Good morning, Peoria.

Peoria Riverfront Association is urging residents to vote online for the Farmer’s Market in the America’s Farmers Market Celebration Contest, where its sixth-place ranking could improve before voting ends on Sept.

30 — a win could bring up to $2,500 to support local farms.

The 40th Greater Peoria Honor Flight is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept.

8. The night before, veterans, family and guardians will dine at Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria before departing from the Greater Peoria International Airport to visit monuments and an extended USAA Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Brienzo's Pizza + Bar will open its new East Peoria restaurant on Oct.

1 at the Blutowne apartment complex, offering the first 500 guests a free pizza or appetizer during a future visit (one lucky guest will win a year of free pizza).

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali remains optimistic about CJ Harvest grocery store planned on the 200 block of South Western Avenue to address the local food desert.

The store will have a soft opening Friday, Oct. 23 + a grand opening Friday, Oct. 30 to create jobs and bring fresh food.

Peoria-area residents can enjoy a busy Labor Day weekend with events like the Delavan Fall Festival at Delavan Lake Park from Sept.

4-7 and a grape stomp at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard on Sept. 6. Other shows, markets and performances at Riverfront Park and local venues offer something for everyone.

With Labor Day nearing, wage updates show Illinois’s minimum wage rose to $15 per hour on Jan.

1 while Chicago raised its rate to $17.05 on July 1. Chicago’s tipped wage of $12.96 will rise 8% until it meets the standard rate by July 1, 2028 — easing living costs.

Local schools require athletic directors to use wet bulb temperature guidelines to check air temperature, humidity, wind and clouds to protect student-athletes.

The rules follow the Illinois High School Association standards so practices are canceled if conditions become too hot + unsafe.

Drivers in Peoria should expect higher fuel costs ahead of Labor-Day weekend as one analysis projects record-high gas prices with local averages reaching $4.27.

National prices rose from $4.01 to $4.10 recently amid geopolitical tensions affecting oil output.

East Peoria City Council approved a $2.6M contract with ATG Sports to convert the last two diamonds at EastSide Centre to synthetic turf with LED lighting—completing a five-year upgrade.

The council also approved nearly $20K for volleyball court improvements and funding for Centennial Drive pavement repairs.

COVID-19 cases in Illinois increased slightly last week as hospital visits rose by 0.03%+ one Bellwood outbreak and a related death were reported, though overall activity remains very low.

The health department advises residents, especially high-risk groups, to keep up with vaccinations.

Peoria schools are taking steps to keep students cool during the heat wave; Carle Health emergency physician William Fletchall advised students to wear loose, bright clothing, drink water, and take shaded breaks to avoid heat illnesses (from cramps to severe exhaustion).

Peoria Opportunities Foundation and Pivotal Housing Partners will break ground on MacArthur Senior Flats mid-October at MacArthur and McBean.

The new 48-unit senior housing project with commercial space plans to start leasing in January 2028.