Illinois
Real estate sales in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for June 9, 2024
These real estate transactions, recorded the week of May 27, are compiled from information on file with Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. They represent sales of $78,000 or more.
PEORIA COUNTY
717 E. Frye Ave., Peoria: Galen B. Rocke to Jared D. Howard, $80,000.
1117 E. Frye Ave., Peoria: Samaha Estates LLC Series 2021 to Brightcentral LLC, $85,900.
1323 W. Circle Road, Peoria: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation to Malebazar LLC, $87,150.
705 E. Tripp Ave., Peoria: Gregory D. Reed to Jeffery Boswell, $87,990.
5210 W. Monroe Road, Peoria: Doreen Rhoads to Zachary Stear, $89,000.
1612 N. Finney St., Chillicothe: Jess W. Hansen and Richard J. Gillespie to Riley Bruce, $90,000.
103 N. Fourth St., Dunlap: Douglas, Jon and Brian Gilles and Lisa Bradley to SRP Capital LLC, $91,000.
936 W. Willow Lane, Peoria: Justin J. and Sheila J. Taylor to Danny N. and Lisa K. McCubbins, $99,000.
125 SW Jefferson Ave., #W16B, Peoria: Susan R. Spitalny to Zachary Hanel, $99,900.
2112 W. Arrowhead Lane, Peoria: Eric J. Betts to Kendra Lynn, $100,800.
2016 W. Sherman Ave., West Peoria: JMF Properties LLC to Tucker and Margaret Szold, $105,000.
2705 W. Willowlake Drive, #80, Peoria: Thomas Hasenstein and Theresa L. Tomlin to Raena Holloway, $113,500.
2118 W. Laura Ave., West Peoria: Leo C. Jennetten to Bailey O’Connor, $116,000.
5029 N. Best St., Peoria Heights: Patrick S. Moore and Erin E. Anderson to Danny N. and Lisa M. McCubbins, $116,500.
1814 W. Glen Ave., Peoria: Riley and Paige L. Frenette to Trent and Courtney Peterson, $123,000.
1402 Hamilton Blvd., Peoria: David McDougall and Dianne Pak to Edzer Desir, $125,000.
2114 N. Drury Lane, Peoria: Ellen J. Wynn to Daniel K. Christ, $125,500.
3226 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria: Erickson Capital Investments LLC to Maggie E. and Patrick B. Gharst, $129,000.
2631 W. Westminister Ave., Peoria: Charles R. Gebhardt II to Andrea Price, $130,000.
4611 N. Edgebrook Drive, Peoria: Ashley Underhill to Rachel Hall, $132,000.
5842 W. Andover Drive, Peoria: Manuel Arevalo and Norma O. Hernandez de Arevalo to Ashley and Lydia Joyce, $133,000.
123 SW Jefferson Ave., #E15B, Peoria: Shelley D. St. Cerny to Lori and Trevor Stone, $134,900.
3139 W. Southport Road, Peoria: Eddie L. Wall to Antonio Jones, $135,000.
2109 W. Austin Drive, Peoria: Thomas Baker to Kimberly Rippel, $137,500.
More: Real estate sales in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for June 2, 2024
