Our Reporting

Meeting Record: every Kankakee County board meeting we have tracked

171 city, village, county and school board meetings, each with its agenda, documents and confirmed outcomes.

Bradley SD 61 Board of Education, Nov. 6

1 agenda item from the Bradley SD 61 Board of Education's meeting of Nov. 6, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The library's first tax request since 1987 lost in every precinct, by a wider margin than the road district

How the Bourbonnais Public Library referendum ran precinct by precinct on Nov. 3, and how it compares with the road district question on the same ballot.

The road district vote wasn't a rerun of Diaz vs. Bisaillon. It was bigger, and almost every precinct moved the same way.

Precinct-by-precinct results of the Bourbonnais Township road district question against the last township board race, with the map.

Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission, Nov. 4

2 agenda items from the Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission's meeting of Nov. 4, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Three of seven, a fire marshal and no quorum: the August 17 committee meeting

Three of seven members came, so nothing could be approved. The fire chief asked to act as village fire marshal, and the administrator set his last day.

The lawyer's bill and the 30 days: the November 2 meeting

The board cuts the mayor's lawyer's $44,769.50 bill, 4–2, and a trustee says the 30-day emergency appointment has expired. Nineteen claims, graded.

The auditor's last $13,600 and a $17,500 tree question: the July 20 committee meeting

Finance argued over $1,750 taken off the forensic auditors' final bill for attorney Cainkar's review, and questioned a $17,500 engineering contract for Main Street trees.

Pickleball lights, a TIF request and an audit waiting: the October 14 committee meetings

Pickleball lights priced at about $40,000 installed, a request to extend TIF District 3, and the audit waiting on four answers. The only votes were on minutes.

Parking, trees and an auditor's bill: the June 30 committee meeting

Five days after the June 25 vote: a half-size Oak Street parking lot, tree bids, a truck repair, and an auditor's $225-an-hour request nobody at the table claimed.

No petitions, one big question: the July 14 Plan Commission

No hearings or petitions. Fifty minutes on how Manteno should grow, from stalled Springfield bills to an AI-drafted pitch for a Sam's Club near I-57.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Nov. 3

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Nov. 3, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Four votes, three bills, and "It is my meeting": the August 12 committee and special board meetings

Four trustees approved $367,125.39 in bills at an 8 a.m. special meeting. Whether the meeting's call and notice met Village Code and the Open Meetings Act is graded Open.

Four battery containers by a quarry: the October 13 Plan Commission

A stand-in presenter pitched a 4.8 MW Tesla battery storage site off Route 50. Safety questions went largely unanswered, nobody voted, and commissioners said battery storage should need a special use permit.

Clerk pay, an auditor's bill and $95 porta-potties: the July 28 committee meeting

Two trustees absent. Agreement on drafting clerk pay of $100 a meeting, a split over docking the forensic auditor, vendor background checks dropped, and an argument over porta-potties.

A pickleball league, a bench offer and Gotion's deadlines: the July 8 committees

Two days after the attorney vote, four trustees backed a pickleball league pilot, limited one company's bench sponsorship, and set Gotion's fire brigade deadlines.

Kankakee City Council, Nov. 2

12 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Nov. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Flock Reports: a national public-records database of documented ALPR problems

An independent public-records project cataloguing documented problems with Flock Safety and similar license-plate-reader networks: officer misuse, federal and ICE data sharing, city rejections and repeals, audits and lawsuits across all 50 states, with 6,360 entries and 14,192 sources as of Nov. 2.

Election night tracker: live results for Bourbonnais, Bradley and Kankakee County

Live Nov. 3 results pulled from the County Clerk and cross-checked against the Daily Journal, with a precinct map and year-over-year history for township and local races.

Bradley SD 61 Finance Committee, Nov. 2

4 agenda items from the Bradley SD 61 Finance Committee's committee meeting of Nov. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board, Nov. 2

9 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board's meeting of Nov. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

A $1.55 million paving contract in Bradley, a Goselin Park concessions deal in Bourbonnais, and the end of a Schuyler Avenue development agreement in Kankakee

Bradley awards Abbey Construction $1.55 million 5-0 and sets a Dec. 8 kickoff event. Bourbonnais takes up a zoning variance and the Grove at Goselin Park concessions agreement; Manteno considers Thies Park pickleball lights; Kankakee moves to end its HB Equities agreement for 169 S. Schuyler.

