Township government is the oldest existing form of government in North America, dating back almost 400 years. Peoria County is one of 85 counties in Illinois where townships continue to operate. But is it still a functional unit of government, or an outdated relic?

The Peoria chapter of a national nonprofit is building partnerships to make the area friendlier to those with food allergies.

The legal system can't function without court reporters, the trained and certified stenographers dutifully recording every utterance in a trial or hearing. But the profession that some court reporters call a "best kept secret" is facing growing shortages at a time when the volume of work is increasing exponentially.

A Pekin nonprofit organization that assists unhoused individuals is preparing to move its downtown day shelter into a new location.

Peoria botulism outbreak inspires new book stringing together 7 days of strange 1983 events

A report looking at the potential impact of eliminating Illinois’ grocery tax suggests most families would see only modest relief, while municipalities would face a “consequential” revenue shortfall. However, the Pritzker administration remains committed to the cut, saying it disproportionately impacts low-income households.

Stephanie Jones, the mother of 8-year-old Navin Jones, was sentenced Thursday to 100 years in prison for her involvement in his 2022 death. Navin died March 29 2022 of “extreme neglect and abuse.” He weighed 30 pounds at the time of his death.

The development community in the Greater Peoria area is "leaning in" on everything the region has to offer.

Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich said assessments of the building found several issues that needed attention.

From casinos to video gaming machines to sports betting apps on cell phones, access to gambling has expanded significantly in recent years. While that has led to increased tax revenue across Illinois, it's also accompanied by a growing problem: gambling addiction.

Gov. JB Pritzker says his health care insurance reform aims to lift a roadblock patients can run into when getting approval for treatment.

Some Bradley students are thinking about graduation this month. For others, it's finals. But a few are focused on making the final pitch of their "Big Ideas" to a panel of judges - and potential investors.

A new, commissary-style community kitchen will soon be opening in one of Peoria’s disadvantaged neighborhoods. Its presence stems from enactment of Illinois’ Cottage Food Operation Law of 2022 that allows certain foods to be made in home kitchens and sold directly to consumers with limited regulation, and the popularity of commissary or “ghost” kitchens that allow budding food entrepreneurs looking to rent valuable kitchen space to launch or advance their products.

As the second landfill outside of Edwards careens toward capacity, plans to construct the future Landfill 3 remain stalled.

Students at Peoria Public School’s Charter Oak Primary School are circling back to pick up a skill that’s been left out of the curriculum for a few years: cursive.

The Peoria Civic Center continues to work on upgrades and renovations throughout the venue, a little more than a year since the city approved a $20 million funding plan for capital improvements.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision last year stripping wetlands of most federal protections is drawing more attention to the threatened ecosystems, and what states can do in response.

Peoria developers Gary Matthews and Monte Brannan both received prison sentences on Monday. Central District Judge Sara Darrow handed down the rulings after a nearly 7 1/2-hour long sentencing hearing. Matthews received three years and four months, while Brannan received two years. They have to serve at least 85% of their sentences.

The Dirksen Congressional Center's newly commissioned book Disruption? The Senate During the Trump Era attempts to take an academic look at how Trump changed the U.S. Senate during his four years in office.

The book Nature's Best Hope is this year's selection for the Peoria Reads citywide literacy program. This year's theme is climate and conservation. Tallamy, a professor at the University of Delaware, says America's 44 million acres of grassy lawns are actively harmful.

A new program in Peoria is training the next generation of practitioners in a medical field facing incredibly high demand: anesthesiology. The partnership between OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria welcomes its first sixteen residents this July. Those residents will spend four years in the program. Over the next four years, Sparrow says he believes additional classes will bring the number up to 32.

A bill to strengthen protection for employees of Illinois libraries is heading to the House floor. House Bill 4567 would amend the criminal code outlining the consequences of threatening public officials, like school employees and elected officials. If the bill passes, the law would also cover library employees and threats made through electronic means, like social media.

The Peoria Zoo is up for re-accreditation this year. The process provides a way to monitor the quality and care at zoos around the country, while also opening up opportunities. Peoria Zoo Director Yvonne Strode said three inspectors will spend a day or two in late May or early June taking a close look at everything, including the zoo’s enclosures, animals, buildings, food, employees and more.

Greater Peoria has become a hotbed for the growing sport of disc golf in recent years, and one mark of validation comes later this month with the arrival of a major professional disc golf tournament.

Peoria wasn't in the path of totality of the solar eclipse, but that didn't stop many from taking time out to view the rare astronomical event on Monday. The Peoria Riverfront Museum hosted hundreds of guests for a free viewing party. Guests brought their own lawn chairs and picnic blankets and set up outside the museum to view the path of the moon as it eclipsed the sun. The eclipse began locally at 12:47 p.m. with the sun maximally eclipsed at 2:03 p.m. at about 94%.

