The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is continuing its Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) by participating in an increased enforcement effort this holiday season. Between December 19 – January 1, 2012, the PCSO will intensify enforcement to combat late-night impaired driving and safety belt violations in an effort to reduce the disproportionate number of traffic deaths that occur during overnight hours. According to recent data, midnight to 3:00 a.m. is the deadliest time on Illinois roadways, with more people driving under the influence and fewer people using their safety belts.

Financed through a Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office was able to increase traffic safety enforcement – namely impaired driving and safety belt enforcement – during its Christmas and New Year’s holiday campaign. The Sheriff’s Office was awarded $7,659.45 from the State’s Division of Traffic Safety to be used for these enhanced safety restraint and impaired driving enforcement efforts.

The purpose of STEP is to lower the incidence of motor vehicle crashes – and their resulting injuries and fatalities – through increased highly visible enforcement of safety belt use and impaired driving during national and state enforcement campaigns. The stepped-up, year-long traffic enforcement focuses on specific times of year and on specific times of day when data shows impaired driving and unbuckled fatalities are highest. The increased patrol presence deters potential impaired drivers and potential unbuckled drivers. Through the STEP campaign, increased traffic enforcement has a positive impact on reducing serious injuries and fatalities on our roads.

The law enforcement crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign that will remind motorists, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket.” For more information on the STEP grant, please call the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office at 697-8515.

We are in desperate need of help at the Toy Shop if anyone is able to help out even just for a little bit, please head to the Peoria Citadel AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Or if you know of anyone that could help send them also. You will need to park at Newman Golf Course at 2021 W Nebraska Avenue and then a shuttle will take you to the Citadel.

Tomorrow (Friday), from 11:00 – noon on the ground floor of the County Courthouse, Peoria County employees are donating their time to sort donation items collected during our employee Holiday Charity Drive. Since November 28, Peoria County employees have been able to donate toys, children’s clothing, non-perishable food items, and money during the charity drive that concludes today. And tomorrow, employees will also be able to donate their time to sort the items.

This is the first year that Peoria County’s SPIRIT Committee – an internal employee recognition program – has sponsored a holiday charity drive to give all employees a variety of ways to donate this holiday season. New toys and new children’s clothing that have been collected will be delivered to Crittenton Centers tomorrow afternoon. The Southside Mission will be picking up all donated non-perishable food items, and 100% of monetary donations will be given to The Salvation Army to help support their emergency shelter operations.

Hundreds of County employees have participated in the drive by dropping off their donations at any of the following County facilities: courthouse, animal shelter, Sheriff’s Office, Juvenile Detention Center, Bel-Wood Nursing Home, Recycling & Resource Conservation/Veterans Assistance Commission, and the Care and Treatment Board. For more information on the drive, please call Jenny Fulton, Director of Strategic Communications, at 672-6918.

The Junior League of Peoria will host its fourth annual Frolic with the Fairies Mother Daughter Tea and Style Show on Saturday, March 10, 2012 in the Par-A-Dice Hotel Ballroom.

The grand ballroom will be transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland where daughters can model their fairy costumes and dine on a light, themed meal. Entertainment includes the décor of McKinley Park Events, the ballerinas of Peoria Ballet, and the music of JulieK. Tickets are $30 each or Tables of ten may be reserved for $250. Tea times are 9:00 am, 12:30 pm, or 4:00 pm. Please don’t miss this unique event! Proceeds support Junior League of Peoria and its mission to build a better community.

Alternatively, a ladies-only “Mad Hatter Tea Party” will be held the night before, March 9 from 6-10 pm. Tickets are $25 each and include heavy hors d’oeuvres, a signature drink, a Mad Hat costume contest, and a specialized shopping experience in the Winter Wonderland.

Reservations are limited! To reserve your seat to one of the tea parties, please contact the Junior League of Peoria office at 309.685.9312. For additional information, visit www.juniorleagueofpeoria.org.

About the Junior League of Peoria
Founded in 1936, the Junior League of Peoria is an organization of more than 400 members committed to promoting voluntarism and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Junior League is a volunteer organization for women interested in making an impact in their community. Throughout its history, the League has played an integral part in the development, improvement and support of the Peoria community. Long recognized as one of the premier training organizations in the Peoria area, the Junior League provides trained volunteers who donate thousands of hours each year to research community needs and initiate projects or expand current services.

Over the last 75 years, the Junior League has established more than 50 community projects. The Junior League is undertaking its biggest project to date, the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. The Peoria PlayHouse is a children’s museum that will prepare every young child to learn by offering the hands-on experiences essential for healthy brain development. To learn more, visit www.powerofplaypeoria.org.

Dr. Lex A. Akers has been appointed the founding Dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology at Bradley University. His appointment is effective May 1.

The new dean comes to Bradley from the University of Missouri where he serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and the James C. Dowell Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a position he has held since 2006.

“I believe Dr. Akers has the experience, energy and passion to move the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology forward to an increased level of national prominence and recognition,” said Dr. David Glassman, Bradley’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “He is a transformational leader who has a clear vision of engineering education for the future including engineering and business convergence pedagogy.”

