Journal Star (Peoria)
Two gas stations seeking to sell alcohol face opposition
PEORIA – Two gas stations along Knoxville Avenue seeking site approval for alcohol sales were met with opposition when representatives went before the Peoria Liquor Commission on Monday, Aug. 3. The BP stations, situated at 2312 N. Knoxville Ave. and...
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Caterpillar stock price jumps after raising growth forecast
Caterpillar raised its annual revenue growth forecast after beating second-quarter profit estimates on Tuesday, benefiting from a buildout of AI data centers that has spurred demand for its power-generation and construction equipment. Shares of the...
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‘WE are STRONG’ Fans revel in new professional baseball league
SPRINGFIELD — Sean Plaskett and his 7-year-old daughter, Shawn, drove 1,700 miles from Wilmington, Delaware, to Springfield to be part of the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural game at Robin Roberts Stadium Aug. 1. Plaskett said his daughter’s...
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RUNNING IN THE RAIN
xThe Memphis-to-St. Jude runners get a hero’s welcome as they complete their journey Aug. 1 at the Peoria Civic Center in Downtown Peoria. More than 200 runners departed from the St. Jude campus for the St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run, a 465-mile...
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HONORING HERITAGE
Nationally known beer brand Pabst Brewing Co. once boasted a significant presence in Peoria Heights, employing more than 1,000 people at its height and purportedly serving more than a million beers at its bar, The 33 Room. The company’s local brewing...
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Attack sparks fears wars could merge
WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States insisted that leaders in Kyiv are not playing “a game of chess” with their recent drone strike on an Iranian ship and have no interest in leveraging their conflict with Russia into a wider, global...
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Caterpillar investing up to $10M in future workforce
EDWARDS – Caterpillar may have moved its global headquarters to Texas, but the company retains a significant presence in Illinois. The manufacturing giant on Wednesday announced its most recent investment in the state: allocating up to $10 million to...
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Peoria developers aim for revival of the Madison Theater
PEORIA — New restaurant and hotel developments coming to Main Street in Downtown Peoria have a larger goal in mind, according to its developers: The return of the Madison Theater. Developers Jeff Giebelhausen and Gerald Ritterbusch, who are...
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Oman presents Iran with Hormuz plan
DUBAI – Oman has presented Iran with a plan backed by Gulf states to manage the Strait of Hormuz, including collecting voluntary fees for using it, a Gulf source and a Western diplomat told Reuters on July 28. The plan could serve as a basis to end...
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Peoria proposes selling downtown parking lot
PEORIA — The city is planning on selling a downtown parking lot to a developer who is revamping a strip of properties along Main Street. City staff is presenting a plan to the Peoria City Council that would sell the surface parking lot at the corner...
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Chef reunites with a well-known bar
Soul food is back at Castle’s Patio Inn. So is the chef who brought the cuisine to the longtime neighborhood bar in 2021. Shaun Gist, who goes by Shaun Chef, returned to Castle’s kitchen in early May. “I’m happy I’m back here,” Gist said. “I’m happy...
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Politics, humor and death threats
Editor’s note: Story contains explicit language. PEORIA — Ruben Ramirez found himself in a situation that was no laughing matter late last summer in Chicago. But the Pekin High School graduate and rising stand-up comic turned the experience into a...
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U.S. strikes shipping point on the Red Sea
DUBAI – U.S. missiles struck targets across Iran, reaching as far as its Caspian coast, on July 24 after President Donald Trump vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the war to a second major shipping...
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The Athletic predicts a big 2026-27 from Bears wide receiver Luther Burden
Mike Pendleton There is plenty of excitement around the Chicago Bears heading into the 2026 season, coming off Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach where they won 11 games, their first NFC North title since 2018, and picked up their first playoff...
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Peoria partnership creates ‘lasting benefits’ for Warehouse District
PEORIA – A new series of string lights are lighting up summer nights in the Warehouse District as part of a public-private collaboration with the city. The String Lights Project has been set up in the 800 block of Southwest Adams Street as part of a...
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Wigginton not guilty in DUI case
PEORIA— Peoria Heights mayor Matt Wigginton was found not guilty by a Peoria County jury in his DUI case. He declined to comment immediately after the trial concluded Monday, July 20. The jury took roughly 45 minutes to come to a not guilty verdict...
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LOVE & PRIDE
A model with Peoria Fashion Week Academy displays some Pride merchandise during a fashion show at the River City Pride Festival on July 18, on the Peoria riverfront. Fans are impressed by drag king Apollo Venom Summers’s performance during the River...
