Nearby Communities
State Edition
National Edition
🌱 Can you crack the first clue in East Peoria’s ornament hunt?
East Peoria, Illinois Patch AM: a 4 min readHey hey East Peoria! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- Can you crack the first clue in East Peoria’s ornament hunt?
- Why East Peoria belongs on your Illinois River summer day-trip list
- How East Peoria firefighters helped during Washington’s back-to-back apartment fires
Today's riddle: What did the carpenter ant say when he walked into the bar? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
Today's East Peoria Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. After investing billions to light up their network from big cities to small towns, T-Mobile is America's best mobile network in the US, according to Ookla Speedtest. We thank T-Mobile for their support in helping to keep communities like ours connected and for making today's East Peoria Patch AM possible.
Find a T-Mobile store near East Peoria.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high of 84 and low of 61 degrees.
- Thursday: Partly sunny and warm, temps: high: 87, low: 66. 🌶 Hot!
- Friday: Thunderstorm, with a high of 84 and low of 67 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• 1st Clue released for East Peoria's America 250 Ornament Hunt (centralillinoisproud.com) — East Peoria residents can now start hunting for the handcrafted America 250 ornament hidden on public property within city limits, with weekly clues posted on FOLEPI’s Facebook page and the city website. The winner keeps the ornament and earns a $250 Visa gift card, and everyone in central Illinois is invited to join while respecting public spaces. The first clue points searchers toward a historic, river-shaped part of East Peoria’s early story. 
• 10 Charming Illinois River Towns Made For A Summer Day Trip (everafterinthewoods.com) — East Peoria gets a spotlight as a quieter Illinois River destination, with Festival Park’s summer concerts, community events, and the Steamboat Classic road race anchoring warm-weather fun. The article also points visitors to Par-A-Dice, Fondulac Park District trails, and Eastside Centre as reasons to spend a full summer day right across the river from Peoria.
• Washington leaders praise first responders after weekend fires (centralillinoisproud.com) — Washington’s fire chief is crediting mutual aid from East Peoria and other nearby departments after two serious apartment fires in Washington strained the city’s volunteer crews. All residents were safely evacuated, though some suffered smoke-related injuries, and investigators are still determining the causes. Officials are urging apartment dwellers to review escape plans and check smoke detectors.
📸 Around East Peoria
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
East Peoria
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
Ribbon Cutting - Hampton Inn East Peoria
East Peoria Chamber of Commerce 220 Conference Center Drive East Peoria, IL 616611
4:00 pm -
Mass Transit District Board of Trustees Meeting →
East Peoria, IL Calendar, 401 W Washington Street, East Peoria
9:00 am -
EP!C Golf Outing 2026
East Peoria Chamber of Commerce Arrowhead Country Club 19430 N Centerville Rd, Edelstein, IL 61526
10:00 am -
Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting →
East Peoria, IL Calendar, 401 W Washington Street, East Peoria
6:00 pm -
Fire Pension Board of Trustees Meeting →
East Peoria, IL Calendar, 401 W Washington Street, East Peoria
10:00 am
Thursday June 4
Monday June 8
Tuesday June 9
📣 East Peoria Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
-
Senior Coffee at Alpha Park Clubhouse
Bartonville Village Clerk 5912 S Adams St, Bartonville, IL 61607
8:00 am -
Knit & Stitch Group →
Illinois Prairie District Public Library - Germantown Hills Branch, 509 Woodland Knolls Rd, Germantown Hills
10:00 am -
Listen and Wiggle Storytime In-Person
Pekin Public Library Storytime Room
10:00 am -
Ribbon Cutting - Big Papa Jake's Mobile Kitchen
East Peoria Chamber of Commerce Fondulac Admin Building 201 Veteran's Drive East Peoria, IL 61611
10:45 am -
Make AI Work for Local Businesses - Grow with Google
Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dt36bSBwSFmRIJLls3wx4g
11:00 am -
Picnic at the Branch: Forest Park Nature Center
Washington Chamber of Commerce Sunnyland Branch 16 Sunnyland Plz, Washington, IL 61571
11:30 am -
TIME TBD- BASEBALL-V Boys - VS TBA (Game)
Washington Chsd 308 HOME - Brian Wisher Field
4:30 pm
Wednesday June 3
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Costco Wholesale Corporation posted a job opening for Maintenance Clerk in East Peoria. Apply here.
- Chick-fil-A posted a job opening for Front of House Team Member in East Peoria. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near East Peoria here.
🗞 Nearby News
Morton
- Morton girls soccer one win from state bid (centralillinoisproud.com)
- Lawmakers pass bill to shield abortion information from digital medical records (shawlocal.com)
Washington
- Softball and soccer heroes: Vote for Journal Star girls athlete of the week for May 25-30 (pjstar.com)
- ‘My duty': Washington man on why he ran into a burning nursing home (centralillinoisproud.com)
- The Latest: Trump faces new inflation warning from bond market, adding to midterm challenges (wcia.com)
Ok East Peoria! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Is the bar tender here? (Thank you W. M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
👉 Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.