Morton’s Beau Durbin (8) and Maguire Anderson perform an airborne high-five after the Potters defeated the Rock Island Rocks 15-1 in five innings in the Class 3A baseball sectional semifinal Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Brian Wisher Field in Washington.
Washington pitcher Easton Harris, right, tags Galesburg baserunner Kannon Kleine on a play gone awry for the final out of the game in the seventh inning of their Class 3A baseball sectional semifinal Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Brian Wisher Field in Washington. The Panthers advanced to the sectional title game with a 3-2 victory.
STATE SOFTBALL – Illini Bluffs baserunner Tessa Howard slides safely into home under Newark pitcher Kodi Rizzo in the sixth inning of their Class 1A state softball semifinal Friday, June 3, 2022 at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria.
STATE SOFTBALL – Illini Bluffs pitcher Kierston McCoy reacts to the final out against Newark in the Class 1A state softball semifinals Friday, June 3, 2022 at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria. Illini Bluffs won 8-3 to advance to the title game.
SOFTBALL SECTIONAL – Metamora pitcher Sydney Trentman throws against East Peoria during their Class 3A state softball sectional title game Friday, June 3, 2022 at Jan Smith Field in Washington.
SOFTBALL SECTIONAL – Metamora’s Katy Ramage snags an East Peoria fly ball before it can clear the wall during their Class 3A state softball sectional title game Friday, June 3, 2022 at Jan Smith Field in Washington.
SOFTBALL SECTIONAL – East Peoria pitcher Emily Compton winds up for a pitch against Metamora during their Class 3A state softball sectional title game Friday, June 3, 2022 at Jan Smith Field in Washington.
SOFTBALL SECTIONAL – Metamora’s Katy Ramage, right, and teammate Kaidance Till embrace after the Redbirds’ 9-3 victory over East Peoria in the Class 3A state softball sectional title game Friday, June 3, 2022 in Washington.
Forreston’s Alaina Miller, left, and Aubrey Sanders collide on a shallow Newark pop-up in the outfield during the Class 1A state softball third-place game Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria. Sanders held on to the ball for the final out, giving the Cardinals a 4-2 win in ten innings.
STATE SOFTBALL – The Illini Bluffs Tigers mob teammate Lilly Hicks (6) after her walk-off RBI in the ninth inning gave the team a 1-0 victory over Casey-Westfield in the Class 1A state softball title game Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria.
STATE SOFTBALL – Illini Bluffs’ Morgan Lowe (16) hugs teammate Lilly Hicks (6) after the Tigers’ 1-0 win over Casey-Westfield in the Class 1A state softball title game Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Louisville Slugger complex in Peoria. Hicks hit the winning RBI in the ninth inning for the walk-off victory. In the background, head coach Lindsey Lox celebrates with senior Kristen Graham, who hit the walk-off winner for the championship last season.
Moroccan immigrant Rachid Boutahir is a retired mechanical engineer who is now putting his energy towards growing and selling a wide variety of houseplants at Relics in Peoria.
The Glenwood Titans celebrate after defeating the Washington Panthers 2-1 in the Class 3A state baseball semifinals Friday, June 10, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
The Washington bench shows some team unity as the Panthers battle the Chatham Glenwood Titans in the Class 3A state baseball semifinals Friday, June 10, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
STATE BASEBALL – Chatham Glenwood left fielder Mason Marshall tries to catch a Nazareth Academy pop-up on the fifth inning during the Class 3A state baseball title game Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet. Marshall was unable to make the catch. Chatham Glenwood fell to Nazareth Academy 5-1.
STATE BASEBALL – The ball pops out of Chatham Glenwood catcher Will Plattner’s glove as he tries to tag Nazareth Academy’s Cole Reifsteck at home plate in the fifth inning of the Class 3A state baseball title game Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
STATE BASEBALL – Chatham Glenwood’s Garrett Rath, far left, Sam Hulvey, second from left, Eli Curtis (6) and Connor Roark try to contain their emotions after falling 5-1 to Nazareth Academy in the Class 3A state baseball title game Saturday, June 10, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
STATE BASEBALL – Teammates and coaches congratulate Washington’s Jack Limas (5) on his inside-the-park home run against Crystal Lake South in the third inning of the Class 3A state baseball third-place game Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
STATE BASEBALL – Crystal Lake South catcher Kyle Kuffel tags out Washington baserunner Jack Limas at home plate in the fifth inning of the Class 3A state baseball third-place game Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
STATE BASEBALL – Washington pitcher Easton Harris reacts after striking out the final batter in the Class 3A state baseball third-place game Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet. The Panthers defeated Crystal Lake 2-1.
