Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

    The Pepsi Marigold Medallion Hunt Begins Monday, August 30 th  with a $1500 Cash Prize   It’s not often hundreds of people from one city compete in a scavenger hunt for a single item. But for the City of Pekin, it’s an annual occurrence. For the past 43 years, the Pekin Marigold Festival has opened with the hunt for the Medallion: a small disc hidden within the community, found only by interpreting a series of mystic yet poetic clues. Long-time Cluemeister, Gary Gillis, will release 2021’s first clue on Marigold Festival social media and the Pepsi Marigold Medallion blog Monday, August 30 th  at 12:00 p.m. Hunters should be quick to begin deciphering, as the clues release daily with each subsequent clue becoming more revealing. The grand prize for finding the 2021 Pepsi Marigold Medallion is $1500 cash! This year’s Medallion is a fused glass piece, created by Pekin Community High School 2021 graduate Savanna Schultz.  It will be carefully camouflaged and protected in a bag or paper

  Office of the Governor JB Pritzker Thursday, August 26, 2021 CONTACT Gov.Press@illinois.gov                                                             Governor Pritzker Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Healthcare Workers, Pre-K-12 Teachers and Staff, Higher Education Personnel and Students to Slow Spread of Delta Variant   All Illinois Residents Required to Wear Masks Indoors, Regardless of Vaccination Status   Downstate Communities with Lower Vaccination Rates Experiencing Sharp Increase in COVID-19 Hospitalizations   CHICAGO – As COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates across the state continue to increase, particularly in downstate communities with the lowest vaccination rates, Governor JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike today announced vaccination requirements for individuals in high risk settings. All healthcare workers, including nursing home employees, all pre-k-12 teachers and staff, as well as higher education person

  Greater Peoria Area Focuses on Putting Central IL Back to Work Co-sponsored by the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, Discover Peoria, Goodwill, CareerLink, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Greater Peoria Hiring Extravaganza will take place on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 . The concept is simple: on September 1, each participating organization will place purple balloons outside of their business to signify they are actively hiring! An ongoing list of participating businesses is maintained on the GPEDC website. Upon registration, companies will be added to this list provided  this form  is completed, confirming your participation prior to August 16th. Media coverage will be key in the success of the Hiring Extravaganza and attracting qualified candidates. Spread the word throughout your communication channels by utilizing: Social Media (your Facebook and/or Instagram page) You

 Back to Business Grant Program Announced Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the $250 million  Back to Business (B2B) grant program  to support the continued recovery of small businesses across Illinois. The first in a series of economic recovery programs set to launch by the administration, B2B will offer small businesses access to funds that can help offset losses due to COVID-19, bring back workers, and take continued steps to rebuild amid the fallout from the pandemic. The program builds on last year’s Business Interruption Grant program, which provided $580 million to small businesses and childcare providers across the state. The application portal opens on August 18 .  Funding available: $250 million to small businesses across the state that experienced losses in 2020 due to COVID-19, including the following set-asides. $100 million – Businesses located in Disproportionately Im

  U.S. 24 Lane Closures Begin Aug. 16   Ahead of bridge reconstruction near Mapleton     MAPLETON  – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the left lanes of U.S. 24 in both directions just west of Mapleton will close Aug. 16.     The closures are necessary to construct a traffic crossover ahead of the reconstruction of the eastbound U.S. 24 bridge over Little  Lemarsh  Creek, which will begin in 2022. Crossover construction is expected to be complete in October.     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

Amazon Announces Fulfillment Center in North Pekin Amazon purchases 100,000 warehouse in North Pekin with plans to open distribution center in 2022. Pekin, IL-  Amazon Prime deliveries will be arriving a little bit faster for Pekin area residents.  Web-based retail and delivery giant Amazon plans to take over a 100,000-square-foot warehouse at 1961 Edgewater Drive in North Pekin. The business will be a "fulfillment center," and Amazon plans to open next year, according to a press release from the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council. GPEDC CEO Chris Setti said the plans have been in the works for a couple years, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays. "As they continue to build their network of delivery and fulfillment center, they had identified the Greater Peoria area as a place where they needed a center," Setti said. "(It's) kind of their last-mile delivery program." Final jobs numbers have yet to be finalized, but similar fulfillment

