Benjamin Fries

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Benjamin Fries

PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (WMBD) — It’s starting to feel a lot like summer in central Illinois, and that means plenty of people will be out and about in Peoria Heights. Lauren Blasek owns W.E. Sullivan’s, an Irish eatery on Prospect Road, where a lot of shops and restaurants can be found. “When the weather’s nice, we do see an influx of customers. People want to sit outside, and the walkability of the Heights is a huge factor for traffic for us,” she said.

6 days ago | yahoo.com | Benjamin Fries

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The 22nd Pray for the Cure event continued its tradition of offering care for cancer survivors and their families with a night of prayer and emotional reflection. It’s a unique spiritual and emotional care event that recognizes faith and family as key factors contributing to the wellness for cancer patients as they journey through their diagnosis and treatment.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Benjamin Fries

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — There’s a new face on the Horseshoe as Alex Carmona was officially sworn in as 2nd District Peoria City Councilmember during Tuesday’s meeting, which was more of a swearing-in ceremony than a typical council meeting. He takes over for Chuck Grayeb, who’s been a mainstay in Peoria politics with 24 years of city council service under his belt. Grayeb reflected on his time on the city council, from sitting next to now State Sen.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Benjamin Fries

WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — It’s officially a new political era in Washington as Lilija Stevens was sworn in as the city’s first female mayor during Monday’s city council meeting. She was nearly moved to tears after receiving a standing ovation from the large crowd, and said she was grateful for the support. What she thinks resonated with the Washington community is her commitment to making sure people have their voices heard.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Benjamin Fries

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — When people visit Rader Family Farms in the fall, they will have the option to pick apples for the first time in the history of the farm. The 5-acre orchard will feature 3,000 apple trees and 15 unique apple varieties. This is the third year of apple trees being at the farm, but the first where people can pick apples in a similar vein to how they pick pumpkins at the farm. Operations Manager Adam Rader said it was “time” for another offering.