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Social media shaping kids’ career dreams
A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money. When we asked second graders in Wisconsin...
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‘Everybody loves pizza’
BARTONVILLE – To Jolene Howard, “pizza and theater go together hand in hand.” It’s why she recently took ownership of Tyroni’s Italian Cafe. The longtime local pizzeria is part of Howard’s larger vision of bringing dinner theater to Peoria. Also the...
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U.S. and Iran trade infrastructure attacks
DUBAI – The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on July 17 and Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure. In...
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‘Big Boy’ reunites city with history
SPRINGFIELD, IL – It’ll be a historic weekend in the capital city when the world’s largest operating steam locomotive rides through town. By now, you may have heard the “Big Boy” Union Pacific No. 4014 train is traveling from the Pacific to the...
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Trump reverses ICE traffic stop pause
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump overturned an order to suspend most immigration-related traffic stops one day after administration officials announced the pause following the deadly shootings of two people in Maine and Texas by federal agents, a...
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Veterans group battles state over fairgrounds home
SPRINGFIELD — The commander of the Combined Veterans Association of Illinois said he was “a little relieved” that the Illinois Department of Agriculture had postponed a plan to put the organization out of its headquarters on the Illinois State...
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‘BIG BOY’ TO ROLL INTO SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD – The world’s largest operating steam locomotive will soon make a stop in the capital city. Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” No. 4014 is journeying west from the east coast in collaboration with Norfolk Southern Railway, as the railroads...
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POLITICAL WORLD PAYS TRIBUTE TO GRAHAM
WASHINGTON − Tributes for Sen. Lindsey Graham poured in from his colleagues early July 12 after the South Carolina Republican’s office confirmed his sudden death the night before. Graham’s death marks the passing of a longtime conservative fixture of...
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‘Creates a void’
The future of the Heart of Illinois Fair had been in question since the city of Peoria purchased Exposition Gardens in September 2025. h And nothing has happened since then to change the outlook. h All of the board members resigned months ago. h The...
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Ceasefire falls apart as Iran buries slain leader
The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to have fallen apart over continued strife over the Strait of Hormuz as Iranians buried their supreme leader, killed by U.S.-Israel forces at the outset of the war. There were no new...
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Ice center getting major renovations
Peoria Park District staff and board members elicited wide-ranging feedback from concerned citizens Tuesday night about a proposed plan to renovate the Owens Ice Center that would add modern amenities to the venerable facility. In a meeting held on...
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New plan could lead to 500 home renovations in Peoria
PEORIA — There is a goal in South Peoria to renovate 500 homes, sparking new homeownership and the creation of more affordable rentals in the 61605 ZIP code. Peoria Opportunities Foundation director Irina Riggenbach said Tuesday at a news conference...
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Trump pushes combining voting, defense measures
President Donald Trump is demanding that Republicans combine a series of voting reforms with a defense spending bill his administration is pushing Congress to pass, in a long shot bid to bring both measures to his desk before lawmakers leave on an...
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Drought, heat wave raise water concerns
Americans across the nation are being asked (or ordered) to conserve water, thanks to widespread drought made even worse by a punishing heat wave. It’s being felt this summer in Virginia, the Carolinas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Jersey and...
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KIDS COOL OFF AT NEW EAST PEORIA SPLASH PAD
Logan Radosavlyev, 7, of Germantown Hills, left, leaps for a splash in the face as he and his brother Leo, 8, right, enjoy some time in the cool spray of the new Levee Park Splash Pad on July 1 in East Peoria. The attraction opened May 22 and is open...
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‘Keep it going’
PEORIA – A longtime local staple is being brought back to life. Ernie’s Dairy Dream welcomed the community back on Wednesday, July 1. Situated at 2600 SW Jefferson Ave., the storefront will operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The South Peoria...
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Rain may hinder Fourth of July celebrations
Peoria’s Red, White & Boom celebration along the riverfront for the Fourth of July would shift back a day to Sunday, if weather impacts the festivities on Saturday. On the event’s website, organizers say that in the event of inclement weather – or...
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Where to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday around Peoria
This year’s Fourth of July celebration is special because it marks the nation’s semi-quincentennial. At the national level, Salute to America 250 Task Force has coordinated a slate of festivities to celebrate the milestone through the end of...
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High heat, humidity leave millions sweltering
With the Fourth of July weekend near, the heat is on. A prolonged, dangerous heat wave continues intensifying across most of the central to eastern United States, with both smothering humidity and searing highs that could approach records in the...