204 W. Main St., Elmwood: Quinton and Samantha Carlyle to Mary E. and Andrew E. Naumann, $157,000.
3117 N. Emery Ave., Peoria: Courtney Swantek and Osvaldo R. Ramirez to Jasmine Beard, $157,500.
5125 N. Ronald Road, Peoria: Ronald L. and Curtis D. Von Behren to Julie S. Van Ordstrand, $160,000.
4805 W. Meadow Lane, Bartonville: Kevin L. and Vicky L. Gray to C&P Enterprise LLC, $161,000.
1114 W. Cloverdale Road, Chillicothe: Anthony D. and Dennis C. Gould to Aaron L. Hartley, $162,000.
2522 N. Woodbine Terrace, Peoria: Jason and Amber Woodbine to Jonathan A. and Sarah J. Watts, $172,500.
18 Cherry St., Bartonville: Robert T. and Leisa K. Thomas to Joseph L. and Kristine M. Mowder, $173,500.
8617 W. Johnson Farm Road, Peoria: Lisa B. Beaupre to Jeffrey Chiaravalle and Haley Leuallen, $175,000.
128 S. Jefferson St., Brimfield: Danny J. and Janet G. Fishel to Robert R. III ad Kimberly E. Lawrence, $185,000.
1012 Desoto Drive, Bartonville: Tanya J. Williams and Tierny A. Stanton to John L. and Mary F. Draggist, $185,900.
6515 N. Camelot Road, Peoria: Jeanne M. Kelley to Ryan M. Keeton and Taylor A. Hinds, $190,000.
1108 E. Sciota Ave., Peoria Heights: Daniel W. and Suzanne Cranford to Joshua Sank, $192,000.
6926 N. Patricia Lane, Peoria: Iemen Elamin and Mai Salih to Cartus Financial Corporation, $195,000.
6926 N. Patricia Lane, Peoria: Cartus Financial Corporation to Jasmine Acfalle, $195,000.
9341 W. Darlington Drive, Mapleton: Robert Brickner and Janice Mize to Kyle Vincent and Anthea Anderson, $200,000.
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4803 W. Lynnbrook Drive, Peoria: Mary C. Scheirer to William and Rebecca Smith, $225,000.
10803 N. David Court, Peoria: David R. Hands to Ruqi Chen, $230,000.
1446 N. Fourth St., Chillicothe: Miguel and Jessica Burgos to Jesse Burford, $237,500.
827 & 901 E. War Memorial Drive, Peoria Heights, and 3716 N. Illinois Ave., Peoria Heights: JD Schell Properties to Reed Localis, $250,000.
10274 W. Lake Camelot Drive, Mapleton: Bryan A. and Kara Sylvester to Tyrone and Donna Gullett, $260,000.
4720 N. Idlewood Court, Peoria: Francis R Abdnour to Bonnie J. Doolittle and Jeffery Fasenfest, $265,000.
4117 S. Dunbar Point, Mapleton: Christopher B. and Jaime L. Grandstaff to John II and Brittany Venzon, $270,000.
2208 W. Jubilee Lane, Dunlap: Shanmuga B. Subban and Femina A.S. Antonsamy to Arunprasad Rajasekar and Swapnadeepa D. Judson, $275,000.
1915 W. Willow Crest Drive, Peoria: Julie S. Van Ordstrand to Rebecca Darche, $280,000.
105 W. Hickory St., Chillicothe: Wendy C. Crone and Trisha E. Zoller to John Tarabulski and Kimberly A. Mitchell, $300,000.
