February 2020 Instructor Nick Detrempe, left, watches as Eliana Hersey, 8, right, and Archer Vanderhei, 5, try to pull clothespins off each other during an exercise in a jiujitsu class for special needs kids Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Peoria Athletic Club.Jocelyn McDaniels, 13, right, wraps up Francis Couri, 13, in a takedown exercise during a jiujitsu exercise Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Peoria Athletic Club.Anthony Roselli, foreground, of Palatine, and Barbie Brown, in glasses, of Deerfield, both sophomore theater production majors, join about twenty of their fellow students to voice their support for Bradley University’s theater department during a daylong protest Monday, Feb. 3 outside the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts on the Bradley campus. The students are concerned about possible budget cuts that would eliminate theater and four other academic majors.St. Thomas Food Pantry director Rob Berg shows a group of preschoolers the new freezers recently added as part of an upgrade funded by Peoria Heights developer Kim Blickenstaff. The pantry is planning to open a community kitchen and offer fresh-cooked meals in addition to food items.Illinois Central College teacher and registered nurse Nancy Roggy, middle, helps students Alexandra Lawson, left, of Manito, and Brittany Utley of Pekin, with a blood pressure cuff during a nursing class at Illinois Central College South in Pekin.A pedestrian works his way along E. Glen Avenue towards N. Knoxville Avenue in a steady downpour of snow Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Peoria.Nolan Price, 4, and his little brother Eli, 2, of Peoria are all smiles as they sled down the hill Thursday, Feb. 6 at Detweiller Park.Charlotte Pinneo, 4, of Peoria throws a snowball at her dad Jesse during a break from sledding Thursday, Feb. 6 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.As family and friends look on, a street sign is unveiled Thursday, Feb. 6 for the Honorary Howard Nathan Jr. Court at the intersection of W. Proctor St. and Madison Park Terrace where the beloved Peoria basketball legend grew up.Hpward Nathan’s daughter Aeriel holds a copy of the street sign honoring her father during an unveiling Thursday, Feb. 6 at the intersection of W. Proctor Street and Madison Park Terrace where Nathan grew up.Members of Howard Nathan’s family carry his framed jersey off the court after a retirement ceremony Thursday, Feb. 6 in the Manual High School gymnasium.Howard Nathan’s sister Stacey Nathan sheds tears as a photo of the Peoria basketball legend is unveiled Thursday, Feb. 6 in the Manual High School gymnasium.Country music star Luke Combs acknowledges the crowd as a young fan appears on the giant screen behind him during his sold-out performance Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Peoria Civic Center.Country singer Luke Combs shows some emotion during a performance Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Peoria Civic Center.Country singer Luke Combs performs to a packed house Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Peoria Civic Center.Bradley’s Ja’Shon Henry (22) slam dunks between Evansville’s Evan Kuhlman (10) and Deandre Williams in the first half Sunday, Feb. 9 at Carver Arena. Bradley defeated the Purple Aces 69-58.Evansville’s Shamar Givance, left, knocks the ball away from Bradley’s Darrell Brown in the second half Sunday, Feb. 9 at Carver Arena. Bradley defeated the Purple Aces 69-58.Adam Wiest of Terry’s Window Cleaning in Bartonville cleans multiple panes of glass Monday, Feb. 10 in a window of the Sunbeam Building in Peoria.A couple dozen gulls perch on the railing of a partially submerged dock Monday, Feb. 10 on the riverfront in Pekin.Lead clerk Lisa Dunnigan, left, and deputy clerk Sharon Sciortino of the Tazewell County Recorder of Deeds office hold a document they found detailing a mortgage recorded on Sept. 10, 1844, for 234 acres of farmland in rural Tremont owned by Abraham Lincoln. Rumors that Lincoln may have owned property in the county prompted the pair to investigate.Water droplets bead up on the face of a statue in the Peoria County Veterans Memorial in downtown Peoria as a heavy, wet snow falls Wednesday, Feb. 12 throughout the region.Melted snow drips down the face of the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Peoria County Courthouse on Wednesday, Feb. 12 in downtown Peoria.Eugene Jackson scrapes away the snow and ice accumulated on the sidewalk Thursday, Feb. 13 in front of a building at 607 S. Western Avenue, in Peoria.Joel Shoemaker, director of the Illinois Prairie District Public Library, stands amid the stacks at the main branch at 208 E. Partridge Street in Metamora. Shoemaker has been picked to serve on an international board of advisers for NewsGuard’s News Literacy Program, a nonpartisan group which judges the accuracy of news websites.David Lee Roth, former lead singer for rock band Van Halen, kicks his leg in the air during his performance as the opening act for KISS on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center.Former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth opens for KISS on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center.Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS strokes his bass guitar with his trademark tongue Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center. The legendary rock band hit Carver Arena on their “End of the Road” final tour.A young KISS fan records some of the action as the band takes the stage Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center.Paul Stanley of the rock group KISS plays his guitar between his legs Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center.Members of the rock band KISS descend from the rafters at the opening of their show Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Peoria Civic Center.All eyes are on Peoria’s Jordan Ernst and Evansville’s Stanislav Dzakhov as they tangle in the second period Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Peoria Civic Center.Peoria’s Mitch McPherson (16) lands a punch on Evansville’s Zane Jones during a fight in the second period Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Peoria Civic Center.Parker Anthony Jones, 3, of Washburn, keeps an eye on a line of box cars as he operates an HO-gauge model train set Sunday, Feb. 16 during the Peoria Train Fair at Illinois Central College.A black rat snake attracts some attention Monday, Feb. 17 during a Reverse Science Fair at Forest Park Nature Center. Grade-schoolers and junior high students rotated through several science-related displays on topics ranging from pollination to recycling paper. Rat snakes are harmless to humans.Ann Herrmann, left, of Princeville, and Sue Coers of Manito celebrate a point during a game of pickleball Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Lakeview Recreation Center in Peoria. About 25 pickleball enthusiasts took to the courts Tuesday for the popular pastime.Dawn Kellem of Peoria makes a return during a game of pickleball Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Lakeview Recreation Center in Peoria.Pickleball players take turns playing doubles matches Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Lakeview Recreation Center in Peoria.Lucy Talalaeva of Peoria and her granddaughter Yana, 2, take in some sunshine while feeding geese and ducks along the riverfront Wednesday, Feb. 19 in downtown Peoria.Sunlight sparkles off the wake of a pair of ducks swimming Wednesday, Feb. 19 along the Peoria riverfront.Canton freshman Eli Eberle works out during a recent practice at the YMCA pool in Canton.Zadkiel Gonzalez, right, helps Aviona Enriquez with a spelling exercise as kindergarten teacher Clara Molina helps out other students during a bilingual language class Thursday, Feb. 20 at Whittier Primary School in Peoria. Pekin senior Nevaeh Mankle, right, reacts to speech partner and junior Kaitlyn Heaton during rehearsal of a scene Thursday, Feb. 20 from their Humorous Duet Acting entry in the IHSA state speech competition.A worker carries a piece of scaffolding through the theater Friday, Feb. 21 inside the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Peoria. The historic structure is undergoing a massive renovation.Illinois Valley Central senior Trenton Arnold (12) makes the most of his introduction for the starting lineup of the Grey Ghosts varsity basketball team before their game against Unity on Friday, Feb. 21 at IVC High School. Trenton, the team’s manager, was born with only half a heart. He was given a chance to realize his dream of actually playing for the team on Senior Night.Lewistown teammates Alex Ebert (22) and Sydney Shaeffer bump hips during player introductions before their Class 1A basketball supersectional against Father McGivney on Monday, Feb. 24 at Illinois College in Jacksonville.Lewistown’s Sydney Shaeffer, left, and Macy Mikulich, right, knock the ball away from Fathe McGivney’s Charlize Luehmann in the first half of their Class 1A basketball supersectional Monday, Feb. 24 at Illinois College in Jacksonville.Senior Anna Heffren, middle, and the Lewistown Indians celebrate their 64-46 Class 1A girls basketball supersectional victory over Father McGivney on Monday, Feb. 24 at Illinois College in Jacksonville.