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Festivals, fireworks and more: 16 fun things to do in Peoria in July
As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day in central Illinois, it’s also time to enjoy local festivals, check out a variety of concerts and more. Here are 16 things to do in the Peoria area in the month of July. 1. Monsters of Yacht in...
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PROTESTERS LINE WAR MEMORIAL IN PEORIA
ABOVE: Protesters march along War Memorial Drive during the All of US 250: Truth, Equality and Freedom protest on June 27 in Peoria. The 50501 Movement and other grassroots activist organizations hosted the nationwide event to protest the policies of...
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Repair work to close span of this major Peoria bridge
The westbound span of the McClugage Bridge will close on July 1 as a multi-year, $70 million project begins to refurbish that side of the bridge to complement its newer, eastbound counterpart. The Illinois Department of Transportation said that the...
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‘Truly inspirational’
PEORIA — It is a hard legacy they are building, forged from grief and courage and heartbreak, one carried by four sons for three fathers now gone. They honor them as best they can, from orange cupcakes to rooting for the Red Sox or talking about being...
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Iran reasserts right of control in Hormuz
DUBAI – Tehran reasserted its right on June 26 to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the Unites States, a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end...
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Things to do this weekend
June is full of activities. Here are six events you might want to check out in the Peoria area this weekend. Old Settlers Days in Metamora Old Settlers Days, running from June 24-27, is one of the oldest festivals in central Illinois. It is held in...
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Bradley’s first female president dies
Joanne Glasser, the first woman to serve as president of Bradley University, has died, the school announced June 23. h Bradley President Jim Shadid said in a statement that Glasser, who served as president from 2007-15, had an “unmistakable passion”...
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Wind-damaged ‘witness tree’ near Lincoln Home removed
SPRINGFIELD — A tree dating from the time Abraham Lincoln and his family lived at a home at Eighth and Jackson streets in Springfield was removed June 19, a little more than a week after storms irreparably damaged it. National Park Service...
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A SCREAMING GOOD TIME
The first round of peace talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland “concluded successfully,” mediators said on June 22, after negotiations appeared strained over the Strait of Hormuz and persistent fighting in Lebanon. “The discussions...
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BISON ROAM IN DOWNTOWN PEORIA
Life-like bison stampede through a water feature during the Market After Hours event June 18 at the newly redesigned Bicentennial Park behind the Peoria County Courthouse in Downtown Peoria.
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‘It’s like an extended garbage dump out there’
In 2024, Eric Hutchison, a retired Caterpillar engineer, began to notice something troubling along Peoria’s riverfront. He had been a frequent visitor to the Rock Island Greenway Trail that runs along the riverfront, particularly in the Detweiller...
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Next round of Iran peace talks on hold
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire June 19 after escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon complicated President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a final peace agreement with Iran. Still, negotiations to end the war appeared to be delayed,...
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Negotiations begin after Iran peace plan is signed
Sixty days of negotiation on a final U.S.-Iran peace deal have begun, Vice President JD Vance told reporters June 18, after the signing of an interim pact ending the Iran war on all fronts. “The entire team has worked very well on this, and we’ve got...
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Historic tree damaged by storms in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — An approximately 175-year-old tree from the Lincoln Home National Historic Site was damaged beyond saving from the June 11 storms, National Park Service officials confirmed. The American linden dating from the early 1850s was believed to...
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U.S.-Iran peace deal could offer price relief
One thing is certain after the United States and Iran agreed to a framework deal to end the monthslong war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz: The costof-living crisis just got a bit less bad. But how much less, and how long it lasts, are still open...
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WAITING FOR SO LONG
Tens of millions of dollars in the Illinois state budget are slated to come to the Peoria area, but the annual question of when the city will see those dollars persists. h Two major projects, a $52 million renovation of Main Street and a $26 million...
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What is Peoria’s fix for gun violence at parks?
PEORIA — Preventing gun violence at Peoria parks remained top of mind for park district leaders and violence prevention groups and stakeholders in the city this week. On Friday, Peoria Park District Board President Robert Johnson delivered remarks to...
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Popular Irish pub announces new location in Peoria Heights
PEORIA HEIGHTS – The memory of a once-beloved bar was uncovered at 4319 N. Prospect Road during recent renovations to the building. A faint shadow of a penguin lingered on the front façade, harkening back to the Penguin Tap. The local staple closed...
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Pakistan indicates Iran deal is at hand
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said June 12 the text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran “has been reached,” and Iran’s foreign minister said a deal has “never been closer,” raising hopes for a genuine settlement to wind down...