5216 N. Ashford Drive, Peoria: Keith F. and Mary Ann Musselman to Li Sun, $348,000.
12817 W. Chippe Drive, Princeville: Joshua and Kimberly J. Sank to Jennifer L. and Tony L. Johnson, $353,500.
9910 N. Andy Court, Peoria: Christopher M. and Melinda S. Ennis to Rizwan A. and Natalie Khan, $372,000.
4126 W. Vistaridge Court, Peoria: Brian J. and Renee Manahan to Christine Karpowicz and Paul Des Jardins, $408,000.
3110 W. Rosebury Lane, Dunlap: Walter and Stephanie Lipe to Scott and Sharon Hillsberry, $416,000.
3736 W. Eagle Drive, Dunlap: David E. and Julianne D. Martin to Susan L. and Joseph D. Kunzeman, $430,000.
709 S. Sara Court, Dunlap: Nathan R. and Dorota A. Weber to Cartus Financial Corporation, $453,500.
709 S. Sara Court, Dunlap: Cartus Financial Corporation to Piyush Dogra and Ankita Batra, $453,500.
511 W. High St., Peoria: Zerla Properties LLC to Fernanda and Shane Sharp, $715,000.
6605 W. Waterstone Way, Edwards: Kenneth and Maria Johnsen to Zachary M. and Taylor R. Rambo, $1,100,000.
301 SW Adams St., Peoria, and 304 & 312 SW Jefferson Ave., Peoria: 301 Peoria IL LLC to Tower on Adams LLC, $1,250,000.
TAZEWELL COUNTY
805 Derby St., Pekin: John J. Franks to Speck Corp, $79,900.
706 Hillyer St., Pekin: Junior D. and Tracy L. Bozarth to Chad Calmes, $85,000.
335 Buena Vista Ave., Pekin: Zhiyuan Liu to Heather Reynolds, $86,500.
19219 Springfield Road, Groveland: Kevin P. Feger to Christopher W. Dalton, $90,000.
217 W. Elm St., Tremont: David L. and Sherie L. Rademaker to Delaney M. and Kirk O. Knott, $90,000.
1414 & 1416 S. 7th St., Pekin: Steven R. and Sue Ellen Taylor to Nathan E. Pritts, $112,000.
810 S. Creve Coeur Ave., Creve Coeur: Tia M. Fugate to Genevieve A. Lee, $125,000.
105 W. McKinley Ave., Deer Creek: Joyce Ropp to Braden J. Wiegand, $130,000.
108 Carlson Ave., Washington: Andon Evans to Rebecca E. Gorman, $135,000.
27724 Allentown Road, Tremont: Kara L. Matthews to Chad H. and Laurie L. Keever, $140,000.
202 Timber Lane, East Peoria: Janet and Mark Koonce to Christina S. Ralston, $145,000.
228 Mount Aire Drive, East Peoria: Sherry Hacker to Katrina M. and Reid M. Rembold, $147,500.
More: Real estate sales in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for May 26, 2024
310 E. State St., Tremont: Jesse and Lauren Getz to Blake C. Bollinger, $160,000.
1702 Valle Vista Blvd., Pekin: Kayla Donarksi and Sean P. Linden to Elizabeth M. Memmini, $170,000.
1112 Jessie St., Washington: Linda J. and Matthew C. Pussehl to Hillside Development Partners LLC, $181,500.
118 Pine St., East Peoria: Kelsey and Skylar Schafer to Cartus Financial Corporation, $199,000.
118 Pine St., East Peoria: Cartus Financial Corporation to Amber N. and Shane A. Morgan, $199,000.
108 Mackinac Drive, East Peoria: Kelsie M. Ehlers to Justin Taylor, $199,900.
206 S. First Ave., Morton: GL Property Management Inc. to Salt Brothers LLC, $200,000.
406 Crestlawn Drive, Washington: Clayton W. Smucker to Andrew Nelson, $205,000.
1908 St. Clair Drive, Pekin: Loren D. and Mendy R. Payne to Feather and Samuel Butler, $230,000.
606 E. Fast St., Mackinaw: Corey A. and Samantha L. Stedman to Katrina and Shawn L. Fischer, $230,000.
806 Hilldale Ave., Washington: Amber L. and Jeremy W. Hulet to Jonathan A. Williams, $231,000.
143 Neumann Lane, East Peoria: Adam and Allie Stocksiek to Kim and Patti Rumler, $235,000.
2274 Robin Road, Washington: Micah Bouillon to Huy Ngoc Pham, $235,000.
24 Parkview Court, Groveland: Joyce E. and Michael S. Kirk to Katherine Higus and Michael P. O’Brien, $257,500.
2665 Ashley Court, Tremont: Katelyn D. and Matthew P. Meyle to Jesse J. and Lauren M. Getz, $259,900.
364 E. Idlewood St., Morton: Danielle and Drew M. Tolly to Emily and Joel Dickerson, $350,000.
406 N. Main St., Washington: Nicole L. and Tyler J. Smith to William Blunier, $355,900.
1427 NW Windermere Drive, Tremont: Bradlee and Nichole Alton to Katelyn and Matthew Meyle, $407,000.
24109 Cooper Road, Morton: Rebecca L. Smith to Kurt S. and Teel R. Miller and Rinkenberger Family LLLP, $450,000.
Parcel Numbers 07-07-24-400-012 & 07-07-24-400-013, Tazewell County: Monique S. and Zachary M. Baynard to Eric N. and Stephanie F. Nelson, $585,000.
