December 2023 PND VS MANUAL – Peoria Notre Dame’s Kayden Hudson, left, and Ted Lahood, right, battle for a rebound with Manual’s Reggie Postlewaite in the second half of their boys basketball game Friday, Dec. 2, 2023 at PND High School. The Rams defeated the Irish 46-43. PND VS MANUAL – Manual’s Dietrich Richardson makes a move to the basket past Peoria Notre Dame in the second half of their boys basketball game Friday, Dec. 2, 2023 at PND High School. The Rams defeated the Irish 46-43. PND VS MANUAL – The Peoria Notre Dame bench reacts to a turnover against Manual late in the second half of their boys basketball game Friday, Dec. 2, 2023 at PND High School. The Rams defeated the Irish 46-43. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Bradley’s Connor Hickman (10) and Malevy Leons (14) battle for a rebound against Indiana State’s Jayson Kent, a former Bradley player in the second half of their MVC basketball game Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves fell to the Sycamores 85-77. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Bradley’s Malevy Leons, right, stuffs Indiana State’s Ryan Conwell in the second half of their MVC basketball game Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves fell to the Sycamores 85-77. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Bradley head coach Brian Wardle yells instructions to his team as they battle Indiana State late in the second half of their MVC basketball home opener Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves fell to the Sycamores 85-77. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Indiana State’s Julian Larry stretches out to knock the ball away from Bradley’s Malevy Leons in the second half of their MVC basketball game Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves fell to the Sycamores 85-77. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Bradley mascot Kaboom celebates a fan’s half-court shot during a break in the action between the Braves and Indiana State in the first half of the Braves’ MVC basketball home opener Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves fell to the Sycamores 85-77. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Richwoods senior Lathan Sommerville, left, celebrates a slam dunk against Manual in the first half of their Big Twelve Conference basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 at Richwoods High School. The Knights defeated the Rams 73-51. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Manual’s Dietrich Richardson (11) puts up a shot over Richwoods’ Lathan Sommerville in the first half of their Big Twelve Conference basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 at Richwoods High School. The Knights defeated the Rams 73-51. BRADLEY VS INDIANA STATE – Manual’s Darren McClendon, right, and Richwoods’ Kayden Johnson tangle over a rebound in the second half of their Big Twelve Conference basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 at Richwoods High School. The Knights defeated the Rams 73-51. Dana Humes Goff, Peoria’s first certified nurse-midwife, is retiring after 42 years. She retired from the delivery room in 2016 and has been working since then with Dr. Michele Couri on gynecological care and hormone replacement therapy. A Rivermen player is reflected in the glass as students and fans welcome the team back to the ice for the third period with their cellphone lights Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 at Carver Arena. More than 8,000 students, faculty, parents and fans gathered for the annual Education Day festivities as the Rivermen defeated Quad City 2-0. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Bradley’s Malevy Leons greets fans during player introductions before a nonconference basketball game against Cleveland State on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Bradley’s Christian Davis, left, runs up against Cleveland State’s Tevin Smith in the second half of their nonconference basketball game Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Bradley mascot Kaboom gets ready to throw a shirt into the crowd during a break in the action between the Braves and Cleveland State in the first half of their nonconference basketball game Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Bradley’s Emarion Ellis (2) moves to the basket against Cleveland State’s Tevin Smith in the first half of their nonconference basketball game Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Cleveland State’s Tae Williams dunks past Bradley’s Darius Hannah in the second half of their nonconference basketball game Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. BRADLEY VS CLEVELAND STATE – Cleveland State’s Tristan Enaruna (13) reacts to his three-pointer against Bradley in the finals minutes of their nonconference basketball game Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Vikings 76-69. MCCLUGAGE ARCH – The suspension arch of the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge is slowly moved into place Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 over the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. The arch was floated by a set of tugboats and lifted by crane onto its piers early Tuesday morning. MCCLUGAGE ARCH – Workers carefully lift the suspension arch onto its piers on the new eastbound McClugage Bridge early Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 on the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. MCCLUGAGE ARCH – Spectators at Spindler Marina in East Peoria watch as the suspension arch for the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge is moved into place early Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 over the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. MCCLUGAGE ARCH – The suspension arch for the new eastbound span of the McClugage Bridge rests on its piers after being floated into place early Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 over the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. ARDOR BREADS – Chef and owner Cody Scogin opened a small bakery in 2020 on SW Water Street in Peoria. Since then, he’s expanded into a space once occupied by a longstanding hardward store and opened a fine-dining restaurant called Ardor Breads and Provisions. Ardor is one of 47 restaurants across the U.S. to be named in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list. ARDOR BREADS – Guests enjoy a dinner in the main dining room of Ardor Breads and Provisions on SW Water Street in Peoria. ARDOR BREADS – Ardor Breads and Provisions uses locally-sourced meats in their dinner offerings like this pork chop with a carrot and apple garnish from Kilgus Farmstead in Fairbury about 70 miles east of Peoria. ARDOR BREADS – A smoked salmon schmear with everything rye crackers is a unique creation at Ardor Breads and Provisions in Peoria. ARDOR BREADS – The deep rich red of an Ardor Negroni cocktail glows in the candlelight at Ardor Breads and Provisions in Peoria. DEE-MACK VS PEORIA HEIGHTS – Peoria Heights’ Emily Dana, left, and Dee-Mack’s Keely Zeller battle for a rebound in the second half of their girls basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023 at Dee-Mack High School in Mackinaw. Dee-Mack defeated the Heights 32-17. DEE-MACK VS PEORIA HEIGHTS – Peoria Heights’ Tania Cox, left, and Dee-Mack’s Dalia DeJesus chase a loose ball in the first half of their girls basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023 at Dee-Mack High School in Mackinaw. Dee-Mack defeated the Heights 32-17. DEE-MACK VS PEORIA HEIGHTS – Peoria Heights’ Sylvia Thornton, left, and Emily Dana, right, battle for a rebound with Dee-Mack’s Elise Hahn in the second half of their girls basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023 at Dee-Mack High School in Mackinaw. Dee-Mack defeated the Heights 32-17. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley’s Duke Deen is all smiles for his SIU-Edwardsville defender in the second half of their nonconference basketball game Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley’s Cade Hardtke, bottom, and SIU-Edwardsville’s Lamar Wright fall over each other while chasing a loose ball in the first half of their nonconference basketball game Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley’s Almar Atlason (1) and Darius Hannah, background, defend against SIU-Edwardsville’s Shamar Wright in the first half of their nonconference basketball game Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley head coach Brian Wardle, middle, disagrees with an official’s call in the second half of the Braves’ nonconference basketball game against SIU-Edwardsville on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley’s Malevy Leons tries to gain possession of a loose ball against SIU-Edwardsville’s Demarco Minor, right, and Desmond Polk in the second half of their nonconference basketball game Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. BRADLEY VS SIU-E – Bradley’s Demarion Burch celebrates his slam dunk against SIU-Edwardsville late in the second half of their nonconference basketball game Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Cougars 75-64. H Wayne Wilson, a Vietnam veteran and longtime broadcast journalist, recently retired after 35 years of hosting WTVP’s news program At Issue.