This One Time in Kankakee

"We counted down the 3 most listened to episodes of 2025."

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 fame and danger."Jennifer Hudson came to see our musical": That time Jennifer Hudson surprised the cast of Godspell in Bourbonnais (feat. Andrew McBurnie)."A bank robber called me": That time News Director Rob West received a phone call from a bank robber.The Silver Medal: A dive into local history with the Village of Bonfield Banned Rhummy. Discover how a harmless card game in 1938 led to a "rebellion" and a crackdown on local gambling.The Gold Medal: The #1 story of the year! The hilarious true confession of the "I kidnapped a plaster cow from Perry Farm Park", where a shopping cart and a bad idea led to a police encounter in a living room (feat. Shane Whitlock).EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK: Stick around to the very end for a teaser of our first episode of 2026. We are sitting down with Tommy Solace to get the real story behind the infamous Aaron Carter fight at The Looney Bin. Was it a brawl? Was it staged? And what does "Bye Felipe" mean? Find out next week.Links & Resources:Submit Your Story: Have a "This One Time in Kankakee" moment? Email jake@milnermediapartners.comListen to the Full Episodes: Scroll back in your feed to hear Episodes 2, 3, 4, and 5 in their entirety.Website: wvli927.com/totk3Follow Us: Facebook | InstagramSend us a textWant more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.comThe Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

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

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 love, logistics, and the community coming together on Court Street.In this episode, you’ll hear:The Origin Story: How a misheard name at the hospital made Jeff a "Kankakee legend" from birth.The Meet-Cute: A nostalgic look back at dating in the 90s involving Subway sandwiches and Blockbuster nametags.The Heist: How Jeff secured "clearance" from a local Judge and hid behind trees to keep the secret.The Payoff: What it takes to coordinate a dance routine in the freezing February slush.Mentioned in this episode:Kankakee County CourthouseKnights of ColumbusBusse & Rieck FlowersSubway (Bourbonnais)The "Eagle" distraction technique 🦅Have a Kankakee story? We want to hear it! Email jake@milnermediapartners.com to tell us about "This one time in Kankakee..."Send us a textWant more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.comThe Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

"I covered my car completely in duct tape."

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 White on I-57, Nick takes us back to a time before GPS, when a car was more than just a vehicle—it was a canvas.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why a Kankakee pizza delivery driver decided to wrap his car bumper-to-bumper in duct tape.The hilarious reactions from Chicago locals (and one very confused snake owner).The story of how the "Silver Bullet" passed an unexpected inspection by Jesse White himself.Why the "duct tape craze" of the early 2000s holds a special place in local history.Mentioned in this episode:The Daily JournalPapa John’s KankakeeJesse White TumblersI-57 & Kennedy DriveHave a Kankakee story? We want to hear from you! Send us your "This One Time in Kankakee" moment to jake@milnermediapartners.com. Send us a textWant more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.comThe Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

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

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 perfect donor match was found, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Jennifer takes us inside the isolation of the hospital, the terror of the diagnosis, and the incredible relief of finally meeting the stranger who saved her son's life. Today, Mads is a healthy, energetic six-year-old who is officially considered CURED.In this episode, you will hear:The Kankakee Moment: How a thorough exam by Dr. Batista at Riverside Hospital led to a critical early diagnosis.The Treatment: The reality of navigating chemotherapy and isolation with an infant at Comer Children's Hospital.The Pandemic Hurdle: How a global shutdown almost prevented a life-saving transplant.The Donor Connection: The emotional story of Kaitlyn, the college student who paused her life to save a stranger, and her heartwarming relationship with the Pomranky family today.Life After Cancer: Mads’ development, his love for drawing, and what it means to be "cured."Mentioned in this episode:DKMS: The international nonprofit bone marrow donor center. You can register to be a donor with a simple cheek swab. Visit DKMS.org to save a life.Share Your Story: Do you have a memory that happened right here in Kankakee County? We want to hear it. Email us at jake@milnermediapartners.com and finish the sentence: "This one time in Kankakee..."Send us a textWant more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.comThe Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.

"The Village of Bonfield Banned Rhummy."

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 "rhummy widows," lodged a formal complaint, the town board added one more harmless pastime to the banned list.This episode details the local standoff:The Law: Mayor Rubin Orwig and the village board impose a $10 fine (over $200 today) for playing a simple dime-a-hand game.The Rebels: Led by defiant barber William Brohm, the local men refuse to give up their only pastime.The "Speakeasy": When the ban becomes immediate, the rummy game doesn't stop—it just goes underground, forcing the players into secret hideaways.Learn how this small-town dispute between morality and camaraderie escalated into a story picked up by the United Press and splashed across the front page of the Kankakee Republican News.This episode features special voice performances from:Denny Case as the 1930s radio news narratorMike Tomano as William BroughamBill Dyche as Leo ReigelRob West as Justice YeatesChris Nickles as Mayor OrwigGreg Odeneal as the card player(This story was researched and written by Jack Klasey. Check out his weekly history blog at kankakeecountymuseum.com.)Send us a textWant more from the WVLI Podcast Network? Listen to the WVLI News Update with Rob West every weekday morning! Get the days local news from the greater Kankakee County, IL area in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast platform: https://wvlinewsupdate.buzzsprout.comThe Voices You Trust, Beyond The Dial.