Latest news with #Peoria
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Duckworth warns Medicaid cuts will impact 60,000 people in Peoria County
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Senate budget bill would kick 60,000 people in Peoria County off Medicaid, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said at a Thursday press conference with local health care advocates and Medicaid recipients about the consequences of Medicaid cuts. The Senate's version of the budget bill, released Monday, includes even deeper cuts to Medicaid than the House bill. It imposes stiffer work requirements, while the House version provided some exemptions. 'We are, again, at a tipping point where the health and even the lives of millions of Americans are at risk because President Trump and his heartless Republican cronies. Make no mistake, there's no way to fund Trump's $4 trillion in tax cuts for the billionaire class without putting it on the backs of Americans who are already struggling to pay the bills,' said Duckworth. In the state of Illinois, 3.4 million people depend on Medicaid, including nearly 60,000 people in Peoria County. One of those recipients is Dallas Anne Prentice from Chillicothe, a stay-at-home mom with rare genetic disabilities that prevent her from working. Her prescriptions would cost $2,000 without Medicaid. Right now, she pays $40 a month. She said losing her Medicaid benefits would be a death sentence. 'So the consequences are quite literally, I die. I require my medication and my regular health care to be able to simply function, to get out of bed in the morning. And if I lose my health care, my children lose their mother. I am telling you with all honesty, without Medicaid, I wouldn't be alive today. That's not an exaggeration,' she said. The Senate budget bill also caps Medicaid reimbursements to states, which would then have to pick up the tab. In rural areas like Peoria County, Duckworth said Medicaid covers more than 50% of services. 'So, for states that like Illinois, for example, we were the first state in the country that extended post-natal care for a year. We would have to fund 100% of that, when that was more of a matching with the federal government. And so it's a way to push the costs onto the states, which the states can't fund without saying, oh, we're cutting post-natal care,' said Duckworth. Tracy Warner is, executive director of Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, which represents 60 small and rural hospitals across the state. She said three in four patients at these hospitals depend on Medicaid or Medicare. 'For these hospitals, Medicaid is not a side issue; it's a lifeline. When Medicaid funding is cut, the impact is immediate and painful. More than 40% of rural hospitals in Illinois are operating at a financial loss. These hospitals are already facing low reimbursement rates, workforce shortages, and rising costs,' she said. Medicaid cuts will push these rural hospitals even further into financial distress, Warner said. Hospitals will be forced to make difficult decisions like cutting services and jobs, which will also impact people who are not on Medicaid. 'That ripple does not stop at hospital doors. When a rural hospital cuts services, local jobs are affected, small businesses lose customers, and patients are forced to travel even longer distances for basic care,' she said. 'So that compounding impact, especially on a rural communities, is very real and very significant to the extent that it will be absolutely devastating not only for health care and health care access, but our economies across the state and across the country as well,' added Duckworth. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) sent a statement to WMBD defending Medicaid cuts in response to Duckworth's presser. 'House Republicans are focused on strengthening and investing in Medicaid for those who need it most by ensuring the program continues to provide high-quality patient care for expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. To protect Medicaid for future generations, we must establish a common-sense approach to address waste, fraud, and abuse. House Republicans have taken a scalpel approach by enacting work requirements for the 4.8 million able-bodied adults without dependents who are choosing not to work and removing 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the program. I remain committed to supporting rural and underserved communities and prioritizing care for our nation's most vulnerable populations.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman accused of robbing man near Peoria apartment complex while armed with gun
A 19-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday after she allegedly robbed a man at an apartment complex while brandishing a handgun. Erianah D. King was charged with armed robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a FOID card and unlawful possession of a weapon under the age of 21 for her role in an alleged armed robbery late Sunday night at Lexington Hills Apartments in the 3400 block of West Fallen Oak Lane. More: Police video recording trailers are popping up at Peoria shopping centers. Here's why According to the Peoria Police Department, officers responded to the apartment complex Sunday at 11:54 p.m. after they received a report of an armed robbery. When officers arrived, they found a man who said that he went to Lexington Hills to purchase a vehicle from a woman. When he arrived at the apartments, the woman – later alleged to be King – approached him with a handgun and took an undisclosed amount of money. The man was not injured, and the woman fled on foot. King was arrested at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 3200 block of West Oakcrest Drive. Officers conducted a search of her apartment at Lexington Hills and found a handgun with an extended magazine inside. King is currently being held at the Peoria County Jail. Anyone with further information on this case is asked to contact police at (309) 673-4521 or provide an anonymous tip through their Tip411 service. They can also contact Crime Stoppers at (309) 673-9000. More: Peoria may buy Expo Gardens for major residential development project. Here's what we know This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Woman accused of robbing man in Peoria while armed with gun
