WCBU Reports

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen isn’t satisfied with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's answers about military layoffs in his Central Illinois district. Sorensen questioned Hegseth about the decision to cut up to 150 jobs at Rock Island Arsenal during a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on April 29.

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The City of Peoria is considering a funding plan to help the Twin Towers Place condominiums pay for needed repairs and renovations. 

But City Manager Patrick Urich points out that no money has been allocated quite yet. Rather, the city may look to establish a special service area to generate the funds.  

Urich notes Peoria has used special service areas elsewhere in the city to assist with needed improvements or added services - such as around Junction City, the Louisville Slugger sports complex, and the Westlake and Grand Prairie shopping centers. 

He says the Twin Towers condos may not have streets to maintain, but they are a "vertical neighborhood" that merits similar consideration for financial assistance. 

Urich says any up-front money provided by the city would be paid back entirely over time ... and Peoria's financial risk would be minimal. 

In part two of our latest regular interview, Urich tells reporter Joe Deacon how the special services area process would work for funding the Twin Towers renovations ... noting the buildings had a fire a number of years ago and had to exhaust all of their financial reserves.

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A pending property sale that would see O'Brien Steel acquire land near the Illinois River from the Detweiller Trust has drawn scrutiny from community members over the potential loss of river access and green space.

Last week, the Peoria Park District Board narrowly voted down a proposal tied to the sale that would expanded the right-of-way along the Rock Island Greenway Trail in the area. 

Another potential aspect of the sale would see the City of Peoria vacate Caroline Street near the Detweiller Marina.

As part of our regular interview series, Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich talks with reporter Joe Deacon about the city's possible involvement in the process.

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The new Farm Bill that the U.S. House has approved faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Lawmakers remain at odds over food assistance and year-round use of ethanol in fuel. Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood voted for the Farm Bill. In this interview with WCBU reporter Joe Deaon, LaHood says the measure was a necessary compromise.

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Gas prices keep soaring as the U-S war in Iran shows no end in sight. In this interview with WCBU reporter Joe Deacon, Peoria-area Republican Congressman Darin LaHood says he's ready to see the Trump administration find a way out of this war -- to help bring down fuel prices soon.

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Illinois has one of the highest number of data centers in the country. But as residents worry about their water and electricity use, state lawmakers are considering legislation to rein in new data center proposals.

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Retiring Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria believes the department is in a better place than when he took the job five years ago. This is Part 2 of our interview with the retiring police chief.

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Police Chief Eric Echevarria informed the city he will retire as of May 15, after serving nearly five years in the role. WCBU's Joe Deacon talks to Echevarria about his record and what's next.

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An Illinois lawmaker has proposed a bill to require high schools to provide female manikins for CPR training. Women are 27% less likely to receive CPR from a bystander than men because of concerns of inappropriate touching, exposing of the chest or accusations of sexual assault, according to the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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It's been a long leadership transition for one of the area's largest employers. Michelle Conger has taken over as CEO of OSF HealthCare following the retirement of Bob Sehring. Those plans were announced in 2024. Conger, who was been with O-S-F for several decades, tells WCBU reporter Joe Deacon why they set up the transition that way.

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