🌱 Nine Weekend Shootings + Bradley Park Statue + Rennick Art Show

Welcome to June, Peoria. In today's edition of Patch's newsletter:

• A man was shot and killed Monday, marking the city's eighth homicide of the year.
• Neighborhood groups are hoping to add a new statue to Bradley Park.
• Tony-winning musical "Dear Evan Hansen" is leaving the Civic Center soon.

But first, today's weather: A thunderstorm around in the p.m. High: 89 Low: 66.

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Here are the top 3 stories in Peoria today:

1. Nine people were shot, and one was killed in the city over the holiday weekend, according to police data compiled by 25 News Now. Rick Ranson, 30, was fatally shot Monday night in the 2000 block of North Gale Avenue. It is the eighth homicide in Peoria so far this year. (25 News Now)

2. A Peoria woman will be arraigned today on first-degree murder charges, WMBD reports. Lauraine Singleton was indicted for the stabbing of James Davis on May 14. (WMBD)

3. Park District officials say they need more “specifics” before adding a new statue to Bradley Park. The West Bluff Council and Uplands Residential Association are asking the board to add a likeness of a Greek goddess to replace the Christopher Columbus statue removed by the park district in 2020. "What we want is some specifics, so we can make a determination on A, whether a statue should go there; B, who should pay for it; and C, whether that requires modification of our existing policy," Trustee Tim Bertschy said. (WCBU)

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Today in Peoria:

• An opening reception is held at the Peoria Riverfront Museum for the Historical Society’s 58th Annual Rennick Art Show featuring local artists. (5:30 p.m.)
• See the Tony-winning musical “Dear Evan Hansen” at the Civic Center. (7:30 p.m.)
• Jukebox Comedy Club hosts an open mic night. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Peoria police officers participated in the Murph Challenge over the weekend to honor Memorial Day. (Police Department)
• The park district will host “The Streets Belong To Me” tomorrow at Proctor Recreation Center. (Park District)
• Good Neighbor Days will be held in nearby Washington this weekend. (Discover Peoria)

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Featured events:

• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (June 5)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (June 6)
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That's all for Thursday, Peoria. See you Saturday for another newsletter.

— 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.