Latest news with #Peoria-area
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local attorney indicted for allegedly voting twice in Peoria County's April election
A Peoria-area attorney was indicted Tuesday for attempting to cast two ballots during elections in April, according to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office. Thorn M. Smith was charged with voting more than once after prosecutors say he submitted both a mail-in ballot and attempted to vote in person during the 2025 spring election cycle. Smith, an attorney, allegedly voted via a mail-in ballot in March and then again voted in person at a polling place on April 1, according to prosecutors. Despite an election judge's computer indicating that he had already voted via a mail-in ballot, Smith signed a form stating he did not vote previously and submitted a second ballot, according to Jodi Hoos' office. The second ballot was not counted. More: County administrator and public defender among highest-paid Peoria County employees This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Attorney indicted for allegedly voting twice in Peoria County election
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Peoria's Michelle Taylor focuses on trauma-sensitive learning
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A trailblazer in education focusing on a trauma-sensitive and human-centered approaches for Peoria-area students. Michelle Taylor is the Vice President of Education at the Children's Home Association of Illinois (CHAIL) in Peoria. She oversees Kiefer School and the Academy for Autism. Both schools serve students with autism from diverse backgrounds, providing them with a safe place to grow and navigate their challenges. We are equipped to address each student's individual needs and ensure they receive the tools necessary for success. This includes individualized therapeutic learning environments, grouping students with similar needs within classrooms, providing readily accessible special sensory items, and offering additional sensory rooms, while maintaining a 2:1 student ratio. Michelle Taylor For two decades, she's remained committed and dedicated to students and staff helping them to thrive in the face of adversity. 'Kids have a future that is worth fighting for,' said Taylor. 'I think the impact that we have is seen when kids begin to thrive after they've been here with us but the impact is something that will last for decades.' She said leadership, engagement, and growth are pivotal for students to be able to feel empowered to learn in a safe environment. Taylor continues to transform education at the agency, but her reach goes into the community as well. 'Education opens doors,' said Taylor. 'It provides a future that helps students, families, it helps all people. I think the reason I got into education was because some of the most important people in my life in my past were educators.' School hallways and classroom may sit empty in June, but Taylor said planning and advocating for students and staff continues year round. Students who attend either school can also be provided with wraparound services provided under the umbrella of CHAIL. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Local Non-Profit Raises Funds for Veterans with Memorial Day Weekend Workout
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — This Memorial Day weekend, a local non-profit took action to honor fallen veterans while raising much-needed funds to support those still living with the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life. The Resilience Project, a group dedicated to helping veterans transition back to everyday life, held its 2nd Annual Memorial Day Murph Workout on Saturday at the House Barbell Club in Peoria. The event saw dozens of participants come together to take on the grueling workout, which includes a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 body weight squats and another mile run. This physically demanding challenge was designed to both honor and remember the sacrifice of fallen Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who lost his life during a combat mission in Afghanistan. Ben Deige, Marketing Director of the Resilience Project, shared why this event is so important. '22 veterans a day commit suicide in the United States,' Deige said. 'We believe that's unacceptable. So we're doing our part to help lower that number and ultimately get it to zero here in the Peoria area.' This year's event raised over $6,000, which will go directly into the Resilience Project, helping fund their programs that support Peoria-area veterans. This includes mental health resources, physical fitness support, and other essential services designed to ease the transition back to civilian life. By combining fitness and fundraising, the event highlighted the resilience of both the veterans it serves and the community that supports them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California company buys Spurck mansion; plans for 130-year-old building unknown
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A historic building just north of Downtown Peoria has been sold — albeit for a loss — to a California-based company. According to records at the Peoria County Recorder of Deeds' office, the 130-year-old building near the intersection of Interstate 74 and Knoxville Avenue was sold two weeks ago for $99,000 to Tres Poderes, LLC, a company based in Sacramento. The seller? Kim Blickenstaff's KDB Group. A call to the company as well as their Peoria-based attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday. Looking Back: KDB Group pulls out of all Peoria-area projects It wasn't known, and the recorder documents don't discuss what plans are in store for the old mansion, which suffered a fire about six years ago. For years, the mansion, which was built in 1893 by Peter E. Spurck, was home to the Junior League of Peoria's Family House, which offered help to families who needed help with medical issues. 'This historic mansion, beginning its new mission, opened its doors to its first guest families on June 5, 1985. Just as the original owner Peter Spurck first paved the streets of Peoria, Family House paved the way of kindness and hope for families who need relief from the emotional and financial stress brought on by medical problems,' according to the group's website. Then, it was sold for $140,000 to Christopher Petruzzi who used the building for a nondenominational Christian home. He then sold it to the KDB Group in 2020 after a fire ravaged the building in 2019, for $130,000, according to Peoria County property tax records. KDB was the real estate firm for Kim Blickenstaff, who brought the mansion and several other buildings in the area with promises to rehab them and restore them to their former glory or more. Blickenstaff appeared to be the savior of the building, which was on the verge of being demolished due to the fire. However, two years ago and without warning, he put all his parcels on the market and since then, they have been selling off one by one. Some had been finished and restored. Others were left largely untouched. The building appears to be just within the East Village Growth Cell tax-increment financing district. So it's possible revenue from that TIF fund could help with any development of the property. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Peoria man sentenced to 11 years in prison for trying to entice child
A Peoria man was sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison Wednesday after he attempted to entice an 11-year-old girl for sex over the internet. Joshua Michael Williams, 43, pled guilty in October 2024 to attempted enticement of a minor after he engaged in a series of online chats with a person claiming to be the stepfather of the child in order to arrange sexual activities between the pair. U.S. Central District Judge Jonathan Hawley handed down the sentence Wednesday, which includes 10 years of supervised released and a requirement for Williams to register as a sex offender. The initial complaint in the case said that on Jan. 22, 2024, an employee of the FBI engaged in conversation with Williams, posing as the stepfather of a female child in order to identify those seeking to sexually exploit minors on the internet. Over the course of the next few days, Williams and the employee would converse about various sexual fantasies involving children, with Williams proposing a meeting between him and the girl on Feb. 2 in order to engage in sex acts with her. More: Teenager accused of shooting and killing his father in South Peoria At 11 a.m. that morning, FBI agents set up operations at the Shell gas station in the 9000 block of North Galena Road along Illinois Route 29. A man dressed in a black fedora arrived at the scene 17 minutes later, identifying himself as Williams. The agents apprehended him, finding a pair of necklaces that he had tried to send to the employee. During an interview after his arrest, Williams confirmed his role in sending the messages to the stepfather, claiming that he was merely looking for a friend and not actually planning to have sex with the supposed girl. Williams was indicted on Feb. 22 on attempted enticement charges, pleading not guilty on March 4. A trial had been set for Nov. 4; however, he pled guilty on Oct. 17 in order to avoid it. Hawley said at sentencing that Williams was fortunate that there wasn't an actual child on the other side of the conversation, noting that he could have altered her life had he gone through with the planned sex acts. Williams had been facing life in prison on the charges. The FBI's field office in Springfield led the investigation. More: 'We're happy about it:' Furloughed Peoria-area workers returning to jobs at Liberty Steel This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria man receives prison sentence for child enticement
