Former Kankakee football coach found dead at school

Alec Anderson, the Kankakee High School head football coach from 1987-96, was found dead Wednesday night at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, where he was serving as athletic director.

Anderson, 54, was found next to a treadmill at the school, according to the Northwest Indiana Times. He still resided in Kankakee at the time of his death. An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Anderson was arguably the most successful coach in Kankakee history. He led the Kays to eight Illinois High School Association playoff appearances in his 10-year tenure, and the 1995 team reached the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs, the furthest advancement in school history at the time.

He had a 68-35 career record at Kankakee, and his .660 winning percentage is the highest among men who coached more than one season at the school.

He left Kankakee in 1997 to take a job as assistant principal and athletic director at Urbana High School.

— The Daily Journal staff report

'Highside Hustler' making 1st appearance of '13 at Kankakee speedway

Plans call for a rare event at the Kankakee County Speedway tonight.

The racing is serious. A full field of Late Model Division cars will compete in The Land of Lincoln Clash. It's a 40-lap, $3,000 feature that will include the stars of the Sunoco American Racing Series.

But the mood will be light. The evening is called the track's fifth annual Summer Splash Nationals because it also includes the return of the crazy belly-flop competition. This diving exhibition involves a leap from the back of a pickup truck into a small inflated kids pool.

While the belly-floppers will provide a distraction, fans will line up at the gate to see drivers such as Jason Feger, of Bloomington. make his first local appearance this season.

"I've always had a lot of luck there. I'm comfortable on that track. I'm looking forward to the race," Feger said in his typical understated style — the exact opposite of his driving habits.