Keith Crook of West Peoria scans the aisles for products on his grocery list Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at Haddad’s West Peoria Market, 2407 W. Rohmann Ave. in West Peoria.
CRAFT CEMETERY – Julie Krohn, president of Craft Cemetery in rural Tazewell County stands next to the gravestone of her parents Gene and Ivene Sangalli at the cemetery near the intersection of Broadway and Veterans in Pekin. The cemetery suspended new burials several years ago and a lack of funding for maintenance has forced Krohn to let the prairie begin to reclaim the property.
CRAFT CEMETERY – Prairie grasses blow in the wind in this panoramic view of the historic Craft Cemetery in Tazewell County.
CRAFT CEMETERY – A grave marker for Walter Lee Tribbey (1867-1927) is hidden under a swath of prairie grass in Craft Cemetery.
JUNETEENTH – Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity put on a show during the Juneteenth celebration Saturday, June 18, 2022 at John H. Gwynn Jr. Park in South Peoria. The YANI Collective, a local organization focused on promoting and advocating for the black community in Peoria, hosted the event for the second year in a row, attracting dozens of vendors and hundreds of spectators.
JUNETEENTH – Elbert Nickerson Jr. of Jr’s Kitchen keeps a steady supply of chicken wings frying under his tent at the Juneteenth celebration Saturday, June 18, 2022 at John H. Gwynn Jr. Park in South Peoria.
JUNETEENTH – Sarah T. Hanson, right, and Donna Williams of the Tri-County Urban League make their way through the crowd aboard a modified pair of motorized bicycles during the Juneteenth celebration Saturday, June 18, 2022 at John H. Gwynn Jr. Park in South Peoria.
STEAMBOAT CLASSIC – Runner of all ages race to the finish line of the 2022 Steamboat Classic road races at the foot of Main Street in downtown Peoria.
STEAMBOAT CLASSIC – Steamboat Hall of Fame inductee Dan Gray sticks out his tongue playfully at well-wishers near the finish line of the 2022 Steamboat Classic 15K race Saturday, June 18, 2022 in downtown Peoria. Close on his heels is RC Outfitters owner and longtime Peoria running advocate Adam White.
STEAMBOAT CLASSIC – Myles Stambaugh of Bartonville checks his time as he heads down Main Street towards the finish line of the 2022 Steamboat Classic 4-mile race Saturday, June 18, 2022 in downtown Peoria.
STEAMBOAT CLASSIC – Steamboat Classic medals hang on the back of a volunteer handing them out at the finish line of the 2022 Steamboat Classic road races Saturday, June 18, 2022 in downtown Peoria.
309 SOCCER CLUB – Drew Clark, foreground, founder of The 309 soccer fan club, leads the cheers for the Peoria City USL 2 soccer club during a match Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at Shea Stadium in Peoria.
309 SOCCER CLUB – Justin Hart of Morton, a member of The 309 soccer fan club, sports a Manchester United F.C. flag as he watches the Peoria City USL 2 team battle the Des Moines Menace on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at Shea Stadium in Peoria. Manchester United is a popular soccer team in the top-tier English Premier League.
309 SOCCER CLUB – Morton friends and soccer fans Austin Dluski, left, Carson Combs, second from left, Justin Hart, wearing the flag, and Blake Gibson enjoy a little tailgating with The 309 soccer fan club founder Drew Clark, far right, before the start of a USL 2 match between Peoria City and Des Moines on Tuesday, June 22, 2022 at Shea Stadium in Peoria. Gibson’s brother Wes Gibson plays for Peoria City.
ABORTION PROTEST – Charlotte Jennison, left, and Victoria Northrop of Washington sport “blood-spattered” clothing as they join about 350 other protesters in a pro-choice rally Saturday, June 25, 2022 around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the Peoria County Courthouse in downtown Peoria.
ABORTION PROTEST – Christina Norton, chair of the Roe v. Wade Committee of the Peoria chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, speaks to a large group of protesters Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Peoria County Courthouse in downtown Peoria. The pro-choice rally attracted about 350 people protesting the overturning of federal constitutional protection of abortion rights.
ABORTION PROTEST – Tessa Hamilton of Peoria holds her daughter Irelynn, 7, as the take part in a pro-choice rally Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the Peoria County Courthouse in downtown Peoria.
ABORTION PROTEST – Olivia Glunz, 7, of Peoria listens intently as a speaker recounts her experiences in the early 1970s before abortion was legalized during a pro-choice rally Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Peoria County Courthouse.
Twins Toxila, left, and Anila Moore, 6, take a closer look at their voting stickers while they wait for their mother Angela Easton to vote Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at the East Bluff Community Center in Peoria.
