Journal Star (Peoria)
‘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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Red Robin to close only location in central Illinois
EAST PEORIA – The last Red Robin location in central Illinois is set to close after a final day on May 24. Signs were posted to the doors of the 314 W. Washington St. storefront to announce the impending shutdown. “We have loved serving the East...
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HATS OFF
AT LEFT, TOP: A Manual High School graduate sports a decorated mortar board. AT LEFT, CENTER: A pair of Manual High School graduates go in for a hug. AT LEFT, BOTTOM: A Manual High School graduate shows her excitement after receiving her diploma.
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Six, including one juvenile, arrested at Peoria Civic Center
PEORIA – Police arrested five adults and one juvenile Saturday at the Peoria Civic Center. Peoria Police Sgt. Amy Dotson told the Journal Star on Sunday that no significant injuries were reported from the incidents. The suspects were arrested on...
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Peoria native is sworn in as city’s new police chief
PEORIA — Peoria native Brad Dixon was sworn in Friday as the city’s new police chief, replacing Eric Echevarria who retired from the role. Dixon was pinned during a ceremony at Peoria City Hall in front of crowd that included his family, elected...
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20,000 trucks a day
It’s a typical weekday afternoon at the intersection of Route 53 and Laraway Road, 40 miles southwest of Chicago, and semi trucks thunder by in a steady stream. h They start at the sprawling warehouse complexes on the fringes of the city of Joliet,...
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Trump says Xi wants to see Iran conflict ended
An end to the war with Iran remained elusive for President Donald Trump on May 15, but he struck a hopeful tone at the end of his visit to Beijing, indicating he believes President Xi Jinping could help resolve the conflict. “He would like to see it...
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Xi warns Trump against mishandling of Taiwan
BEIJING – China’s Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump at the start of a two-day summit on May 14 that trade talks were making progress, but cautioned that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path and even lead to...
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President explains why OSF Children’s Hospital is leaving St. Jude network
PEORIA – OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois will leave the affiliate network of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on June 30, moving toward a more independent model for pediatric health care. OSF announced Monday that it would be...
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Hegseth says the U.S. has fiscal plan in Iran
The Pentagon revised the cost of the war in Iran upward on May 12. “We think it’s closer to $29 billion,” Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller, told a House Appropriations subcommittee. A week before, the Trump administration estimated...
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Crime scene a ‘shocking situation’ for community
WASHINGTON – Police have taken a suspect in custody after an officer-involved shooting Sunday morning that led to one injury, a building fire and an explosion. Officers responded to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the 900 block of Mallard Way...
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AI-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
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‘TOTAL SHOCK’
CANTON – Home, for Jailynn Munson, is grandma Susan Rilea’s house. She remembers cooking with Rilea, doing yardwork with her brother and gathering with family for the holidays. Most importantly, it was the first place that felt like a safe, stable...
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Company hopes to serve cocktails at shows in Peoria
PEORIA – Upstage Theatre Company hopes to soon obtain a liquor license to serve alcohol at its events. Owner Jolene Howard went before the Peoria Liquor Commission on Monday, May 4 to request site approval for a Class K rental hall license with a live...
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Tensions mount over potential closure of street
A group of North Valley residents looking to protect the Detweiller Playground and Marina from expansion by O’Brien Steel say the company misled the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees last month when it said there were no plans to close Caroline...
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Memo hints at possible U.S.-Iran deal
President Donald Trump said Iran could either agree to a framework for peace talks or bombing would resume, after he had paused the military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said on social media the war that began Feb. 28, with a...
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Business aims to open by August after delays
The Vault aims to open by August in Downtown Peoria, according to NOW Group vice president Beau Landry. He went before the Peoria Liquor Commission on Monday, May 4, to request a 90-day extension for site approval at the 240 Southwest Jefferson Ave....
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Illinois boosts film industry growth with new green tax incentive
Illinois film and television productions that meet green certification standards can now earn an extra 5% tax credit, making the state the first in the nation to offer such an incentive, according to a community announcement. The initiative, launched...
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Peoria-area high school seniors sign offers from Caterpillar
A group of local high school seniors officially signed on the dotted line Friday to join Caterpillar, marking their graduation from the company’s Essentials for Life training program for students. This year’s class of E4L students consisted of 16...
