Places in Central Illinois accepting donations for Giving Tuesday

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Tuesday, Jan. 31 is the deadline for some Peoria families to be moved out of Darwin Homes’ managed properties. The parent company, SFR3, bought 300 homes in Central Illinois, mostly in Peoria. Now, the company owns 11,000 properties across the country. About 60 families...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The past few months have been stressful and confusing for Rebecca Billings and her husband, who are being forced to move out of their East Bluff home of four years by property manager Darwin Homes. Darwin Homes marked Jan. 31 as the day for residents...

Peoria, Ill. (WMBD) — During the recent lame-duck session of the state legislature, House Bill 3878, the rental housing support fee, gained passage. The current rental housing support fee is $9 per document, but starting July 1, that fee will be doubled to $18. These real estate related documents can include selling a home and having the title company file the deed with their office.

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A local volunteer organization is celebrating 15 years of pairing service animals with central Illinoisans. Training facilitator assisted, mobility, and facility service dogs. It’s the mission of Paws Giving Independence. The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting and encouraging independence for people with varying disabilities.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Take advantage of a local favorite this February by visiting Miller Park Zoo on any of their four Free Fridays. February 3, 10, 17 and 24 will all be free admission days at the Zoo, Bloomington officials announced Monday. “This will be a great way...

PERU, Ill. (WMBD) — Monday night, Jelani Day’s mother Carmen Bolden Day demanded action from Peru City Officials. Bolden Day said Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond has been her point of contact since The Jelani Day Joint Task Force was formed but has failed to provide weekly updates on Jelani’s case.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Miller Park Zoo is introducing its new female red wolf named Honey Bun on Tuesday. According to a Miller Park Zoo Facebook post, Honey Bun is three years old and was born at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. Honey Bun was flown...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)– Gov. Pritzker has appointed a new member to the statewide Illinois Human Trafficking Task Force. The new appointee, Brian Fengel, serves as a member of The Center for Prevention of Abuse (CFPA) Human Trafficking Ad Hoc Committee and will start his new role by the end of January, or Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Pucker does like kisses, but he loves being a lap cat. He is small but at 11 months old he’s fully grown. You can get information on adopting him and others with PCAPS and the Peoria Humane Society.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Bloomington Public Library will be holding an online auction of some of its artwork to fund the library’s current expansion and renovation. The art, which can be previewed here, will be up for auction starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 until 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.

TAZEWELL COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) — The 50-year-old woman who died in a crash on I-74 Saturday morning has been identified as Tammy Odom of Peoria. Tazewell County Coroner Charles R. Hanley announced Odom’s identification on Facebook Monday afternoon. Odom died in a crash on Interstate 74 between Morton...

PEORIA, Illinois (WMBD) – Peoria Richwoods girls upset the Washington Panthers 45-42 Tuesday night, handing them just their third loss of the season. The only other team to defeat Washington this year had been Normal Community, who did it twice in December. Eureka boys player Tyler Hefren became the...

EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Stakeholders from Woodford County and Tazewell County convened at East Peoria Civic Hall on Tuesday for the first of four meetings to update their multi-hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible for federal mitigation funds. The mitigation plan assesses vulnerabilities and identifies projects...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Peoria Fire Department responded to the Lariat Steakhouse sign catching fire near Glen Avenue and War Memorial Drive Monday. According to Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger, an Electrical shortage caused the fire at approximately 4:30 p.m. Firefighters put out the fire in approximately 20...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)– A grand jury press release reveals a Peoria man has been indicted on six counts, including multiple armed robberies. 24-year-old Desmond Turner has been charged with three separate armed robbery attempts in Peoria. One robbery on SW Adams St, one on S Griswold St, and one on W Starr St.

ILLINOIS (WMBD) — After more than two decades, Illinois has a new Secretary of State. Alexi Giannoulias (D-Illinois) was sworn in earlier this month, taking charge after Jesse White retired. Sec. Giannoulias joined WMBD’s Matt Sheehan On the Record Tuesday which aired on WMBD This Morning. Below you will...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — An 18-year-old man was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury for three burglaries that occurred last September, when he was a juvenile. Court documents charge the suspect with three counts of burglary on Sept. 7, alleging that he entered Freedom Gas Station in Chillicothe, Express Smoke Shop in Chillicothe, and the Shell Gas Station on N Prospect Road in Peoria, all with the intent to commit theft within that business.

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — An elementary school is on the chopping block on a recent Unit 5 budget recommendation. According to budget recommendations from Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle, Carlock Elementary School could be closed in the 2024-25 school year. The school closer is one of many recommended budget cuts...

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Peoria Police Department responded to three armed incidents Sunday. According to Peoria police press releases, the incidents occurred at approximately 11:45 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. At the 11:45 a.m. incident, a woman was robbed at gunpoint near Bradley Avenue and Rebecca Place....

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A Peoria man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Robert Lee Ford, 38, was indicted in June 2022 after surveillance by the DEA and Peoria Police proved that he sold over 100 grams of methamphetamine that tested 90% pure in early May.