Participants in the Barnyard Olympics battle it out in a tug-o-war competition during the Peoria County 4-H Show Barnyard Olympics on Thursday, Aug. 1 at Expo Gardens in Peoria.
A road worker kicks up a cloud of dust as he sweeps dirt and debris Friday, Aug. 2, off a section of NE Adams Street in Peoria..
Chloe Massey, left, 9, Kenlee Calvin, middle, 8, and Irelynn Massey, 7, all of Bartonville, scream as they spin around on the Paratrooper ride Friday, August 2, at the Bartonville Fire Department Fish Fry at Alpha Park.
Drag performer Angelique Mystique performs onstage during the River City Pride Festival on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Glen Oak Park Amphitheatre.
A runner in the St. Jude Springfield-Peoria run dons an Abe Lincoln hat and waves an American flag as he heads up Fulton Street to conclude the 2019 St. Jude Run on Saturday, Aug. 3, in Downtown Peoria.
A driver kicks up a massive cloud of dirt and dust as he re-enters the race after spinning out into the infield on Saturday, Aug. 3, at Peoria Speedway.
Niles Industrial painter Vince Currie, left, of Bartonville and Chris Purdue of Hanna City put a fresh coat of orange paint on a railway car Monday, Aug. 5 at the Wheels O’ Time Museum in Dunlap.
Coaches react as Wesley Meister, 13, of Farmington wins a “knockout” competition during the Curley Boo Johnson Skills for Life Basketball Academy on Monday, Aug. 5, at Dunlap High School.
Grace Barbic of Bloomington takes out a set of beer bottles with a baseball bat during a session at Smash Club Bloomington, 1102 S. Main Street, in Bloomington.
An American flag waves in the breeze next to an old barn and a corn field in rural Woodford County.
Tyson Parks IV, a stretcher and installer with Central Illinois Awning, works at assembling an awning at the business’s Peoria workshop in Peoria. The company is owned and operated by the founders of the Helping Hands Resource Center, a charitable organization that employs and trains ex-convicts in an attempt to reintegrate them into society and avoid recidivism.
Rhodes Etheridge, 5, of Champaign, sits patiently while Teresa Menk, left, of Fancy Faces spray paints a spider figure in his hair Sunday, Aug. 11 during the 90th annual Italian-American Society Summer Festa Picnic at Hickory Grove Park in Dunlap.
Volunteer Kristin Plattner, top left, lifeguard Hallie Draughan, top right, and swim instructor Richard Whited, bottom, help Hunter Spencer in the pool during a swim safety class for autistic kids at Easterseals Central Illinois in Peoria.
Chelsea Hamlet of Pekin dances with her daughter Isabelle, 3, to the music of the Stone Cold Cowboys during the 38th annual Taste of Peoria on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Northwoods Mall.
Ellie Pearl of Peoria strolls across the Rock Island Greenway Bridge that spans Knoxville Avenue on Thursday, Aug. 15, in Peoria.
Bradley’s Lida Kastanou shows some intensity as she gets low for a dig during the Red-White volleyball scrimmage Thursday, Aug. 15, at Renaissance Coliseum.
A worker with the Otto Baum Company works high above Main Street to perform some repairs on the facade of the former Commerce Bank Building on Friday, Aug. 16, in Downtown Peoria.
Ryan Hoffstatter, left, of Pekin and his girlfriend Delaynie Wallace of St. Charles spend some quality time together Friday, Aug. 16, at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin. Hoffstatter, a Pekin Community High School grad, was on leave after completing recruit training with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Rachael Parker shares a hug with a well-wisher after her swearing-in ceremony as the new interim Peoria County clerk Monday, Aug. 19 at the Peoria County Courthouse.
A male tiger swallowtail butterfly uses its long tongue to feed on a thistle Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Charter Oak Park in Peoria.
Peoria Zoo’s male giraffe Taji reacts to one of the other giraffes Thursday, Aug. 22, in the giraffe enclosure.
Robert Rake of Springfield grimaces as he heaves a sheaf with a pitchfork in the sheaf toss competition Sunday, Aug. 25, during the Highland Games at Erin Feis on the Peoria riverfront.
Riley the cat take a look around from the comfort of a stroller as his owner, who asked not to be identified, takes him for a walk Monday, Aug. 26, in Downtown Peoria.
Delores Sylvester of Peoria rakes mulch onto a section of the Western Avenue Greenway Project on Wednesday, Aug. 28, in Peoria.
A broad-winged hawk keeps an eye out for visitors to its enclosure at Wildlife Prairie Park.
Zeus the hound dog “guards” the gate on his owner Jeff Jones’ property near Jubilee College State Historic Site, 11817 W. Jubilee College Road, in Brimfield. Jones has fenced off a section of W. Fussner Road that leads down into the park in a dispute with the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources.
Artist Monte de Gallo shows off his life-size 14-foot steel sculpture of a giraffe on display at a home in Peoria. The affable sculptor has turned his talent into a business creating and selling the creatures which are crafted from salvaged steel.
Tremont players kneel on the sidelines for an injured teammate during their game against rival Dee-Mack on Friday, Aug. 30, in Tremont.