Kankakee County Slots Explorer

A searchable explorer of every licensed video gaming location in the county: machines, monthly play, local tax share, year by year, built from the Illinois Gaming Board's own reports.

Adopt a Pet: every adoptable animal in Kankakee County, in one place

Every adoptable dog, cat and critter at county shelters and rescues, updated daily from Animal Control, the Humane Foundation, River Valley, Sunrise Center, New Beginnings and more.

$5,562 an hour: what 14 years of state data say about slot machines in Kankakee County

Players have lost $365,974,439 in the county's video gaming machines since 2012. We added up 169 months of Illinois Gaming Board reports: the record years, every town, the machines that take the most, and where the money goes.

Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings, Oct. 29

2 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings's committee meeting of Oct. 29, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Oct. 29

9 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of Oct. 29, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Finance Committee, Oct. 28

5 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Finance Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Community & Economic Development Committee, Oct. 28

1 agenda item from the Bourbonnais Community & Economic Development Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Committee of the Whole — Public Works / Utilities, Oct. 27

3 agenda items from the Manteno Committee of the Whole — Public Works / Utilities's committee meeting of Oct. 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Committee of the Whole — General Government / Safety, Oct. 27

1 agenda item from the Manteno Committee of the Whole — General Government / Safety's committee meeting of Oct. 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Oct. 27

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Oct. 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Waterpark Gets a Dec. 8 Kickoff Party Instead of a Groundbreaking, Plus a $1.55 Million Paving Contract

Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education, Oct. 27

10 agenda items from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education's meeting of Oct. 27, with the outcomes we could confirm.

The Bourbs Daily digital edition, first issue

An eleven-page digital paper for Monday, Oct. 26: county news, sports, events, jobs, classifieds, adoptable pets, obituaries, births and the farm report.

Bradley votes the waterpark's concrete and paving; Manteno committees take up pickleball lights at Thies Park

Bradley's Oct. 26 site concrete and paving vote for the indoor waterpark, and the two Manteno Committee of the Whole sessions set for 7 a.m. Oct. 27.

Bradley Village Board, Oct. 26

1 agenda item from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Oct. 26, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bourbonnais Township Park District Committee of the Whole, Oct. 26

2 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Township Park District Committee of the Whole's committee meeting of Oct. 26, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Township Park District Board of Commissioners, Oct. 26

2 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Township Park District Board of Commissioners's meeting of Oct. 26, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Oct. 24

1 agenda item from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's special meeting of Oct. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Township Assessor calls the wrong guy, threatens to cut "this little guy's balls off," then doesn't hang up

A voicemail meant for "Steve" landed on Highway Commissioner Jason Diaz's phone 13 days before the Road District vote. The full, unedited recording, every word in writing, and what the public record says.

On Our Radar: what The Bourbs is watching

Land deals, rezonings, public-body purchases and quiet money moves across Kankakee County, tracked before they become news. Every lead is built from recorded deeds and public agendas.

Kankakee County Finance Committee, Oct. 22

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Finance Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 22, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals, Oct. 22

1 agenda item from the Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals's meeting of Oct. 22, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Executive Committee, Oct. 21

5 agenda items from the Kankakee County Executive Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 21, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee names a new fire chief and skips bidding on $372,850 in roof work

What the Kankakee City Council did on Oct. 19, from the agenda, the packet and the meeting itself.

Kankakee County Planning-Zoning-Agriculture Committee, Oct. 20

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Planning-Zoning-Agriculture Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 20, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Oct. 20

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Oct. 20, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Four trustees, three votes, and a draft audit: the October 19 meetings

Another quiet night: four trustees, three votes, all unanimous. The bigger numbers came from the audit discussion.

Bourbonnais Explorer: an interactive map of the whole village

6,208 parcels by land use, owner type, zoning and taxable value per acre, 7,124 buildings, local businesses, the development pipeline, IDOT crashes and traffic counts, census block groups, sewer mains and service districts.

