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PODCAST

This One Time in Kankakee

WVLI Podcast Network

This One Time in Kankakee is a storytelling podcast from the new WVLI Podcast Network, hosted by Jake LaMore. Each episode shines a light on the weird, wild, and unforgettable moments that make Kankakee County, IL what it is. These are short, punchy episodes where everyday people share true stories from their lives—funny childhood memories, creepy encounters, embarrassing slip-ups, or heartwarming experiences that stick with you forever.Think of it as a collection of the kinds of stories you’d hear

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

18:17

"I locked myself out of the radio station."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/04/06

On this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, host Jake LaMore turns the microphone on himself to share a hilarious and humbling "rookie mistake" from his early days in broadcasting. Travel back to Valentine’s Day 2015. Jake was only three months into his career as an on-air personality at Milner Media in Bourbonnais. What started as a simple food delivery order quickly turned into a high-stakes dilemma involving a locked glass door, a missing cell phone, and the cold reality of a winter afte...

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13:50

BONUS: "I helped with the search and rescue in one of...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/03/31

In this special bonus episode of This One Time in Kankakee, host Jake LaMore sits down with Navy veteran Kaelin Patterson for a raw, verbatim account of the 1999 Bourbonnais Amtrak crash. On March 15, 1999, Amtrak’s City of New Orleans collided with a semi-truck driven by John R. Stokes, who was hauling 18 tons of steel. The resulting derailment claimed 11 lives and left a community in shock. Kaelin, just off a shift at the Kmart warehouse, found himself thrust into a "wartime" scenario in hi...

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20:12

"I raised over $100,000 for my Eagle Scout project."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/03/10

What does it take for a 14-year-old girl to raise over $100,000 for her community? In this deeply moving episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we sit down with Alexis McCullough and her mother, Cassandra, to discuss the journey behind the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at Marcotte Park in Bourbonnais. Following the sudden loss of her father, Colonel Mark McCullough, Alexis transformed her grief into a mission. This isn't your typical Eagle Scout story. From "secret meetings" with a myst...

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10:45

"I Went to Jail for Hunting."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/02/23

“This one time in Kankakee... I went to jail for hunting.” In 1959, Lou Perakis was a seventeen-year-old Greek immigrant living on the South Side of Chicago. When his older brother, John, decided to head south for the opening day of pheasant hunting season, Lou tagged along for what he thought would be a simple Saturday morning in the country. Instead, a series of events near Aroma Park led to a wrestling match with a game warden, a $150 fine, and one of the most unique legal proceedings in K...

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16:53

"I was on national news to discuss the autopsy...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/02/09

In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we sit down with Dr. Kalisha Hill, the Chief Medical Officer at Saint Mary’s Hospital. While many know her as a local healthcare leader, Dr. Hill stepped onto the national stage in 2020 when she appeared on CNN to provide expert medical analysis on the autopsy findings of George Floyd. We go behind the scenes of that high-stakes interview—from the "emergency makeup kit" in her Kankakee office to the clinical precision required to explain complex...

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10:42

"A city police officer staged one of the largest...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/01/26

On a Saturday at noon in September 1966, Kankakee experienced a crime that felt like it was ripped from a Hollywood noir film. A gunman ambushed an armored car driver in an alleyway, abducted him, and made off with over $42,000 in cash. But as Kankakee Police Chief Thomas Maass and his team began to investigate, they realized the call was coming from inside the house. The "victim," a young officer named Ronald Balthazor, wasn't just a driver—he was an active-duty policeman living a desperate ...

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19:49

"My band turned an Aaron Carter concert into a TMZ...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2026/01/12

What really happened the night pop star Aaron Carter got into a brawl at a dive bar in Bradley, Illinois? In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, Jake LaMore sits down with local artist and musician Tommy Solis—the man right in the middle of the chaos—to set the record straight on one of the most bizarre nights in Kankakee County history. It was a night that started with 90s nostalgia at The Looney Bin and ended with police lights, ambulances, and a TMZ headline that went global. For ye...

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15:52

"We counted down the 3 most listened to episodes of...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/12/29

We launched This One Time in Kankakee on the WVLI Podcast Network in October 2025, and the stories have been nothing short of wild. In this year-end recap, host Jake LaMore cracks open the vault to count down the Top 3 Most Downloaded Episodes of the year. If you are new to the show, this is the perfect place to start. We revisit the funny, the historical, and the shocking moments that defined our first season. In this episode, we cover: The Tie for Bronze: Two very different brushes with fam...

