Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino, 7 Blackjack Blvd., East Peoria, will be the site for the annual Super Trivia Challenge benefitting the  Peoria-based Community Workshop and Training Center. (Photo CWTC.org)

Central Illinois Region

Super Trivia Challenge a fundraiser for CWTC

Community Workshop and Training Center announced its annual Super Trivia Challenge for Friday, Jan. 15 t the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino, 7 Blackjack Blvd., East Peoria. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the trivia begins at 7 p.m. Individuals, companies, and organizations are welcome to participate. Registration is $30 a person while groups can reserve a table of eight for $240. Entries include appetizers and cash bar. Prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place teams. All money raised goes directly to programs and direct services for CWTC consumers.

Download registration forms and order tickets online at cwtc.org or send a check to CWTC, 3215 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61604. For more information, contact Rick Stephenson at 686-3300 or rstephenson@cwtc.org

Circuit court judge assignments announced

The new judicial assignments for the 10th Circuit Court were recently announced.  Judges John Vespa and Albert Purham Jr. will be in the felony courtrooms previously held by Judges Kevin Lyons and David Brown, who have new assignments. Former county prosecutor Suzanne Patton was appointed to replace Judge Dave Dubicki, who retired. Patton will be to handle orders of protection, paternity, small claims, mental health and other civil matters in Peoria County. Judge Jodi Hoos will now preside over one of Peoria County’s civil courtrooms. Judge Steve Kouri will be in the other civil courtroom and remain as chief judge. Kouri is responsible for administrative duties for all of the 10th Circuit, which serves Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties. Judge Paul Gilfillan is the chief judge in Tazewell County and will preside over Tazewell’s felony court, and Judge Kirk Schoenbein will preside over Pekin’s misdemeanor and juvenile courtroom. Judge Mike Risinger will move from probate court to head Tazewell County’s civil courtroom. Judge Thomas Keith will preside over Tazewell’s domestic relations courtroom. Judges Kim Kelley and Mark Gilles will oversee the two domestic relations courts in Peoria. Judge Michael McCuskey stays on as the judge in the circuit’s northern three counties of Marshall, Stark and Putnam.

Farmers Market manager certification available

This year marks the inaugural class of Illinois Certified Market Managers sponsored by the Illinois Farmers Market Association (IFMA) and hosted by the University of Illinois Extension in January.  The Michigan Farmers Markets Association (MIFMA) is hosting its sixth annual Market Manager Certificate Program in 2016,  and registration for the full program is now open. The MIFMA Market Manager Certificate  Program (MMCP) is a voluntary program designed to encourage farmers market managers to pursue leadership skills and professional development in topics essential to market management. The full program will include three in-person sessions and seven webinars, totaling more than 35 hours of instruction. The program will begin with in-person sessions hosted in Michigan and  Illinois. The Illinois sessions  will be held in St. Charles, Mt. Vernon and Springfield. The in-person sessions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 23, Saturday, Feb. 6 and on Wednesday, Feb. 17.  The webinars will start on Monday, Jan. 25 and be held through Wednesday, Feb. 15.  Interested individuals can register and reserve their spot for the full program at www.mifma.org/mmcp.

Christmas tree pickup

East Peoria

Residents needing to dispose of live Christmas trees can place them out with their garbage or recycle them. Live Christmas trees can be placed out with a resident’s regular garbage providing a few requirements are met. The tree must be cut into thirds or quarter sections, no matter how tall or short. All lights and decorations must be removed. Also, trees should not be wrapped in any type of bag. East Peoria Department of Public Works crews will not pick up uncut, bagged trees.  Christmas trees will be picked up by Public Works crews through Jan. 15, 2015.

Tazewell County

The Health Department will accept Christmas trees for recycling Dec. 26 through Jan. 15 on the Illinois Central College East Campus near the truck driving training area. The trees will be mulched. The mulch will be used on the ICC campus. The health department requires all lights, tinsel and decorations be removed and the trees should not be wrapped in bag.

Morton

Village of Morton residents can bring their Christmas trees to Freedom Hall, 349 W. Birchwood St., for mulching now until Jan. 15..  Please be sure to remove all tree bags, lights, ornaments, and tinsel before dropping off the tree for disposal.  Click here to view a complete listing of the Tazewell County Christmas tree mulching sites.s. For more information, call the Tazewell County Health Department at 925-5511, Ext. 270.

–Tazewell County Area News Briefs–