• In recent years, fire districts have had an increasingly difficult time both retaining younger volunteers, and in getting the volunteers they do have to respond consistently to emergency calls. Read more in the News section.
• If you are familiar with Shakespeare and you know “The Tempest,” there is a play in Chicago you must see. Find out the details in Life.
• Wrestling and fighting at the heavyweight level since high school, Mike Russow is used to taking on some pretty big dudes. An event in Chicago this weekend will be no exception.
• After enjoying a few days of unseasonably warm temperatures, the Kankakee area is bracing for its first substantial snow fall of the winter on Thursday.
• Eastern Grain Marketing LLC is pulling back on a proposed $12 million grain elevator and train shuttle in Kankakee County and is considering a move outside of the county and possibly state.
• A man armed with a handgun robbed the AT&T store in Bradley Tuesday, making off with an undisclosed amount of cellphones.
• The Newport Harbor (Calif.) High School Sailors are making the most of their first appearance in the 62nd annual Kankakee Holiday Tournament.
• Dotty Lagesse, longtime executive director of Hospice of Kankakee Valley, is The Daily Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
• John Jurkovic, a former member of the Green Bay Packers and now a Chicago sports radio personality, watches his son’s hockey game at the Irish Holiday Shootout at the Ice Valley Centre Ice Arena in Kankakee.
• Rich Zinanni, longtime football coach of Bishop McNamara Catholic High School who earned his 300th career win, is The Daily Journal Sports Citizen of the Year.
• A heavy duty Grinch spoiled the Christmas for the descendants of the late Kankakee residents, Lecour and Irene Roy.
• The list of Sears, Kmart store closures has still not been released.
• The East Court Street Grocery store in Kankakee sold a Little Lotto ticket worth $100,000 Saturday.
• Some 120 Sears/Kmart stores are set to close after disappointing retail sales over the holidays.
• The Kanakee Holiday Tournament, which starts Wednesday, is previewed in sports.
• The mood of shoppers and retailers were upbeat this morning as Black Friday got under way with large crowds.
• Sharon Jackson is passing the baton as coordinator of Bishop McNamara Catholic High School’s annual Thanksgiving dinner.
• After four years of getting the runaround, Hopkins Park finally has tornado sirens.
• Today is 11-11-11, and the date has significance with a number of area residents.
• Bradley will likely adopt a rental licensing and inspection ordinance at Monday’s upcoming village board meeting.
• The Kankakee County VA Clinic on William Latham Drive in Bourbonnais will hold a grand opening today.
• As quickly as it disappeared, a nearly 1,000-pound wooden bear was returned to its home Tuesday morning.
• Is it a good or bad sign the price of a gallon of gas went down? The average price per gallon (around $3.39) in the Midwest last month was 40 cents higher, but it’s still up 60 cents from last year.
• On Tuesday, a Kankakee County subcommitte charged with updating the county’s solid waste plan, drew at least 20 residents who will continue their opposition to any landfill.
Judith A. Henderson, 71, of Momence, died Monday (Oct. 17, 2011).
Wynn J. Etzel, 80, of Kankakee, died Friday (Oct. 7, 2011).
