1. Attend the groundbreaking in Sunnyland Gov. Pat Quinn will make a stop in Sunnyland on Monday for the completion of the Sunnyland portion of the Illinois Route 8 reconstruction project. It would be a great way to get in contact with city, county, state and federal leaders before the November elections.
Over the last week, it has become widely known that the East Peoria Relay For Life is struggling.
Relay organizers and American Cancer Society staff addressed city council on Aug. 10 and have also pleaded their case to the public asking for help.
Back-to-school shopping may leave families waiting a little later than normal to get all their supplies bought, but if they do so, they will reap the benefits.
Beginning Friday and ending Aug. 15, the state of Illinois will forego its 5 percent portion of sales tax on back-to-school supplies. Local portions of sales tax still will be collected for those 10 days.
Events that bring family and friends together are always a good thing. And events that do this plus bring money back into the community, or just show community pride, are even better.
August is just around the corner, and it is chock-full of events that will not only bring family and friends together but will also give East Peoria a chance to shine.
The Washing city council heard a proposed plan for the Route 8 corridor development at a committee of the whole meeting Monday night.
The plan was the culmination of a project started in November with consulting firm Houseal Lavigne, which solicited responses from residents and business owners in Washington and East Peoria regarding the Sunnyland area, specifically the stretch between the East Peoria Events Center and School Street.
t’s doubtful that many people stop to think about where they are spending their money, but they should.
Whether it’s going out to eat on a Friday night, grocery shopping on the weekend or buying gas during the week, residents should consider the fact that spending locally helps to financially support the town in which they live.
In just a few days, spectators throughout the country will lug their lawn chairs, blankets and families to a variety of fireworks spectacles.
And for East Peorians, many of you might be preparing your plans for the annual Methodist Red White and Boom along the Riverfront.
Outdoor enthusiasts, get excited.
Hikers and bikers as far away as Morton will soon have access all the way through East Peoria and even into Peoria.
The return of summer and sweltering Central Illinois temperatures means many East Peorians will be seeking cool comfort in pools and, of course, the Illinois River.
Boating season has begun and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is warning people to take proper precautions while out on the water this summer.
Summer weather comes hand in hand with road trips and more hours behind the wheel.
However, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not wearing a safety belt or making simple driving errors, can cause those trips to end abruptly and too often, fatally.
Just two days into the month of June and Central Illinois has already experienced 90-degree weather.
While those temperatures mean the start of summer fun — swimming, camping, cookouts and more — it is also important East Peorians take simple precautions during the humid and hot days that lie ahead.
Approximately 400 Americans die each year due to summer’s heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2078 needed help, and without hesitation East Peorians responded.
With Memorial Day just around the corner, what better way to start the celebrations than to hike up and down the hills at Fondulac Cemetery placing flags next to veterans’ graves?
Thirty-eight years ago, the U.S. celebrated the first week dedicated to emergency medical services. This week marks the 38th annual National EMS Week. This year’s theme is “Anytime, anywhere. We will be there.”
That kind of dedication deserves more than just one week of recognition.
It is just a 50-cent flag.
No big deal, right?
But when 1,344 of them need to be placed throughout a vast cemetery, cost and time begin to add up.
Could Tazewell County children possibly soon be deprived of the joy a free little toy accompanying a McDonald’s Happy Meal brings?
It’s not likely, Tazewell County Board chairman, David Zimmerman, said commenting on the recent banning of free promotions with high-calorie meals, including Happy Meal toys, in Santa Clara County in California.
The cages are always full at the Tazewell Animal Protective Society, according to the shelter’s executive director Angela Blackman.
And while it is not always easy to tell, many of these animals come to the shelter suffering from neglect and abuse.
The entire month of April is national Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month.
You heard it as a child standing at the drinking fountain.
“Leave some for the fish, will ya?” your classmate would say impatiently as you swallowed the cold water.
While there is nothing wrong with drinking as much water as residents need, we waste water needlessly.
Author John Abrams said, quite correctly, “If the people who make the decisions are the people who will also bear the consequences of those decisions, perhaps better decisions will result.”
But, when the decisions are being made by our governmental leaders, consequences too often are the last thing on their minds.
When Vice President Joe Biden walked into George Manias’ shoe-shine stand last week, he may have needed a shine on his shoes.
Biden’s speech, delivered earlier that morning to the guests at the annual Partners in Peace Celebration by The Center for Prevention of Abuse, did not.