The Peoria Park District is making progress on determining what will replace the July 3 fireworks at Glen Oak Park this year.

The demand for more workers in the information technology sector is growing rapidly everywhere, including Greater Peoria. A grant-funded partnership between Illinois Central College, Bradley University and Eureka College is helping people get the IT skills they need for these jobs, and the two-year-old program is already exceeding goals.

U.S. military funding for Israel isn't something Peorians have any direct control over — but they may be asked to weigh in on foreign policy this November at the ballot box.

The time to use funding from the American Rescue Plan is running out. It expires in 2026 and needs to be committed by the end of this calendar year. In 2023, a debt ceiling deal included the return of $27 billion in emergency COVID funding from federal entities. This move also opened the door to discussion of clawing back the unspent emergency funding distributed to smaller municipalities. With all these ticking clocks in play, government entities in the Greater Peoria area are working to put a bow on their final plans for ARPA spending.

A lawsuit from the family of a man who spent decades in prison before his murder conviction was vacated in 2017 has been dismissed by a federal judge.

It’s been nearly three years since the Avanti’s Dome in Pekin deflated after sustaining wind damage in a storm. While the Event Center business is still open, the indoor recreation facility still hasn’t been rebuilt.

Faced with a competitive job market, mounting student debt, and uncertainty about what comes next, college students can have a lot weighing on their mental health.

Did you know Peoria has an active women's rugby team? Established in 2018, the Peoria Bootleggers club organization continues to grow. The team is getting ready for its upcoming spring season, and players say the sport gives them an opportunity to stay physically active while building camaraderie.

Decades after a comeback from the brink of extinction, the iconic American bald eagle faces another threat: lead poisoning. Nearly half the bald eagles tested in a 2022 study showed symptoms of chronic lead poisoning due to repeated lead exposures, and a third displayed signs of acute poisoning caused by high lead levels.

Illinois had 22 million acres of prairie land in 1820, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Rolling plains bustling with big bluestem, compass plant and monarch butterflies aplenty. But by 1978, less than 2,300 acres of quality prairie remained in Illinois. There are efforts to preserve what is left of the state's once omnipresent prairie and, if possible, restore some of it.

For the first time in more than 20 years, members of the Peoria Fire Department are receiving the Firefighting Medal of Valor from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office.

The landscape of college sports is in the midst of a rapid transformation, brought on by a host of issues. Student-athletes are taking advantage of new opportunities, while conference realignment is widening the gap between the bigger athletic programs and smaller universities.

Carbon capture and sequestration has faced a lot of resistance in Illinois and across the Midwest. State lawmakers are now looking at ways to both expand CCUS and ease the concerns raised about the process.

A familar face to Peoria's arts community will become WTVP's next president and CEO on April 22. Jenn Gordon is a Peoria native and the current executive administrator at Grace Presbyterian Church. Before that, she led ArtsPartners of Central Illinois for seven years. She is also the former host of WCBU's Out and About.

Nearly two years after funding a Cure Violence pre-assessment passed on by the Peoria City Council, the Peoria City/County Health Department is searching for the first employees for the initiative.

During a stop in Peoria, Pritzker said tourism is vital to the state's economic health and credited an audience of around 360 industry professionals for their resilience and perseverance over the past five years.

Peoria County Animal Protection Services can now provide spay and neuter services around the community with a new mobile service unit.

Former Dixon mayor Li Arellano won the 37th State Senate seat; Republicans renominated Dennis Tipwsord for a second two-year term in the 105th Illinois House District; and Chris Balkema is likely to be the next state senator in the 53rd District. 

Tazewell County is moving forward with plans for a Justice Center Annex across from the century-old courthouse in downtown Pekin. But the exact size and scope of the annex project is still undetermined, and some county board members are withholding support until they can get more clarity.

With work now underway on the first phase of a three-part reconstruction of the Cedar Street Bridge, the project highlights East Peoria’s collaboration with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Jessica Stephenson opened her independent bookstore Lit. on Fire in 2015. She had already spent a few years in the bookselling business, working at Peoria-area used bookstores. But she wanted to operate her own store. Turns out, that entrepreneurial spark was in her genes.

A massive Illinois Department of Transportation project will bring a brand new bridge to the Central Illinois town of Henry.

The Peoria County Election Commission's new program allows you to cast your ballot at any county polling place, regardless of the district you live in.

The Illinois primary is less than a week away, but preparations began months ago. Candidates could file with the Illinois State Board of Elections from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4. Elizabeth Gannon, executive director of the Peoria County Election Commission, said they typically get the list of candidates from the state board in early January.