Peoria County | featured news

PEORIA — An East Peoria man faces up to five years in prison for allegedly striking two children last month.Christopher W. Small, 27, 110 Warren Place, appeared Friday in Peoria County Circuit Court on two counts of aggravated battery in connection with the Oct. 23 incident. His bond was set at $15,000, and a Dec. 12 preliminary hearing is scheduled.Prosecutors allege a Department of Children and Family Services case worker had gone to a house in the [...]

PEORIA — A man was robbed of his wallet at gunpoint on the West Bluff on Thursday night, police said.Shortly before 7 p.m., the victim was at West Columbia Terrace and Douglas Avenue when approached by six individuals, three of whom had handguns, police said. The group demanded the man's wallet, which he handed over, police said. The group then fled.

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal appeals court is upholding a nearly 20-year prison sentence for a thieving former bookkeeper who stole almost $54 million from the northern Illinois community of Dixon.  The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago unanimously upheld Rita Crundwell’s 235-month sentence on Friday. Crundwell pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced in February to about 20 years in prison. Prosecutors say Crundwell [...]

Visit the Journal Star photo blog The Eye for a gallery featuring the best work of our photography department from the month of October 2013. The Eye features hundreds of galleries by Journal Star staff photographers, and others from all over the world.

Just call me The Beer Avenger! To the rescue! Hurray!Thursday, I contacted the Peoria Civic Center to complain about suddenly higher beer prices. Friday, I was told the place likely will cut the cost of brew anytime now.Boom, and boom. You're welcome.OK, OK — I can't claim total credit here. I have a sidekick, Suds Boy, who pushed me to confront the mighty Civic [...]

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal agencies will provide better and more accessible information about matters such as long-term weather prospects and soil moisture levels under a program designed to help communities prepare for future droughts and respond more effectively when they happen, Obama administration officials said Thursday.The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will lead [...]

PEORIA — The Heart of Illinois United Way has raised $9.1 million to date but is looking for more to meet the mounting needs of the community.United Way officials released the update at a news conference held Friday morning at Advanced Medical Transport, 1718 N. Sterling Ave."In my 13-and-a-half years, I've never seen the demand for basic services so high," said Michael Stephan, HOI United Way president."Basic services include help paying [...]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brushing aside a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled House voted Friday to let insurance companies sell individual health coverage to all comers, even if it falls short of the required standards in "Obamacare."In all, 39 Democrats broke ranks and supported the legislation, a total that underscored the political importance of a controversial issue likely to be front and center in next year's elections [...]

EAST PEORIA — Illinois Central College Trustee Tm Elder has resigned from his position, the college announced Friday morning.The Board of Trustees will hold a closed session before their monthly meeting Thursday to discuss the selection of his replacement.Elder sent a letter of resignation on Oct. 23 to ICC Board Chair Katherine Coyle citing a change of residence as the reason for his departure, [...]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An airport security officer lay helplessly bleeding after a gunman opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport as paramedics waited 150 yards away because police had not declared the terminal safe to enter, according to two law enforcement officials.It would be 33 minutes before Transportation Security Administration Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was about 20 feet from an exit, would be wheeled out by police to [...]