I’ve spent most of the snowstorm in the city’s chronically neglected South Side, so maybe I don’t have a good grasp of the work done elsewhere in the city yet. I know that Western is pretty well covered in snow. So is U.S. Router 24, at least until the road reaches Bartonville, then it miraculously gets better. Anyway, here’s a City of Peoria update:

“Primary streets were plowed and treated with salt overnight. Pavement conditions are reported as partly snow covered, slushy and will improve with an increase in traffic. At this time traffic is moving at below normal speed. Please drive with caution during the morning rush. City plows are expected to move into residential areas before 6:00 a.m.”

So that’s how the city of Peoria “plows” its roads. It lets people smoosh the snow into frozen ice with the tires of their cars. In other cities, drivers wake up able to get in their cars after a snowstorm and drive on plowed roads. Not Peoria. But we do finance baseball parks.

‘Weekly Post’ looks to bite the hand that once fed ‘em

Holy cow. A group of former Journal Star writers has gone and started a weekly newspaper serving northernmost Peoria County. And they will be offering something the GateHouse Media-owned Journal Star is offering less of: in depth reporting. Good luck.

Peoria Chiefs are angling for another handout

This is what happens when your local single A baseball team disaffiliates with the popular Chicago Cubs. And this heaped MORE financial problems on the local franchise, which doesn’t seem to be doing all the great … even though it’s operating in a beautiful downtown stadium paid for to a large extend by the taxpayers.

There have been the beginning of grumbling about the need for some sort of bail out – no one is sure exactly what form it would take. And by “no one” I mean no one related to the press. I’m fairly certain that plans have been underway for years.

Of course, it would be a horrible idea. And of course, the city council is busy looking for excuses to contribute even more public money. The Vonachens are no different than other millionaire family, and eager for the public to pay for their toys.

I say that Peoria did just fine WITHOUT a professional ball team for years. We will do just fine without a ball team in the future. We can use the spiffy new ball park to host high school baseball games. If was, after all, paid for by taxpayers.

Look for the appeal to come within the next three months, if not sooner.