Peoria County voters who want to vote early will have to wait to sport stickers such as this one. Early voting in the March primary has been postponed. Early voting and voting by mail was to begin Feb. 8, but a court case is delaying the availability of the ballots.

COUNTY

Early primary voting has been postposed

Early voting in the March primary has been postponed in Peoria County. Early voting and voting by mail was to begin Feb. 8, when ballots also were to be mailed.

The election eligibility of state Rep. Scott Drury, a Democratic candidate for Illinois attorney general, is causing the delay. Voting officials say that until the 1st District Appellate Court of Illinois rules on an objection to the nominating petitions filed by Scott Drury to run for attorney general in the Democratic primary, ballots cannot be finalized. Drury, a state representative for District 85, is appealing a lower court ruling that his name should be struck from the ballot.

Once the ballot is finalized, it has to be tested before the start of voting.

The election commission office, at 542 SW Adams St. in Peoria, was to be the early-voting polling place open Thursday through March 19. Early voting also is to be conducted March 5-18 at Illinois Central College North Campus in Peoria.

The primary election is March 20.

Drury, who is from the Chicago suburb of Highwood, is among eight Democratic candidates seeking to replace incumbent Lisa Madigan, who is not seeking a fifth four-year term.

PEORIA

Fern is the leading name for baby giraffe

The public has until Feb. 26 to vote for a name for the giraffe recently born at the Peoria Zoo. The public may select one name from a choice of six for a donation of $1 on the zoo’s website, peoriazoo.org.

The names and their meaning in the order of voting as of Feb. 8, are: Fern, which symbolizes sincerity toward others, 33 percent; Layla, Arabic for “born at night;” 17 percent; Zara, Arabic for “princess” and a variation of Zarafe, Arabic for “giraffe,” 15 percent; Sophie, suggested name after the popular giraffe baby teether for human babies; and Twiggy, a variation of “Twiga,” Swahili for “giraffe;” are tied at 12 percent; and Farah, Arabic for “joy, 11 percent.”

To place a vote for your favorite name visit: https://www.peoriazoo.org/vote-here-giraffe-calf/

The winning name will be announced March 1.

Proceeds will support the Giraffe Conservation Fund and the care and enrichment of the zoo’s giraffes.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Area sports hall of fame inductees are named

Don Millard will soon be a member of the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame.

Millard, a Pekin High School graduate who won a pair of NCAA wrestling championships for Southern Illinois University in 1964, is the latest to be among the inductees at the GPSHOF banquet April 7 at the Peoria Civic Center.

He joins his fellow inductees:

• Individual inductees: Tom Gilles (baseball); John Gross (basketball); Bill King (broadcasting); Don Millard (wrestling).
• Team inductees: ICC softball (1998); Richwoods boys basketball (1992); AOL/Spalding girls golf (1978, 1979).
• Male Coach of the Year: Bob Becker (Morton girls basketball)
• Female Coach of the Year: Denee Menzione (East Peoria softball)
• Male Athlete of the Year: Jacob Warner (Washington wrestling)
• Female Athlete of the Year: Brandi Bisping (Morton basketball)
• Neve Harms Award for Meritorious Service to Sports: Mick Donahue (youth and recreation sports organizer, coach and official)

The Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame induction and Tri-County awards banquet will be held April 7. Social hour will be held at 5 p.m.; followed at 6 p.m. with the banquet and induction ceremony.

Tickets cost $35 before March 28; $40 March 29-April 3. Tickets will not be available for sale at the door. Tickets may be ordered by phone (309) 691-3553 or email, susie1026@comcast.net. To pay by credit card, go to gpshof.com and click the appropriate link on the home page to print out order form.

STATE

Fire marshal urges public to practice fire safety at home

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is urging residents to protect themselves and practice fire safety in their communities after an unusually high number of fire fatalities in January.

In 2017, Illinois had 131 injuries and 84 fatalities due to fire. In January of this year, Illinois had 21 injuries and 21 fatalities due to fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are more home fires in the winter months than any other season. The State Fire Marshal’s office notes that major causes for fire fatalities in Illinois this year are home heating issues and careless use of smoking materials.

The State Fire Marshal encourages residents to be prepared and offers these tips on fire safety from the NFPA:

1.Test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month. Change the batteries at least twice a year.
2. Plan two ways out of the home during an emergency.
3. If the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out. If you have to escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your way out.
4. Close doors to slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.
5. Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
6. Keep flammable materials away from the fireplace mantel.
7. Never use the oven to heat your home.
8. Remember to turn off portable heating devices when you leave a room or go to bed each night.
9. Never use extension cords with electric heaters.
10. Provide adequate ventilation for kerosene heaters and never refuel heater in-doors or when in use.
11. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable material.
12. Ensure that cigarettes or other smoking materials have been put out.
13. Never smoke around medical oxygen.
14. Do not smoke in bed.

–Peoria County News Briefs–