I’m not doing a Top 10. Rather, I’m just going through each month and pulling out the two or three most significant events that happened, as reported on the Chronicle. No doubt there are bigger stories missing here and there because I didn’t write about everything, but you can read about those in the mainstream media or other blog sites.
Here are the 2009 Top Stories on Peoria Chronicle, as I see them:
January
- It’s announced that Cub Foods in MidTown Plaza closes its doors in March.
- Rod Blagojevich is removed from office.
February
- Residents start questioning why Peoria Public Library is throwing away books.
- Analog TV transmissions cease for most stations in the country, although a few stick around until June.
- District 150 Treasurer Guy Cahill is fired.
March
- WHOI News bites the dust as an independent news source. WEEK-TV (Granite Broadcasting) takes over operations under a shared service agreement, fires all WHOI reporters. The newscast and anchors remain, but content is identical to WEEK.
- Barbara Van Auken is sued by Sigma Nu fraternity in a transparent (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to spike Van Auken’s reelection bid.
April
- Public Facilities Tax passes, proving once again Mencken’s proverb that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
- District 150 voted to close Kingman Primary, Tyng Primary, Irving Primary, and Woodruff High schools. Technically, it was “a high school to be named later,” but this was the vote that doomed Woodruff.
- Lindbergh Middle School principal Julie McArdle is fired, sues District 150.
May
June
- Holiday Inn City Centre wants in on the city’s “free money for downtown hotels” initiative, asks for $8 million to upgrade property.
July
- A new plan is revealed to convert the Kellar Branch rail line to a trail. A mysterious corporation has bought out Pioneer Railcorp’s and Carver Lumber’s interests in the line, and it’s safe to assume the taxpayers will ultimately pay when it is finally converted to a trail. Time will tell how much it will cost.
- The Chronicle breaks the news that numerous Peoria businesses are overcharging for sales tax due to confusion over the 1% Hospitality Improvement Zone (HIZ) tax that took effect in July. The HIZ tax was only supposed to apply to a small area of downtown, but was being collected throughout the city.
August
- Northwoods Mall stops CityLink from using its property for a transfer center.
- OSF gets okay to put energy center immediately adjacent to single-family homes on the East Bluff. OSF’s justification: they don’t want the view of their Milestone Building obstructed. Protests from neighbors are ignored by the council, including the third district councilman.
September
- City Council declines to take any action to protect citizens from being overcharged for sales tax.
- District 150 changes grading policy to artificially boost student achievement scores.
- Economic Development Director Craig Hullinger announces his retirement, effective November 6. Expect his consulting company to be hired sometime next year.
October
- President Obama awarded Nobel [Popularity] Prize.
- District 150 Superintendent Ken Hinton announces his retirement effective December 2, six months earlier than expected. Norm Durflinger named interim superintendent.
- New waste hauling contract awarded to Peoria Disposal Company (PDC).
November
- Big PR push for Peoria Charter School begins.
- Two Peoria County Jail inmates escape, then are caught.
- Chronicle rolls out new Peoria tagline: “Better than Nothing.”
- Republican Sheriff Mike McCoy’s son Tyler arrested for DUI two months after incident as Democrat States Attorney Kevin Lyons makes transparent attempt to spike the elder McCoy’s reelection bid.
December
- Vonachen’s Old Place razed.
- District 150 teacher negotiations break down; district declares impasse. District later asks for return to bargaining table.
And that’s your 2009 Year in Review.
Is the reason that a very important story was missed in September? What about the September 9th forced leave of a certain administrator, who was forced to take a leave of absence because of CRIMINAL FELONY CHARGES, who is still ON LEAVE WITH FULL PAY? By the end of January of 2010 that will be $45,000 paid to a certain administrator who has not worked since the beginning of September. I believe the district is trying to wait that person out until he/she can quietly go away and collect their retirement and disappear into the sunset. DICTIONARY DEFINITION FOR DISTRICT 150: HIDE IT UNDER THE TABLE.
Is there a reason that a very important story was missed in September? What about the September 9th forced leave of a certain administrator? This was a forced leave of absence because of CRIMINAL FELONY CHARGES, who happens to still be on LEAVE WITH FULL PAY. By the end of January 2010 he/she will have collected $45,000. for not working since the beginning of September. I believe the district is trying to wait that person out until he/she can quietly go away and collect his/her retirement and disappear into the sunset. DICTIONARY DEFINITION FOR DISTRICT 150: HIDE IT UNDER THE TABLE.
amen, Honestman. BTW, what’s up with that? any news?
