Stolen Gun Arrest, Courthouse Project, and Major Job Fair Updates - Wednesday, June 10th, 2026

A traffic stop in Bradley leads to a stolen firearm arrest, Kankakee County moves forward with a major courthouse renovation project, and local job seekers have an opportunity to connect with dozens of employers at a community job fair. In this edition of the WVLI News Update, Rob West covers the latest developments from across Kankakee, Iroquois, and surrounding counties, including law enforcement investigations, county government actions, community events, public safety alerts, and regional sports headlines.

From updates on local crime investigations and county board decisions to community programs and statewide developments, this episode delivers a comprehensive look at the stories impacting residents throughout the region. Listen to the full episode for all the details, quotes, and context behind today's top news stories.

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This One Time in Kankakee  (Narrative Storytelling)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Traffic stop Monday netted Kankakee County Sheriff's Police gun arrest. According to reports, it was about 8 30 Monday morning. Deputies tried to stop a car driven by 33-year-old William E. Jarvis of Kankakee near West Goodwin in South Prairie in Bradley for traffic violation. Reports say Jarvis stopped the car, started to run, dropping a black object as he ran. Jarvis captured by officers after a short foot chase. Reports say the dropped object turned out to be a handgun and had allegedly been reported stolen. Williams was arrested by deputies for possession of a stolen firearm, fleeing and eluding police, among other charges. During Tuesday morning's meeting of the Kankakee County Board, bids were officially awarded for the County Courthouse Remodel Project. County Board Chairman Matt Alexander Hildebrand says there was a total of five bid packages.

SPEAKER_08 0:46

General Trades Bear Construction was the one who uh was the lowest responsible bidder. For millwork and wheelchair lift, bear construction was the lowest responsible bidder. Roofing, Langlois Roofing was the lowest responsible bidder. HVAC and Plumbing, Amber Mechanical was the lowest responsible bidder. And for electrical and low voltage, Keyst Electric was the lowest responsible bidder.

SPEAKER_05 1:14

Chairman Alexander Hildebrand said the total package came in at just under $4 million, which doesn't include architect or design fees. The information is available on the county website. 79th District State Representative Jackie Haas hosting a job fair today at the Knights of Columbus Hall in downtown Kankakee. Representative Haas says it's the sixth year she's hosted the free job fair.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

We have over 40 employers that will be present at this event. And I know it's you know we've been really fortunate to to be, I think, one of the larger job fairs in the community um the last couple of years.

SPEAKER_05 1:50

Representative Haas says that several state agencies will join local employers at the job fair.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Corrections, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, DHS, so Department of Human Services, Department of Public Health, Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police. Um, so many uh state services will be there.

SPEAKER_05 2:13

She says that if you plan to attend the event, you should take along copies of your resume and be ready to fill out applications and talk to employers. Job Fair runs from 9 this morning till noon at the Knights of Columbus Hall on South Indiana Avenue in Kankakee. Get a hold of her office if you need more information. Kankakee City Police investigating after a man said he was beaten and robbed at Tuesday morning. According to reports, officers were called to a restaurant in the 1,000 block of North Fifth Avenue just before 5 30 Tuesday morning by a man who said he'd been in the 500 block of West Henry when a man in his 50s jumped him, beat him, and took his wallet. The victim said he didn't recognize the man, said there were two other men near him, though. The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. During Tuesday morning's meeting of the Iroquois County Board, the board took up legislation dealing with some solar projects in the county. County Board Chairman Paul Ducat said there's not much they can do on the county level.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Fishing pole, tackle, bait. All we want you to do is come on out and have a great time.

SPEAKER_05 3:52

This week's Real Justice Fishing Club at the pond out in front of the Bourbon A Municipal Center from 5 till 7 30 tonight. There's more about the club on the State's Attorney's website or his Facebook page. A Ford County man getting nearly two more years in prison for threatening a former victim, Paul Thieesfield was sentenced to 21 months in prison after he pled guilty to mailing a letter to a victim in Gibson City in October 2023. He mailed the letter from federal prison in North Carolina. Thieesfield previously admitted that he had attempted to kidnap the victim in Gibson City in December 2020 in order to sexually assault her. The new sentence will be served consecutively with a 12-year sentence he's currently serving for an attempted kidnapping. During Tuesday morning's Kankakee County Board meeting, the board passed a proclamation honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States. County Clerk Dan Hendrickson read the proclamation.

