STATE

Veterans department seeks 200 vets to honor

The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs will honor 200 veterans from across the state who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help their communities and fellow veterans.  The honor will be part of the state’s bicentennial celebration.

More than 100 veterans have already been nominated, and more are being sought. Nominees will be evaluated based on their achievements in dedicating their time and energy to build their communities and assist their fellow veterans and service members, and to the extent to which their contributions have aided, benefited and provided inspiration to their community.

The honorees will be announced in September and will be featured guests at the Bicentennial Party Gala, which will be held Dec. 3, at Chicago’s United Center.

Anyone can nominate a veteran. The deadline is Aug. 31. Written nominations can be sent to the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, 69 W. Washington St., Chicago 60601 or online by clicking on “Honor 200” at illinois.gov/veterans.

Brett Maly

PEORIA

‘Pawn Stars’ host to appraise local art

Brett Maly, star of the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars,” is coming to Peoria to evaluate art and speak at Peoria Collects, a Peoria Art Guild event. The public has two opportunities to meet Maley and have him evaluate privately owned artwork at the guild, 203 Harrison St. In addition to Maly’s appearances, works by nationally and internationally recognized artists from the private collections of members of the Guild will be exhibited.

Maley will attend a reception from 6-10 p.m. Aug. 10. He will give a speech, “How to Valuate Fine Art,” at 7 p.m. Attendees may bring one piece of art to be evaluated. Admission is $40 for Peoria Art Guild members and $50 for non-members. A second piece of art may be evaluated for an additional $25.

Maley will evaluate art from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 11. Appointments may be secured by purchasing a ticket by Aug. 1.  Walk-ins will be accommodated as time permits. The cost is $30.

In 2004, Mr. Maly was certified as an appraiser through UC Irvine’s Certification Program in Fine Art and Decorative Arts. He is a member of the American Society of Appraisers and has completed his certification in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. In addition to appraising artworks by some of the most important artists of the last 200 years for both private collectors and prestigious institutions, Maly has appeared as an expert on radio and television including “Pawn Stars,” where he has discussed everything from fine art valuation to its collection and preservation. He is also the author of “The Pocket Picker for Fine Art.”

For tickets, call 309-637-2787. Additional information is available at Peoriaartguild.org.

Enjoy a DQ Blizzard, help a child

The 13^th annual Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day will be held Aug. 2. For every Blizzard Treat sold that day at participating locations, $1 or more will be donated to local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals), including OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.

The 2017 DQ Miracle Treat day raised $34,395 for OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

The locations of Dairy Queens in Peoria that will participate in the fundraiser are: 4204 N. Sheridan Road, 8530 Knoxville Ave., and 7600 N. Grand Prairie Drive. Other Dairy Queens also participating are at: 624 S. Main St., Creve Coeur; 530 W. Garfield Ave., Bartonville; 214 S. Main St., Morton; 401 S. 2nd St., Pekin; and 206 N. 4th St., Chillicothe.

EAST PEORIA

Illinois 116 reduced to one lane in August

Westbound Illinois 116 in East Peoria at Mariners Way is being reduced to one lane daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. until repairs are completed by the end of August.

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.

For Illinois Department of Transportation District 4 updates, follow Twitter at @IDOTDistrict4 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com. For views from dozens of traffic cameras in Peoria and surrounding areas, visit gettingaroundpeoria.com.

Elevate Trampoline Park announces a new park

East Peoria is about to get jumping. Elevate Trampoline Park based in Mesa, AZ announced another location in Illinois. This top-of-the-line indoor trampoline park will be located at 105 N. Main St., East Peoria. It expects to hire 30 people. The first location is at 8800 N. Allen Road, Peoria.

The 23,000-square-foot facility, open seven days a week, will feature wall-to-wall activities, including a large open trampoline court, a trampoline dodgeball arena, zip line, warp wall, slam dunk basketball, massive foam pits, slack lines, ninja course, jousting, rock wall, euro tramp, kiddie areas, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family. A snack bar will sell food.

Trampoline parks are currently the hottest amusement and extreme sports trend in the country. This state-of-the-art facility will offer fun and exercise, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. The park will offer special jump times for parents and toddlers, adult fitness classes, black out nights for teens, family night, youth group nights and ninja training courses.

Elevate East Peoria is designed as a destination for birthday parties, special events for schools, sports teams, churches and corporations. It is outfitted with free WiFi. For more information, visit elevatetrampolineparkpeoria.com.

–Peoria County News Briefs–