WCBU Reports

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says a housing bill is likely to become law even though President Trump is holding it hostage. The president is refusing sign what's called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act until Congress acts on his voting security bill. During a stop in Central Illinois, Durbin told reporters the threat will not kill the measure that has elements even the president supports. During questioning by reporter Charlie Schlenker, Durbin noted the housing package received strong bipartisan support.

An East Peoria woman got a last-minute opportunity to take part the 250th July Fourth celebration, running a leg of Relay for America's non-stop flag carry from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois has landed a competitive three-year, $90,000 grant from Girl Scouts of the USA that will send girls facing financial and social barriers to overnight summer camp — man, if not all, for the first time.

Incoming Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Bell said he wants District 150 to work hand-in-hand with the business community in preparing students to meet evolving workforce needs. WCBU's Joe Deacon reports.

Illinois is leading the country in tornadoes this year and many of them have touched down in the state’s central region. Through a combination of fluctuating temperatures and a lot of precipitation, the National Weather Service [NWS] reports Illinois has seen 172 confirmed tornadoes this severe weather season. That's an all-time record for the state. Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford said that is also at least twice the number of any other state.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum will represent Illinois with a pavilion on the National Mall as part of the upcoming Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. WCBU's Joe Deacon reports.

OSF Strive is expanding access to trauma-informed mental health services for victims and witnesses of violent crime in Peoria. WCBU's Rich Draeger reports.

The national average time to be seen by an emergency room doctor was two hours and 42 minutes. The longest in Illinois was over five hours. Hopedale Medical Center had an average wait time of only 50 minutes. WCBU's Tim Rosenberger reports.

Peoria School District 150 Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat is using some of her final weeks in office to fight for continued funding of the Teacher Vacancy Grant, a state program she said transformed how the district recruits and keeps teachers.

Saturday night is the last sunset before the Summer Solstice, with Sunday as the longest day of the year. If the skies are clear, it could be a great night for star-gazing at the century-old Northmoor Observatory in Donovan Park. The Peoria Astronomical Society is in its 71st season of hosting public viewings each Saturday, from mid-May into October. Society president Dan Son and program chair Chris Schmidt talk tells WCBU's Joe Deacon what the viewings offer. Starting with Schmidt.

State lawmakers passed a budget and prevented another gas tax hike this spring -- but did not take action to regulate data centers. State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington tells WCBU state capitol correspondent Evan Holden she wants data center regulations -- but did not want to see Gov. JB Pritzker take away their tax breaks.

Republican state Sen. Sally Turner is reflecting on the end of the spring session with the culmination of another passage of the budget late into the night. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

Peoria is marking 50 years as a sister city with Friedrichshafen, Germany. A delegation of about 25 from Germany recently flew to Peoria to meet with their sister city colleagues. Mayor Rita Ali and Sister City Commission chair Patrick Roesler spoke with WCBU's Molly Hughes at a recent anniversary dinner about what the milestone means for both cities.

Democratic state Sen. Dave Koehler reflected on the end of this year's legislative session with bills failing to pass and several others squeaked through in the final hours of before the end of the spring session. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

The Citizens Utility Board said Illinois American Water is trying to overcharge Illinois customers by more than $50 million through a rate hike request before state regulators. The consumer advocacy group is urging state regulators to reject both the rate increase and a proposed deal that would give the company a near-monopoly on private water in Illinois. WCBU's Molly Hughes reports.

Development of the Dee Hengst Amphitheater along the Illinois River in Peoria's Festival Park is advancing, with contracts approved for preliminary design, engineering and construction. The 5,000-seat outdoor performance venue is primarily funded by an $11 million donation to the city from the Hengst Foundation. In Part 2 of our latest regular interview with Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, she tells reporter Joe Deacon that the amphitheater will become an attraction that benefits the entire region.  

Peoria will again celebrate Juneteenth with the 3rd annual Ernestine Jackson Freedom Day Parade. WCBU's Rich Draeger sat down with NAACP Peoria Branch President Marvin Hightower to talk about the NAACP, Ms. Jackson herself and why its important to celebrate and remember now more than ever.