Kankakee County Historic Preservation Commission, Oct. 19

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Historic Preservation Commission's meeting of Oct. 19, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee City Council, Oct. 19

9 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Oct. 19, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Five meetings in one night: Bourbonnais, Manteno, Kankakee City Council and the county's Historic Preservation Commission

The Oct. 19 run across the county, meeting by meeting, with a separate full story on Kankakee's new fire chief and the $372,850 roof work awarded without bids.

Bourbonnais Village Board, Oct. 19

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board's meeting of Oct. 19, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bradley SD 61 School Board, Oct. 15

8 agenda items from the Bradley SD 61 School Board's meeting of Oct. 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Criminal Justice Committee, Oct. 14

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Criminal Justice Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, Oct. 14

5 agenda items from the Kankakee County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Finance Committee, Oct. 14

6 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Finance Committee's committee meeting of Oct. 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The Purchasing Cards: 13 months of Village of Bradley card spending

Every Village purchasing-card charge from 13 months of statements, from $20,383.86 of meat to the Mayor's own card, itemized and sourced to the statements obtained under FOIA.

The Bradley EDC Ledger: what the Village's own records show

$1,681,007 in Village money, a rescinded restaurant lease reborn as a BEDC deal, and a mall bought $2.28 million over appraisal, traced through Bradley's own check register and board packets.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Oct. 13

11 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of Oct. 13, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County County Board, Oct. 13

11 agenda items from the Kankakee County County Board's meeting of Oct. 13, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Oct. 13

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Oct. 13, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Awards First Waterpark Site-Work Contract: Nearly $2.9 Million, One Bidder

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Oct. 13

11 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of Oct. 13, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Your town is watching. So is almost everyone else.

Bourbonnais operates 12 Flock Safety license plate readers shared with 1,700+ agencies. We filed FOIA requests, analyzed nine months of network audit logs, and built an interactive tracker to show how your data moves.

Who handles your trash, and at what cost?

Three decades of Kankakee County trash-hauling contracts. We pulled the 2010, 2015 and 2021 contracts, tracked the rate changes, and produced a video and a podcast episode on what residents actually pay.

Flock Surveillance Tracker: Bourbonnais ALPR watch

Interactive tracker of who searched Bourbonnais's license-plate-reader data, from which agency and how often, built from the audit logs released under FOIA records 26-2081 and 26-2082.

Flock FOIA correspondence record

Every request, response and document in the Bourbonnais Flock Safety records fight, in order, with the files.

Bradley's waterpark bid award, a bank loan ordinance and a vote to back the Bourbonnais road district referendum

What the Bradley Village Board took up Oct. 12, including a gas station special use permit, and the week's agendas in Bourbonnais and Kankakee.

Bradley Village Board, Oct. 12

5 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Oct. 12, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The twelve meetings: full recordings

Full recordings of the twelve Village of Manteno board and committee meetings at the center of the 2026 governance crisis, June 15 through October 5.

Six to nothing, and a union already certified: the October 5 meeting

Six votes, all unanimous, and the office staff the mayor talked about "unionizing" already had a union.

Essex Village Board, Oct. 8

5 agenda items from the Essex Village Board's meeting of Oct. 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The Township Files: Bourbonnais Township, by its own records

A ten-part review of Bourbonnais Township's audits, budgets, ordinances and meeting video: the money it holds, the aid it gives, who gets paid, the $100,000 tornado gift, the records fight and what the Road District vote does. Published as a Facebook series Oct. 6–12, 2026.

Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission, Oct. 6

2 agenda items from the Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission's meeting of Oct. 6, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Send The Bourbs a tip

A tip line for Kankakee County. Anonymous tips are welcome; every tip is read and reviewed within 24 hours.

Kankakee County Jobs Report

A live labor-market report: open jobs by industry and town, median posted pay, top employers hiring, and the trend over time, rebuilt nightly from the jobs database.

Kankakee City Council, Oct. 5

9 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Oct. 5, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Deputy clerks in Bourbonnais, a cybersecurity plan and new firefighters in Kankakee, a building inspector in Manteno

Three municipal boards and the county ZBA meet Oct. 5: Bourbonnais's deputy village clerks resolution, Kankakee's zoning, sewer cleaner and cyber plan, Manteno's B&F Construction reconsideration, fire-inspection IGA and building inspector appointment.

Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, Oct. 5

7 agenda items from the Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners's meeting of Oct. 5, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board, Oct. 5

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board's meeting of Oct. 5, with the outcomes we could confirm.

The Mattel Parks Atlas

Every announced Mattel-branded park, Bradley's included, in one tracker: Bellevue, Orlando, Roanoke Rapids and Greeley, with each project's status and documents.

Mattel's New Wonder Waterpark Renderings: Barbie Surf, a Hot Wheels Tower, and Bellevue Goes First

Mattel Is Changing CEOs. Here Is What That Does, and Doesn't, Mean for Bradley

Bradley Is Clearing Land Next to the Waterpark Site. The Groundbreaking Still Has No Date

A Judge Threw Out Greeley's Vote. The Catalyst District Is Still Paused

Bourbonnais Finance Committee, Sept. 30

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Finance Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 30, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education, Sept. 29

14 agenda items from the Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 29, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County County Transportation Committee, Sept. 29

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County County Transportation Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 29, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Sept. 28

8 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley votes a sanitary sewer contract; three boards' Sept. 21 minutes still pending

Bradley's Sept. 28 meeting and executive session, and the Bourbonnais, Kankakee and Manteno meetings of Sept. 21 whose official minutes had not been posted.

Bradley Village Board, Sept. 28

2 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Sept. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Sept. 28

2 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's special meeting of Sept. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Sept. 25

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Sept. 25, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings, Sept. 24

2 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings's committee meeting of Sept. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Have Kankakee County governments signed secret data center deals? We asked.

We asked 22 Kankakee County governments whether they have signed secret deals with developers or hold any data center records. Here is who answered, who turned over records, and who hasn't said a word.

Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals, Sept. 24

2 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals's meeting of Sept. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Communication & Engagement Committee, Sept. 24

1 agenda item from the Bourbonnais Communication & Engagement Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Sept. 24

5 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Twenty-five minutes: the September 16 special meeting

The special meeting the mayor said she would veto in full, and what was actually voted.

The veto: the September 21 meetings

The written veto of every item from the September 16 meeting, read against the statute that governs vetoes and overrides.

The Toolbox: how each Manteno problem gets fixed

For every dispute on the record, the lawful fix, who holds the tool, and the vote it takes, with every statute and code section read from its text.

The Road District Vote: the full record

Every document behind the road-district question in one place: the resolutions, the budgets, the meeting video timestamps and the correspondence, so readers can check the guide against the sources.

The Road District Vote: should the Bourbonnais Township Road District be abolished?

A plain-English guide to the Nov. 3 ballot question: what a yes vote actually does, why nothing changes until 2029, and what happened when a neighbor asked the board to show the savings math.

The Manteno Record moves into The Bourbs

MantenoIllinois.com becomes bradleyillinois.com/manteno/. Every page keeps its file name; every page now carries a byline; nothing in the findings changed.

No Gotion, No: a Manteno story

A picture book about the never-ending battle over a battery plant in Manteno, Illinois, by people who just want to be left alone.

Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education, Sept. 22

9 agenda items from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 22, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Historic Preservation Commission, Sept. 21

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Historic Preservation Commission's meeting of Sept. 21, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee City Council, Sept. 21

8 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Sept. 21, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, Sept. 21

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of Sept. 21, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

A PSI Construction special-use vote near Route 45 and Bourbonnais Parkway, and three agendas for Sept. 21

Bourbonnais's second reading on the PSI special use permit could produce a vote Monday night; Bradley and Manteno agendas, and what is still pending from Sept. 8.

Kankakee County Finance Committee, Sept. 17

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Finance Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 17, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley SD 61 School Board, Sept. 17

7 agenda items from the Bradley SD 61 School Board's meeting of Sept. 17, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais SD 53 Finance Committee, Sept. 17

1 agenda item from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Finance Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 17, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Executive Committee, Sept. 16

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Executive Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 16, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Finance Committee, Sept. 16

6 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Finance Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 16, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County has gotten smaller every year since 2010. Here is exactly where.

The Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, town by town, against 115 years of counts: which places grew, which shrank, and how the county compares with the state.

Kankakee County Census Explorer, 1910–2025

Every Kankakee County town and township, every census since 1910, plus the 2025 estimates, as an interactive time machine built from Census Bureau bulk files, decennial reports and ACS tables, with every figure sourced.

Bradley Economic Development Committee, Sept. 15

1 agenda item from the Bradley Economic Development Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, Sept. 15

2 agenda items from the Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners's special meeting of Sept. 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Sept. 15

3 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's special meeting of Sept. 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Sept. 14

7 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Village Board, Sept. 14

3 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Sept. 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Sept. 14

6 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of Sept. 14, with the outcomes we could confirm.

After the Labor Day shift: Bourbonnais's cannabis tax and TIF deals, a new Manteno building director, county rezonings

What the five Sept. 8 meetings took up, with the caveat that minutes were not yet posted for any of them, so outcomes stayed unconfirmed.

Kankakee County Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee, Sept. 10

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 10, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

"I will be making appointments. So you don't need to worry about that."

The September 9 committee meeting, in plain English.

The village ran out of staff, and then voted down the fix

The September 8 board meeting: no administrator, no code officer, and the votes that left it that way.

Kankakee County Criminal Justice Committee, Sept. 9

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Criminal Justice Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 9, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, Sept. 9

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 9, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Kankakee County Board, Sept. 8

7 agenda items from the Kankakee County Kankakee County Board's meeting of Sept. 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Board of Review, Sept. 8

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of Sept. 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee City Council, Sept. 8

6 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Sept. 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, Sept. 8

6 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of Sept. 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Labor Day pushes every board to Tuesday: a cannabis tax, an I-57 interchange development and two TIF contracts in Bourbonnais

All five local governments meet Sept. 8. Bourbonnais takes up a cannabis retailers' tax, a major development at the I-57 interchange and two TIF agreements that could pass the same night, with the rest of the county's agendas.

Watson Has a Guest List for the Groundbreaking. He Still Doesn't Have a Date.

There Is a Fourth Wonder Park, and We Missed It: Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

The Two "Mattel Park" Companies Everyone Confuses, Including Us

The Glendale Warning: Mattel's Other Park Just Lost Its Developer

Mattel's Quarterly Earnings Call Mentioned Waterparks Exactly Zero Times

Essex Village Board, Sept. 3

4 agenda items from the Essex Village Board's meeting of Sept. 3, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Greeley Reversed Itself in Six Days and Sent a 40-Year Tax to the Ballot

Bradley Village Board, Sept. 2

2 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's special meeting of Sept. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education, Sept. 2

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education's special meeting of Sept. 2, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bourbonnais Finance Committee, Sept. 2

5 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Finance Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Community & Economic Development Committee, Sept. 2

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Community & Economic Development Committee's committee meeting of Sept. 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Fifth time's the charm: Bradley approves the 260 N. Bradley Blvd. used-car lot

Bradley Auto Sales gets its 5-0 approval after four earlier tries. The rest of the Aug. 24 agenda, Kankakee's council, and where Manteno stands going into September.

315 Sports Park: schedules, results and records

Every team and tournament at 315 Sports Park, with high school baseball, softball and soccer results, stat leaders and record boards, scraped weekly.

Manteno Police Commission, Aug. 28

3 agenda items from the Manteno Police Commission's meeting of Aug. 28, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings, Aug. 27

6 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Working Session Committee Meetings's committee meeting of Aug. 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Committee Meeting, Aug. 27

8 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Committee Meeting's committee meeting of Aug. 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Hires a Springfield Lobbyist, and Quietly Moves Groundbreaking to Fall

Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education, Aug. 25

12 agenda items from the Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education's meeting of Aug. 25, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Aug. 24

8 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of Aug. 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Village Board, Aug. 24

7 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Aug. 24, with the outcomes we could confirm.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Aug. 24

4 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's special meeting of Aug. 24, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Aug. 22

2 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's special meeting of Aug. 22, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Six trustees, one room, and every vote unanimous: the August 20 special meeting

The meeting we missed, written up from the recording and the minutes.

