Peoria County news briefs

Chronicle Media

Chillicothe

Annual festival kicks off summer music season

The 14th annual Summer Camp Music Festival will be held May 21-24 at Three Sisters Park. The park is located on Route 29, across from the Illinois River on the very south end of Chillicothe, about 15 miles north of Peoria. About  20,000 people annually attend the event that features more than 100 bands on seven stages over four days. Ticket prices vary depending on the package. Camping site are available, For more details, go to http://summercampfestival.com/about/faqs/

 

District 321 seats new board members

Two newcomers joined two returning members in being sworn into their seats on the Illinois Valley Central District 321 Board of Education on April 28.  Incumbents Steve Garrison and Mike Denzer, and newly elected members Brent Cranford and Michael Labeda took their seats for four-year terms. In addition, Donna Uebler was chosen to serve as board president, according to reports. The board honored David Kinney, who is retiring after serving for the past four years.  Prior to becoming a board member, Kinney was a teacher at Mossville Junior High and Elementary School, and then served as District 321 superintendent from 2004-09.

 

Peoria

Body of missing man found

The body of a man who went missing on May 10 was discovered two days later, according to the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Gregory Horton, 55 was reported missing the afternoon of May 10 after he was last seen near a wooded area on the far west side of the city near Richmond Avenue, according to reports, The county’s Search and Rescue team began its search the next day. According to officials, no foul play is suspected

 

Jalen T. Clark, pleaded guilty May 11 to shooting a man last fall, according to reports.  Photo / Peoria Police

Jalen T. Clark, pleaded guilty May 11 to shooting a man last fall, according to reports. Photo / Peoria Police

Teenager pleads guilty to shooting

Jalen T. Clark, pleaded guilty May 11 to shooting a man last fall, according to reports. Clark, 19, of 2216 W. Warwick Drive, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery in connection with the Oct. 26, 2014 shooting involving a 23-year-old victim.  Prosecutors dropped a lesser charge in exchange for the plea and also agreed to a 17-year cap on a prison term, according to reports. Clark will be sentenced by a Peoria County Circuit Court judge in July. The shooting allegedly happened over an argument that began on Facebook.

 

Police investigating fatal shooting

Police are investigating the shooting death of 20-year-old Jordan Walker of Peoria on May 9. Walker of Peoria was shot in the back and was pronounced dead after being taken to OSF Saint Francis hospital, according to police. Police responded to a call of shots being fired around 9 p.m. on May 9 in the 1900 block of Millman Street according to reports. Upon arrival, police found Walker in an alley. Witnesses allegedly told police they had seen Walker and the shooter walking together, according to reports. Once shots were heard, witnesses said the shooter fled the area, according to reports. The city has experienced four homicides so far this year.

 

Manufacturer fined by OSHA for violations

USA Technologies Inc., faces a six-figure federal fine after inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently found workers at the plant were at risk of amputations and other injuries. Inspectors reportedly found safety guards missing from robotic welding equipment and other large machines and hazardous chemical containers were not labeled, among other violations. USA Technologies must pay $114,100 in penalties and fix all cited problems within 15 business days of receiving the notification, according to reports.

 

Peoria region

Park Districts to host 50+ Games

The annual Heart of Illinois 50+ Games will return to Peoria and surrounding communities over the weekend of May 28-30. The games are sponsored by Chillicothe, Fond du lac, Hollis, Peoria, Pekin, Morton, and Washington park districts and feature athletic competitions for adults age 50 and older. The opening ceremonies will be at 5:30 p.m. on May 28 at the Miller Center in Pekin. For more information, visit. ww.peoriaparks.org.

 

State

IHSA takes steps to address concussions

The Illinois High School Association is forming a new advisory council to address concussions in student athletes. The organization made the announcement on May 12. The formation of the council comes in wake of a class-action lawsuit that alleges the IHSA is not doing enough to protect high school athletes from getting head injuries. The council reportedly will include the son of former Chicago Bears football player Dave Duerson. Duerson committed suicide in 2011 and in a note requested that his brain be used for research on concussion-related illness.

 

Motorcycle deaths show sharp drop

Fatalities involving motorcycles dropped across the state from 155 in 2013 to 118 in 2014, according to reports. Motorcycles on average account for almost 15 percent of all fatalities on the roadways, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. About 3 percent of total vehicle registrations in Illinois are for motorcycles, according to IDOT. Of the 155 motorcycle deaths in 2013, 41.7 percent of the motorcycle drivers had a blood alcohol content of 0.01 or greater.