As regions of the country are seeing rebounding rates of COVID-19, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reminds everyone that practicing social distancing and continuing to cover your face when in public is the best recourse to slow the spread of the virus.   

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, law enforcement throughout the state are taking part in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign to keep impaired drivers off the roads. The stepped-up effort will extend through July 6.

Secretary of State Jesse White and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced two new laws that took effect July 1 which establish tougher penalties for drivers who seriously injure others while texting and driving and for those who cause severe injury to pedestrians.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is excited to open its doors to the public again on Wednesday, July 1.

After a series of changes to protect visitor health, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is finalizing plans to reopen to the public on Wednesday, July 1.

The state has released new guidelines for schools, colleges and universities to return to in-person learning in the fall as the state prepares to enter Phase 4 of Gov. JB Pritzker’s reopening plan on Friday, June 26. 

Returning Library Materials

Events of this year have reinforced the critical mission of Midwest Food Bank (MFB) and partnering non-profits in the effort to alleviate hunger.  MFB pleased to announce a unique online musical performance to fight hunger and malnutrition with proceeds supporting Midwest Food Bank East Africa.

Over 2,500 students received their degrees from Northern Illinois University in May. Included among the graduates were the following area students:

The 4th of July is usually celebrated with cookouts, outdoor activates and fireworks shows. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many communities have canceled their displays. This is raising concerns about an increase in use of novelty fireworks and illegal fireworks in Illinois.

A virtual commencement ceremony was held this spring at Iowa State University to honor the nearly 5,100 graduates who earned degrees. The traditional on-campus celebrations were moved online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. University leaders recorded three commencement ceremonies to ho…

More than 5,700 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students graduated this spring under extraordinary circumstances. Local students who were among the spring 2020 graduating class included:

More than 12,500 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the spring semester 2020 Dean's List. Area students named to the Dean’s List include:

The following students have been named to the Dean's List for the spring 2020 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

Northern Illinois University announced its spring 2020 Dean's List honorees, naming the following local students:

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White encouraged residents to visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com to sign up to receive license plate sticker renewal notices by email. This service provides customers 24/7 access to renew their sticker online. As a result of email reminder notices, the office …

Jacob Bachman and Matthew Wilder, both of Eureka, and Dalton Wolfe of Pekin have been named to McKendree University’s spring 2020 semester Dean’s List for earning a grade point average of 3.60 or higher during the spring 2020 semester.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received confirmation of approximately 23 cases that appear to be linked to a multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite.  Cases have been reported in counties across Illinois…

Mayor Kaufman announced that he has received the resignation of Craig Hilliard from his position as Chief of Police of the Village of Morton, effective June 30, 2020.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday, June 17 he will extend a moratorium on evictions in the state until July 31, and a new state grant program that will begin in August to give assistance to those who are behind on rent.

Father's Day celebrations for dads living with Alzheimer's can be bittersweet and challenging for families even under the best of circumstances, but the current COVID-19 crisis is adding new complexities that can feel overwhelming. To help families impacted by Alzheimer's navigate these chal…

St. Ambrose University St. Ambrose University conferred at total of 455 degrees (326 undergraduate degree candidates, 92 graduate degree candidates and 37 doctoral degree candidates) to members of the Class of 2020 this spring.

What happens when you come to Bradley and find out a favorite activity isn't available on an organized scale despite facilities within walking distance of campus?

The library building and drive-up book drop remain closed until further notice for the safety of patrons and staff. Patrons can return materials at the front doors on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

On Saturday, May 16, 2020, Richard Dylan Newell of Morton graduated from Blackburn College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While traditional on-campus graduation activities were canceled, Blackburn College celebrated the class of 2020 with its first Virtual Commencement Ceremony and 151st Co…

OSF HealthCare announces the opening of its newest OSF Urgo location at 853 W. Jackson Plaza in Morton, Illinois. This is the 14th urgent care clinic operated by OSF HealthCare, and the fifth in the Peoria area, with other clinics in Peoria, East Peoria and Washington. A third Peoria locatio…

The Morton Chamber of Commerce is restructuring the Annual Golf Outing that raises funds for the Pumpkin Festival Give Back to host a safe fundraiser, while still having fun and encouraging the community to shop and support local.

Brody Haynes, of Pekin, was recognized by the Office of Student Affairs at Bradley University. Haynes, an Actuarial Science - Business major, was awarded the Tim Wendle Memorial Scholarship.

The University of Alabama awarded some 6,326 degrees this spring. Among the graduates was Jeffrey Abney of Morton, who received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Summer doesn’t officially start for a few more days, but sometimes the heat and humidity don’t pay attention to the calendar. It is dangerous – even deadly – for workers not to pay attention to hot, humid conditions.

Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) received notice on Friday, June 12 from its National governing organization that all honor flights nationwide have been suspended through the end of 2020 due to continued concerns related to COVID-19.   This was a difficult but necessary decision to ensure…

Join University of Illinois Extension for the June Diabetes Clinic: “Bite into Breakfast”. Register for the webinar recording at go.illinois.edu/LMWnutrition. After registering, a link will be sent to the email you provided, giving you access to the recorded webinar so it can be viewed anyti…

More than 8,500 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa were named to the Dean's List for the 2020 spring semester. Local students named to the list included:

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded $15.4 million in FY20 Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid grants to 638 public libraries statewide serving almost 12 million patrons.

Monmouth College announced its spring 2020 Dean’s List honorees, which included the following area students:

Junior Livestock Expo, 4H General Project Show will take place separately

Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that Illinois is on pace to enter the next phase of reopening after COVID-19-related shutdowns later this month, and added he doesn’t expect a second surge of the virus in the fall as long as safety guidelines are followed.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a state budget for fiscal year 2021 on Wednesday, June 11, but there is no more financial clarity now than there was when lawmakers passed the measure last month.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile virus in Illinois for 2020.  The Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District collected a positive mosquito batch on May 31, 2020 from River Forest, Illinois, and North Shore M…

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced today that entry forms are available for the 16th annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award.

Administrative Report

Natalie Daugherty, of Morton, has earned the distinction of Dean's List honors at the Georgia Institute of Technology for Spring 2020. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have earned a 3.0 or higher academic average for the semester.

The following local students were named to the Dean's List at Belmont University for the Spring 2020 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours (exclusive of audit and pass/fail courses this semester) and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C (…

If you are feeling stress and anxiety from the new way of living under the pandemic, Vickie Robertson, a University of Illinois Extension Master Naturalist, says now is the time to get outside and walk some of your local trails and pathways, to “enjoy nature and check out the living things b…

First Security Bank, headquartered in Mackinaw, has made donations to three local food pantries from a grant provided by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.