A push by Gov. JB Pritzker for unified zoning regulations across Illinois did not gain approval from state lawmakers in the spring legislative session. Pritzker's "Build Illinois" initiative aims to address a growing need for affordable and "missing middle" housing. But critics say the legislation stops takes oversight of housing developments away from cities. Peoria Mayor Rita Ali was among a coalition of mayors joining the Illinois Municipal League's opposition to the proposal. In our latest regular interview, Ali tells WCBU reporter Joe Deacon why.

Jessily Joseph was appointed executive director of the Peoria County Election Commission on May 21. "Success is having voters and citizens be confident in this process — and making voting accessible and secure," she told WCBU's Molly Hughes. That's the job ahead of her, with the Nov. 3 general election now less than six months away.

A state lawmaker sponsored a bill to require farmers spraying pesticides near a school or park to send an email 72 hours in advance notifying when they would be applying the pesticides. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents parts of Greater Peoria, doesn't want to block data centers from coming to Illinois. He also doesn't want them arriving without conditions and he's worried some data center developers will try to cut corners to get there.

In a visit to Central Illinois this week, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin energized local Democrats at a private event at the IBEW Local 197 building. Durbin, hosted by the McLean County Democrats, spoke to a crowd of about 50 supporters about his views on issues like the war with Iran and redistricting, while reflecting on his upcoming retirement, and offering advice to candidates.

Peoria City Council member Kiran Velpula sees a new medial and educational partnership as a way to build the city’s health care workforce and boost the regional economy. Velpula, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria [UICOMP], is one of the driving forces behind the Greater Peoria Healthcare Education Consortium that officially launched last week after several years in development.

Connor Martin, who lives outside of Morton, said it is important for him to be a generalist in the legal profession so he can best represent his local community because there are so few lawyers in his region. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

New Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon says the city deserves a police department that communicates openly, acts with integrity, and earns the public’s trust.

With uncertainty surrounding press protections at the national level, the state of Illinois holds a strong reporter privilege statute. That’s according to Don Craven, general counsel for Illinois Press Association and three other statewide journalism organizations. He’s held the job protecting journalists in court and legal litigation since the mid-1980s

Four Peoria tattoo artists are continuing their late-mentor’s work in the ever-changing world of tattooing with their own shop located downtown.

For the first two decades Dan Conlin owned the Jukebox Comedy Club, the money from the previous week's shows pays for the next one. Shows, bills, another week, another show. Then came the pandemic.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen isn’t satisfied with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's answers about military layoffs in his Central Illinois district. Sorensen questioned Hegseth about the decision to cut up to 150 jobs at Rock Island Arsenal during a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on April 29.

The City of Peoria is considering a funding plan to help the Twin Towers Place condominiums pay for needed repairs and renovations.  But City Manager Patrick Urich points out that no money has been allocated quite yet. Rather, the city may look to establish a special service area to generate the funds.   Urich notes Peoria has used special service areas elsewhere in the city to assist with needed improvements or added services - such as around Junction City, the Louisville Slugger sports complex, and the Westlake and Grand Prairie shopping centers.  He says the Twin Towers condos may not have streets to maintain, but they are a "vertical neighborhood" that merits similar consideration for financial assistance.  Urich says any up-front money provided by the city would be paid back entirely over time ... and Peoria's financial risk would be minimal.  In part two of our latest regular interview, Urich tells reporter Joe Deacon how the special services area process would work for funding the Twin Towers renovations ... noting the buildings had a fire a number of years ago and had to exhaust all of their financial reserves.

A pending property sale that would see O'Brien Steel acquire land near the Illinois River from the Detweiller Trust has drawn scrutiny from community members over the potential loss of river access and green space. Last week, the Peoria Park District Board narrowly voted down a proposal tied to the sale that would expanded the right-of-way along the Rock Island Greenway Trail in the area.  Another potential aspect of the sale would see the City of Peoria vacate Caroline Street near the Detweiller Marina. As part of our regular interview series, Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich talks with reporter Joe Deacon about the city's possible involvement in the process.

The new Farm Bill that the U.S. House has approved faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Lawmakers remain at odds over food assistance and year-round use of ethanol in fuel. Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood voted for the Farm Bill. In this interview with WCBU reporter Joe Deaon, LaHood says the measure was a necessary compromise.

