🌱 Homicide Charges In Street Racing Death + COVID Emergency Ends

Hello, Peoria! Let's get caught up on the latest local headlines, including:

• What the federal pandemic emergency ending means for Peoria.
• A local television presence celebrates more than 40 years on the air.
• The world-famous Body Works exhibit opening at a city museum.

But first, today's weather: Warm with clouds and sun. High: 83 Low: 65.

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Here are the top 4 stories today in Peoria:

1. A Peoria man was convicted of reckless homicide Wednesday in connection with a street racing crash which killed a woman, 25 News Now reports. Darien Davis will be sentenced next month for the charges, dating back to the September 2021 crash which led to the death of 50-year-old Jackie McDuffie near Sterling Plaza. (25NewsNow)

2. Today marks the end of the federal pandemic emergency declaration dating back to 2020 when COVID-19 cases began to surge. Currently, no Illinois counties are at an elevated risk for COVID-19 transmission. (NBC)

3. Mayor Rita Ali will join Southern Illinois University’s virtual “Meet the Mayors” series tomorrow. The event is free to attend, and audience questions are encouraged. (SIU)

4. The “Body Worlds RX” exhibit opens Saturday at Peoria Riverfront Museum. It has been touring for 20 years and has been seen by more than 50 million people worldwide, the museum reports. This is its first-ever stop in Peoria. (Museum)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Peoria:

• The Peoria Zoological Society hosts a “Zootini” martini tasting event. (6 p.m.)
• It’s Miller Lite Throwback Thursday at Dozer Park as the Chiefs take on Dayton. (6:35 p.m.)
• See “The Wedding Singer” at Peoria Players Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Local meteorologist Chuck Collins is celebrating 46 years of broadcasting in the city. (25NewsNow)
• Nonprofit Peoria Grown is seeking volunteers to help address food insecurity. (WMBD)
• Water’s Edge Winery and Bistro announced it will close indefinitely. (WMBD)
• The Journal Star curated a list of best restaurants hosting Mother’s Day brunch. (Paid source: Journal Star)

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That's all for Thursday! See you Saturday for another update.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Peoria Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.