The Q36 Pumpkin Modulator, featured at the Morton Punkin Chuckin contest, holds the Guinness Book of World Records for pumpkin hurtling distance. (Photo courtesy Morton Magnet)

Region

Central Illinois  Goodwill hosting veterans programs

Central Illinois Goodwill based in Peoria will be hosting a variety of programs to assist veterans  during the month of October.  Veterans Benefits Workshops during the week of Oct. 12-16. The workshop will cover Veterans Administration health, compensation, and pension benefits.  Goodwill will be running  mock job interview sessions for veterans from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Oct. 8. Staff will guide you through a mock interview asking common interview questions and providing feedback to ensure veterans are prepared for the real deal. On Wednesday, Oct. 14,  there will be a program on substance abuse group for veterans at 10 – 11 a.m.  This workshop is for veterans who are struggling with alcohol or substance abuse. Learn coping skills and share your story with others dealing with similar concerns.  To schedule appointments for these programs, call (309) 682-1113 ext. 2149 or ext. 2121. For more information,  visit http://www.goodwillpeo.org.

East Peoria

Gardener honored for his work beautifying city

The  city’s Beautification Commission has honored 86-year-old Paul Peterson for his more than three decades of tending to a small flower garden at  city intersection. Peterson has been planting and caring for petunias and tulips and other plants at the triangle intersection of Highview Drive, Simon Drive and Illini Drive.  Peterson discovered the patch of ground in 1984 while walking his dog. He started by pulling out weeds and then began digging up the ground to plant a flower garden. and eventually the local fire station assisted with providing water hoses. The city honored Peterson by naming an award in his honor – the Paul Peterson Bright Spot Award.

Morton

District 709 goes ahead with improvement plan

The School Board has approved the first phase of some construction projects as part of an overall facilities improvement plan, according to reports. Under the first part of the plan,  Lincoln Elementary School will get three new classrooms, a new 7,000-square-foot gymnasium, new restrooms and storage space. The total cost is estimated $3.7 million, according to reports.  

Morton Junior High School will get renovations totalling $300,000 and the district is budgeting about $700,000 for a new outdoor storage area at Morton High School. Working cash bonds and reserves will pay for the work, deemed urgent by district administrators.

The second phase of the improvement plan will be aimed at three elementary school at an estimated cost of $7.5 million. The plan includes new classrooms for Grundy and one new classroom would be added to Lettie Brown. In addition, both schools are tabbed for a new gymnasium, and new restrooms and storage space. Jefferson is expected to get new windows.

Phase 3 includes construction of a new high school within the the next 10 years.

Annual Punkin Chuckin Contest coming up

The 17h Annual Punkin Chuckin Contest will be held at  Oct. 24. This  Morton  event is the second oldest Punkin Chuckin contest in the country.  The Morton event hosts 25 to 30 machines build for the sole purpose of hurling a pumpkin as far as they can. More than 8,000 people a day venture out to watch this unique sport. Morton is home to the Q36 Pumpkin Modulator, which holds the Guinness Book of World Records distinction of hurling a pumpkin 4,859 ft. set in 1998. The event also has kid’s activities, Kettle Corn, carnival rides, great food. For more information, www.mortonmagnet.com/punkin_chuckin.php.

Pekin

City hires new police chief; no change on manager post

The city has gone outside to find its new police chiefs. On Sept. 28, the city announced

Hanover Park Police Department Lt. John Dossey, 50, was hired with a two-year contract, according to reports. Dossey, who has 26 years with the Hanover department, will begin with the Pekin department  on Oct. 26. He retired from Hanover this year. Pekin Deputy Chief Don Baxter and Deputy Chief Jim Kaminski were among the almost 30 applicants who applied for the chief position. The city hired the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct the search at a cost of $9,000, according to reports.  

The City Council  last week also reviewed the status of City Manager Darin Girdler. The council held a closed executive session to discuss his employment on Sept. 28, but no details on those talks were released. Some residents has expressed concerns about Girdler’s job performance.

Pekin

High school accused of discriminating against its female athletes

A federal investigation is underway into whether Pekin Community High School discriminates against the girls athletes, according to reports.  The lawsuit was brought against the school by Pekin High School teacher and softball coach Gigi MacIntosh, who filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.  The complaint claims the school does not offer equal opportunities to its female athletes, including scholarships from booster clubs, budgets for programs, and  facilities.  The investigation comes as PCHS is committing  $600,000 to build a new softball diamond on campus,  which would be the first one at the school.

The investigation began July 10 and PCHS has provided the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights with documentation of its athletic program, according to reports.

Craft beer program offered at library

The Pekin Public Library presents, ‘You Can Brew It,’ at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Pekin Public Library. Award-winning home brewer Scott Pointon will discuss his equipment, ingredients, brewing process, and resources available to would-be brew masters.  This program includes a show-and-tell with the basic brewing equipment that attendees will need to brew their own beer.  No actual brewing occurs during the program, and there is no alcohol present.    Pointon discusses the history of home brewing, the styles of beer that can be brewed at home, as well as the equipment, ingredients, and the basic steps of the brewing process.  This program is also full of advice for would-be brew masters to find peer-to-peer help, resources, and supplies.   Pointon holds more 100 awards, most noteworthy is the silver medal from the Pro-Am competition as part of the Great American Beer Festival in 2012. Pointon was named the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year.  This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, call the library at 347-7111.

–Tazewell County News Briefs–