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Signing off on a plan
On May 16, 1947, Thomas Detweiller, son of Civil War veteran and boat captain Henry Detweiller, wrote his last will and testament. After he asked for his his debts and funeral expenses to be paid off, he bequeathed all of his personal belongings and...
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TrumpIRA site offers retirement savings
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 30 that will broaden access to retirement savings for workers whose employers don’t offer 401(k)-type plans. The order creates a new website, TrumpIRA.gov, that workers can use to enroll in a...
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16 things to do in Peoria in May
As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, big concerts, fundraisers and other gatherings will be happening in Peoria. Here are 16 things to do in the Peoria area during May. 1. 2026 Riverfront Market season opens The first Riverfront Market...
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Peoria takes step to loan money to condo for repairs
PEORIA — The clock is now ticking on a proposal by the city to front a pair of downtown condo buildings $2.5 million to make much needed infrastructure repairs. On Tuesday night the Peoria City Council voted to set a public hearing date on a proposal...
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Teen identified in deadly shooting
PEORIA — The 17-year-old who was shot in the head at Bradley Park and later pronounced dead during a series of shootings Sunday has been identified. Jarvis Allison, Jr., of West Millman Street in Peoria, was initially conscious following a shooting...
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MUSIC LEGENDS IN PEORIA
ABOVE: Southern rock band ZZ Top performs against a grafittistyle backdrop on April 24 at the Peoria Civic Center. TOP RIGHT: Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top does a little fret work as the band performs. RIGHT: Country music superstar Dwight Yoakam brings his...
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Longtime grocery store demolished in Peoria Heights
The demolition of a longtime Peoria Heights grocery store is making way for a new development. The decades-old building, which housed a grocery store that village residents were sad to lose, began coming down last week to make room for a new mixed-use...
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A ‘TURNKEY’ VENUE
There is a renewed effort in Peoria to sell a more than 100-year-old historic staple in Downtown Peoria. The 102-year-old Scottish Rite Theatre, located at 400 NE Perry Ave., is back for sale on the market, at a lower price, as its former owner Kim...
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U.S. delegation to meet with Iranian officials
The United States is sending a delegation to Pakistan to meet with Iranian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said April 24, resuming direct talks as both countries accuse each other of violating a ceasefire by seizing and blocking...
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Tensions escalate in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran remained in place April 23 as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continued and negotiations between Lebanon and Israel were expected to resume in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador...
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Popular store ready to open in Washington
When co-owners Frank and Lucienne Bray decided to relocate their Ben Franklin store and their Final Frontier toy store from Minnesota, they settled on central Illinois as a good compromise. “I don’t like cold weather, and after 18 years in Minnesota,...
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Illinois’ first woman majority leader dies at 85
CHICAGO — Barbara Flynn Currie, a 40-year veteran of the Illinois House and the first woman to serve as the second-in-command majority leader of the chamber, died Thursday. She was 85. Currie, who is tied for the secondlongest-serving legislator in...
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War negotiations on shaky ground
Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on April 20, following moves by Islamabad to end a U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports, a major hurdle for Iran to rejoin peace efforts....
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Dunlap School District breaks ground on new $38M school building
PEORIA — Shovels hit the dirt and confetti fell from the air Friday in Peoria as students and staff at WilderWaite Elementary School celebrated the groundbreaking on construction of their new school building. Students, staff, architects and other...
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‘MAKE OUR MARK’
PEORIA – A space once home to an iconic local printing business recently welcomed a new artistic medium. Brass Eagle Tattoo opened its doors at 718 SW Adams St. in early April. The location was previously home to Rolan A. Johnson Co. – whose founder...
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Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” to all commercial vessels, the country’s foreign minister said, meeting a central demand of the United States as the two countries teased another round of peace talks and the clock wound down on a...
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Making a move
PEORIA HEIGHTS – W.E. Sullivan’s Irish Pub and Fare is preparing for “one last sendoff” at its current home. h Husband-and-wife team Billy and Lauren Blasek have operated at the storefront for nearly nine-and-a-half years. h On March 9, however, the...
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High note
TOP: Peoria native and renowned singer Liv Warfield, left, and her parents Owen and Bessie Warfield react to the honorary street sign unveiled in her name on April 14 at the corner of War Memorial Drive and Missouri Avenue in Peoria. Warfield, who was...
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Peoria riverfront 2026 summer events guide
The Peoria riverfront is offering a wide variety of things to do this summer. Mark your calendar for the following events, which range from art and music festivals to culture, food and more. Steamboat Classic pre-party and race Central Illinois’...