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Peoria may buy Expo Gardens for major residential development project. Here's what we know
The city of Peoria is exploring purchasing Peoria Exposition Gardens, where the annual Heart of Illinois Fair is held, and turning the 70 acres of property into residentially developed land and saving it from foreclosure. Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich said the city hopes the land could be developed into 110 to 150 homes within the boundaries of Peoria Public Schools. He said that would mean roughly $1.5 to $1.6 million in additional annual property tax revenue. "The property is zoned residential and there are very few locations, in fact this is the only location, inside of the boundaries of Peoria Public Schools where we could have a large scale housing development," Urich said. The Peoria City Council will vote on the proposed purchase, which would cost the city more than $1 million, at its meeting on Tuesday. Peoria would use a state grant designed for land acquisition and housing to acquire the property, Urich said. Councilmember Andre Allen, whose 4th District is home to the Expo Gardens, will support the purchase. "This is a unique opportunity to help ensure a key District 4 property is developed in a way that benefits existing residents and strengthens the neighborhood," Allen told the Journal Star. "I'm excited for what lies ahead and grateful for the many years of memories Expo Gardens has provided the City of Peoria and beyond. Equally important, this effort allows us to bring our state dollars home and support local revitalization." More: 'Embarrassment': Additional $200M needed to fix Peoria sewer overflow issue. Here's why Both Peoria's City Manager Patrick Urich and Expo Gardens President Charles Kennell have signed a letter of intent written by the city that signals their desire to purchase the property. Peoria would purchase the property for $1.1 million and would also release Expo Gardens from roughly $457,000 of liens stemming from unpaid stormwater utility tax fees and other debts owed to the city. This purchase, according to information provided to the council by city staff, would benefit Peoria Public Schools by securing in city hands the "largest developable parcel for residential growth within District 150." Peoria would place the 70 acres of land into its land bank where it would then be marketed for development, if council approves the purchase. Urich said part of the agreement would provide the Exposition Gardens a short-term lease that would likely get it through this year's Heart of Illinois Fair, which is scheduled for July 15-19. A volunteer who answered the phone at the Peoria Exposition Gardens on Thursday said there was no one available to comment about the purchase. More: When does Best Buy open in East Peoria? What to know, including when Peoria store closes This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria may buy Expo Gardens for major residential development project
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Peoria Notre Dame all-stater commits to Big East women's college basketball program
Lexi Baer will be playing Division-I women's college basketball. The Peoria Notre Dame senior-to-be announced her commitment to Butler on June 11, ending the all-stater's recruitment before her final prep season. She had scholarship offers from Lehigh, Penn, Toledo, Evansville, Bradley, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Murray State, DePaul, Elon and Navy. "(I'd) like to thank my mom and dad for being there for me every step of the way," Baer posted. "And as well thank you to all of the coaches who have helped me develop into the player and person I am today." Advertisement During her junior season, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 15.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists for the Irish, who were the Class 2A state runner-up and finished with a 33-5 record. She was named the Class 2A Illinois Media player of the year along with being Journal Star Class 2A all-area, all-Big 12 Conference first team and an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state first team. More about Lexi Baer: This elite Peoria Notre Dame basketball recruit is evolving into so much more this summer Butler finished 16-18 overall and 5-13 in Big East Conference play, losing in the first round of the conference tournament. The Bulldogs earned a postseason berth in the WNIT and lost in the second round to Purdue Fort Wayne. Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@ Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA women's basketball recruiting: Lexi Baer commits to Butler
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Could a tiny home village help solve homelessness in Peoria? Here are the arguments
During a sweeping policy discussion on how to tackle homelessness, the Peoria City Council moved forward Tuesday night on exploring a tiny home village in the city and providing another $64,000 to continue housing homeless people at a local motel. The council took made no official votes during its special policy meeting, but it did signal approval to allow city staff to continue exploring a plan to build a tiny home village somewhere in Peoria that would house some of the city's homeless population. Those tiny homes — which would be operated by the Dream Center Peoria — would be roughly 70-square-feet and have heating, air conditioning and on-site laundry, showers and bathrooms. The homes would primarily be for single adults and targeted at individuals who are not suited for a congregate shelter setting. It would cost an estimated $900,000 to build a tiny home village of 32 homes in Peoria and another $300,000 annually to operate the village, Dream Center Executive