Small businesses are the engines that grow local economies and create jobs. According to the Small Business Administration, they employ up to 80 percent of all U.S. workers. Recognizing this statistic, Peoria County has recently launched Greater Peoria SourceLink at www.GPSourcelink.org to make it easier for entrepreneurs and small business owners to find the resources they need to grow and expand their business. 

 Greater Peoria SourceLink’s network of resource partners largely consists of nonprofit organizations that provide services to grow small businesses in the greater Peoria area. These organizations include small business development groups, government entities, loan and financing programs, Chambers of Commerce, community development organizations, technical or legal assistance providers, and organizations specializing in helping women or various ethnic minorities.  In turn, Greater Peoria SourceLink provides its resource partners with free marketing of their classes, events, and other services; qualified referrals; and greater community awareness. 

 “By making resources and funding more readily available and easier to find, our region can create a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem for startups to grow and thrive,” said Thomas H. O’Neill, chair of the Peoria County Board. Although established by Peoria County and funded through a regional HUD Sustainability Grant, Greater Peoria SourceLink is intended to be a regional tool, helping entrepreneurs across the entire region. “Its use serves as a major component of our economic development strategy and will ultimately help enhance our regional competitiveness,” O’Neill elaborated. 

To learn more visit Greater Peoria SourceLink at www.GPSourcelink.org.

(Peoria, IL / June 20, 2014) – OSF HealthCare is pleased to announce the formation of the OSF Legacy of Hope Advisory Council, which will provide professional guidance and leadership to the OSF Healthcare Foundation in the area of planned giving.

“Developing a program of service and education for our donors, Council members believe in the good work of OSF and the impact that planned gifts will have on our ability to sustain and grow the Sisters’ Mission into the future,” said Tom Hammerton, President and Chief Development Officer. “This group understands the importance of strategic estate planning and the benefits for the individual, their family, and the community when it comes to incorporating philanthropic goals into estate planning.”

 For more information on the OSF Legacy of Hope planned giving program to support the Ministry of OSF, please visit www.osflegacyofhope.org.

 Charter Members of the OSF Legacy of Hope Advisory Council are (hometowns in parenthesis):

 Carl Williams – Chairman (Peoria) – Senior Vice President – Chapin Davis Investments 

Mike Kuhl – Vice Chairman (Morton) President – Kuhl Insurance

 Dennis Bailey (Dunlap) – Financial Advisor/CPA – The Bailey Group/Robert W. Baird & Co.

 William Campbell (Peoria) – Attorney/CPA – Davis & Campbell L.L.C.

David Higgs (Peoria) – Attorney (Retired) – Husch Blackwell

Beth Jones (Peoria) – Private Banker, AVP – Commerce Bank

 Jeff Kolbus (Edwards) – President – Traders Realty Corp.

 Ben Metzger (Peoria) – Director – Water Street Solutions

 Frank Mooney (Chillicothe) – President / Registered Financial Consultant – ISI Consulting

 William Rajsky (Pekin) – Financial Consultant (Retired) – Smith Barney

 Timothy Shea (Peoria) – Owner – Peoria Builders, Inc.

 Construction on the south end of Washington from Walnut to Persimmon continues on schedule for an anticipated opening later this summer. As always, please slow down and use extreme caution while driving through construction work zones.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Warehouse District TIGER II Project, please visit the website at http://www.warehousedistrictpeoria.com or contact Karen Dvorksy, Project Manager directly at kdvorsky@terraengineering.com or at (309) 472-3132.

Local realtor and longtime West Bluff neighborhood resident/advocate John McDonald is the recipient of the 2014 West Bluff Council “Pillar of the West Bluff Award.”

 McDonald, who was nominated by local artist Russ Joseph, has lived and worked in the West Bluff for more than 25 years and is the current owner of Kallister Realty.  Joseph wrote, “Despite these (West Bluff)neighborhoods often having a stigma of being “borderline” or even “bad” , John has taken an active part in their revitalization- helping organize and promoting neighborhood events and litter cleanups. In fact, he can still be seen on a daily basis keeping current on his streets cleanliness and aesthetic value. He has also kept his business, Kallister Realty, in the West Bluff, even though he has been offered better deals to move elsewhere, and the company continues to actively promote and specialize in West Bluff homes, where other realty companies shy away from the area.”

McDonald has worked on the City Housing Commission and the City Historic Preservation Commission. He has also served as president of the University East Neighborhood Association, the West Bluff Council, and West Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services. He is currently a member of the Moss Bradley Revolving Fund Board and the represents the Orchard District neighborhood on the West Bluff Council.