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& Supper Social
Sloane Supper & Social is now open in Peoria Heights – serving steaks, house-made pastas, supper club inspired cocktails, nostalgic desserts and other Americana cuisine. Cody Scogin, chef and owner of Ardor Hospitality, said the eatery received “a lot...
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Peoria man given life sentence for killing girlfriend, neighbor
PEORIA – A natural life sentence has been handed down to the 44-year-old man found guilty in the murder of 35-yearold Zaneta Winters and 20-year-old Jakaiden Rynearson. In February, Stevie A. Linwood Jr. was found guilty of two counts of first-degree...
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What court documents and hearing revealed
The suspect accused of killing a 13-yearold Robert Bee Jr. in 2016 made her first appearance in Tazewell County Circuit Court on Thursday. Keith A. Brackett, 42, who identified as a woman during the hearing, has been charged with two counts of...
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Iran sets conditions for further talks with U.S.
Iran vowed on April 10 not to participate in negotiations unless a ceasefire takes hold in Lebanon and Iran’s assets are unfrozen, throwing doubt over high-stakes peace talks set to begin the following day in Pakistan. Iran’s parliamentary speaker,...
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U.S.-Iran ceasefire on tenuous ground
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran was on tenuous ground on April 9 after Israel launched its deadliest day of strikes on Lebanon yet and Tehran vowed not to desert its allies. A day after announcing the Iran war ceasefire, Trump took to...
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Peoria residents fight to save Detweiller riverfront access
Zach Roth A group of North Valley residents is calling for the Peoria Park District to aid in negotiations on protecting public use for a portion of riverfront land that is pending sale by the Detweiller Playground Trust to O’Brien Steel for...
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Trump threats to Iran more hostile
President Donald Trump, ahead of his April 7 deadline for Iran to make a deal, issued a stark warning that a wave of expected U.S. military attacks on critical infrastructure would leave the country unable to recover. “A whole civilization will die...
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Iran rejects new ceasefire proposal
Iran on April 6 rejected the latest ceasefire proposal to end the war, the country’s state-run media reported, as mediators scramble to reach an agreement ahead of President Donald Trump’s deadline to strike Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz...
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Trump issues more threats against Iran
President Donald Trump took to social media on April 5 to applaud the U.S. military’s rescue of the second airman whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran – and to issue an expletive-laden threat against the Middle Eastern nation to reopen the Strait...
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New job, new outlook
There is a song that Armando Flores uses to describe his relationship with the people of Peoria Heights. More specifically, it’s one set of lyrics from the infamous theme song to the television show “Cheers” that Flores holds dear when thinking about...
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1 rescued after U.S. jet downed over Iran
One crew member of a U.S. F-15E fighter jet that went down over Iran on April 3 has been rescued, according to a U.S. official. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the jet, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement...
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Popular musicians, theater and more
As the weather starts to warm up, big concerts, community theater and other events will be happening in Peoria. Here are 15 things to do in the Peoria area during April. 1. An Evening with David Sedaris Best-selling humorist and social satirist...
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Birthright citizenship under review
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court gave a tough – but not dismissive – review of President Donald Trump’s effort to redefine who is an American, debating April 1 as Trump added to the historical significance of the case by becoming the first sitting...
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Hegseth: Expect ‘decisive’ days ahead in the war
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on March 31 said the upcoming days in the war with Iran will be “decisive,” as President Donald Trump demanded allies reopen the Strait of Hormuz themselves and average gas prices rose above $4 a gallon. Hegseth, speaking...
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Iran threatened with targeted strikes
President Donald Trump on March 30 said the United States was engaged in “serious discussions” with Iranian officials on a deal to end the war – but threatened to launch strikes on the country’s power, oil and water facilities if negotiations...
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Chicago man sentenced to prison in fatal Peoria hit-and-run
A Chicago man accused of leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash in January 2025 was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday in Peoria County Circuit Court. Demoriele L. Sims, 37, pleaded guilty in January to a single count of failing to...
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LAND CONCERNS
Peoria residents are raising concerns about a deal between the owners of the closed Detweiller Marina and O’Brien Steel that would allow for an expansion of the company’s riverfront facilities, saying that they weren’t given any forewarning about the...