Kankakee County Finance Committee, Aug. 20

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Finance Committee's committee meeting of Aug. 20, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Executive Committee, Aug. 19

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Executive Committee's committee meeting of Aug. 19, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee, Aug. 18

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee's committee meeting of Aug. 18, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education, Aug. 18

11 agenda items from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education's meeting of Aug. 18, with the outcomes we could confirm.

The night the police were sent after a trustee, for a quorum

The August 17 board meeting, published the night it happened: the Rule 21 arrest order and what followed.

The audit everyone argues about

What the Greene forensic audit of the Village actually found: the bidding, banking and land-sale concerns, the figures both camps cite, and what the auditors did not say.

Kankakee City Council, Aug. 17

7 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Aug. 17, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

K-9 Knight, a French consul and two new officers in Bourbonnais; the Gotion fire-brigade MOU passes in Manteno

Bourbonnais swears in its second officer of the month and takes up proclamations for K-9 Knight and Consul General Charlotte Montel; the Aug. 3 votes were all 5-0. Manteno's Gotion fire brigade MOU is confirmed unanimous, and the LaRocque suspension is laid out item by item.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, Aug. 17

6 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of Aug. 17, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee, Aug. 13

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Highways, Waterways & Buildings Committee's committee meeting of Aug. 13, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley SD 61 School Board, Aug. 13

9 agenda items from the Bradley SD 61 School Board's meeting of Aug. 13, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Plan Commission, Aug. 11

2 agenda items from the Manteno Plan Commission's meeting of Aug. 11, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Finance Committee, Aug. 11

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Finance Committee's special meeting of Aug. 11, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County County Board, Aug. 11

7 agenda items from the Kankakee County County Board's meeting of Aug. 11, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, Aug. 10

8 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of Aug. 10, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley's first waterpark construction contract and a $9.75 million line of credit; Manteno suspends its administrator

Bradley takes up the SWPPP and mass-grading award for the indoor waterpark and a Midland States Bank draw-down line for the parks bond program. In Manteno, Administrator Chris LaRocque is suspended five days without pay and four items are stripped from the agenda. Bourbonnais's Aug. 3 outcomes, pending minutes.

Bradley Village Board, Aug. 10

5 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of Aug. 10, with the outcomes we could confirm.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, Aug. 10

7 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of Aug. 10, with the outcomes we could confirm.

The August 3 board meeting, in plain English

The August 3 meeting, including the override vote, graded against the recording and the code.

Kankakee City Council, Aug. 3

9 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of Aug. 3, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Judge Parkhurst dismisses the Manteno attorney case for want of a complaint; Aug. 3 sets up the biggest votes of the year

The July 21 ruling: no complaint had been filed, so the court had no jurisdiction to grant the restraining order. Vasselli says a complaint is coming within 72 hours. What is on Manteno's Aug. 3 agenda, and the week in Bourbonnais, Bradley and Kankakee.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, Aug. 3

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of Aug. 3, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The Bourbs+ Facebook Desk

An hourly, autonomous news desk for The Bourbs+ Page: credited reposts of county news, meeting previews, Park Check, Now Hiring, Who Do You Call, Your Town and The Deep Cut, every link verified live before it posts.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, July 27

8 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of July 27, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Village Board, July 27

5 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of July 27, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Eight stop signs, and no one measured anything

The Village of Bourbonnais installed eight all-way stop signs in July 2026. The village's own records show what the decision was based on, and what it wasn't.

Kankakee County Board of Review, July 24

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Board of Review's meeting of July 24, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Executive Committee, July 22

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Executive Committee's committee meeting of July 22, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

The July 20 board meeting, in plain English

What the board did on July 20 and what the record shows, item by item.

Kankakee County Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee, July 21

5 agenda items from the Kankakee County Planning, Zoning & Agriculture Committee's committee meeting of July 21, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno keeps Cainkar 4-1 while the mayor asks the police chief to remove him from the table

The July 6 vote on the Continuous Retention Letter and the scene around it, from the recording; two ordinances also pass. The mayor's attorney from Vasselli Law is expected July 20. The rest of the week's agendas across Bourbonnais, Bradley and Kankakee.

