Day: June 7, 2023

Rambling through central Illinois, pondering thespianism. • • • While knee-deep in prairie Tuesday morning admiring monarch caterpillars and flowering fox tongue beardglove, the phone rang with Amy Davis on the other end. “Um, I didn’t know if you would be interested, but there is a crew shooting a movie in Elmwood today,” Davis said. The caterpillars didn’t mind my rapid departure. Two vivid childhood memories are watching “The Natural” and “Best Friends” being filmed in my neighborhood in Buffalo, N.Y. But I never expected a Los Angeles crew to show up in Elmwood. And I wasn’t going to miss…

By JEFF LAMPEFor The Weekly Post ELMWOOD – Walkers through Elmwood Township Cemetery had their morning stroll interrupted Tuesday for a rather unusual happening. A movie crew was busy in the west side of the cemetery shooting a scene for the independent film “Wardcliffe,” directed and written by Peoria native David Ferino. Ferino’s film – his first full-length narrative feature – tells a tragic father-son story set during the 2020 COVID quarantine. The film crew of 25, gathered from Los Angeles and various other locales, is expected to work in Elmwood for two weeks and will shoot at several locations, including…

By JOHN A. BALLENTINEFor The Prairie News WYOMING – The revived Spoon River Days event returns Saturday, June 10. This is the second year for the revived celebration and organizer Jon Knoblauch said this year the Shriners’ Cars will be a part of the parade downtown, as they were in the past. The parade will start at 11 a.m. from Thomas Park, travel north to Route 17/Williams Street and turn right to continue to the four-way stop downtown. From there it will turn right and head south to Smith Street where it will turn right again and return to Thomas…

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic citations &Ordinance violations 5-23 – Diego Armando Diaz-Gomez – Driving 15-20 mph above limit.6-2 – Paul M. Williams – Driving 11-14 mph above limit. Misdemeanors &Felonies 6-2 – Criminal misdemeanor – Megan B. Carter – Obstructing identification.5-26 – Ordinance violation – James R. Sellers – Maintaining a nuisance.Incidents & Accidents5-26 – A single-vehicle accident occurred on Route 40 approximately a quarter of a mile north of 1700N. The driver involved was identified as Grace E. Merritt, 25, Iowa City, Iowa….

NOTE: Charges are merely an accusation. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Police Reports• OAK HILL – Authorities accused a Peoria man of drunken driving, among other crimes, as the result of a single-vehicle accident west of Oak Hill. The wreck that involved Lewis I. Shelton II, 43, happened about 3:45 p.m. May 28 at Illinois Route 8 and Maher Road. According to a witness, Shelton was driving south on Maher Road at about 100 mph and was swerving in and out of his lane. Shelton then disregarded the stop sign at Route 8…