Peoria Journal Star

1 day ago | pjstar.com | JJ Bullock

Peoria will spend roughly $41,000 on the long-running career development program. Annual funding for Peoria's AmeriCorps program is roughly $425,000 a year. In a resounding swell of support, the Peoria City Council moved Tuesday night to spend roughly $41,000 of city tax-increment financing dollars to keep Peoria's AmeriCorps program alive through August.

1 day ago | pjstar.com | JJ Bullock

Councilmembers are levying accusations that political gamesmanship is at play. Peoria will keep a 1% grocery tax in place after a motion to reconsider failed. There was no official debate about Peoria's freshly passed grocery tax on Tuesday night, but there were more accusations of political gamesmanship lobbed around the horseshoe as a motion to reconsider the tax failed to gain traction. Peoria's 1% grocery tax, which was passed last month to replace the 1% state grocery tax that will end on Jan.

1 day ago | pjstar.com | JJ Bullock

A Peoria man was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2023 killing of a 14-year-old boy during a robbery gone wrong. Tramier Pate, 24, was found guilty Tuesday of killing 14-year-old Omarius Gates on North Molleck Drive in June 2023. Pate's sentencing has been scheduled for July 9. Gates was killed while walking to a store with a large group of people, including Pate, following a basketball game at the Woodland's Apartment Complex.

2 days ago | pjstar.com | Mike Kramer

City Manager John Dossey is the highest-paid employee, earning $184,862 annually. The report is available for public review at City Hall or via email request. Illinois statute requires municipalities that participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund to publicly post a list of all employees making more than $75,000 in total compensation. The Journal Star is reviewing those public documents and sharing contents of the reports with readers for transparency.

3 days ago | pjstar.com | Mike Kramer

K.C. Hill, 86, has worked for the same railroad company for almost 68 years. He started as a fireman and now works as a full-time engineer for BNSF Railway. Hill enjoys the variety of his work and the ability to support his family. He has witnessed significant changes in the railroad industry, including the transition from steam engines to diesel and jet trains, and smaller crew sizes. In 1957, Dwight D.