Gas prices keep soaring as the U-S war in Iran shows no end in sight. In this interview with WCBU reporter Joe Deacon, Peoria-area Republican Congressman Darin LaHood says he's ready to see the Trump administration find a way out of this war -- to help bring down fuel prices soon.

Illinois has one of the highest number of data centers in the country. But as residents worry about their water and electricity use, state lawmakers are considering legislation to rein in new data center proposals.

Retiring Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria believes the department is in a better place than when he took the job five years ago. This is Part 2 of our interview with the retiring police chief.

Police Chief Eric Echevarria informed the city he will retire as of May 15, after serving nearly five years in the role. WCBU's Joe Deacon talks to Echevarria about his record and what's next.

An Illinois lawmaker has proposed a bill to require high schools to provide female manikins for CPR training. Women are 27% less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than men because of concerns of inappropriate touching, exposing of the chest or accusations of sexual assault, according to the Journal of the American Heart Association.  

It's been a long leadership transition for one of the area's largest employers. Michelle Conger has taken over as CEO of OSF HealthCare following the retirement of Bob Sehring. Those plans were announced in 2024. Conger, who was been with O-S-F for several decades, tells WCBU reporter Joe Deacon why they set up the transition that way.

Christina Harms is a union painter with Peoria-based Mid-Illinois Companies and Associated Constructors in Bloomington. She's also part of a cohort of apprentice ambassadors advocating for apprenticeship as a path toward a variety of careers.

The multi-year project to convert Adams Street and Jefferson Avenue to two-way traffic in downtown Peoria is on track to be completed by early summer, and Mayor Rita Ali is eager to see the anticipated benefits for the area.

It's been one year since James Shadid took over as its 13th president at Bradley University. Shadid tells WCBU reporter Joe Deacon the first year on campus has been a "whirlwind."

An Illinois lawmaker from Bloomington wants to limit corporate money in elections, but it could face legal challenges. Democratic state Rep. Sharon Chung, who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal and Peoria plus rural areas along Interstate 74, has introduced a bill that would change the definition of corporation powers in the law by stating corporations cannot engage in activities related to primaries or elections. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

A Republican state lawmaker has joined Central Illinois law enforcement in calling for changes to the state's landmark criminal justice reform bill called the SAFE-T Act, but Democrats want to wait for more data before making a decision.  

An annual report released this month by the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office offers a statistical look at criminal justice in 2025. Highlights include charges filed in all 12 of the year's homicides, a 40% decrease in drug charges, and more than 350 juvenile cases filed. State's Attorney Jodi Hoos says it's the first time her office has produced a snapshot look at their side of the local legal system. WCBU reporter Joe Deacon talks with Hoos about what she views as the successes of her department in the past year.

Several local governments in Central Illinois are looking to create their own data center regulations as Illinois lawmakers have yet to take action regulating this emerging industry. Data centers are seen as key to fueling an AI revolution. Critics worry they could drain water and electricity supplies that are needed to power them. WCBU's Evan Holden reports.

The bald eagle used to be a rare sight in Illinois. Now, there are more than 3,000 that spend the winter here. IPR's Jess Savage reports.

Two Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill that would remove the two-year foreign language requirement for high school. The requirement was signed into law in 2021 but does not go into effect until 2028. High school students will need to have completed the requirement to graduate. State Rep. Travis Weaver, representing a rural area between Peoria and the Quad Cities, is the Republican sponsor of the bill to have the requirement dropped.  

The City of Peoria is getting closer to unveiling redevelopment plans for the downtown block anchored by PNC Bank Building. City Manager Patrick Urich says they received proposals from three developers, and they've been in talks with the one of them about the desired vision for the three properties currently owned by the city. WCBU reporter Joe Deacon talks with Urich about a range of other topics, including the latest on plans for the block.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen said the partial government shutdown, now in its fifth day, is the only way to force Republicans to the negotiating table. WCBU's Lauren Warnecke spoke with Sorensen.

Several Illinois municipalities are trying to implement ranked choice voting, but confusion about Illinois election law has slowed the implementation process. Several lawmakers are trying to change that. WCBU state capitol correspondent Evan Holden reports.