Shabnam Danesh

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Shabnam Danesh

WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — It’s wasn’t your typical school day for students from Washington Community High School. Instead of sitting in class, students got a taste of what it’s like to work in local government during the city’s annual Student Government Day. More than a dozen students spent the day learning how local government works. They took on roles like city administrator, police chief, and even mayor.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Shabnam Danesh

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A drive-by act of vandalism in Peoria left one man injured and shattered a local nonprofit’s sense of safety. Four men in a blue sedan sprayed pink paintballs while driving by JOLT on Tuesday night, striking the building and a client sitting outside. They also found numerous pellets on the ground, said JOLT executive director Chris Schaffner. “So when we arrived this morning, there were several splatters. And our participant had welts where he was struck as well,” he said.

1 week ago | centralillinoisproud.com | Shabnam Danesh

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Two Peoria-area congressmen are commending the U.S. Postal Service for putting more money and keeping jobs in the area. U.S. Reps. Eric Sorensen and Darin LaHood both praised the postal service for their announcement Monday that it would not move jobs from the Peoria Mail Processing and Distribution Center. Rather, the agency said it would invest up to $8.8 million as part of a 10-year Delivering for America plan to modernize the nation’s aged and neglected postal network.

1 week ago | centralillinoisproud.com | Shabnam Danesh

PEORAI, Ill. (WMBD) — A local nonprofit is ensuring families get to enjoy Easter dinner without breaking the bank. Neighborhood House is giving away 125 dinners at its first Easter food pantry on Thursday, April 10. Each meal, consisting of ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans and drinks, is meant to serve a family of four. “There’s this community aspect of food that we take very seriously when people come to our food pantry.

1 week ago | centralillinoisproud.com | Shabnam Danesh

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the nonprofit Mother’s War Against Violence hosted a panel to address ongoing challenges survivors face in seeking justice. Mother’s War Against Violence Executive Director Yolanda Wallace, who lost her son to gun violence, emphasized that breaking down barriers, like fear or mistrust of law enforcement, is key to supporting survivors and helping them heal.