Midwest Flames pre-season contests three and four will scorch the paint at Woodruff Gymnasium next weekend. The Midwest Flames, a semi-professional basketball team, is part of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The 2013 Peoria Midwest Flames have risen from the flame out of 2011 to announce a 24 game schedule that began Aug 3rd and extends into May 2014. Next weekend the Midwest Flames will attempt to go 3W-1L for the pre-season after a 103-117 loss against the Chicago Fury followed by a 145-111 win against the King City Monarchs.

The Fury will be in town Saturday Aug. 25th for a 3pm match up. The Vipers will be in town Sunday, August 25th for a 3pm jump ball. Woodruff Career and Technical Center Gymnasium is home court.

The pre-season will conclude with an exhibition match up against AND 1 on September 8th. The 20 game regular season will start November 3, 2013 3pm at Woodruff Gymnasium with a jump ball against King City Monarchs from Missouri.
The 2011 Midwest Flames had to fold due to insufficient financial backing and/or sponsorship. This year management resolved that issue before the start of team tryouts.

Pre-Season Games:
Saturday, August 24th at 3pm vs Chicago Fury (home)
Sunday, August 25th at 3pm vs Vipers from Milwaukee (home)
Sunday, September 8th at 3pm vs AND 1 from new Jersey (home)

The team is owned by Prime Elite Entertainment operated by Barry Anderson. He is a former member of the All-Army basketball team, a six year professional basketball player and is currently employed with Coors Lite in East Peoria. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience on and off the court. He has coached 6 AAU teams, grade school and junior high basketball. He has an undeniable and unmistakable passion for sports and is looking forward to being a part of the American Basketball Association. He appreciates the opportunity to manage an ABA team and will strive to be the best team in the league. He has been involved in sports since he was 5 years old and “this is the culmination of a lot of hard work and a dream come true.”

Tickets on sale now from Barry Anderson at midwestflames@gmail.com
Hot In The Paint Fan Club memberships are available on-line at wwwmidwestflamesbasketball.com
www.facebook.com/MidwestFlames
www.twitter.com/midwestflames

(Peoria, IL / August 19, 2013) – OSF Saint Francis Wellness Services is offering a fitness class specifically designed for individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

The 8-week Fitness for Parkinson’s session focuses on providing a medically supervised program to improve flexibility, endurance, balance, strength, and overall well being. It will consist of functional activities, breathing techniques, postural awareness, ambulation training, whole body stretching, and even Tango Dance!

The classes are 60 minutes long with group education and discussion following a 45-minute exercise session. Physician approval is required to participate and will be obtained by OSF Saint Francis staff.

WHEN: September 3 – December 5, 2013 on tuesday & Thursday
TIME: 11:00 AM – Noon
WHERE: RiverPlex Recreation & Wellness Center, 600 NE Water Street, Peoria
COST: RiverPlex Members – $60 Non-Members – $90

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive.
Nearly one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s, with 60,000 diagnosed with the disease each year. Incidence of Parkinson’s increases with age, but an estimated four percent of people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed before age 50.

To register for the fitness class or for more information, call 309.282.1634.

Entries will be judged in three categories.
1. Farm Activities, Scenes and Machinery
2. Nature, Wildlife and Farm Animals
3. Barns.

Cash awards of $75, $50, and $25 will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the categories. A $100 cash award will be given for Best of Show. Photos must be 100% original and taken in Peoria County. The name and address of the member should be on the back of each picture. Photos should not be submitted with frames. Pictures must be taken by members, their spouse or dependant.

The Peoria County Farm Bureau reserves the right to enlarge and/or duplicate photos for promotions. In recent years photos have been used for a calendar, ag educational purposes at the Heart of Illinois Fair, Farmers Share of the Food Dollar Breakfast, and Ag-in-the-Classroom presentations in Peoria County schools.

For more information, contact the Peoria County Farm Bureau at 309-686-7070.

Peoria, IL – August 16, 2013 – The 2013 Farm Progress Show will be held in Decatur, Illinois on Tuesday, August 27 through Thursday, August 29. The Peoria County Farm Bureau Marketing Committee is sponsoring a 55 passenger Charter Bus on Wednesday, August 28. The bus will depart the Farm Bureau building in Peoria at 6:30 a.m. and leave the show site in Decatur at 4:30 p.m.

Cost is $25 for Farm Bureau members and $40 for non-members. This includes charter coach transportation and the show entry ticket.

The 2013 show is being held at Illinois permanent site near Richland Community College south of Interstate 72 in Decatur. The site encompasses 640 acres. The show rotates between Decatur, Illinois and Boone, Iowa sites and offers two long-term weather resistant facilities. Both show locations have been designed with highly developed infrastructures and conveniences for exhibitors and show visitors.

