Peoria will begin picking up yard waste, similar to this pile, starting April 2. Yard waste materials consist of grass and shrubbery cuttings, leaves and tree limbs (must be bundled not exceeding 5 feet in length and weighing no more than 50 pounds).

STATE

Four presidents honored in new exhibit

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield has a new exhibit that looks at what four U.S. presidents with ties to Illinois had in common and how their time in the state affected their lives.

The exhibit, “From Illinois to the White House: Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Obama,” is being done as part of Illinois’ bicentennial celebration. Located inside the museum, it runs through the end of the year and includes historic artifacts that show the achievements of the presidents as politicians and communicators. Also included are items from the presidents’ wives.

For museum times and admission prices, go to Illinois.gov.

PEORIA

Rental market study results to be released

The City of Peoria and the Downtown Development Corporation of Peoria (DDC) will hold a press conference March 28, to release the findings of the recent Downtown Peoria Rental Market Study. The City of Peoria and the DDC commissioned an update to the downtown residential rental market study that was released in June 2016. This updated study, conducted by Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc., will provide new information about the strength of the downtown residential rental market, including demand and market rents. The press conference will be held at 11 a.m. in the City Council chambers of Peoria City Hall, 419 Fulton St.

Yard waste collections to begin in April

The city’s collection of yard waste for 2018 will kick off April 2, and will continue through the first week of December for residents served by Peoria Disposal Company (PDC). Residents need to have all trash and yard waste properly placed for pick-up no later than 6 a.m. on their scheduled pick-up day.

Yard waste materials consist of grass and shrubbery cuttings, leaves and tree limbs (must be bundled not exceeding 5 feet in length and weighing no more than 50 pounds). No trash, stones or sand may be mixed in.

Yard waste set out for collection must be in:

• Garbage cans marked “Yard Waste Only” which do not exceed 45 gallons in size or 50 pounds in weight. Yard Waste stickers are available at all Peoria Fire Stations, City Hall, 419 Fulton St., and at the Public Works Operations and Maintenance facility at 3505 N. Dries Lane.
• Paper yard waste bags which may not exceed 30 pounds in weight.
• Bundles which should not exceed five feet in length or 50 pounds in weight.
• Large 95 gallon wheeled carts compatible with the lift mechanism on PDC’s trucks. The carts must be clearly marked “Yard Waste Only.”

Any cans, bags or bundles that do not meet the above requirements will not be collected.

For more information, go to pdcarea.com or call Peoria Disposal Company (PDC) at (309) 674-5176, ext. 1.

Abuse prevention center seeks high school leaders

High school students who are dedicated to building safe schools and communities will be honored for their work when the Center for Prevention of Abuse presents its Outstanding Youth Leader in Violence Prevention Award.

The award honors area high school students dedicated to building safe schools and communities. The center is accepting nominations, and the deadline for them is March 31.

Center staff provides violence-prevention education on topics such as bullying, harassment, abuse and positive relationships to almost 30,000 students a year.

The award is open to high school students in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties who have participated in the center’s violence-prevention programs at some point during their education.

Nomination forms are available at the center’s website, centerforpreventionofabuse.org. Click under the Prevention Education tab. Submit the completed form and a video or written essay to PreventEd@centerforpreventionofabuse.org.

For more information, call (309) 691-0551.

Plans for intersection to be reviewed at meeting

The Allen Road and Willow Knolls Road Intersection Project will be the topic of a public meeting slated for 6 p.m. March 29, at the Church of Christ Northwest, 7722 N. Allen Road, Peoria. City officials are inviting the public to view potential design configurations, including a roundabout option and a conventional, signalized intersection option.  Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback on those design configurations, as well as construction staging options.

This project is a partnership between the City of Peoria and Peoria County to reconstruct an aging intersection, constructed in 1979. Over 32,000 vehicles use the intersection each day. The intersection was originally scheduled for reconstruction in 2021. The recent agreement between the City and County will allow construction to begin in the summer of 2018. The project limits extend approximately 1,000 feet in all directions of the intersection. The project will also increase safety for all users and provide a much needed upgrade to one of the city’s busiest intersections.

For more information, contact the City of Peoria City Engineer Bill Lewis, PE at (309) 494-8800.

Newcomers to Peoria are invited to mixer

Have you moved to Peoria in the past two years? If so, you are invited to attend a fun, casual evening at Obed & Isaac’s, 321 NE Madison Ave., in Downtown Peoria. Anyone who has recently relocated to Greater Peoria, wants to meet new people, or is interested in learning more about living and working in the area is invited to attend. 

Light appetizers will be provided, as well as 1 free drink ticket per guest. Check-in will begin at 4:30 p.m. Feel free to come and go as you like throughout the evening.

If you have any questions, send an email to Kate Cundiff, director of Workforce Solutions for the Greater Peoria EDC, at kcundiff@greaterpeoriaedc.org or call/text her at (309) 635-1071.

CHILLICOTHE

Library is brewing a series about beer

Chillicothe Public Library is serving up A Year of Beer, a new series of programs exploring the world of beer.

According to the Brewers Association’s 2017 Midyear Report, the number of breweries in the U.S. climbed to 5,562, with another 2,700 reported to be in the planning stages.

A Year of Beer offers an in-depth exploration of beer, from its historical and social contexts, to the cutting-edge craft brew scene, to the science of hops farming – with a variety of tastings making the learning process thoroughly experiential.

Presenters for the series are drawn largely from among area brewing professionals. Coming up April 3, presenters from Tannins & Hops will provide pro advice on what beer should you try if you like wine. On May 1, Matt Rixner of Fox Pub will discuss craft beer in Illinois. More details are brewing, and the library, 430 N. Bradley Ave.,  expects to line up monthly presentations through the rest of the year.

For more information, visit chillipld.org or call (309) 274-2719.

–Peoria County News Briefs–