SPEAKER_07 4:44

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Kinkey County Board does hereby honor and commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States of America on July 4th, 2026, celebrating the enduring spirit of liberty and the promise of freedom that continues to inspire our nation. Be it further resolved that the Kinkey County Board hereby declares July 1st, 2026 as Red, White, and Blue Day in Kankakee County, and encourages all residents, businesses, and organizations to proudly wear patriotic attire, display the American flag, and join together in celebrating the history, heritage, and bright future of our great country.

SPEAKER_05 5:21

Proclamation passed unanimously. Kankakee County Sheriff's Police continue to look for those responsible for breaking into cars at a local campground. With our Crime Stoppers Tip of the Week, here's Kankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Trent Pikowski.

SPEAKER_04 5:34

Sheriff's deputies responded to the Pink Grove campground in the 500 block of South Bridge Street in Aroma Park, Thursday, May 28th, following reports of multiple vehicle burglaries and thefts that occurred overnight. Deputies took four separate reports, all involving vehicles that have been left unlocked. Stolen items included cash, a dash cam, a laptop computer, credit cards and checkbooks, a steel chainsaw, an impact drill, as well as several DeWalt power tools. The Kankakee County Sheriff's Office is reminding area residents to always lock their vehicles and homes and to avoid leaving valuables in plain sight. Investigators are also asking anyone that has any information regarding the burglaries to contact CrimeStoppers by calling 815-93CRIME.

SPEAKER_05 6:16

Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous could result in a cash reward. Governor J.B. Pritzker says he's open to calling a special session in Springfield to put together a stadium bill for the Chicago Bears. The governor says that the team needs to work with state lawmakers.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

They've got to figure out how they can get the legislature, both sides, around the same bill, and I would be happy to call it special session. By the way, so too can the leaders of the legislature call it special session.

SPEAKER_05 6:45

Governor said the Bears have been making calls to him and other legislators. He also blamed the team for fumbles over the years that have hindered Springfield from moving a bill forward. His comments came after the Bears announced last week they were planning to advance their stadium project in Hammond, Indiana.

SPEAKER_06 7:10

We're very proud of Kurt Alberts and everything he's done for the county. We will be thanking him for his service for uh stepping up for the county and doing the best that he could do.

SPEAKER_05 7:18

Albers will officially retire in November, Ducat said. Right now there are no plans for who might replace Albers as Iroquois County Treasurer. Federal Trade Commission is warning about fake CAPTSHA screens popping up while people browse the web. Mark Mayfield has the details.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

The agency says the scam looks like a normal prove-year-human check, but it tells users to open a Windows command box and paste in code. That can make the person install hidden malware on their computer. The FTC says that scammers can then steal banking, email, and other login information. Real capture checks do not ask people to run commands on a device. I'm Mark Maefield.

SPEAKER_05 7:57

In sports, Sox and Cards both won last night. Cubs lost. Sox beat the Braves 6-5 in 10 innings in Chicago, while the Cards beat the Mets 7-0. The Cubs lost to the Rockies 7-3. Same teams in action tonight. Chicago Sky blew a fourth quarter lead in their 82-75 loss to the Atlanta Dream last night. Sky visit the Fever tomorrow. Hurricanes beat the Golden Knights 5-3 last night in the Stanley Cup Finals, evening that best of seven series at two games apiece, game five tomorrow night in Raleigh. And the NBA finals continue tonight. The Knicks host the Spurs. Spurs hope to even the series at two games apiece. Knicks looking to take a 3 1 series lead. That is a look at news and sports here on this Wednesday. Have a good rest of your day. Be safe, everybody. I'm Rob West.