Jimano's Pizza pictures

Productive lifestyles and productive careers are the two goals of the new mentoring program presented by Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois. GoodGuides™ is for volunteers to mentor at-risk youth in the area.

Bargain hunters will have more to hunt as they will soon be able to find more merchandise to browse through at the newly renovated and expanded Goodwill retail store in East Peoria.

There was little talk of shutting down.

And then suddenly on Jan. 26, Velvet Freeze owner Kevin Thomas told his employees that the iconic restaurant in Fondulac Plaza— famous for its Wonderdogs — would close the next day.

Looks can be deceiving, but smells are easier to recognize.

Inside a small converted garage, the smell of freshly baked raisin bread permeated the air. In the back room, Brother Gregory Ashton made dough.

Veterinarians are witnessing some sad situations.

In this difficult economic time, some veterinarians said people are having to make tough decisions, and one of those is giving up their pets.

Health-minded individuals, as well as those looking to eat healthier foods, will have a new place from which to choose soon.

Einstein Bros. Bagels will make its way to East Peoria in the near future, said Paul Carolan, senior vice president of franchising and licensing for Einstein Noah Restaurant Group.

Truck-driver-turned-restaurant-owner Phill Miller wanted to open a pizza restaurant that had ribs and wings on the menu.

And with a little bit of research, he got just that. 

Five years ago, Carl and Lucy Innes fell on hard times. Carl lost his job as a truck driver, and the family had to file bankruptcy. They eventually lost their home.

Now, they are getting back on their feet, and Lucy sees a light at the end of the tunnel — more like a rainbow.

Camila VanOppen will celebrate one year in business Feb. 7.

VanOppen, 51, operates Camila’s Barber Shop 1818B Meadows Ave., East Peoria.

Input is being sought on an Illinois Route 8 corridor study this month.
East Peoria’s city planning and development director, Ty Livingston, is working with Washington’s planner, Jon Oliphant, on the issue.

Linda Tosch braves the cold each Tuesday for the four-legged creatures at the Tazewell Animal Protective Society’s no-kill shelter in Pekin.

This volunteer dog walker from East Peoria said she does not do it for money, but for the love of the more than 200 animals at the organization.

Lighting might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of hiring a disc jockey.
But one local business owner prides himself on offering both music and dramatic lighting for special events.

The City of East Peoria sponsored “Industry to Ingenuity, a 100 years of Holt Caterpillar in East Peoria” Sunday. Fifteen antique tractors belonging to members of the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club were on display. About 700 people attended the event.

East Peoria will brings its taxi rates more in line with Peoria’s.

At its Sept. 29 meeting, the East Peoria City Council approved a city ordinance to modify the charges for taxi cab service and insurance required by cab operators.