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12:38

"I planned a flash mob on the courthouse lawn."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/12/15

Jeff Cross isn’t usually a planner. But for his 30th wedding anniversary, he decided to go big. In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we hear the incredible true story of how a 1990s meet-cute at a Bourbonnais Blockbuster led to a secret flash mob in downtown Kankakee. Hear how Jeff organized 50 friends and family members, dodged suspicious bailiffs while sneaking around the Courthouse bushes, and used a "fake cake" to keep his wife from ruining her own surprise. It’s a story about lo...

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12:21

"I covered my car completely in duct tape."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/12/01

It was the winter of 2001. The muffler had just fallen off, and the rust was setting in. But Nick Stalnos wasn't ready to give up on his 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Instead, he grabbed his friends, bought every roll of silver tape he could find, and created a local legend. In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we sit down with Nick to hear the true story behind "The Silver Bullet." From delivering pizzas on Kennedy Drive to a hilarious run-in with Illinois Secretary of State Jesse ...

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17:28

"My son, Mads Pomranky, was diagnosed with a rare...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/11/17

What began as a routine trip to the pediatrician at Riverside Hospital quickly turned into a life-altering journey for the Pomranky family. In this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, host Jake LaMore sits down with local mom Jennifer Pomranky to share the powerful story of her son, Mads. Diagnosed with a rare form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at just five months old, Mads faced an uphill battle that required aggressive chemotherapy and a life-saving stem cell transplant. But just as a p...

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13:18

"The Village of Bonfield Banned Rhummy."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/11/03

In the dead of winter 1938, the tiny village of Bonfield, Illinois, made national news for a bizarre reason: it banned the card game Rhummy. On this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," discover the strange and true story of the "Rhummy Rebellion." Amid the Great Depression, Bonfield was known as a "sinless village" in Kankakee County, thanks to strict Blue Laws that forbade everything from liquor to dancing to playing baseball on Sundays. But when a group of housewives, calling themselves...

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3:48

Preview: "The Village of Bonfield Banned Rhummy."...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/31

A short preview of what's to come on the next episode of This One Time in Kankakee. Believe it or not, the card game rummy or rhummy was once banned in the Village of Bonfield. Listen to the full episode this Monday, November 3rd. Click the follow button now so you don't miss out!

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15:28

"Jennifer Hudson came to see our musical."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/20

What happens when an EGOT winner and Chicago legend unexpectedly shows up to your community theater rehearsal? On this episode of This One Time in Kankakee, we hear the incredible true story from director Andrew McBurnie about the night Jennifer Hudson visited Bourbonnais to see Acting Out Theatre Company's production of Godspell. Andrew shares a behind-the-scenes account of how a passing joke among the cast turned into a secretive, last-minute confirmation during the most stressful week of t...

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8:50

"I was run over with a tractor."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/06

Welcome to the premiere episode of This One Time in Kankakee, the podcast that uncovers the unforgettable true stories of Kankakee County. Host Jake LaMore kicks off the series with a deeply personal family legend that has been told for nearly 90 years. Travel back to a hot summer day in 1936 Manteno, Illinois. At just three years old, Jake's grandfather, Franklin Weber, was accidentally run over by his father's tractor. What follows is a miraculous story of survival, featuring an incredible ...

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11:56

"I kidnapped a plaster cow from Perry Farm Park."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/06

Every town has landmarks, but what happens when a group of bored teenagers decides to relocate one? In this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," we bring you the legendary story of a crime that wasn't the crime, and how a 500-pound plaster cow ended up in a suburban living room. In 2008, Shane Whitlock and his friends, armed with a "borrowed" shopping cart and a severe case of late-night boredom, set their sights on the iconic cow statue outside the Exploration Station Children's Museum at...

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13:50

"A bank robber called me."

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/06

What happens when the subject of your news report calls you directly? In this episode of "This One Time in Kankakee," host Jake LaMore sits down with veteran Kankakee radio news director Rob West (WVLI, WFAV, River Country) for a story that blurs the line between journalism and a real-life crisis negotiation. In 2008, after reporting on a bank robbery in Bourbonnais, IL, Rob received a shocking call on his personal cell phone. On the other end was the robber himself, who wanted to tell his si...

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1:09

This One Time in Kankakee: Stories That Shaped Our...

This One Time in Kankakee ·

2025/10/01

Discover the heart and humor of Kankakee County in This One Time in Kankakee, a narrative storytelling podcast hosted by Jake LaMore, featuring unforgettable true stories from local voices. From a childhood memory of surviving a tractor accident, to a phone call from a bank robber, to the Perry Farm cow statue ending up in a living room—these are the moments that bring our community to life. Real people. Real memories. Real Kankakee. Listen to the trailer now and subscribe for new episodes wh...

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18 results

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