I considered the Mary Davis leave of absence an extension/result of the McArdle lawsuit, which was already on the list.
Hey C.J.: I am not trying to tell you how to write your articles, but there was a five month time difference between the time the lawsuit was filed until the dismissal of a certain, highly paid, academic officer of the only school district in town.
And 150 teacher: I think maybe the lawyers are just making sure all of the “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed. Better safe than sorry.
CJ: President Obama was awarded the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. I know you aren’t the Nobel committee but I trust their judgment in awarding prizes over yours. You are so so Fox News.
Unfortunately, the Peoria City Council has made a bad habit out of ignoring the concerns of constituents. It has been done at more than one meeting, even as recently as the last one.
It’s a tad self serving, don’t you think. to nominate your own oh-so-clever “better than nothing” moniker as a top local story of 2009?
Obama did not deserve the nobel peace prize, he all but admitted it himself. By receiving that prize, he has diminished the importance of it. Obviously, you only have to be the first black man (sorry Clinton, he claimed he was the first) elected to be president of the USA to receive it, because he had BARELY been in office when he was selected. Check the facts. whine and complain all you want, but that is the truth.
Emtronics: You are free to see things your way, just as I am free to see things my way. I would point out, however, in response to your Fox News comment, that puzzlement over Obama’s Nobel prize spanned the political spectrum. Even the New York Times questioned it.
SteveJ: Yes, that wasn’t really a “top story.” I was just being sardonic.
Surprised that Kevin Lyons’ arresting every cop he can on no evidence didn’t make the list. Or that 3 of those officers are still awaiting a fair and expediant trial almost a year later. But it could go hand in hand with him arresting McCoy’s son for him not supporting him in the last election as well.
EM: Even Barry admits he didn’t deserve it. It’s a joke.
EM: I know C.J. very well. One thing you could never call him is Fox News.
He gives me a hard time, all of the time, for even using them as a source for information, to spite the fact it is the only fair network out there. You only think it is conservative because everything else is so liberal. Anything fair would, by definition, have to lean further to the right than other networks.
I think you missed the time when they started construction on the BLOCK. That definitely happened this year. The radical museum people told me so before te election.
“sorry Clinton, he claimed he was the first)” Clinton never claimed to be the first black President. Author Toni Morrison, a black woman made that statement, not President Clinton.
“those officers are still awaiting a fair and expediant trial almost a year later.” I’m not a lawyer, but I think you’re only guaranteed a expediant trial if you are incarcerated. I don’t think the police officers you are referring to are in jail now, are they?
“One thing you could never call him is Fox News.
“He gives me a hard time, all of the time, for even using them as a source for information, to spite the fact it is the only fair network out there. ” Ok, this is a joke right?
Good riddance 2009. Hope there there isn’t so much bad news in 2010.
Actually, there’s enough evidence to prove the 3 officers justified and innocenct now. But Lyon’s doesn’t want the public to know it….so he drags the case on. This case is gonna come back and bite not only him but Settinsguard who supported him. They took a stance, but it was the wrong one and now they don’t know how to get out of it. Because Lyons charged these officers on incorrect evidence, this case is gonna blow up in their face and cost the taxpayers now almost 9.5k dollars and will reach over over 1 million by the time Lyons is done throwing his hissy fit. The impending lawsuits will expose Lyons for what he is.
I think Lyons was correct to charge McCoy’s son. What I want to know is why the delay in charging a certain Dist. 150 employee?
As a County Board member, I always received a Christmas card from Kevin L. None this year.
Hmmmmmm.
A small concern, but there is different treatment of the two political parties in your post:
“Rod Blagojevich is removed from office.”
“President Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize..”
“REPUBLICAN Sheriff Mike McCoy’s son Tyler arrested for DUI.”
If “Democrat” doesn’t belong in front of Blagojevich, does “Republican” belong in front of Sheriff Mike McCoy in this instance?
This caught my eye because this is typical of the MSM but not Peoria Chronicle. Just don’t want a double standard trend to start on here.
“equality”: I only put the parties on the McCoy/Lyons item because it was pertinent to the story. You’ll notice the rest of that entry also speaks of “Democrat Kevin Lyons.” I was pointing out that Lyons’ actions appear to be politically motivated. The parties of the other people on the list weren’t at issue.