Peoria, Peoria County | featured news

TREMONT — For the fourth time overall, the third time in five years and the second year in a row, Tremont won a Governor’s Hometown Award.At the awards ceremony Wednesday in Springfield, the village lost out on the top prize, the Governor’s Cup, but as a finalist once again, has created a volunteer dynasty among municipalities in its population range.The most recent award recognizes the volunteer efforts and private donations that created [...]

SPARLAND — Village officials are considering a tax levy increase for the coming year to help compensate for revenue losses because of recent reductions in area property values.The Village Board tabled action on the annual levy Thursday night after Village Attorney Bruce Fehrenbacher suggested they might want to investigate either raising the levy in some areas or instituting new ones in order to try to help cover village expenses.Fehrenbacher pointed [...]

MORTON — Thanksgiving is nearly three weeks away, but the holiday season has arrived in the village.Hundreds braved a cold wind Friday night to watch the sixth annual lighting of the Morton Community Foundation’s Tree of Dreams.It was the first time the tree was lit outside the foundation’s new office at 105 E. Jefferson St.The Morton Tourism Association’s annual Holidazzle shopping promotion began Friday night and will [...]

LACON — Marshall County has been accused of short-changing former county engineer Ed Andrews of nearly $6,000 on the final paycheck he received after abruptly resigning in August to become city engineer in Washington.Andrews alleges in a formal claim filed with the Illinois Department of Labor that he was owed $10,276.75 as of his official last day of county employment on Aug. 9 but received less than half that in a final check received a week later.

LACON — The Lacon City Council has scheduled a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the condition of an aging grade school and the city's possible role in its renovation or replacement.The meeting dealing with Midland Elementary School in Lacon was requested by the School Board, and a district architect who recently evaluated the building will be on hand to answer questions, said Mayor Ron Schoof.The meeting's single agenda item says the [...]

Creve Coeur — Classrooms at Parkview School marched to a military vibe when the school invited members of the armed forces and civil service to speak Friday afternoon.A full school assembly at 2 p.m. in the school's gym kicked off "Operation ISAT," a schoolwide initiative encouraging students to remain responsible in their studies and honorable with each other, after veterans and current members of the military, law enforcement and fire personnel spoke in [...]

PEORIA — A substantially new Peoria City Council provided a good reason to renew a planning push.Council members met Friday in special session to evaluate recent developments and discuss goals and objectives they want the city to fulfill. According to City Manager Patrick Urich, the approach is two-pronged. This session, held Downtown in a conference room in the bowels of the Peoria Public Library, was focused on listing long-term aspirations. Beginning [...]

PEORIA — Natural hair is back and, from all appearances, more mainstream than the politically-charged Afro of the late 1960s. In the '60s, the style, as worn by Angela Davis, was the symbol of the Black Power movement. Now, it's mainly another hairstyle choice, says Audurone "Lacy" Simmons, who teaches the hair-braiding and natural hair care class at Woodruff Career and Technical Center. Think home-grown NBA basketball player Shaun Livingston and the [...]

PEORIA — If the best-laid plans of Peoria liquor-license holders don't go well, Beth Akeson is proposing another.The at-large city councilwoman advocates a process — known as a plan-of-operation program — that stipulates conditions problematic booze purveyors must meet in order to retain their licenses."I think it's a good thing," said Drew Cassidy, chairman of the Peoria Liquor Commission. "It gives some people a chance who might not get a [...]

SPRINGFIELD — A former Peoria real estate developer was sentenced Friday to two years in federal prison for defrauding Peoria-area banks.Shara Andrews, 40, formerly Shara Manning, was also ordered to pay $598,536 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough allowed Andrews to remain free on bond until she must surrender herself to federal prison officials on Jan. 1.Andrews, now of Mobile, Ala., pleaded guilty in February to money laundering and [...]