This and other pieces by Trisha Williams are on display at the ICC Performing Arts Center Gallery. The public can meet the artist at 12 p.m. Aug. 29 at the gallery.

STATE

Wildlife grant applications due  

Funding for projects to enhance wildlife habitat is available through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The department is accepting grant applications from not-for-profit organizations and units of government interested in developing such projects. 

The IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources administers these special grant programs that are funded by Illinois sportsmen and women through the purchase of Habitat Stamps.

Applications for grants this year through the Illinois Habitat Fund and the State Pheasant Fund must be submitted by Sept. 1. For information on project eligibility, grant applicant registration requirements, and other information about the grant programs, go to
dnr.illinois.gov/grants/Pages/Special-Wildlife-Funds-Grant-Program.aspx. 

Department honors outstanding volunteer

An East Peoria man has been named an outstanding volunteer by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Eleven individuals and members of four groups were recognized for their service by being named recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards.

Neal Graves, of East Peoria, is being honored as an Outstanding Volunteer of the Year for his work with the IDNR Safety Education Program, and his commitment to furthering hands-on training of those interested in trapping in Illinois. Graves, who serves as president of the Illinois Trappers Association, is a new volunteer instructor for the IDNR Trapper Education Program.  He assisted in revising the IDNR Trapper Education student manual. Graves also provided a training course for Illinois Conservation Police officers, helping them better understand trappers and trapping methods to assist them in enforcing regulations. He has also assisted other safety education instructor teams and organized and taught classes outside his core area to help meet the demand for classes. He has purchased equipment and used his personal gear for training classes. 

MORTON

Referendum on schools sales tax on ballot

Voters who go to the polls Nov. 6 will be asked to give their opinion on a 1 percent Tazewell County school facilities sales tax question.

The Morton School Board have said it will give Morton School District residents relief on their property taxes if county voters approve the school facilities sales tax. It is expected to generate $2.1 million annually for Morton, based on its portion of the county’s public-school population.

A proposal to freeze Morton’s property tax levy for 2019 instead of increasing it by the consumer price index as allowed by tax caps received the most support from school board members. The scenario also proposes using school facilities sales tax revenue for four years starting in 2020 to pay off bonds for a recent district construction project.

EAST PEORIA 

Ceramics, mixed media artwork on display

Two new exhibits are open in the art galleries at Illinois Central College East Peoria Campus.

“Interior Architecture,” an exhibit of ceramics by Ginger Lukas, is in Gallery 336B, in the Academic Building.

A mixed media exhibit entitled “P.I.E.C.E.S.,” consisting of fiber art and painting by Trish Williams, is open in the Performing Arts Center Gallery. An artist talk is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 29 at the gallery.

Both exhibits will be on display through noon on Sept. 14.

Lukas is an artist in residence in the Enos Park Residency for Visual Artists in Springfield. Lukas recently began working with ceramics again following a hiatus.  In the interim, her artwork involved using consumer objects and text to play with words and humor. Her clay work has been shown internationally.

Williams’ “P.I.E.C.E.S.” exhibit stands for “Precepts Inspirited by Episodes of Creative Expressions of Self” and is an exhibition of fiber art. The exhibit utilizes fabrics, threads, yarns, needles and things associated with needlework, which Williams said have been a great part of her life. She learned to quilt by being around family members who quilted, and she said she learned the “rhythm of coordinating colors and buying great fabrics” from her mother.

–Tazewell County News Briefs–