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President delays the strikes on power plants
The Pentagon is weighing sending an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East as the war with Iran rages, multiple news outlets reported. It remained unclear when a decision will be made on whether to send the additional combat soldiers, according...
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Envoy: U.S. has sent ‘action list’ to Iran
The Trump administration on March 26 confirmed for the first time that it has passed a 15-point “action list” to Iran through Pakistani officials to end the war. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed the diplomatic efforts at a Cabinet meeting, saying...
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Peoria applauds developer as it approves tax hike for shopping center
PEORIA — The City Council showered praise on the owner of a popular Peoria shopping center as it approved an increased sales tax for businesses at the center. Members of the council applauded developer Les Cohen, the owner of the Westlake Shopping...
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IL court rules employers must pay for after-hours activities
Jenna Schweikert SPRINGFIELD — Illinois law does not specifically shield companies from having to pay employees for time spent completing required pre- and post-work activities, the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled. Although federal regulations...
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Hopes give way to selloff
SINGAPORE – Investors losing hope for a quick resolution of the Middle East war are scrambling to cushion portfolios against prolonged strife and a bigger oil shock, as they seek shelter in cash and energy shares while cutting bonds and bets on tech...
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Indigenous sculpture unveiled at Bradley Park
With another one of his proud creations standing over his right shoulder at Laura Bradley Park on Friday, Preston Jackson, a Peoria-based sculptor, spoke to the assembled crowd about how it had a connection with everything and everyone, no matter their...
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Beloved Italian eatery celebrates in Peoria area
In Italian, “avanti” means forward. True to its name, Avanti’s Ristorante continues forward after six decades as a beloved and enduring staple in the Peoria area. It is a place where memories have been made for patrons and employees alike – from...
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Troops deployed to Middle East region
Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad domestic disapproval of further involvement, the United States is sending more troops to the region, a defense official said. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit,...
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‘Strengthens the overall college experience’
Illinois Central College student residences will reopen beginning in August following their sale to a local investment group. ICC announced Wednesday that ICC Educational Foundation has completed the sale of the student residences to a group led by...
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Stratton secures U.S. Senate primary victory
PEORIA — Former Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton has won the Democratic primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, receiving a significant boost from voters in Cook County. Stratton defeated U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Rep Robin...
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Revelers brave cold on St. Patrick’s Day in Peoria
Newlyweds Danyelle and Matt Phelan enjoy each other’s company during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade through Downtown Peoria. The Peoria couple were married earlier in the morning.
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FOUND A ‘PERFECT SPOT’
Twisted Pasta began rolling out unique pasta products last year – a sandwich stuffed with spaghetti, a fettuccine-filled garlic bread cone and other Italian-inspired innovations. “We wanted to do something a little different,” owner Kyle Graves said....
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CHAMPIONS
The Manual High School boys basketball team held off Quincy Notre Dame to win the Class 2A boys basketball state championship on Saturday at State Farm Center in Champaign. The Rams ended a 29-year drought between state titles and gave the program its...
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‘Friendly neighborhood bar’
Malik Qattoum is no stranger to the restaurant industry. For 14 years, he worked at LongHorn Steakhouse. h It was a good, comfortable position. And while he dreamt of securing a business for himself, he was hesitant to take the plunge. h Yet, Qattoum...
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PEORIA PRIDE
The Manual boys basketball team will play for a Class 2A state championship at noon Saturday at State Farm Center in Champaign. A win would give Manual a sixth state title and first since completing the historic Class AA four-peat from 1994-97.
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Experts: Anthropic has a strong case against Pentagon
NEW YORK – Anthropic’s lawsuit challenging its Pentagon blacklisting is likely to test the reach of an obscure law aimed at guarding military systems against sabotage, and legal experts say the artificial intelligence lab appears to have a strong case...
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At least 2 dead after tornadoes hit Midwest
At least two people were dead after severe thunderstorms swept across a swath of the country, unleashing devastating tornadoes in the central United States. A large tornado, rain and hail hit the small community of Lake Village in northwest Indiana...
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Trump threatens Iran over waterway
President Donald Trump on March 9 predicted the Iran war will end “very soon” now that U.S. forces have decimated the country’s navy, air force and political leadership, but a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps slammed the president’s...
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Oil prices soar as Iran names leader
As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its 10th day on March 9, oil prices soared over fears of a prolonged conflict, President Donald Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” and the Pentagon made public the name of the seventh U.S. service member...
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