Director Andy King told the council. More: Juneteenth event replaces fireworks as new summer celebration at Glen Oak Park No official decision has been made on the tiny home village, and at this stage the City Council has only given a signal of approval to city staff to move forward with exploring options for tiny homes and find potential codes and ordinances that would need to be rewritten. Where a village would be built — if the proposal is ever given a full stamp of approval by the council — figures to be one of the more contentious questions the city will have to weigh. The Dream Center told the council it hopes to create a hub for homelessness services, and, ideally, the tiny home village would be near its main facility in Downtown Peoria. Mayor Rita Ali, while supportive of the tiny home concept, said she was adamantly opposed to seeing the tiny home village built in Downtown Peoria. Ali said that Downtown Peoria, which already features a litany of homeless shelters and housing, cannot become the "destination" for all of the city's homelessness services, saying the tiny home village could hurt the "safety conditions and perceptions" of downtown. Councilmembers John Kelly and Mike Vespa agreed with Ali's sentiment that a tiny home village would not be best suited for Downtown Peoria. Vespa said he supported the concept of a tiny home village in Peoria, making note it should be on a bus line, saying it gave people a "door to lock behind them." Councilmember Tim Riggenbach was the first on the council to champion tiny homes, and on Tuesday night, he applauded the progress Peoria has made in reducing homelessness but said it was "critical" that the council give staff direction to move forward with exploring the concept of tiny homes. Riggenbach urged caution, however, when it came to the council ruling out locations for the tiny home village this early in conversations. No one on the council seemed to be generally opposed to the concept of a tiny home village, but at-large councilmember Denis Cyr raised concerns about how and where the city would find funding for the village. City leaders on Tuesday night also heard progress updates from many of the region's homelessness providers, including the United Way's Continuum of Care, the Dream Center Peoria and Carle Health's Trillium. Those presenters painted a picture of a city that has made progress in reducing homelessness but still faced key barriers in shelter capacity and availability of housing. Housing projects like Phoenix Manor in Downtown Peoria, which will provide 55 units of permanent housing for families experiencing homelessness, and the expansion of the Salvation Army's Downtown Peoria shelter, are viewed as success stories in expanding shelter and housing options in Peoria. But more is still needed as homeless numbers continue to rise in Peoria and the nation, Continuum of Care's Kate Green told the council. In a January 2024 census, the United Way — which serves Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and Fulton counties — counted 635 people experiencing homelessness. That number is up from 201 people in 2021 and 451 in 2015. Green told the council that there has been a "serious escalation in homelessness" since the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, data presented by Green showed that those experiencing homelessness have reported a rise in mental health issues and substance abuse problems. The City Council took no formal vote to provide the homelessness outreach group LULA with another $64,000 in funding for its revolutionary hotel project, in which they've housed dozens of homeless individuals in a local hotel. But all council members who spoke about the project on Tuesday night applauded its successes in not just allowing the city to clear the controversial and prominent homeless encampments in the city but also in connecting homeless individuals with services. The kicker of the program's success, however, is it relies on city funding. If no new funding is approved by the city, the program will end, and its participants could end up back on the streets. More: Heartbreak to resilience: Untold perspectives of Caterpillar's HQ move from Peoria In March, the City Council moved to provide LULA with roughly $204,000 in funding that would allow for it to operate its hotel program through the end of June. The end of June is closing in, and at its meeting on June 24 the council will weigh a measure to give LULA another $64,000 to keep the program operational. More than 100 people have participated in the hotel program. Fifty-one have been put into permanent housing programs, while 29 others have housing applications or appointments in place. Further complicating matters as Peoria tries to find permanent solutions to homelessness are expected cuts coming to the federal budget that city officials fear will cause more housing insecurity in Peoria. Propsed cuts to the federal budget, which is still being worked on by the U.S. Senate, will impact the number of Section 8 housing vouchers available those who need financial subsidies in order to afford housing. Continuum of Care funding would also be moved to states under the cuts. Emergency solutions grants, community block grant development funds and HOME grants would also be cut under the budget. Peoria Community Development Director Joe Dulin told the council these cuts could lead to an additional 1,000 people in Peoria to experience housing insecurity, calling the cuts to the Section 8 voucher system "pretty significant." Dulin told the council that the city would either have to use general fund dollars to support those programs or potentially go without some of those services. Ali said councilmembers and everyone else in the area should contact their congressional representative and encourage them to not vote for a federal budget that includes these moves. Ali said the cuts would be "detrimental" to the work the city has done in combatting homelessness. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria looks at tiny home village as possible homelessness solution