The College of Engineering and Technology was named for Caterpillar Inc. in recognition of the manufacturer’s lead gift of $30 million to the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. Caterpillar has had a long and synergistic relationship with the University, collaborating on curriculum, teaching, internships and special projects.

Said Dr. Akers: “I am excited and humbled to be selected as the founding dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology at Bradley University. The College is well known for providing a world class engineering and technology education and I look forward to working with the College’s faculty and staff, along with President Glasser and Provost Glassman, to enhance the College’s reputation. The confidence that Caterpillar has placed in the College’s educational mission, evidenced by its naming gift, is truly remarkable.”

Akers has been a faculty member at the University of Missouri since 2001. Previously, he held administrative and faculty appointments at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Arizona State University and the University of Nebraska. He also has worked at the California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a NASA Fellow, at Rockwell International, Motorola, and Intel.

He is the author or co-author of more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters, and two books. Dr. Akers is internationally recognized for his research of MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) models and highly layered neural architectures. He earned a Doctorate of Philosophy, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, all from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Akers will replace Dr. Richard Johnson, who has served as Dean of the College for 12 years. Johnson will continue teaching and research as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The Renaissance Campaign concluded this fall with a total of $161 million.

Jeff Kolbus, President of Traders Realty, has announced that Sue Auer is the Managing Broker of the Traders Realty Camp Street Crossing office at 821 W. Camp Street , East Peoria .

Sue, a Realtor since 1994, has worked at every aspect of the real estate business from property management, real estate sales, commercial real estate brokerage to title services.

For information about the Traders Realty Camp Street Crossing office or any real estate questions, Sue can be reached at 309-550-2738 or SueAuer@TradersRealty.com.

Jeff Kolbus, President of Traders Realty, announced that Mike Harris and Misty Phelps have joined the Traders Realty real estate Team at the Camp Street Crossing office at 821 W. Camp, East Peoria and Mike VanCleve has joined the Traders Realty office at 721 W. Lake Street, Peoria .

Mike Harris can be reached at 309-712-6080 or MikeHarris@TradersRealty.com and Misty Phelps can be reached at 309-472-5947 or MistyPhelps@TradersRealty.com. Mike VanCleve can be reached at 309-642-9899 or MikeCanCleve@TradersRealty.com for property information or real estate assistance.

JANUARY 27th FUNDRAISER LOOKING FOR “KNOW-IT-ALLS”

Whether your strength is geography, sports, music, TV or general knowledge, CWTC’s “Super Trivia Challenge Night” is sure to test the best. The CWTC “Super Trivia Challenge is Friday, January 27th at 6:30PM at Barrack’s Cater Inn, 1224 Pioneer Parkway in Peoria.

Individual, companies, and organizations are welcome to play. Registration is $20 a person while groups can reserve a table of eight for $160. Entries include hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place teams. All money raised goes directly to programs and direct services for CWTC consumers.

For registration and information contact Mona Robinson at 686-3300.

CWTC, Community Workshop and Training Center, provides programs and services to adults with disabilities; enriching their quality of life, promoting social change, and optimizing their potential for independence.

Who: CWTC, Community Workshop and Training Center
What: CWTC Super Trivia Challenge
Where: Barrack’s Cater Inn, 1224 Pioneer Parkway in Peoria
When: Friday, January 27, 2012, 6:30PM

Many area volunteers will join The Salvation Army staff and officers at The Salvation Army Corps Community Center, 2903 W. Nebraska Avenue for the annual Toy Shop. Parents with appointments will be escorted through the Toy Shop to help select presents for their children. Members of The Salvation Army staff, US Marine Corps Reserves and many volunteers will be on hand. “We are grateful to the Marines and Toys for Tots for their annual support of this program,” said Major Evie Diaz, Divisional Commander.

The annual Toy Shop is one of the many holiday activities funded by donations to the Tree of Lights Campaign. This years Tree of Lights goal is $1,575,000. Contributions can be mailed to P.O. Box 1468 Peoria Il 61655 or by phone at 655-7220 on your VISA, American Express, MasterCard or Discover Card.

Upcoming Toy Shop Needs More Volunteer Help

The Salvation Army is looking for a few good men, and women, to assist parents at the annual Toy Shop at the Corps Community Center this Thursday and Friday. “In order for us to keep up with numbers, we are in need of more volunteers, especially on Friday,” said Major Evie Diaz, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army. “We are grateful to the many folks who are already signed up to help Thursday, but we could use a few more for Friday to help with Friday’s expected traffic,” said Diaz.

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the Toy Shop can contact Susan Moore at 370-1312 to sign up for a shift at the Corps Community Center, 2903 W. Nebraska in Peoria. “We appreciate any help the public can give,” said Captain James Frye, Youth Secretary for The Salvation Army. The Toy Shop is the major gift program of The Salvation Army each year, with over 5,000 children represented in the yearly opportunity for parents to shop for their children.

The Salvation Army needs you this week to help those in need in our community. “We expect busy days this Thursday and Friday, and with more parents utilizing our Toy Shop, we really need some more help,” said Frye. The Toy Shop hours are by set appointments Thursday from 8:30- 6p.m. and Friday from 8:30 to 2 pm.

For more information, please contact Rich Draeger at 253-9909 or 655-1348.