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Komatsu unveils new $28M facility
Komatsu officially opened the doors on its new $28 million Peoria office building Wednesday, spotlighting the company’s most advanced technologies while celebrating a commitment to the area. h In a ceremony held outside the new state-of-the-art...
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American helicopter crew found, rescued
President Donald Trump said on June 9 that Iran had shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz overnight and vowed to respond, deepening doubts about prospects for a truce announced in April in the war in the Gulf. “I...
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Israel, Iran halt retaliatory attacks
Israel and Iran said they would halt strikes on each other for now but warned of forceful responses to any future aggression – ending, at least temporarily, an exchange of missile attacks over the weekend that put a fragile ceasefire and diplomatic...
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Pounding the pavement
Championship results and age group winners from the Steamboat Classic races can be found inside on page 5A. To see more photos, go to pjstar.com.
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‘A light to so many’
When Ava Leitze of Pekin was elected the Heart of Illinois Fair Queen in 2023, she had already been diagnosed with the cancer that would claim her life at age 20. “She got into pageants because her little sister (Rowan) actually was the first Little...
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Bears move forward with Indiana stadium
The Chicago Bears are moving forward with a stadium in Hammond, Indiana, after Illinois lawmakers failed to pass a bill to incentivize the team to stay in Illinois. The board for the Chicago Bears voted to move forward with the Indiana plan June 4,...
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Things to do this weekend in Peoria
June is full of activities. Here are five events you might want to check out in the Peoria area this weekend. Steamboat Classic pre-party and race Central Illinois’ premier running experience, the Steamboat Classic, will be held Saturday, June 6, on...
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Trail to the riverfront
PEORIA — An extension of the Rock Island Greenway, one that would make it easier to access the Peoria riverfront, is on the radar of city officials. The city of Peoria will be submitting an application to secure $1 million in federal grant dollars to...
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New restaurants on Main Street look to fall openings
PEORIA — New bar and restaurant developments along Main Street in downtown are targeting November opening dates as construction and renovations are proving to be a lengthy task. Developer Jeff Giebelhausen, who purchased the properties adjacent to the...
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New taxes, modest cuts pass in $55.9B budget
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers approved the state budget early Monday morning after slogging through the night, enacting new taxes on businesses and authorizing less spending than what Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in February. “It’s allowed us to be...
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Summer festivals, concerts and more
As summer heats up in central Illinois, several longtime festivals are happening in the Peoria area, along with big concerts and other community events. Here are 18 things to do in the Peoria area during June. 1. Buckcherry in concert The Peoria...
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‘It’s been a wild ride’
PEORIA – Todd Hohulin would have liked to save the first dollar made at 2 Chez. “But we needed it,” he said. “So, it went right back in the till.” He and his family took ownership of the eatery in 2006, and Todd said, “we needed some luck early on.”...
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Potential Iran deal puts Trump in a bind
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: He is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get U.S. gasoline prices down but at the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks...
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Sen. Durbin says goodbye after 44 years of service
SPRINGFIELD – A room full of Illinois lawmakers honored its outgoing senior U.S. Senator with memories, stories of mentorship, leadership and integrity. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, then spoke before the group to reflect on his 44 years in...
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Pekin business declared ‘uninhabitable’
PEKIN – The city deemed Cranwill’s Drive In uninhabitable last week and has closed the root beer stand until further notice. “The decision to deem a property uninhabitable is not made lightly,” said Nic Maquet, director of building and community...
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Peoria institution, Beachler’s Tire and Automotive, celebrates 75 years in business
The story of Beachler’s Tire and Automotive Center began with one man’s vision and has grown to become a thirdgeneration Peoria institution. In 1951, Bob Beachler opened Beachler’s Standard, a vehicle care and repair shop on the corner of North and...
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Russia carries out one of biggest attacks on Kyiv
KYIV – Russia pounded Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles on May 24 in one of the heaviest bombardments of the city since the start of the four-year war, firing an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near the capital. Russia’s...
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‘I couldn’t accept it’
When Antonio Johnson Jr. earned certification in CPR and other life-saving measures, he never pictured trying to use it on his cousin and lifelong friend. h But when he saw Jarvis Allison Jr. in a room on the fourth floor at OSF Saint Francis Medical...
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Trump defends DOJ fund amid growing GOP revolt
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is digging in over the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as Senate Republicans revolt over a pot of money that could funnel payments to the president’s allies, including Jan. 6...
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CAREER CLASS WITH CREED
The newest crop of interns for Caterpillar had a chance to rub shoulders with company leaders, including CEO Joe Creed, on Tuesday during their intern orientation in Edwards. Over 550 interns from across the United States descended on the company’s...
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