Primary Election Results and Post-Storm Updates in Kankakee County - Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

This edition of the WVLI News Update with Rob West provides a comprehensive look at the results of the Illinois primary elections and ongoing recovery efforts following recent severe weather. The program covers key victories in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, alongside specific local board results and referenda outcomes in Iroquois County.

Listeners will also find important information regarding a significant overnight spike in gas prices across the Land of Lincoln and the neighboring Hoosier state. The update includes critical safety and recovery resources for residents affected by last week's storms, featuring guidance from Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey and local municipal leaders on reporting damage and avoiding home repair scams.

Additional segments highlight a new infrastructure project in Bourbonnais, local law enforcement investigations into a recent burglary and a shots-fired incident, and a full wrap-up of regional sports, including the latest from the Blackhawks, Bulls, and Spring Training baseball.

Listen to the full episode for specific election percentages, gas price averages by county, and detailed safety instructions from local authorities.

Listen to more great shows on the WVLI Podcast Network:

This One Time in Kankakee  (Narrative Storytelling)

Kankakee Valley Community Happenings  (Businesses & Non-Profits)

The voices you trust, beyond the dial. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Darren Bailey set for a rematch with Governor J.B. Pritzker. Bailey spoke to supporters after winning the Republican Illinois gubernatorial nomination in yesterday's primary. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton celebrating after she won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. The Chicago Native beat out U.S. Representatives Raja Krishna Morty and Robin Kelly in a crowded field of candidates. Stratton vying to replace longtime Senator Dick Durbin, who is set to retire. She'll face Don Tracy, the winner of the GOP primary. Well, there were no contested races in Tuesday's primary in Kankakee County. There were some contested races in Iroquois County. Our Mike Rubel has the details.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

In County Board District 1, incumbent and board chairman Paul Ducat retains his seat with 36% of the vote. John Mintz coming in second at 35%. He also will be stepping onto the board. Nancy Owens coming in third at 28%. In County Board District 2, incumbents Kathleen Perkinson and Steve Hughes successful in retaining their seats with 38 and 37% of the vote, respectively. Chris Pfeiffer, the challenger, coming in at 24%. In District 4, Mitchell Bence, an incumbent, retains his seat at 39% of the vote. Kevin Bowman, a former county board member, coming back to the board at 44%, and Marion Jaworski coming in at 15%. And the referenda from last night in the Crescent, Iroquois area, the fire protection district bond passes 64 to 35%. And the Buckley Sewer Project question passes 69 to 30%. Approximately 17% of eligible voters came out in Iroquois County last night. I'm Mike Rubel reporting.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Triple A says the average cost for a gallon of regular no-lead gas today across the land of Lincoln, three dollars ninety-three cents. That's up 14 cents overnight, up almost a dollar over the prices just a month ago. Things not much better in Kankakee County, where Triple A says a gallon of gas set you back three dollars eighty-six cents on average. That's up another twenty-six cents overnight, and more than a dollar more expensive than it was at this time in February. Gas running 384 on average in Iroquois County, 380 in Ford County, 394 in Will County. Across the state line, Triple A says a gallon of gas set you back three dollars fifty-seven cents on average in Newton County, 372 a gallon in Benton County, 379 on average in Jasper County, gallon of gas running $3.79 a gallon on average across the Hoosier states. Local authorities asking anyone who suffered any kind of damage from last Tuesday's storms to report that damage through a self-assessment that can be found on the Sheriff's Department Facebook page, County Sheriff Mike Downey.

SPEAKER_05 3:09

Unfortunately, in disasters like this, the money is all about how much is lost in our county. And so anybody who has damage, whether it's a hundred dollars, whether it's ten thousand dollars, go to our Facebook page, go to that uh QR code and fill that out because that will help everybody.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

You can find the self-assessment link on the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. Aroma Park Mayor Brian Stump gave us an update Tuesday on recovery efforts in the village. Stump said the village didn't get hit quite as hard last week by the tornadoes as Aroma Township did.

