Pekin Chamber Honors Local Excellence at 2025 Business & Community Recognition Luncheon

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the best in business and community leadership at its 2025 Business & Community Recognition Luncheon, held on October 16 at the Pekin Country Club. Read More »

Jack Herbert To Lead FBCS Beginning Fall 2025

It is our great pleasure to welcome Mr. Jack Herbert as he joins the team at FBCS as the next administrator. Mr. Herbert has years of experience in Christian School education and administration having worked in two different Christian schools over 47 years of ministry. Read More »

Tazewell County Bicentennial – Recognizing Previous Tazewell County Clerks Joshua C. Morgan, 1828-1836

As Tazewell County approaches our Bicentennial in April of 2027, current Tazewell County Clerk John C. Ackerman and former County Clerk Christie A. Webb will be honoring and recognizing the previous community leaders to hold this position. The office of Tazewell County Clerk was the first Countywide Office established on April 10th 1827. Read More »

Can Something Last 175 Years? First Baptist Pekin Says Yes!

In 1850, Millard Fillmore was President, California became a state, and the first wooden, hand-cranked dishwasher was invented. That same year, in the heart of central Illinois, a small group of believers founded First Baptist Church of Pekin. Now, 175 years later, the church is still going strong. Read More »

Big Table Greater Peoria 2025: Turning Conversations Into Action

On October 17–18, residents, business leaders, educators, and community stakeholders from across Greater Peoria will gather in downtown Peoria for Big Table Greater Peoria 2025, a two-day forum designed to spark solutions and drive progress across the region. Read More »

Kiwanis Club of Pekin

Kiwanis International exists to serve the children of the world! Through local chapters, we each commit to supporting our local children. One of our biggest fundraisers of the year is coming up! The Marigold Festival Festive Foods infuses incredible generosity into our community through a variety of organizations. Read More »

Pekin Lions Club

The Pekin Lions Club is planning to celebrate its 85th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Pekin Elks on Derby Street from 1-5 p.m. A Past International Director, Walter (Bud) Wahl, will be the featured speaker. Read More »

In Search of History… with Tazewell Co. Genealogical and Historical Society

The next meeting of the Tazewell County Genealogical and Historical Society will be Tuesday, September 9th at 7pm. Logan Pappenfort is scheduled to present “Mounds and Their Meaning.” Meetings are free and open to the public. Read More »

Local Edward Jones Client Support Team Professional Qualifies for Recognition Conference

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Michelle Parker has announced that her client support team professional will attend the invitation−only Impact conference, an Edward Jones’ recognition conference for client support teams. Read More »

What's the Story, Pekin?

A Look Back as Miss Marigold: Gary visits with Sophia Vansaghi about her past year as Pekin Marigold Festival’s 2024 Miss Marigold. Read More »

Pekin Altrusa

It was encouraging to see how excited students were to be back in school at Meet the Teacher night, in addition to the many teachers who decorate their classrooms with posters that inspire and educate. Read More »

Miles of Madness Endurance Event to Benefit TAPS This Fall

The inaugural Miles of Madness Endurance Event is scheduled to take place at the Pekin Sports Complex on September 27–28, 2025. This event offers a distinctive challenge while supporting local animals in need. Read More »

Pekin Rotary Celebrates 45 Years of Flavor and Service at the Marigold Festival

As the community gears up for the beloved Marigold Festival on September 6 and 7, Pekin Rotary is proud to celebrate 45 years of tradition, service, and sizzling success. Read More »

A Summer of Adventures for the YWCA Pekin Early Learning Center Preschool Class

Thanks to a generous donor, our Preschool class enjoyed several field trips this summer. The first trip took place on June 5th, at Hooked on Fishing in East Peoria. We were fortunate to have many family members and volunteers join us for the day. Read More »

September Is National Library Card Sign-Up Month

Every September, libraries around the United States celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month, a nationwide initiative designed to encourage people of all ages to sign up for a library card and take advantage of the endless resources available at their local libraries. Read More »

Pekin Woman’s Club

The next meeting of the Pekin Woman's Club will be Friday, September 12, beginning at noon. The meeting will be held in Whitfield Hall of the Pekin First United Methodist Church, 1315 Court Street, Pekin. Read More »

In the Spotlight – Lou Steger Is Retired, But the Business He Helped Build Continues to Grow

When Kim Swise, Sales and Marketing Manager for Charter Senior Living, takes prospective residents on a tour of the Pekin facility, she sometimes hears an unusual question: “Is that Mr. Steger from the furniture store?” Read More »

PCHS: Another “Inspiring” Year Ahead

Wednesday, August 13th marked the start of the 2025-2026 school year for our Dragons! Everyone came back to a team ready to kick off a new year and a building with some wonderful upgrades and freshly waxed hallways waiting for the thousands of footsteps that will be logged on them throughout the year. Read More »

H.P. Westerman Whiskey and the Pekin Press

Back in the 1870s and 1880s, prominent Pekin alcohol distillery owner Henry P. Westerman (1836-1922) was not infrequently in the news, but it was not always the kind of news about one’s self that one likes to see in the newspaper. Read More »

Nominations Now Open: Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce to Host Annual Business & Community Recognition Luncheon

The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce will soon celebrate the achievements of local businesses and community leaders at its 2025 Business and Community Recognition Luncheon, to be held on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at Pekin Country Club. Read More »

Rising Utility Bills: A Tipping Point for Pekin Home Energy

Pekin residents are feeling the squeeze of higher utility bills, a trend that marks a new era for home energy management. Utility providers, including those serving Central Illinois, are experiencing increased demand and stressed infrastructure, leading to a significant rise in electricity costs for homeowners. Read More »

Taste of Pekin 2025 Promises Flavor, Fun, and a Few Surprises

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 3rd, because downtown Pekin is about to come alive with the sights, sounds, and—most importantly—flavors of the Taste of Pekin 2025. Read More »

Why Code Enforcement Matters: Safeguarding Quality of Life in Our Community

Recently, a resident asked me to share an informational article to remind the people of Pekin about some of our City Ordinances—specifically those related to code enforcement, such as parking in yards. Read More »

The Power of Pink in the Peoria Area

Two Peoria-area leaders, Brian Walder, Meteorologist at 25 News, and Seth Colvin, Chef at Suite Fire Bar + Grill, are joining the fight against breast cancer this fall. You will see both wearing pink throughout the month of October to promote awareness and raise funds. Read More »

A Word from Mayor Mary – A Vision Coming to Life

My article from September of last year was titled “A Vision for the Future,” and it was about the City’s decision to acquire the 1,000-acre Lutticken property. One year later, I am happy to change that title to “A Vision Coming to Life” and to update the community on how far we have come with this project in just 12 months. Read More »

Tazewell County TRIAD Works to Keep Seniors Safe, Active, and Strong

As a young patrol officer, Nathan Hastings, now a Tazewell County Sheriff’s Deputy, remembers getting multiple calls to the home of an elderly woman. She was a “pleasant lady,” he recalled, but she had lost the physical capacity to take care of her home and herself, and there were few family members or friends around to help. Read More »