Category Archives: Local News
Organizations partner to distribute food in Peoria
By Gianna Njau PEORIA (25 News) - It's called "Bags of Blessings," a joint effort to deliver food to people in need across Peoria. Sunday's community-wide food distribution is the work of Peoria Frien...
Feb 23, 2026 Local organizations are providing Peoria residents in need with "Bags of Blessings". (25 News)
GasBuddy: Peoria prices down over 5 cents a gallon this week
PEORIA, Ill. - Peoria drivers are seeing a slight dip at the pump this week, with prices falling 5.5 cents over the last week. According to GasBuddy, the average price in Peoria is now $2.87 a gallon....
Feb 23, 2026 Orin Zebest / CC
Human service advocates say they are worried after Pritzker's status-quo budget proposal
Article Summary Health and human service advocates gathered at a watch party at the Illinois State Library across the street from the Illinois State Capitol to watch Gov. JB Pritzker's budget address....
Feb 21, 2026 Lobbyists with a variety of health and human service organizations across Illinois watch Gov. Pritzker’s annual budget address at the Illinois State Library Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Medill Illinois News Bureau by George Alexandrakis)
Peoria community leaders urge parents to reach out for help, youths to stay in school, in wake of recent youth violence
PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) - Peoria community leaders are urging more involvement in the wake of a violent car chase on Tuesday where six teenagers were arrested. Two 18-year-olds and four juveniles; ages...
Feb 21, 2026 (Will Stevenson/1470 & 100.3 WMBD)
4th person sentenced for role in 2024 Facebook Marketplace botched robbery
PEORIA, Ill. - Another defendant in a botched Facebook Marketplace robbery two years ago that left one person dead has learned their fate. The Peoria County State's Attorney's Office says 20-year-old ...
Feb 20, 2026 (Peoria County Sheriff's Office)
Battle over data centers in Illinois pits consumer costs vs. state competitiveness
Article Summary The debate over how to regulate data centers in Illinois is intensifying as lawmakers struggle to balance a host of competing interests. Illinois consumer advocacy groups are demanding...
Feb 20, 2026 While the AI race sparked heightened interest in data centers, most of the centers in the state are multi-tenant retail centers — shared by numerous organizations and highly connected with telecommunications, cloud computing and other providers. The Digital Realty center on Chicago’s South loop is an example. (Medill Illinois News Bureau photo by Gabriel Castilho)
Bill drafted by Illinois high schoolers would mandate vape disposal programs
Article Summary Two Illinois high school students worked with a legislator and stakeholders to draft a bill mandating disposal programs for electronic smoking devices like vapes. Producers would be re...
Feb 20, 2026 Pontiac High School students Andrew Diaz and Allison Hovaniec helped draft the bill that would mandate vape disposal programs. Completed as part of a class assignment, the duo said the experience was “life changing.” (Photo provided by teacher Paul Ritter.)
UPDATE: One person injured after stabbing near Peoria gas station
UPDATED 2:26 P.M. PEORIA, Ill. - An investigation continues into a Friday morning stabbing near a Peoria gas station. Peoria Police says officers responded to the Marathon at Knoxville and Forrest Hil...
Feb 20, 2026
First severe storms of 2026 moved through Central Illinois Thursday evening
By Brian Walder CENTRAL ILLINOIS (25 News) - Thursday's forecast called for an isolated risk of a strong or severe storm, and that's exactly what happened early Thursday evening. While most just saw s...
Feb 20, 2026 Midwest Communications
Former ComEd exec-turned-FBI mole in Madigan probe sentenced to probation
Article Summary Fidel Marquez, a former executive for electric utility Commonwealth Edison, was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday for his role in a yearslong bribery scheme intended to infl...
Feb 20, 2026 Fidel Marquez, a former Commonwealth Edison executive-
turned-cooperating witness, leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse with his attorney on
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, after his fifth day of testimony in the bribery and racketeering
trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. (Capitol News Illinois photo by
Andrew Adams)