The Pillar Award is presented each year to recognize individuals for outstanding service to the West Bluff area. “John is one of those people who have truly made a foundational contribution to our area,” said West Bluff Council president Conrad Stinnett. “He has ties to both our business and residential communities and has benefited each group with his unique and positive perspective. He leads efforts to improve our area, as well as encourages and supports those residents who lead other improvement efforts. His strong expertise and love for our community have certainly helped positively move the West Bluff forward. The members of the West Bluff Council and I are very pleased to recognize him this year.”

 The Pillar Award will be presented at the June 26th meeting of the West Bluff Council, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Sunbeam Building on Sheridan at Main.

 The West Bluff Council is a pro-active community organization comprised of 8 West Bluff neighborhood associations, the West Main Street Redevelopment Association and Bradley University. For more information, please call Conrad Stinnett at 309-494-9821

Local dancing canine group “Barking Ballroom” will be performing at the Peoria Public Library North Branch at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 22 for a family- friendly free show. The creative sport sometimes referred to as “Dancing with Dogs” will feature a canine musical freestyle that is interactive and geared towards children of all ages.

The “Barking Ballroom” has competed in the World Canine Freestyle Organization competition and has earned numerous titles for professional dog sports. All of the dogs are friendly, obedient, and well-trained.The artistic sport features dogs of all different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds coming together to create an entertaining show.  The free performance will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will last approximately one hour.

Peoria, IL (June 18, 2014)–Imagine having an insulin pump with a low battery.  It can be quite a hassle finding a way to charge it especially if you are in the middle of something or perhaps at an inconvenient location.  Three Bradley University undergrads may have found a way to make that easier. 

In collaboration with Dr. Prasad Shastry, Sergio Sanchez, Tyler Hoge and Elie Baliss designed a system that could wirelessly charge low-power batteries for equipment such as an insulin pump. Unlike recharging pads that require the battery-operated device to connect to the pad, wireless systems charge batteries within a short distance of a charging device.

The students’ design has linked years of theoretical work with the product development process.  It is limited in capability right now but the project will remain at Bradley where future students will continue to work on it. 

The mascot for the World Cup is “Fuleco” a blue, three-banded armadillo from Brazil. In contrast, the three-banded armadillos at the Peoria Zoo are tan in color and originated in Paraguay.

In 1999, the Zoo acquired one male and two female armadillos that had been born in the wild. These animals were part of a plan to increase breeding and genetic diversity of the species in captivity. The breeding program at the Zoo has been very successful. The pairing of the male “Roller” and “EM” (aka EarthMover) produced “Toggle” and “Bandit”. The pairing of “Roller” and “Tank” has resulted in “Dozer”, “Scrapper”, “Tread”, “Plow”, “Digger”, “JD” and “Stomper”. The population plan is due soon, and Zoo officials expect that Tank and Roller will be recommended to breed again in 2014.

Most of the offspring have been transferred to other zoos but Scrapper and Dozer remain at the Zoo and are used in education programs. Like Fuleco, Scrapper and Dozer are used to educate people that they are amazing animals and threatened by habitat destruction and hunting.

Fun Facts

• They mark their territory with a scent.
• They are born soft and leathery, it takes a few weeks for them to develop their hard shell.
• They can smell a worm that is 8 inches underground.
• When threatened they will curl into a ball which protects them from most predators, except large ones like jaguars that can crack their shell.
• They are the only type of armadillo that can completely enclose themselves by rolling into a ball.
• They are classified as a toothless mammal but they have small primitive teeth at the sides of their jaws.
• The head plates are unique to each armadillo, like human fingerprints.

 For questions call the Peoria Zoo at (309) 681-3509 or check our website at www.peoriazoo.org.

Peoria, Illinois – Midstate College will hold commencement ceremonies on Saturday, June 28, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in East Peoria, Illinois. The featured speaker will be the Honorable State Senator Darin LaHood. This graduation ceremony will honor and celebrate 151 graduates in various programs ranging from bachelor degrees to associate degrees to diploma programs.

The focus of the ceremony will be on the students and their achievements. In addition to Keynote Speaker State Senator LaHood, the spotlight will also be on student speakers Dustin Eugene Pettry (3.63/4.0), will be earning his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computer & Information Science, and Elizabeth L. Benker, (4.0/4.0), who will be earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting.

Midstate College is celebrating its 126^th year providing quality education to the Central Illinois area, and now to a much wider student base via web-based classes. The College takes great pride in spirit and community, and the commencement ceremonies will bring together students, alumni and residents throughout the area.

For more information, please contact Ashley Spain, arspain@midstate.edu or 309.692.4092.