With owner Boyd Gaming preparing plans for a new gambling facility, Peoria city leaders have taken steps to make sure any land-based casino is located within their city’s boundaries. But what does this mean for East Peoria?

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A City of Peoria program is helping unhoused people overcome the last few barriers between them and a home.

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Wild rice grows in shallow waterways in the Great Lakes region and parts of Canada. It’s a plant that holds important ecological and cultural significance, but it’s been on the decline since the early 1900s.

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Three candidates want to represent the district that includes downtown, much of the West and Center Bluffs, and a swath of Central Peoria that runs up to Glen Ave. That area also includes major higher ed institutions like Illinois Central College and Bradley University.

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A wood building material can be used in high-rise structures, giving it the potential to replace materials that are bad for the climate, while also locking carbon into buildings for decades.

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Anxious. Uncertain. Fearful. These are just a few of the emotions Peoria’s unsheltered residents and advocacy groups are feeling in the aftermath of the city’s recently approved public encampment ban.

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WCBU Reports airs weekdays with an in-depth local news story from the WCBU Peoria Public Radio newsroom. New features are available every weekday by 5 a.m.

WCBU Reports is also available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Access to news in rural communities is dwindling, as newspaper staffs shrink and publications shutter. For these communities, some reports are coming from unexpected places.

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The pumpkin pie Americans enjoy each Thanksgiving often comes from pumpkins grown near Morton, Illinois. The region accounts for more than 95% of canned pumpkin in the U.S.

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