Tazewell County

Let's get started with project updates.

Officials in Tazewell County, Illinois marked the topping out of the county's new 87,000-square-foot Justice Center Annex in downtown Pekin.

Designed by Wold Architects and Engineers and built by P.J. Hoare, the $43.5 million facility will initially include three courtrooms, consolidated county offices, and an underground tunnel for secure transport from the jail.

The annex will separate public, judicial, and in-custody circulation while allowing future courtroom expansion.

We had about 70 tornadoes in April, multiple tornado outbreaks.

Most of those were in central Illinois, including a lot in Logan County, I don't know, and Tazewell County.

Those are the hot spots in April.

And then a few in northern Illinois as well, including that EF2, the Lena tornado that was up there.

You see? Smart guy, me.

I told you I studied that history of Tazewell County till my head hurt.

The only name I could think of when this guy popped up from behind the hedge was the sheriff.

Well, John Stout marched me over to a horse and buggy and he butted me to a stanchion with the biggest pair of rusty handcuffs I ever saw and said, Get out, Queenie.

Nice to be here.

Also with us, Katie Vandenberg, who lives in Tazewell County near Peoria.

She and her family have firsthand experience with this.

In the spring, she filed a complaint with the State Agriculture Department about pesticide drift at her daughter's school in Morton.

Let me remind listeners, this is the 21st show.

We're talking about pesticide drift today.

My guests are Kimmerer Pitcher, director of ecological health with the Prairie Rivers Network, and Katie Vandenberg, who is a resident of Tazewell County, Illinois, has experienced drift on her own property as well as at her daughter's school.

Filed a complaint with the Department of Agriculture this year, which has resulted in a significant fine.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, I basically cover Tazewell County for them.

Okay.

So it's not just Pekin, it's Washington, Morton, Tremont, you know.

But probably early September, and i- it'll still be timely, uh, at, at...

when we do post that, so.

I, I have a standing order at the radio station that if, if data center is mentioned on any agenda in Tazewell County, cover that meeting.

Oh, yeah.