East Peoria residents are encouraged to sign up for the free CodeRED alert system that provides emergency notifications. (Image courtesy of city of East Peoria)

 EAST PEORIA

How to sign up for community, emergency text notifications

Residents can sign up to get community and emergency notifications using the free CodeRED system. The registration process is easy, and messages can be sent to your specific geographic location.

You can choose to receive messages and alerts via your mobile phone or email. Text messages will come through a mobile device’s normal texting function. Register multiple addresses (home, work) for information specific to your location.

By registering for a free managed account, users will have access to modify existing notification settings and contact information. Users can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP to 31678 or 76127 or 76993.

Emergency notifications can be geographically targeted to the addresses and areas affected. Emergency messages include:

• Boil advisories
• Parking bans
• Severe road conditions or closures
• Law enforcement emergencies
• Weather emergencies

Geographically targeting emergency messages, such as a boil advisory, means that the message will go out to only the addresses and areas affected.

Users can also receive community messages about events and information from City Hall, Public Works, Police, Fire, EastSide Centre, special events and event updates from the Fon du Lac Park District.

To sign up for the service, click the blue Sign Up button in the picture at the bottom of the page and follow the prompts.

If you already have an account and want to review your information or make changes or additions, click the blue Sign Up button in the picture at the bottom of the page. On the screen that appears, look at the upper right side for the words “Already have an account? Login” and click on the word “login”.

Residents are also encouraged to install the free CodeRED Mobile Alert app on their mobile devices, available in the App Store on IPhone and Google Play on Android.

The app provides geographically specific emergency mobile notifications targeted to the exact location of the mobile device, so messages can be received whether in East Peoria or in another community which uses the CodeRED system. Emergency notifications received through the mobile app show a map of the affected area and use an emergency alert tone.

The mobile alert app is a separate registration. Those registering for the mobile app do not need to sign up for its enhanced weather subscription.

For more information, call Jill Peterson at 309-427-7768.

PEORIA

Chamber of Commerce hosts Marketing Innovation Meetup

Are you interested in the latest developments in marketing? Want to discuss trends and best practices in social media, content marketing, digital advertising, integrated marketing and more?

The January month meetup of the Greater Peoria Chamber of Commerce will discuss the current events in the marketing industry and share tips and insights to help us stay on top of it all.

The program will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the Industry Brewing, 8012 N. Hale Ave., Peoria.

This will also be a networking opportunity.

Park District holds service program on MLK Day

The Peoria Park District will hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, 2218 N. Prospect Road.

Free with museum admission or membership.

Come to the Peoria PlayHouse for a day filled with short and fun volunteer projects for children and their families. Participate in community service and enjoy a civil rights movement story time.

Volunteer projects include:

– Children and families can work together to finish fleece no-sew lap blankets for seniors in our community. Complete these gifts with a special handmade card.

– Create collaborative artworks to donate to local senior living facilities to add some fun and joy to their living spaces.

– Work as a team to create “blessing bags” for foster children served by local organization FamilyCore.

Help collect the following items for the “blessing bags” for FamilyCore. Drop-off at Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum is open until Jan. 18.

Items needed for donation:

New/unused travel-size toiletries (shampoos, lotions, toothpaste, etc.)

Feminine hygiene products

New/unused child socks

New/unused child gloves

New/unused hair ties

New/unused Hair brushes/combs

Kleenex/tissues

Hand sanitizer

Deodorant

New or gently used children’s or YA books

New/unused small art supplies (crayons, small paint set, colored pencils, small drawing pads)

PEORIA COUNTY

Meetings set for regional Rural Matters initiative

Three public town hall style meetings will be held in January as part of a new Greater Peoria Rural Matters program.

The initiative is aimed at discussing challenges facing rural communities and small towns including town revitalization, industry, jobs, broadband, housing and natural resources.  The hope is to come up with projects that can be implemented across the region, in Peoria, Woodford and Tazewell counties to improve the quality of life.

Dates and times for the meetings this month are:

• Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Devalan High School, 907 S. Locust St., Devalan
• Thursday, Jan. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Brimfield American Legion, 121 W. Knoxville St.
• Thursday, Jan. 30 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the performing arts center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St.

For more information, go to www.bigtablegp.com or email at tdahlhoff@greaterpeoriadc.org.

January is National Radon Action Month

The Partnership for a Healthy Community is encouraging residents to test the radon level in their home. The best time to test for radon is during cold weather when windows and doors are closed. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in most soil. As radon travels through the soil, it can easily move through small spaces in a foundation and enter a building, where it becomes trapped and accumulates in the air.

Most radon exposure occurs in the home, where people spend the most time. Radon has no taste, smell, or color. Testing is the only way to find out if there is a dangerous level of radon in your home.

When people breathe in radon, it damages the lungs, which can cause lung cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Radon can be found throughout Illinois and levels can vary from one home to another, even in the same neighborhood.

Radon mitigation is the only effective way to reduce levels and decrease the risk of lung cancer. The most common radon reduction system involves the installation of a vent pipe and fan, which draws air from underneath a building and displaces it outside. The cost of a system varies depending on the reduction method chosen and building size.

According to current professional recommendations, households should test for radon every two years. Test kits can be purchased at Peoria City/County Health Department, Tazewell County Health Department and Woodford County Health Department.

Test kits can also be purchased at area hardware stores. For more detailed information about radon measurements and radon mitigation, visit www.radon.illinois.gov.

For more information regarding the Partnership for a Healthy Community, please visit www.healthyhoi.org, or “Like” Healthy HOI on Facebook.

PEORIA

City holds promotion ceremony for firefighters

The city of Peoria held a Badge Pinning Ceremony on Jan. 14. to acknowledge the promotion of members within the department. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at Central Fire Station, 505 N.E. Monroe St.

The following firefighters were recognized during the ceremony: Tony Ardis, fire chief; James Bachman, assistant fire chief; Shawn Sollberger, division chief of operations; Stephen Rada, battalion chief; and Bobby Anderson, captain.

Firefighters first receive their badges upon graduation from the Fire Academy. Subsequent Badge Pinning Ceremonies recognize promotions within the department. Recipients also receive collar brass, a hat badge and Class A hat band.

STATE

Pritzker releases applications for cannabis, craft grower licenses

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has opened the application process for Cannabis Infuser, Transporter and Craft Grower Licenses, including for social equity applicants. The applications are available on the Department’s website.

IDOA will begin accepting completed applications on Friday, February 14 and all Cannabis Infuser, Transporter and Craft Grower applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 16.

Those who qualify as social equity applicants will receive additional points on their application and are eligible to receive technical assistance, grants, low-interest loans and fee reductions and waivers.

In coordination with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, IDOA will be hosting informational workshops across the state to answer questions and assist applicants. Additional information about the timing and location of workshops will be available in the coming weeks.

“These craft grower, infuser and transporter licenses are vital to the success of Illinois’ emerging cannabis industry,” said Jeff Cox, Bureau Chief of Medicinal Plants at IDOA. “We will ensure each of these licenses is selected through a fair, unbiased and anonymous process.”

For 2020, IDOA may issue up to 40 Craft Grower licenses, 40 Infuser licenses and an unlimited number of Transporter licenses.

Licenses will be awarded to applicants by July 1.