The Farm Progress Show is the largest outdoor farm show and features the most extensive state of the art information and technology available with the latest in agriculture equipment, products, and services. There will be Field demonstrations for harvesting and tillage; Ride ‘n Drive; GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) displays and demonstrations; Seed and crop technology plots; Marketing seminars; Cattle Handling demonstrations; Equine Events; Antique Tractors and Equipment; and Crafts & collectable farm toys.

What’s new this year at the Farm Progress Show? A demonstration plot for cover crops has been planned. The soil-building, nutrient-saving crops have been at the forefront of many farm discussions in the past five years. Heading up this effort is Illinois Council of Best Management Practices Coordinator Mike Plumer. Plumer has been coordinating cover crop test plots across Illinois for years. He’s widely recognized across the state as a cover crop expert.

The show’s big draw…harvesting and tillage demos…will run just as they have in years past. The combine demos begin at 1:00 a.m. and the tillage demos start at 1:00 p.m.

This year, Tuesday and Wednesday’s harvest demos will feature twin-row corn. On Thursday, combines will run on traditional 30 inch rows. Corn maturity will range from 96-99 day hybrids. Also, this year all corn will be planted with RTK enabled guidance systems.

We hope you can join the Farm Bureau on this charter coach trip to the Farm Progress Show in Decatur on Wednesday, August 28. Call the Peoria County Farm Bureau for reservations at 309-686-7070.

This award is designed to recognize exemplary support and service to the local arts which has ultimately resulted in a stronger and more vital cultural arts environment in the Peoria area.

Individuals and organizations will be considered for the award based on their outstanding efforts in the areas of advocacy, education, professional service, volunteer service, or funding of the arts. The nominee does not have to be an artist. The nominee can be an entity, such as a corporation or municipal body. Anyone may nominate a candidate.

The intent of this award is to recognize and encourage those who invest their resources in the arts to ensure that central Illinois has a healthy and vibrant cultural economy. The only individuals not eligible are those who are currently serving on the ArtsPartners Board of Directors.

While preparing your submission, consider the effect your nominee’s work has had on the Peoria area arts and cultural environment. Length and breadth of involvement should also be considered.

Past winners of the award have included Jim Maloof (2001); Jim Thrush (2002); Arts Alive! Magazine published by Central Illinois Business Publishers (2003); WTVP-47 (2004); The Peoria Park District (2005); Sally Page of Lakeview Museum (2006); Nita Sunderland (2007); Dr. George and Norma Kottemann (2008); Illinois Central College Department of Arts & Communication and Kathy Chitwood of Eastlight Theatre (2009); Vic Burnett (2010); Dr. Jeffrey Huberman (2011); and Doug and Eileen Leunig (2012).
The award will be presented at the ArtsPartners 2013 Annual Meeting Wednesday, October 9 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Waterhouse, 619 SW Water Street in downtown Peoria.

Three letters of support are required with each submission. Nomination forms are available on our website at www.artspartners.net. Nominations must be received by Friday, September 20, 2013 to be considered for the award.

WHO: Volunteers and staff from The Center for Prevention of Abuse will be tagging 30,000 yellow rubber ducks with numbers.

WHAT: DUCKS!! Fresh from races throughout the country, the ducks will be re-tagged and ready to be launched into the Illinois River on Saturday August 24th, 2pm, to race for prizes.

WHEN: Thursday, August 22nd from 5:00 – 7:00 pm

WHERE: The Center for Prevention of Abuse, 720 W. Joan Ct., Peoria, Illinois 61614
WHY: To raise funds to help fill the gaps of needed services in our communities including:

• Additional Prevention Educators to meet the great demand of teaching kids how to keep their bodies safe, respect others, build healthy relationships and solve problems in a positive way.
• Additional Legal Advocates to help manage the highest number of Orders of Protection in the history of The Center.
• Additional Adult Protective Services Caseworkers to meet the steady rise in monthly intakes of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of adults over 60 and adults with disabilities
ages 18 – 59.

PEORIA, IL— Peoria Riverfront Museum in collaboration with the Peace Corps are hosting a Peace Corps Expo this Saturday, August 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Local Peace Corps volunteers will be gathering in a celebration of their service to educate museum visitors about the organization.

Event participants can visit with local Peace Corps veterans and recruiters, hear their stories, talk with them about where they served and how service impacted their lives. Volunteers will bring artifacts from their service along with videos about Peace Corps service around the world. Countries that will be represented at the event include India, Bolivia, Nevis, Ghana, Paraguay, Fiji, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, Morocco, Jamaica, Burkina, Faso and Bulgaria.

Rok Teasley, a recruiter for Peace Corps’ Midwest Region who is coordinating the event, served as a volunteer in Moldova from 2005 to 2008.

