Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

    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

  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  

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Brittney Hogue Communications Coordinator Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce brittney@pekinchamber.com 309-642-7029 (cell) | 309-346-2106 (office)     Mayor Mark Luft Delivers State of the City Address in Pekin   Mayor Mark Luft delivers a State of the City address to area business leaders and community members with focus on the community’s successes.   Pekin, IL May 6, 2022 - The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a State of the City Address Wednesday on behalf of Pekin’s Mayor, Mark Luft. Upward of 85 area business leaders and community members attended the event which focused on how the City of Pekin has prospered under the leadership of Mayor Luft.   Executive Director of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Amy McCoy stated, “The initiative of the Chamber is really to support businesses and to provide opportunities for businesses to succeed in our community.” McCoy continued, “A big piece of that is having the knowledge a

    Pekin Announces Downtown Music Concert Series     Pekin kicks off summer concert series June 17 th with music, food and local business vendors.   Pekin, IL-  The City of Pekin begins its Downtown Music Concert Series Friday, June 17 th  from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the 300 block of Court Street. The first date will feature a concert from Stone Cold Cowboys, as well as area food, craft and merchandise vendors. Mayor Representative Mark Luft says, “We are excited for the return of the Downtown Music Concert Series this summer. These events and quality entertainers are a fun experience for our residents, and what a great reason to visit Pekin for our friends in the greater central Illinois region.” The Downtown Music Concert Series will be held as a block party within the historic downtown business district. Each event will feature live, outdoor music with June 17 th  showcasing local Peoria group Stone Cold Cowboys. Comprised of seven world-traveled musicians, S

                                                                          Hopedale Medical Complex Named Top Critical Access Hospital   Hopedale, IL – Hopedale Medical Complex (HMC) was recently named one of the top 20 critical access hospitals (CAHs) for Patient Satisfaction in th e country. The top 20 CAHs, including Hopedale Medical Complex, scored best among CAHs as determined by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for Patient Satisfaction. The rankings were recently announced by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). An awards ceremony will be held during NRHA’s Critical Access Hospital Conference in September in Kansas City, Mo. The top 20 CAHs have achieved success in overall performance based on a composite rating from eight indices of strength: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. This group was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s 2022 top 100 CAH list, which w

  Pavement repairs underway on Illinois 29 in Pekin     PEKIN  – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the right lane of northbound Illinois 29 is closed near Velde Drive in Pekin because of a pavement failure.     Repairs are underway and are expected to last into next week.     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 program, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Two included approximately $5.2 billion

      For more information contact: Kayla Thompson, PR@icc.edu , (309) 694-5527 Illinois Central College Offering "Smart Start" & "ReStart" College Success Programs This Summer EAST PEORIA, IL (05/04/2022) Illinois Central College will offer "Smart Start" and "ReStart" college success programs this summer to support individuals in their transition to or transition back into college. Students are not required to enroll at ICC this fall in order to participate. "Smart Start" is a three-week program designed to help high school seniors in their transition from high school to college. Students will practice math, English, and college success strategies in a college atmosphere. Each session includes a variety of activities to help students develop the range of skills needed to become successful college students. These activities will help students build academic skills and social connections, develop their awareness and understan

  Healthy Workplace Virtual Events  Final Session of the 3 Part Series - Taking care of yourself, so you can take care of others Wednesday, May 18  |  7:30 - 8:30 A.M. Physical Wellbeing   Speakers: Erin Kennedy, Manager Center for Healthy Lifestyles and Abraham Kocheril, M.D., Cardiologist Discussions on Keeping Yourself and Others Healthy:  •    Reducing health care costs •    Reducing absenteeism •    Increasing employee productivity and engagement •    Increasing retention rates •    Improving employee morale •    Attracting new employees Register online by May 17  HERE Previous Sessions Session 1 of 3  |   RECORDING AVAILABLE HERE Mental Wellbeing Speakers: Henry Martin Del Campo, M.D., Director of OSF Healthcare Management and Jenna Boyd, OSF Behavioral Health Navigator  Session content includes: •    Understanding your own abilities •    Reviewing coping strategies and identifying resources •    Identifying activities that reduce burnout •    Creating habits that can promote res

    Pekin State of the City Address  To Be Held May 11 th   Mayor Mark Luft and the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will host a State of the City address on May 11 th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Pekin Moose Lodge.   Pekin, IL – Mayor Mark Luft will deliver a State of the City address on Wednesday, May 11 th before an audience of Pekin’s business and community leaders. The Mayor will be discussing the City’s current progress and presenting a vision for the coming year. A meet and greet opportunity with Mayor Luft will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will host this event at the Pekin Moose Lodge, located at 2605 Broadway Street in Pekin, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A luncheon will proceed the address. Tickets can be purchased through the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce website: https://bit.ly/SotCPekin . About the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce- The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will be the trusted partner for the Pekin b

 

  Pavement work on U.S. 24, Illinois 29 begins May 9   The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that construction on U.S. 24 between Bartonville and Illinois 9 in Peoria County, as well as on Illinois 29 between Creve Coeur and Marquette Heights in Tazewell County, begins May 9.    The project involves crack and joint sealing as well as new pavement markings and will require lane closures in both directions. Work is expected to be complete in June.    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

  New Pekin Podcast Launches: “What’s the Story, Pekin?”, Hosted by Gary Gillis   Pekin resident Gary Gillis hosts new podcast focusing on noteworthy topics of Pekin.   Pekin, IL- Pekin resident Gary Gillis is hosting a new podcast across major streaming platforms: “What’s the Story, Pekin?” Playing on a phrase Gillis has often been prompted with, the podcast will center around sharing the community’s profile and personalities as an objective source of information on topics relevant to many listeners. The podcast has had assistance with launching from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. “We hope to discover the power of possibilities and find reasons for much needed optimism,” Gillis says. The 23-minute pilot episode features Mayor Representative Mark Luft and Executive Director of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, Amy McCoy. Topics of discussion included new businesses coming to the city and Court Street Project updates. During the episode Amy McCoy states, “One thin

PIA achieves Perfect Score from FAA     Peoria, IL – The General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport recently achieved another perfect score from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a rigorous annual certification and safety inspection. The FAA requires all U.S. airports providing commercial airline service to undergo a yearly examination.  This critical and comprehensive annual safety inspection covers: Airport Certification Manual (ACM) and Emergency Plan (AEP) Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) equipment, and training Airport Personnel operations, procedures, and training Self-inspection records, work orders, and Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) Snow and Ice Control procedures Aircraft fueling procedures and fuel farm/truck safety Review of all airfield markings, lighting, and signage Wildlife management Construction safety   “Receiving another perfect score validates the hard work our tea