The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will hold its annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day will be held Saturday, Feb. 1. (Photo courtesy of riverroad.org)

 EAST PEORIA

League presents GOP primary candidate forum

The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria and the Fondulac District Library will be sponsoring a candidate forum for the Republican primary candidates in the 17^th Congressional District.  The forum will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11 a.m. at the library at 400 Richland St, East Peoria, in the Levee District.

Both candidates have been invited, Bill Fawell, and Esther Joy King.  Written questions will be accepted from the audience.

The winner of the March Republican primary will likely face Democrat incumbent Cheri Bustos in November.

The event is free, and the public is invited to attend, to meet the candidates and submit questions to the moderator.

The League is a non-partisan, issues oriented, volunteer, member-directed organization committed to open, responsive and effective government brought about by informed, involved citizens, with membership open to both men and women in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. For more information, go to www.lwvgp.org.

ICC presents spring public lecture schedule

Illinois Central College’s “Between the Lines” program is a free, open-to-the-public lecture series presented by faculty members of the ICC English, Humanities and Language Studies Department.

The goal of the series is to offer literary presentations that interest students and people in the community, as well as promote reading literacy and scholarly study.

On Wednesday, Feb.  5, Paul Resnick will present “The Joy of Biography” in Room 210A on the East Peoria Campus, 1 College Drive, from 2 to 3 p.m. We love to read about people. What makes them tick? How did they survive the good times and the bad? Who surrounded them? How did they advance or delay humanity?

Attendees will discuss reading biographies and the lessons we learn. Feel free to bring a favorite biography you’ve read or plan to read.

On Tuesday, March 10, Jim Sullivan will present “Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman” in Arbor Auditorium on the Peoria Campus, 5407 N University St.,  from 7 to 8 p.m.

This lecture will dive in to why so many people love tales about the Norse gods. Thor, Odin, and Loki inhabit not just the legends of the frozen North, but also current American pop culture. Neil Gaiman’s recent book retells some of those legends for a twenty-first-century audience who can’t get enough of this barbaric content.

On Thursday, April 16, Melissa Grunow will present “True Crime Fandom: Ethical Justice or Grotesque Entertainment?” in Room 210A on the East Peoria Campus from 2 to 3 p.m.

True crime has experienced a revival in the past five years with so many popular podcasts and Netflix docuseries.

It gives pause to wonder if the popularity of true crime is somehow perverse and harmful to victims whose trauma is our entertainment. On the other hand, true crime fixation provides a platform for a national conversation about key social justice issues and serves as a catalyst for change.

Those attending will learn the socio-historical evolution of true crime fascination, the psychological appeal of gruesome violence and ethical conundrums associated with the genre.

For more information, contact Jim Sullivan at betweenthelines@icc.edu or 309-694-5357.

 MORTON

 Prizes awarded in annual Christmas lighting contest

The Morton Kiwanis Club and the Morton High School Key Club have announced the winners of their annual Christmas lighting contest in the city of Morton.

On the evening of Dec. 13^th homes and businesses were judged.   Prizes were awarded in three categories:  Best Griswold went to the Winkels at 350 N. Missouri St., best Traditional went to the Korandas at 524 Taylor St., and the best Themed went to the Gorshes at 1241 East Monroe St.

Prizes were donated by the Morton Kiwanis Club, Garner’s Pizza and Morton Cinemas. The Morton Kiwanis Club invites anyone interested in doing service to attend a monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of each month, noon at Kemp 208.  Come and check us out. For more information call 309-467-4750.

REGION

 Ameren Illinois helps food bank combat hunger

The Midwest Food Bank received an early Christmas present when Ameren Illinois officials presented a donation to help area residents’ combat hunger this winter.

“Hunger never takes a break and the winter months can be a difficult time of year for many people,” said Monica Scheuer, president of Midwest Food Bank. “We are very thankful to Ameren Illinois for this generous donation to help us ensure that our local needs are met.”

The grant funds were made available through the Ameren Cares program, which connects Ameren Illinois with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering.

A key focus of this program is to partner with nonprofit organizations such as Midwest Food Bank to give back to communities across the 43,700-square-mile Ameren Illinois service territory.

“These organizations work hard year-round to make sure families who struggle with food insecurities get the meals they need,” said Ameren Illinois Chairman and President, Richard J. Mark. “We are proud to support Midwest Food Bank in carrying out its mission and hope this donation has a positive impact on local families and communities not only during the holidays but into the New Year.”

Midwest Food Bank has 10 locations, eight in the United States, and one each in East Africa and Haiti. Its mission is to share the love of Christ, by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. For more information, visit www.midwestfoodbank.org.

IDNR presents annual Eagle Day in Havana

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources‘s annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day will be held Saturday, Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Activities will include live raptor programs, hands-on activities and crafts for kids, and bird watching in various locations in Lewistown and Havana.

The event is free and for all ages. For event schedule, sponsors and other details, visit this link: http://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/fulton-mason-eagle-day-1