“These returned volunteers can testify to how Peace Corps makes a difference in the communities served, in the lives of the volunteers who experience a life-changing adventure, and in the U.S.,” Teasley said. “They’re putting the skills they gained overseas to use in jobs and volunteer assignments in Peoria, while inspiring the next generation of volunteers.”

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

PEORIA, IL— Michael Adams, son of world-renown photographer Ansel Adams, is returning to Peoria Riverfront Museum on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25, for a special gallery walk and lecture in the Giant Screen Theater. Michael visited Peoria this past spring and is back by popular demand!

Also on Aug. 24-25 will be Civil War medical reenactments with the 17th Corps Field Hospital reenactors. Guests can view medical equipment from the 1860s, talk with the doctors and nurses, and watch major and minor surgery demonstrations. Event is free to museum members and with regular paid admission. On August 24 only, the Metamora Courthouse Civil War Dancers will be performing traditional dances from the Civil War era in the museum lobby at 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 24
Ansel Adams: A Son’s Perspective
Gallery walk at 6:00 p.m. with Michael Adams, son of Ansel Adams. Reception to follow with heavy appetizers, wine and soda. Members $70, Non-members $75. RSVP to Ashlynn Miller at 309-863-3010 or amiller@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org

An Arm & A Leg: Civil War Medicine
Various medical demonstrations from noon- 4:00 p.m. including minor and major surgeries, pill making and a traveling medical museum. Visit PeoriaRiverfrontMuseum.org for details on each demonstration.

Sunday, August 25
An Arm & A Leg: Civil War Medicine
Various medical demonstrations from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. including minor and major surgeries, pill making and a traveling medical museum. Visit PeoriaRiverfrontMuseum.org for details on each demonstration.

3D movie to open on brightest screen in the country.

PEORIA, IL— “Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk” will open in Peoria Riverfront Museum’s Giant Screen Theater Saturday, August 17, 2013; the next movie to premiere in downtown Peoria! “Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk” is a 3D educational film about an exhilarating journey through the iconic Colorado River that calls attention to global freshwater issues. The movie is narrated by Robert Redford and features songs and music by Dave Matthews Band.

Opening day of Grand Canyon Adventure will include many family-friendly activities throughout the museum! Bradley University and River Action League staff, led by Dr. Sherri Morris, will be presenting in the River Science Lab located in the Illinois River Encounter exhibition. They will be leading stream table demonstrations and performing water testing, a kick-off to the museum’s participation in a citizens science water data collection project. Museum guests are encouraged to bring water samples from where they live near the Illinois River. Water sample collection instructions are available on our website and on our Facebook page.

Also in the Illinois River Encounter exhibition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. you will find Ranger Todd Ernenputsch from the Army Corps of Engineers. He will be demonstrating water safety and life jacket fittings as well as teaching about how locks and dams work.
The Nature Conservancy produced a short video that will run before each screening of the feature film. The three-minute video highlights some of the similar challenges that large rivers around the world face, and it serves as a brief overview of the non-profit organization’s Great Rivers Partnership, which was launched from Peoria in 2005. The ultimate goal of the Partnership is to secure the health of the world’s great rivers for the benefit of people and nature.

All event participants may enter to win an Emiquon Adventure Package presented by the Nature Conservancy.

Movie Synopsis – Leading the important expedition are world-famous river advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and celebrated anthropologist and author Wade Davis with Native America river guide Shana Watahomigie. As new scientific studies forecast water shortages in the Western U.S. and around the world, Grand Canyon Adventure explores the issues, presents real solutions and delivers an uplifting message of hope for future generations, showing how ordinary people can make a difference for our parched planet.
To purchase tickets and to see what is currently playing in the theater, visit www.PeoriaRiverfrontMuseum.org

Peoria, Illinois (August 16, 2013)–Representatives of the Bikers for Ta-Tas Ride for Breast Cancer today presented a check totaling $38,000 to UnityPoint Health-Methodist to help support breast cancer treatment and awareness.

Methodist Foundation Vice President Rob Parks and Debbie Simon, President and CEO of Methodist, accepted the check from Bikers for Ta-Tas founders Nancy and Greg Borum. The money represents proceeds from this year’s 6th annual motorcycle ride for cancer held Saturday, July 20, at the Bartonville American Legion.

This year’s ride covered approximately 140 miles with stops in Brimfield, Canton, Havana, Forest City, Delavan, and Groveland. In 2012, Bikers for Ta-Tas raised $30,000 that was donated to the Breast Health Center and Mobile Mammography Services at UnityPoint Health-Methodist.

The Bikers for Ta-Tas ride was established in 2008 by Nancy Borum to benefit the fight against breast cancer in Illinois after a series of cancer events in her family. Her grandmother and aunt both died from breast cancer and her mother and sister are both breast cancer survivors.