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CIty of Pekin Awarded $3 Million Infrastructure Grant

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     Contact:         Mark Rothert, City Manager           Josie Esker, City Engineer 309-478-5371                                   309-478-5399 mrothert@ci.pekin.il.us                    jaesker@ci.pekin.il.us   CIty of Pekin Awarded $3 Million Infrastructure Grant   Pekin, Illinois – The City of Pekin recently applied for federal funding through a Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program from our area’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC).  This morning, TCRPC awarded Pekin $3,000,000 to be applied to the third section of Court Street from 8 th Street to Stadium Drive, slated for construction in 2025. This funding will not affect the second section of the Court Street project, between Valle Vista and Stadium Drive, that is scheduled to begin in 2023. The Court Street revitalization project in total is estimated at $30 million and runs from downtown Pekin to Veterans Drive.  T
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Peoria-area Home Sales Down 15.2% in 2nd Quarter

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  Lack of inventory cited as main cause of decline as interest rates rise to cool off inflation July 21, 2022 PEORIA, IL- The lack of homes on the market in the Peoria area remains the single biggest factor in the 15.2 percent decline in home sales for the second quarter over the same period in 2021, according to the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS®. PAAR reported that 1,983 homes were sold in the Peoria area in the second quarter of 2022, compared to the 2,338 area homes sold between April and June last year. "Home sales are down year over year due mostly to still historically low inventory," said PAAR President Ryan Cannon. "Closed sales were down 15.2 percent, however, inventory was down 23.5 percent. Fewer homes to sell means there will be a decline in sales," he said. Inventory- the number of homes on the market availab
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Pekin Municipal Airport Continues Revitalization

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    Pekin Municipal Airport Continues Revitalization   With continued growth and direct economic impact to the Pekin community, the Pekin Municipal Airport has become a focal point of revitalization efforts.   Pekin, IL- The City of Pekin is focusing on revitalization efforts as hangar tenancy and traffic continue to grow at Pekin Municipal Airport.   The airport recently underwent a renovation of the 24-hour lounge area: a first impression of Central Illinois to many visitors. Until Spring of 2022, the lounge was still outfitted with the original interior furnishing from the 1960s. The space was redesigned to offer an additional seating area with charging ports for smart devices, as well as a modern kitchenette. Fresh paint and installation of new lighting have also been completed. The overall aesthetic promotes a welcoming environment for corporate and recreational flyers utilizing the small airport.   Pekin Municipal Airport has received significant recognition ove
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Quarterly Business Breakfast Award Winners of June 2022

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  Quarterly Business Breakfast Award Winners of June 2022 June may be our favorite Chamber Business Breakfast of the year at the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. It is the breakfast in which we traditionally announce the Grand Marshal selection for the upcoming Pekin Marigold Festival held in September.  We were able to successfully surprise this year's recipient Jim Fairchild, or as many in our community may know him: "Mr. Fairchild". Under the guise of his employer Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory receiving an award at the breakfast, Pekin Marigold Festival Chairperson Brandon Burling told area business owners of the many ways in which Jim has touched the lives of young people in our community. Congratulations, Jim Fairchild!  The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Business Breakfasts also recognize area businesses, organizations or individuals in the following categories:  ☀️ Sunshine Award: The Sunshine Award will recognize an individual, group of ind
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Pekin Marigold Festival Announces 2022 Grand Marshal

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:       Pekin Marigold Festival Announces Grand Marshal Jim Fairchild is announced as the 2022 Pekin Marigold Festival Grand Marshal   Pekin, IL, June 13, 2022-  The Pekin Marigold Festival is proud to announce Jim Fairchild as the 2022 Pekin Marigold Festival Grand Marshal. Jim Fairchild truly represents the best of our community. In-line with this year’s theme of “Back in Time: 50 Years of Marigold Memories”, Jim has been a beloved member of the Pekin community who has touched the lives of hundreds of young people here.   Jim and his wife Patty have been married for 47 years and have four children and eight grandchildren. Jim taught at Pekin Community High School for 41 years, first as a history teacher and then as a guidance counselor, retiring in 2010. He was also a Student Council advisor for 19 of those years and was a school bus driver for 39 of them. Additionally, Jim was a teacher for homebound students and a substitute teacher, as well as worked summer
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Cedarhurst Living Resident to Board Greater Peoria Honor Flight

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  Cedarhurst Living Resident to Board Greater Peoria Honor Flight Meet John "Jack" Hall, resident of Cedarhurst Living on South 14 th Street in Pekin. Jack is veteran of the 298 th Army Band and the Fifth Army Band at Ft Sheridan. Recruited by the Armed Forces for his music ability, Jack had no idea how a childhood hobby would come to shape his life. Jack began learning piano in junior high school and somewhere along the way picked up the sousaphone (tuba) and string bass. Graduating Pekin Community High School in 1953, Jack didn’t desire a career in music. He would later obtain a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bradley University and enjoy a career with Caterpillar, Inc. But as fate would have it, music brought Jack his first world experiences.   The 298 th Army Band arrived in Berlin in July 1945 to build German American relations post WWII, with Jack joining the 56-musician band a few years later. Also known as part of the Berlin Brigade, the ba
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Townline Road over I-155 to close June 6

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 31, 2022   CONTACT:   Paul Wappel  217.685.0082   Kim Hoskins 309.370.1743     Townline Road over I-155 to close June 6     TREMONT  – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that Townline Road over Interstate 155 south of Tremont will close June 6.     The closure is necessary to replace bridge joints and the median and is expected to last until August. A detour will be posted.     Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.     Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,500 miles of highway and 9 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital progra
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City of Pekin’s Front Street Reopens After $6.2M Upgrade

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    City of Pekin’s Front Street Reopens After $6.2M Upgrade   Pekin, IL 05/24/21- The City of Pekin will host a ribbon cutting ceremony beginning at 2:00 p.m. on May 31, 2022, in honor of the reopening of Front Street. The ceremony will take place at the junction of Front Street and Distillery Road.   Front Street is located along the Industrial Park in Pekin, serving daily traffic counts upwards of 800 semi-trucks daily. The project was made possible by multiple grants, primarily Illinois Competitive Freight: a competitive grant program that aims to improve the mobility of freight at the local level. In addition to Illinois Competitive Freight, the City of Pekin was also awarded grants from Troubled Asset Relief Program and Economic Development Program funding.   The total project cost was $6.2 million with $5,948,000 in grant funding. Included in the project were complete replacement of the concrete pavement, new gutters and curbs, new driveway approaches, new aggr
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Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Hosts Annual 4th of July Fireworks

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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Hosts Annual 4th of July Fireworks   Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will host 4th of July Honor America Celebration firework display at Pekin Memorial Stadium on July 4, 2022.     Pekin, Il— 05/18/2022 — The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the continuation of the 4th of July “Honor America Celebration” fireworks display at Pekin Memorial Stadium this summer.     The fireworks display will be held at nightfall July 4th, with a rain date the following evening. Tickets will be available for purchase at Pekin Farmer’s Market on June 23 rd and 30 th from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Miller Center parking lot. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gates of the stadium on July 4th. Admission is as follows:   • Ages 13 and up: $5 per person • Ages 6-12: $1 per person • Ages five and under: free • Veterans and active military personnel receive free admission  
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