Storm Restoration Efforts, U-Haul Arson Arrest, and Kankakee County Developments- Wednesday August 12, 2026

In this edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West, storm restoration efforts continue across Illinois and Northwest Indiana following severe weather, leaving thousands without power and impacting local gas stations. In local government news, the Kankakee County Board approves a local agency agreement for widening and resurfacing County Road 17, along with a new three-year contract for county highway employees.

Coverage also includes updates from the second day of testimony in the Xandria Harris murder trial, the temporary shutdown of the St. Anne Dollar General due to HVAC issues, and the official renaming of the Illinois State Armory after former Governor Jim Edgar. Additionally, an arrest has been made following an alleged arson at a Kankakee U-Haul facility, and the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak tonight. Listen to the full episode for all the details and complete local sports scores.

Listen to the full episode for all the details and complete local reporting.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Comed crews working to restore power to areas hit hard by yesterday's storms that moved through the area. Comed says between Braidwood and the state line and Moni down to the Iroquois County line, there's more than 10,000 customers still without power. They hope to have most of those restored by early this afternoon. It's not any better across the state line. Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or NIPSCO, says that they have power out to customers across Northwest Indiana from Couts to Lake Village to Lowell to Damott. In fact, the Indiana State Police posted on their Facebook page that anyone traveling through Northwest Indiana should fill up with gasoline in Illinois before leaving the state. They say the power outages have left most of the gas stations in Northwest Indiana without power to pump the gas, and those that do have power are overwhelmed with people trying to get gas and may run out before more arrives. NIPSCO hasn't given any estimates as to when the power will be restored to Northwest Indiana. During Tuesday morning's Kankakee County Board meeting, the board okayed a resolution giving the County Board Chairman the go-ahead to sign a local agency agreement for federal participation and appropriating matching funds for widening and resurfacing County Road 17, County Board Chairman Matt Alexander Hildebrand.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

This is to widen and resurface uh East 9,000 North Road to East 12,000 North Road, and the federal participation is 80% on that. The projected cost is 1.6 million, so that would be 1.28 uh million for the federal participation, and our our portion would be $320,000.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

So also during yesterday morning's meeting, the county board okayed a new contract with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local that represents the employees of the County Highway Department. And state officials gearing up for the start of the 2026 Illinois State Fair. Fair kicks off tomorrow, runs through August 23rd in Springfield. Governor J.B. Pritzker will unveil the 2026 Butter cow at the fairgrounds today. Tuesday, the second full day of testimony in the Xandria Harris murder trial as the prosecution continues to present their case. Tuesday afternoon, jurors heard testimony from Kankakee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Hartman, who is on patrol December the twenty-ninth, twenty twenty one, when Harris's then boyfriend Darius Sullivan shot and killed Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Ritmanick. Deputy Hartman described how he and other officers worked to try to keep Sergeant Ritmanick alive after the shooting and how he took possession of her body worn camera that night before eventually turning it over to the deputy chief of the Bradley Police Department. There was also testimony Tuesday afternoon from Todd Bussey Jr., who said that he was a friend of Sullivan's and went to North Manchester, Indiana in late December of 2021 to bring Harris back to Kankakee so she could turn herself in. Bussey described picking up Harris and her children and driving them back to Kankakee in silence. Sullivan found guilty for his part in the shooting last year. He's serving a life term in prison. Dollar General store in St. Ann has been temporarily shut down. In a Facebook post, St. Ann Mayor Dave O'Connell says the building had no working HVAC system and the employees were working in 90 degree temperatures with very little air movement. Mayor O'Connell went on to say that management had been aware of the situation for a couple of weeks and hadn't yet addressed the situation. Mayor O'Connell says that the business would continue to be shut down till the situation is addressed, which he said might not be till August 18th. The Illinois State Armory has officially been renamed in honor of former Governor Jim Edgar. Governor J.B. Pritzker and other state leaders gathered yesterday to celebrate the new Governor Jim Edgar Executive Office Building in Springfield.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

There could be no greater tribute to Jim Edgar than a place dedicated to executive leadership in government because public service was the work of his life.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Kankakee City Police reporting an arrest in connection with an alleged arson at a U-Hall on Kennedy Drive Monday afternoon. In a press release, Kankakee Police Chief Chris Curtis says he and his officers were called to the facility just after 11 o'clock Monday morning for a domestic dispute between 46-year-old Tara Ann Brown and her male companion. Then, just before 12 30 Monday afternoon, City Police, along with the fire department, called to the facility for a storage unit fire. Press release says that Brown allegedly set fire to the storage unit with the man inside. Brown was arrested by city police on preliminary charges of attempted murder and arson. During Tuesday morning's meeting of the Kankakee County Board, the board gave their stamp of approval to a new three-year agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, which represents employees in the County Highway Department. County Board Chairman Matt Alexander Hildebrand has the details.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

The contract runs from December 1st, 2025 through November 30th, 2028, and includes wage increases of 4% in the first year, followed by 3% increase in the second year and 3% increase in the third year.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Also at Tuesday morning's meeting, the board agreed to enter into an agreement with the federal government for an 80-20 split on the cost of widening and resurfacing County Road 17, cost of the project $1.6 million. Feds will be paying about $1.3 million of that amount. Not much of a chance that you'll get to see it, but the Perseid Meteor shower reaches its peak tonight. Happens as the Earth passes through the trail of debris left behind by the Swift Tuttle Comet. Debris that burns up when it hits the atmosphere. Best time to watch it will be after midnight tonight. In sports, Cubs and Cards both won yesterday. The Sox lost. Cubs beat the Nationals 8-6 in Washington, D.C. Sox lost to the Reds 5-4 in extra innings in Chicago. Cards beat the Phillies 2-0. Same teams in action today. Chicago Sky are at the Valkyries tonight. Chicago Fire FC continue Leagues Cup group play tomorrow with a match against Cruz Azul. And Bears training camp continues with an open practice tomorrow before the Bears host the Browns in preseason action on Saturday. That is a check of news and sports here on this Wednesday. Have a good rest of your day. Be safe, everybody. I'm Rob West.