  Elisabeth Sandoval Crowned 45 th Miss Marigold The Pekin Marigold Festival is proud to introduce Elisabeth Sandoval as the 45 th reigning Queen to represent the community of Pekin over the next year.   Pekin, IL-   Miss Elisabeth Sandoval was crowned the 45 th Miss Marigold queen after competing against four other young women Saturday night. Caroline Manning won first runner-up. Second runner-up was Gabrielle Rueschhoff.   This year the pageant also awarded a Community Service Award to both Emma Michael and Elisabeth Sandoval, an Academic Achievement Award to Elisabeth Sandoval and Talia Bianchi, and Miss Congeniality to Elisabeth Sandoval.   Sandoval was overcome by emotion on the stage as the emcee announced the title of Miss Marigold. “I spent thirteen years dreaming about this moment, and it turned out to be so much more than anything I could’ve ever imagined. But it’s only the beginning,” said Elisabeth Sandoval. “I couldn’t be more proud to represent and serve Pek

Pekin’s Sunset Hills Golf Course Helps Host Largest Disc Golf Tournament in History   Pekin, IL- This week kicks off the largest tournament in Disc Golf History: the 11 th Annual Discraft Ledgestone Insurance open, right here in Pekin. Thousands of discs are set up outside of Sunset Hills Golf Course in anticipation of the near 2,000 players arriving for the tournament.   Players from across the nation will compete at 12 different courses in the tri-county area Thursday, August 5 th through Sunday, August 8th. Multiple clinics with pro players are being held today at Sunset Hills Golf Course. The tournament, which is expected to host 1,975 players, is the second richest tournament in the world and has a projected professional payout of $132,000. A portion of proceeds from the event will continue to go towards the Ledgestone and Discraft donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Easter Seals, South Side Mission of Peoria, and more. The Peoria Area Convention and Visi

 A Healthy Workplace Event  Do you have a PPP? (Post Pandemic Plan)  Tuesday, August 24 | 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.   JUMP Trading Simulation & Education Center, Auditorium A   1306 N. Berkeley Ave., | Peoria, IL  Most of us have heard the phrase, “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” OSF HealthCare Business Development/Employer Relations, will be hosting a panel discussion on where we are, what we have learned, and what we can do moving forward, 18 months into the global pandemic. Panelists will include Occupational Health Physician Dr. Robert Ayers; Vice President Workforce Management, Shelley Nguyen; and Epidemiologist, Alex Bowers.  Do you have a plan? Join us for a panel discussion and find out!  Breakfast will be available starting at 7:45a.m. Presentation will begin at 8:15a.m.  For questions, please contact Zak Edmonds at Zak.S.Edmonds@osfhealthcare.org / (309) 303-3882 or Kelsey Horst at Kelsey.D.Horst@osfhealthcare.org / (270) 210-2951.  Please register by August 22 at

  Illinois Central College Opens Aug 7 and 14 for In Person Enrollment    To  assist potential and current students, Illinois Central College will be open Saturday, August 7 and 14 from 9 am to 1 pm on its East Peoria campus. During these special Saturday hours, services are available in Access Services, Admissions, Advising, Enrollment, Financial Aid, Testing, and the Bookstore.   Following current IDPH and CDC guidelines, face masks will be required inside buildings on all campuses.     “Opening the two Saturdays before the start of the fall semester allows students the opportunity for easier access to the college. ICC is committed to removing barriers for students to help move their futures forward,” said ICC President Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey. “This allows those with limited availability during the week  or those needing assistance with enrollment to receive the help they need on campus.”      In addition, ICC Student Services is also offering  virtual  extended hours Mo

  Savant Among the Top 50 Registered Investment Advisor  Firms in the Nation   BLOOMINGTON & PEORIA , Ill. (Aug. 2, 2021) — Savant Wealth Management , a nationally recognized, fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, with additional locations in Bloomington and Peoria, continues to be recognized throughout the financial services industry as a top ranked registered investment advisor (RIA) firm.   Financial Advisor , a leading financial trade publication, has ranked Savant No. 43 in its 2021 RIA Ranking. The list includes more than 600 RIAs from across the nation and is based on a survey of the firms’ discretionary and nondiscretionary assets under management (AUM), as reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is the 13th consecutive year Savant has made the list. Click here to view the full 2021 rankings.   This recognition comes on the heels of earning two other national rankings . Last month, Savant was ranked by InvestmentNews

Pekin Park District Mineral Springs Park to Host Community Blood Drive Monday, August 9   Pekin, IL - Pekin Park District Mineral Springs Park will host a community blood drive from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, August 9 at 257 Pavilion Drive, inside Lagoon Pavilion   What : Pekin Park District Mineral Springs Park Community Blood Drive    When : Monday, August 9, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm  Where : Lagoon Pavilion, 257 Pavilion Drive, Pekin, IL 61554  Appointments and masks are required: To schedule, please contact ImpactLife Peoria at (800) 747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 61257 to locate the drive. 1123 W Glen Ave | Peoria, Illinois | (309) 322-6168  Donor Eligibility Criteria : Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401. Donors who last gave blood o