A Publication of WTVP

Hometown

The Bishop Hill Colony Store flies the flag of Sweden

Direct Descendants

Religious freedom is fundamental to the American experience. From the beginning, immigrants came to the nation’s shores to escape persecution...
The clock tower in Jones Park in Canton

‘The Epitome of Resilience’

When asked to describe the people of Canton, Mayor Kent McDowell doesn’t hesitate.“Canton is the epitome of resilience,” he said.With...

‘West Bluff, Best Bluff’

A mural on the east side of One World Café sums up how many residents of Peoria’s West Bluff  feel...
Drew Stanford, left, and Susie Mason get their kicks by taking selfies in front of the mural on the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Pontiac

Get Your Kicks in Pontiac

If summer is the season for road trips, Pontiac may well qualify as the premier road trip destination in central...
Tower Park in Peoria Heights

It’s Happening in the Heights

"Wait! What? Is that a bird up there? A woodpecker? It’s huge! Is it real?”So goes a newcomer’s astonished discovery...

The New Normal

At its simplest and most functional, Normal’s Uptown Circle resolves a troublesome intersection of streets in the town’s historic business...
Galesburg Scene

All Aboard for Galesburg

Galesburg is a railroad town. Evidence of the city’s proud railroading heritage is everywhere.School sports teams have names like the...
Ottawa cityscape and river view

Opportunistic Ottawa

Ottawa has been called one of the “10 small towns in Illinois that offer nothing but peace and quiet.”   ...
Pekin Mayor Mark Luft at the corner of South Fourth Street, and Court Street.

Progress and Promise in Pekin

Legend has it that Pekin was named for Peking (now Beijing), the capital of China. It’s an appealing but apocryphal...

The Washington Way

When Washington residents find themselves going in circles, it’s not because they are lost or confused. In fact, they couldn’t...
Kayakers enjoy a morning on Lake Eureka, a favorite recreational spot in Eureka

Living It Up Local in Eureka

No McDonalds. No Walmart. No Starbucks. No big box home center or national hotel chain. What Eureka, Illinois doesn’t have...
South Side Mission Building with a rose bush

‘God can start some things’

At South Side Mission, an ambitious new project has roots stretching back almost a century. In 1925, Helen Haien would...
Welcome to Brimfield sign Employees on shop floor

Brimfield Beckons

If you ask Dan Fishel what he likes about Brimfield, the mayor has plenty to say. Just don’t call him...
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