SPEAKER_06 3:52

A lot of our trees are cleaned up. People are still putting stuff out. The township is a lot worse. We've devoted all of our guys over to help the township. I've got to spend a lot of time over there talking to people in the township. They need a lot of help over that way.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Mayor Stomp says you can contact the United Way or Kankakee County Emergency Management Agency if you want to volunteer to help in the cleanup efforts. Red Cross caseworkers will be at the Wheatfield Indiana Town Hall again today, offering assistance and information to those affected by last week's tornado. Caseworkers will be there from eight o'clock this morning till five o'clock this evening. Following last Thursday's discovery in Aroma Park of a victim from last week's tornado, Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey says search teams continue to comb that area.

SPEAKER_05 4:36

We are going to continue our search. We've got dogs and drones, and we are basically just following up on any potential individuals who may not be accounted for.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

Sheriff Downey says the search will continue till everyone is accounted for. Last Thursday, utility workers found the body of 65-year-old Maurice R. Norrington in his home on Oakwood Drive in Aroma Park. It's believed Norrington died of injury sustained during the storm. Bourbon Village trustees voted Monday night to buy the property at 167 West Marseille Street, across the street from the Dairy Queen in Bourbon A, village attorney Patrick Don.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

The idea is that they're going to be uh trying to create a pathway for bikes and walkers and that so that people can have access. Hopefully, we're trying to get it all the run all the way through to the new park here uh behind village hall so that people don't have to be along Route 102 and it's a safer route for all the pedestrians.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

The village will be paying $275,000 for the property. Kankakee County Sheriff's Police are looking into a recent burglary with our Crime Stopper's tip of the week. Here's Kankakee County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Trent Bukowski.

SPEAKER_04 5:52

Sheriff's deputies are investigating a burglary to a gas station that occurred on Thursday, March 12th in Pembroke Township. Officers were dispatched to the service station located in the 2600 south block of 13,000 East Road shortly after 3 a.m. Video surveillance shows a four-door black-colored agarra back up to the front doors where multiple passengers exit the vehicle and force entry to the establishment. Once inside, the burglary suspects damaged multiple gaming machines and fled the area minutes later with an undisclosed amount of currency. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 815-93 Crime.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous could result in a cash reward. Kankakee City Police reporting an arrest following a shots fired incident in the city early yesterday morning. According to reports, it was about 1 30 Tuesday morning. Officers called to the area of the 900 block of East Oak for a report of shots fired. When they got there, officers say they got out of their car and started looking for evidence of the shooting. Reports say they found a live 9mm round in the 900 block of East Oak, made contact with a resident there who said they'd heard the shot but didn't see anything. Meanwhile, city police say another officer spotted a car on East Court Street at North Rosewood, traveling at a high rate of speed. A few minutes later, officers stopped the car in the 1200 block of South Elm. Reports say a gun was found under the driver's side seat. Twenty-year-old Emory T. Brooks allegedly admitted to the shooting. She was arrested by city police for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm, among other charges. Kankikee Mayor Chris Curtis took to social media Tuesday to remind area residents to be careful when it comes to getting home repairs following last week's tornado. Mayor Curtis reminded city residents to make sure that a contractor is licensed in the city before agreeing to any work.

SPEAKER_07 7:36

This is not to make your life difficult. This is for your protection. When a contractor is licensed to the City of Kinka Key, they put their business information, their address, their insurance on file, and a bond on file so that you are protected in case the work isn't done properly, or in case the work isn't completed, or in case one of their workers get injured on your property.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Curtis added, anyone soliciting business at your door should be able to show you a solicitor's license from the city.

SPEAKER_07 8:04

If they can't produce it, do not talk to them. Again, we're not trying to make things hard for you. We just want you to be protected.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Mayor Curtis adds, if you live in the city of Kankakee and have any questions about the process, you can call his office or the city's code enforcement offices. In sports, Blackhawks lost 4-3 to the wild in overtime last night. Hawks visit Minnesota tomorrow night. The Bulls try to get a winning streak going as they host the Toronto Raptors tonight. In spring training baseball, Sox and Cubs both won Tuesday. The Cardinals lost. Cubs take on the Diamondbacks today. The Cards host the Astros. Sox have the day off. NCAA tournament action gets underway today with the first four play in games. The tournament gets underway in full force tomorrow. The Alni takes on Penn State tomorrow night. 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.