🌱 Arbor Day 'Green Thumb Giveback' + Pokémon Day At The Peoria Zoo

Good morning, everybody! Nicole Fallon-Peek here with your fresh copy of the Peoria Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Cooler; a few morning showers. High: 61 Low: 42.
• Sunday: Cooler with a stray shower. High: 53 Low: 41.

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Here are the top three stories in Peoria today:

1. This past Thursday, the Peoria Park District partnered with Ameren Illinois to host a 'Green Thumb Give Back' event for Arbor Day. Volunteers came out to Donovan Park and worked with the Park District to help clean and 'beautify' with acts such as planting trees and picking up trash. Last year, Donovan Park received accreditation for arboretum level one status; part of maintaining this status is hosting a public event. (CIProud.com)
2. On Thursday, Stephanie Melgoza of Farmington was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the death of two people in an East Peoria drunk-driving crash. East Peoria police reported that Melgoza struck and killed Andrea Rosewicz and Paul Prowant near Full Throttle Bar last April; Melgoza pled guilty to all four charges back in February. Melgoza expressed her full remorse and said she intends to use her experience as a message to those who may think to do the same in the future. Melgoza is guilty of two charges of aggravated DUI and two counts of aggravated reckless driving. (Pekin Daily Times)
3. Today is Pokémon Day over at the Peoria Zoo, a perfect family event for young ones and Pokémon fans who want to relive their childhoods. The event will be running from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., and you can find several different Pokéstops throughout the zoo in hopes to catch 'em all! There is no registration required for the event; for more information, you can visit the zoo's event page. (CIProud.com)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Peoria:

Saturday, April 29

• 'Titanic (Ensemble Version)' Auditions - Corn Stock Theatre Center, Upper Bradley Park, Costa Theatre Space (2:00 PM)
• Drive 2 Thrive 2023 - Richwoods High School (2:00 PM)
• Happy 100th Birthday, Judy! Concert - Bradley Renaissance Coliseum (7:00 PM)

Sunday, April 30

• Boondocks Spring Market - Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, Mackinaw (11:00 AM)
• Concert Choir Spring Performance - CougarPlex, East Peoria (4:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Peoria Police Department wants to congratulate its newest graduates of the University of the Illinois Police Training Institute. Officer Hayes, Koposky, Robinson, Reece, and Blair worked very hard in their studies and the department is excited to see them apply their training to the world. (Peoria Police Department via Facebook)
• The Peoria Fire Department participated in the St. Jude Gala auction this year and had a blast doing so. The big winners this year were little Trace and Ellie who got to ride to school with firefighters on a fire truck. (Peoria IL Fire Department via Facebook)
• The Disney Film Festival is still ongoing until tomorrow at the Peoria Riverfront Museum! Come out and feel the magic with renowned Disney author J.B. Kaufman for talks around the films, Q&As, and book signings; the full schedule is available here. (Peoria Riverfront Museum via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.