Kankakee City Council, July 20

6 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of July 20, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, July 20

4 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of July 20, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Legal analysis: what the law actually says

The three contested legal questions in the attorney dispute: whether the June 25 special meeting was lawfully convened, who may appoint the village attorney, and whether the removal was lawful, read against the Municipal Code and the Open Meetings Act.

The lawsuit: the Village of Manteno v. its own trustees

The Village sued four of its own trustees. What the complaint says, what the trustees answered, and where the case stands.

The Manteno Record launches: Manteno's government, on the record

An independent, document-based record of the Village of Manteno governance dispute between Mayor Annette LaMore and the Board of Trustees, built from FOIA records, recordings and the Village's own documents. Launched as MantenoIllinois.com; moved into The Bourbs Sept. 22.

Manteno fact check: claims vs. the record

Every public claim in the Manteno dispute graded against the documents: True, False, Misleading or Open, with the source for each grade.

Kankakee County County Board, July 14

12 agenda items from the Kankakee County County Board's meeting of July 14, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bradley Village Board, July 13

5 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of July 13, with the outcomes we could confirm.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, July 13

7 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of July 13, with the outcomes we could confirm.

FOIA Tracker: data centers & NDAs

Request-by-request tracker of the FOIA requests sent to every Kankakee County municipality about data center agreements, non-disclosure agreements and related records, with each body's response.

Essex Village Board, July 9

5 agenda items from the Essex Village Board's meeting of July 9, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission, July 7

1 agenda item from the Bradley Planning & Zoning Commission's meeting of July 7, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Who controls Manteno's attorney, and an $89 million interchange vote in Kankakee

Manteno's board majority brings a retention letter for Joseph Cainkar to a regular meeting after the disputed June 25 special meeting; Kankakee's council takes up a roughly $89 million state agreement to rebuild I-57 at IL-17 plus first readings of the budgets; Bradley closes the 136 S. Clinton zoning case.

Manteno Village Board, July 6

7 agenda items from the Manteno Village Board's meeting of July 6, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee City Council, July 6

15 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of July 6, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, July 6

3 agenda items from the Bradley Board of Fire & Police Commissioners's meeting of July 6, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, July 6

3 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of July 6, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Transportation Committee, June 30

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Transportation Committee's committee meeting of June 30, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Village Board (Special Meeting), June 25

3 agenda items from the Manteno Village Board (Special Meeting)'s special meeting of June 25, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley renaming itself to Mattelville

Two veto overrides on one night in Manteno; Bourbonnais introduces a data center moratorium

Trustees move to override Mayor LaMore's vetoes of the remote-attendance ordinance and a $9,350 tree contract, and a new village attorney is on the agenda. Bourbonnais opens its FY2027 budget and a first reading of Ordinance 26-2552 pausing data centers. Kankakee considers a $150,000 comprehensive plan with Teska.

Bradley Village Board, June 22

8 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of June 22, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission, June 18

1 agenda item from the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission's meeting of June 18, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Finance Committee, June 18

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Finance Committee's committee meeting of June 18, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Executive Committee, June 17

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Executive Committee's committee meeting of June 17, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Planning-Zoning-Agriculture Committee, June 16

3 agenda items from the Kankakee County Planning-Zoning-Agriculture Committee's committee meeting of June 16, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Farmland Assessment Review Committee, June 16

2 agenda items from the Kankakee County Farmland Assessment Review Committee's committee meeting of June 16, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Village Board, June 15

11 agenda items from the Manteno Village Board's meeting of June 15, with the outcomes we could confirm.

