PEORIA MAGAZINE December 2022

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Illinois Defense Manufacturing Consortium (ILDMC) a five-year, $5 million grant through the department’s Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. The federal grant is supplemented by an additional $1.6 million in non-federal funds to support the project. The focus of the ILDMC and this grant is to create a Center of Excellence model for casting, forging and energy storage manufacturers to enhance innovation and increase industrial capacity, and to build a talent pipeline for advanced manufacturing and defense resiliency targeting underrepresentedpopulations. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Prairieland Federal Credit Union (PFCU) in Normal has merged with the University of Illinois Community Credit Union (UICCU). The vote joins PFCU’s 7,000 members and more than $95 million in assets with UICCU’s 46,000 members and $490 million in assets.

The Peoria Historical Society will conduct its annual Holiday Home Tour Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 and 4. The Saturday tour is from 5 to 9 p.m., Sunday’s from 1 to 5 p.m.. There will be visits to the Murray Baker home, the Flanagan and Pettengill-Morron homes, and other homes on Glen Oak, Moss and Perry avenues. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Get advance tickets at peoriahistoricalsociety.org, 309-674-1921 or 309tix.com.

Broomfield , was one of 41 designs submitted and features a yellow sun in the upper left corner that forms the letter P, a field of green representing agriculture, and the Illinois River in the lower right.

Junior Achievement of Central Illinois is launching a new volunteer recruitment campaign called Company Champions. To learn more, contact Junior Achievement President Mary Pille at mary.pille@ja.org. Enrollment is open for Leadership Morton 2023 , a leadership program sponsored by the Morton Chamber of Commerce . Participation is open to individuals who reside, work or spend a majority of volunteer time in Morton. Apply at www.mortonchamber.org/ leadership-morton. Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce members may be eligible to receive free LED lighting in a cooperative program with OEO Energy Solutions of Lake Zurich. LED tubes, outdoor fixtures and warehouse fixtures are available to qualified, non-residential Ameren Illinois customers. Quantities are limited. Learn more at 508-903 7706 or at jim.rae@oeo.com.

Find out what’s happening in Pekin with the podcast What’s the Story Pekin? Hosted by Gary Gillis, the podcast features interviews with elected officials, personalities and other community leaders. Hear it on Spotify (www.spotify.com).

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Eric H. Holder, Jr. , former attorney general during theObama administration, will be the speaker at the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. Celebration Luncheon on Jan. 16, 2023, at the Peoria Civic Center. Holder was the first African American to serve as attorney general. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased at www.mlkluncheon.com or at City Hall. The luncheon is hosted by the Public Employees for Community Concerns .

Peoria County unveiled its first-ever flag at a special Oct. 22 ceremony at the Peoria Riverfront Museum . The flag, designed by Peoria resident Aaron

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Give the gift of Fine Music ! Community ...

Support your local

COMING SPRING 2023

Feb 4 West Side “Stories” Apr 15 Empire Wild Mar 18 Cherish the Ladies May 27 Classical Mystery Tour

For tickets, go online to heartlandfestivalorchestra.org or call (309) 339-3943.

DECEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 105