By a whopping 70%, Peoria County voters said the office of County Auditor should be closed. Members of the County Board had overwhelmingly stated there was no need for an elected auditor. Auditor Jessica Thomas was expected to accept the…
The future of professional hockey in Peoria is being threatened by ASM Global, the people who manage the Peoria Civic Center. The ice-making equipment in the arena is 41 years old and needs to be replaced. That inevitable development was…
Kim Blickenstaff rode into Peoria like the proverbial knight on a white horse with wads of money and a load of ideas for improving life in central Illinois. The highly successful businessman, who made a fortune in the healthcare industry,…
After an absence of three years, the annual Peoria Journal Christmas Sing returned Tuesday, Dec. 13, without the involvement of the local newspaper. Apparently, Ebenezer Scrooge, new owners of the Peoria Journal Star, had no interest in continuing what they…
If we’re to believe WCBU-FM, and there’s no reason not to, Methodist, Proctor, and Pekin hospitals have been transferred by Unity Point Health of West Des Moines, Iowa, to Carle Foundation of Urbana for $75 million. The deal, which Unity…
The good news is the Peoria Federation of Teachers reached agreement on a new three-year contract with the Peoria School District. Unfortunately, it took months of negotiations, a federal mediator, and the threat of a strike. Once again both sides…
The Peoria Park District and some area state lawmakers held a news conference announcing plans to develop a new $4 million golf learning center thanks to a state grant. This will not be an ordinary facility. After all, the district…
Are you old enough to remember the song, “Ya Got Trouble (right in the River City),” from “The Music Man”? Robert Preston sings, “Friend, either you’re closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge or you…
When Caterpillar announced it was moving its headquarters from Deerfield to Texas, the news surprised no one. It was expected. After all, the new CEO, Jimmy Umpleby, had no loyalty or affection for Peoria or Deerfield. The Indiana native became…
When I started in radio as a part-time announcer, there were only a handful of stations in Peoria. They included WMBD, 1470, the first to go on the air; the “Mighty 1290, WIRL; WAAP, 1350, which later became WXCL; Clear…
