The Jefferson Street entrance to the Peoria County Courthouse will be completely closed to entrance and exit traffic starting Monday, June 17 for drainage and site improvements. (Map courtesy of Peoria County)

 PEORIA COUNTY

Emergency Expo a free community event

Bring family and friends out to the Emergency Expo on Wednesday, June 5 at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie from 4-7 p.m.

Numerous local emergency response agencies will display their emergency equipment in the parking lot between Dick’s Sporting Goods and the former Bergner’s.

Families are invited to explore vehicles, try on gear, and talk with professional first responders during this free community event.

Emergency equipment featured at the Expo includes multiple firetrucks and apparatuses, an OSF Life Flight helicopter, police armored vehicles and motorcycle units, and a safety firehouse. There will also be food trucks nearby to grab something to eat.

The following agencies are participating in this free public event:

Advanced Medical Transport

Akron Princeville Fire Department

Ameren

American Red Cross

Child and Family Connections

CityLink

Civil Air Patrol

Dunlap Fire Department

East Peoria Police Department

Farmington Fire Department

Logan-Trivoli Fire Department

OSF Life Flight and Emergency Management

Peoria County Animal Protection Services

Peoria County Amateur Radio Emergency Service

Peoria County Coroner

Peoria City/County Health Department

Peoria County ETSB-911

Peoria County Sheriff’s Office

Peoria Fire Department and Explorers

Peoria Heights Fire Department

Peoria Heights Police Department

Peoria Park District Police

Peoria Police Department

Salvation Army

Tazewell County Emergency Services

Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office

Follow the event on Facebook for updates and any day-of weather-related information at https://www.facebook.com/events/385075655552150/.

For more information on the Emergency Expo, contact Gretchen Pearsall at 309-672-6918 or email gpearsall@peoriacounty.org.

Jefferson Street entrance to courthouse closed

The Jefferson Street entrance will be completely closed to entrance and exit traffic starting Monday, June 17 for drainage and site improvements. The Jefferson Street entrance will be completely closed to entrance and exit traffic.

The Main Street entrance will be the primary entrance and exit point for the Courthouse during this project. The project is projected to take two months.

During this time, the sidewalk outside the Jefferson Street entrance will be closed from Hamilton Street to the ADA ramp.

The parking lane will be designated for pedestrians. The first driving lane next to the parking lane will also be blocked off. Dates are subject to change.

PEORIA

Young Professionals group recruiting members

The Young Professionals Organization of Greater Peoria (YPGP) Chamber of Commerce is a group made up of 20- and 30-somethings that have a mutual interest in social and business networking, community involvement, and professional development.

The group’s goal is to promote Peoria as an exciting place to live, work, and play.

The YPGP June Membership Drive, Social and YPGP Talks will be Thursday, June 6 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bradley University- Peplow Pavilion,  third floor Alumni Center.

The evening will include:

• Tons of Prizes and giveaways to win (drawings will be at 6 p.m., must be present to win)
  • One raffle ticket for attending
  • Two raffle tickets for renewing your membership or joining
  • One raffle ticket per item or $1 donated (up to 20 max). Collecting items to benefit the Peoria Humane Society- dog food, dog treats, dog toys, cat food, cat treats, cat toys,
• YPGP Talks to begin at 6:30 p.m. with confirmed speakers Brandon Jones (Dream House Media), Betsy Wert (Commerce Bank), Michael Maloof (Jim Maloof/ Realtor) and Kate Voss (Peoria Chiefs)

For  more information, contact Audrey Kamm at akamm@peoriachamber.org.

ICC openings in summer/fall apprenticeship programs

Illinois Central College is seeking interested individuals to fill select career and technical programs with openings for summer and fall enrollment.

Programs with openings for additional students include the Industrial Maintenance and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining apprenticeship programs, as well as a Pre-Apprenticeship/Workforce Ready Program.

Potential students who are currently unemployed or under-employed are encouraged to apply.

ICC’s apprenticeship programs provide a mix of 300 to 450 hours of coursework per year, in addition to on-the-job training with local companies, to train for a specific career.

The partnering companies hire the apprentices and pay their tuition/fees and books plus a salary while they learn.

Successful students can complete the apprenticeship program with an associate degree debt-free and commit to work an additional two years for the sponsoring company.

Candidates first apply to ICC and then are screened and pre-qualified prior to company interviews.

Openings also are available for the Pre-Apprenticeship/Workforce Ready Program, which helps prepare students with the Math, English and other essential skills to become college-ready apprentices. All participants are paid while attending training. This eight-week program has immediate openings for June/July and August/September.

ICC is aligning its programs and partnering with businesses to fill regional skills gaps reported in the areas of manufacturing, information technology and health care, while providing individuals a credential leading to jobs with a living wage.

To apply or for more information, contact the ICC Workforce Development Division at 309-690-6863 or visit icc.edu/earnandlearn.

 STATE

Summer pass  gives unlimited admission to museum

Visitors to the Illinois State Museum this summer can have unlimited access to exploration, discovery, learning and admission for just $10 with the museum’s Summer Pass, now available for purchase at museum in Springfield.

“The Illinois State Museum has extensive exhibits and a calendar full of programs that seek to tell the story of the land, life, people and art of Illinois – so much so that we know people will want to come back again and again,” said Elizabeth Bazan, interim director of education, Illinois State Museum. “That’s why we’re so excited to offer unlimited access to the great things the museum has to offer for a one-time $10 fee this summer.”

For $10, visitors to the Illinois State Museum in Springfield can purchase unlimited admission for one adult through Labor Day.

With the Summer Pass, visitors can enjoy admission to the museum and all of this summer’s great programming including weekly tours, the Summer Film Fest, Super Saturdays, Story Times, and more.

Summer Pass holders are not entitled to Museum Society Membership benefits such as program discounts and members-only events.

Regular museum admission is $5 for adults ages 19-64. Admission for children, seniors, veterans, and military personnel is always free.

Through Labor Day, admission also is free for the families of veterans and active duty military personnel through the Blue Star Museum program.

The Summer Pass will expire Sept. 2. The museum is located at 502 S. Spring St., Springfield.

For more information, contact the Illinois State Museum at 21-782-7386.