More: Peoria is one of the best housing markets for first-time homebuyers, report says
WOODFORD COUNTY
1527 Division St., Metamora: Bradley A. and Anna King to Kay Saving, $122,000.
635 Locust St., Minonk: Susan L. Drawdy to Robert G. and Haley B. Jensen, $145,000.
426 E. 7th St., Minonk: Brian M. Greenland to Braedyn A. York, $150,000.
308 E. Pine St., Metamora: Joey L. Hauk to Jack W. and Lydia R. Brennan, $183,000.
215 Shady Lane, Eureka: Christopher and Elizabeth Catton to Autumn R. Riggert and Zachary T. Barker, $237,000.
767 Seven Hills Road, Metamora: Caleb and Brianne Bond to Grant B. and Jordan R. Wood, $285,000.
Parcel Number 08-22-100-014, Woodford County: Angela J. Faulkner to Michael W. and Janet E. Fandel and Steven W. Faulkner, $380,730.
732 Santa Fe Trail, Metamora: Michael and Juliana Brewer to Cartus Financial Corporation, $407,500.
732 Santa Fe Trail, Metamora: Cartus Financial Corporation to Joe and Elizabeth Spanier, $407,500.
More: Peoria named one of the best places to live in the country, according to report
Some communities saw their bills rise 75% or more.
The median property tax bill for Chicago homeowners rose by a record last year, and some parts of the city saw much steeper increases than others.
The citywide median rise was 16.7%, according to a report from the Cook County Treasurer’s office on bills for tax year 2024.
Many poor communities in Chicago saw the largest increases. In 15 areas on the South and West sides, property taxes shot up 30% because of rising home values. In West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Englewood, West Pullman and West Englewood, property tax bills rose 75% or more.
Chicago homeowners have suffered in recent years. While property taxes did increase in some Cook County suburbs in 2024, city homeowners felt the bulk of the pain. That’s because assessed values on downtown commercial buildings fell 7.2%, reducing taxes on those properties.
Lower commercial assessments don’t reduce what the city expects to collect in property taxes — it just means homeowners pay a larger share.
Other reasons for Chicago homeowners’ high bills this year included a 6.3% increase in the levy, or what taxing bodies request. That rise was driven by a larger request from Chicago Public Schools and a higher amount earmarked for Tax Increment Financing districts. TIF districts collected 10.4% more year over year in 2024, totaling over $1.3 billion.
For 2024 the total Cook County levy was $19.2 billion, up about 4.8% from the previous year. The Chicago-area inflation rate was closer to 3.5%.
Cook County property taxes have outpaced inflation for a long time. Since 1995, they’ve gone up 181%, from $6.8 billion in 1995 to $19.2 billion in 2024, according to the county treasurer. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a 48% increase. If property taxes had risen on pace with inflation, the 2024 levy would have been $13 billion rather than $19.2 billion.
This rising burden can’t continue. Since 2019, more than 1,000 Cook County homeowners — including 125 senior citizens — have lost their homes and all their equity over a property tax debt smaller than the price of a 10-year-old Chevy Impala.
The U.S. Supreme Court has found the practice of taking more than the tax owed to be unconstitutional, but the Illinois General Assembly has yet to change the law to stop it. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas delayed the property tax lien sale scheduled for last August, but it’s now set for March.
Of the Illinois residents who moved out in 2024, 95% went to lower-tax states. Lawmakers must reduce the property tax burden. They should cap how long TIFs can last and limit how many times they can be extended. Returning that money to general use would bring much-needed transparency and real property tax relief for Illinois residents.
Also, legislators are allowed to work as property tax appeal lawyers, enabling them to profit from ever-growing tax hikes. Imprisoned former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan did that, as did former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke. This practice should not be prohibited.
