bourbonnais Fire Protection Chief Jim Keener says firefighters were called to the scene just before two this morning when someone called in they'd seen smoke coming from the building. When they got there, firefighters found fire inside the building. Chief Keener says the building is a total loss. No one was injured battling the blaze, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

• Kankakee Police make arson arrest

Kankakee City Police have made a second arrest in connection to a to garage fire June 13th in the 400 block of South Elm Avenue. According to reports, detectives arrested the owner of the home, 24 year old Noah F. Mirrielees, just before 5 Wednesday afternoon on charges of arson to defraud insurance and was transported to the Jerome Combs Detention Center. 27 year old Carlos S. Vazquez was arrested near the scene of the fire the day it took place and charged with Arson.

• Traffic stop nets Kankakee Police a drug arrest

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon netted Kankakee City Police a drug arrest. According to reports, officers pulled over a white SUV in the 1500 block of West Court Street just after 4 Wednesday afternoon for an equipment violation. Reports say the officers could smell the odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside the SUV and asked the driver, 23 year old Jose S Soto to step out of the car. A search of the SUV allegedly turned up several grams of raw cannabis, two suspected xanx pills, THC Wax and powder, a digital scale, .45 caliber magazine loaded with 8 live rounds, and a bb gun. Soto was arrested and charged with possession of ammunition with no foid card, manufacture with intent to deliver cannabis, among other charges. 

• Nugent to join prisoner review board

Former Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent is set to resign from his position as the president of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County and be appointed to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board by Governor JB Pritzker. Nugent tells us he had always planned to step down from the Economic Alliance once his time as Mayor came to an end and that he's more than qualified for this new position.  Nugent added he applied for the position online. Nugent's last day at the Economic Alliance is September 12th and his first day on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board will be September 16th. According to Illinois dot gov, board members get paid close to 148 thousand dollars annually.

• What to do around Kankakee County this weekend

Time now to find out what's 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