Kankakee City Council, June 15

8 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of June 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, June 15

7 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of June 15, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County Highways, Waterways, & Buildings Committee, June 11

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County Highways, Waterways, & Buildings Committee's committee meeting of June 11, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley SD 61 School Board, June 11

1 agenda item from the Bradley SD 61 School Board's meeting of June 11, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Plan Commission, June 9

2 agenda items from the Manteno Plan Commission's meeting of June 9, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee County County Board, June 9

4 agenda items from the Kankakee County County Board's meeting of June 9, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno rebates property taxes and signs three senior officials; Bourbonnais passes the Harbor House grant

Manteno's Ordinance 26-03 sends 2025 tax money back to homeowners, Clerk Allen Pickrel resigns and Steven Orth is appointed, and contracts for the administrator, police chief and public works director go through. Kankakee clears downtown street closures for Juneteenth, Sunset Stroll and Merchant Street Music Fest.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, June 8

21 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of June 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Village Board, June 8

7 agenda items from the Bradley Village Board's meeting of June 8, with the outcomes we could confirm.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, June 8

19 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of June 8, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

What's on your local government's agenda

What Kankakee County governments and school boards have on the agenda each week: agendas, key items and highlights from Bourbonnais, Bradley, Kankakee and every K3 school district.

The Bourbs starts a local-government roundup: a Harbor House grant, a solar-farm moratorium and a boat-racing deal

The first edition of This Week in Local Government: Bourbonnais votes on a $72,656 Harbor House grant and second readings of its solar-farm moratorium and TIF extension; Kankakee weighs a four-year deal to host the APBA national championship on the river; the county takes 15 blighted properties through the IHDA program.

Kankakee Public Safety Committee, June 2

2 agenda items from the Kankakee Public Safety Committee's committee meeting of June 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley Planning and Zoning Commission, June 2

4 agenda items from the Bradley Planning and Zoning Commission's meeting of June 2, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Manteno Village Board, June 1

10 agenda items from the Manteno Village Board's meeting of June 1, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee City Council, June 1

5 agenda items from the Kankakee City Council's meeting of June 1, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, June 1

2 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of June 1, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education, May 26

8 agenda items from the Kankakee SD 111 Board of Education's meeting of May 26, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education, May 26

13 agenda items from the Bourbonnais SD 53 Board of Education's meeting of May 26, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Coming Soon to Kankakee County

Every new restaurant, store, venue, housing development and major construction project announced for the county, tracked from permits, agendas and announcements.

Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education, May 19

12 agenda items from the Manteno CUSD 5 Board of Education's meeting of May 19, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees, May 18

5 agenda items from the Bourbonnais Village Board of Trustees's meeting of May 18, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Bradley SD 61 School Board, May 14

9 agenda items from the Bradley SD 61 School Board's meeting of May 14, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education, May 11

7 agenda items from the BBCHS SD 307 Board of Education's meeting of May 11, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

Could What Just Happened in Texas Happen to Bradley's Waterpark?

Bradley's Waterpark Is Getting Bigger, and Groundbreaking Is Almost Here

Towns of Kankakee County

A page for every incorporated community in the county, from Kankakee to the smallest prairie village, with its events, restaurants, services and government.

Kankakee Building & Code Committee, Apr. 16

1 agenda item from the Kankakee Building & Code Committee's committee meeting of Apr. 16, as posted. Outcomes are not confirmed until minutes or a recording are available.

A Tale of Two Waterparks: Greeley Voters Halt $1.1B District, Shifting the Spotlight to Bradley

Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark Officially Coming to Bradley, Illinois

A Billion-Dollar Gamble on the Prairie

Could Bradley Become Home to an Entire Mattel Campus?

Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark: Inside the Bellevue, Nebraska Sub-License Agreement

Bradley's Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark Is Officially Rolling

Why Citizens Have Every Right to Care About a $90 Million Public Project

How a "Mattel" Waterpark Deal Typically Works

Bradley Hires Design Firm for $90 Million Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark

Sad day for our waterpark friends in Washington

Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark in Bradley: A High-Stakes Leap Into a New Era

The $80 Million Gamble: What Bradley's Water Park Means for Your Family's Property Taxes

Dining at 315 Sports Park

Epic Waters: The Texas Blueprint for Bradley's Indoor Waterpark

The Million-Dollar Wall: What Bradley's Legal Bills Reveal About Secrecy and Spending

Here's What We Know About the Slides Coming to Bradley's Indoor Waterpark

Diving Deep into the Dollar Signs: Inside Bradley's $80 Million Indoor Waterpark Budget

Bradley to Launch Major Indoor Waterpark in Former Mall Site