The best way to reduce the property tax burden is to reform its largest driver: public-sector pensions. In Chicago, 80% of property taxes go toward its growing pension debt. Rather than seeking to control spending, Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed a “pension sweetener” for Chicago police and firefighters that will increase liabilities by $11.1 billion.
Reforming the state constitution would allow for moderate pension changes, increasing the fiscal health of those systems and reducing the property tax burden on Chicago homeowners.
Until changes are made, Cook County homeowners will continue to see their property tax bills climb.
It was a particularly heinous crime. Four workers at a cemetery near Chicago dug up more than 100 bodies and dumped the remains elsewhere in the grounds, in order to resell the burial plots for profit.
Now, nearly two decades after the scandal broke at Burr Oak cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, scientists have released details of how a tiny clump of moss became crucial forensic evidence that helped convict the grave robbers.
Dr Matt von Konrat, head of botanical collections at the Field Museum in Chicago, was drawn into the case in 2009 when he received a phone call from the FBI. “They asked if I knew about moss and brought the evidence to the museum,” he said.
An investigation by local police had found human remains buried under inches of earth at the cemetery, a site of enormous historical importance. Several prominent African Americans are buried at the cemetery, including Emmett Till, whose murder in 1955 became a catalyst for the civil rights movement, and the blues singer Dinah Washington.
Alongside the re-buried remains, forensic specialists spotted various plants, including a piece of moss about the size of a fingertip. Hoping that it would help them crack the case, the FBI asked von Konrat to work out where the moss came from and how long it had been there.
After examining the moss under a microscope and comparing it with dried specimens in the museum’s collection, the scientists identified it as common pocket moss, or Fissidens taxifolius. A survey at the cemetery found that the species did not grow where the corpses were discovered, but was abundant in a lightly shaded area beneath some trees where police suspected the bodies had been dug up. The moss had evidently been moved with the bodies.
But when was the crime committed? The answer lay in a quirk of moss biology. “This is the cool thing about moss,” von Konrat said. “When we’re dead, we’re dead, but with mosses, it’s bizarre. Even when we might think they’re dead, they can still have an active metabolism.” The metabolism drops slowly over time as cells gradually die off.
One way to measure moss metabolism is to bathe it in light and see how much is absorbed by the chlorophyll used to make food through photosynthesis, and how much light is re-emitted. The scientists ran tests on the moss found with the bodies, on a fresh clump from the cemetery, and other specimens from the museum’s collection.
“We concluded that the moss had been buried for less than 12 months and that was important because the accused’s whole line of defence was that the crime took place before their employment. They were arguing that it happened years and years earlier,” said von Konrat. Details are published in Forensic Sciences Research.
Doug Seccombe, a former FBI agent who worked on the case and a co-author of the study, said the plant material from the cemetery was “key” to securing the convictions when the case went to trial.
Von Konrat, who is a fan of the BBC forensic science drama Silent Witness, never expected to be working on a criminal case, but now wants to highlight how important mosses might be for forensic investigations. “I had no idea we’d be using our science, our collections, in this manner,” he said. “It underscores how important natural history collections are. We never know how we might apply them in the future.”
Illinois
Andretti family’s popular go karting and gaming facility opening first Illinois location. See inside
A popular indoor go karting and gaming company is opening up its first Illinois location in a Chicago suburb this week.
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games announced it will open its doors on a brand new Schaumburg location at 4 p.m. on March 10, with a grand opening event slated for March 14.
The facility will feature numerous attractions, including “high-speed electric Superkarts on a multi-level track” and an arcade with professional racing simulators and two-story laser tag arena, in a 98,000-square-foot facility. There’s also bowling, a movie theater and more, the company said.
The Schaumburg location, at 1441 Thoreau Dr., will mark Andretti’s 13th facility in the U.S.
“We’re thrilled to open our thirteenth location in the thriving village of Schaumburg,” said Eddie Hamman, managing member. “Andretti is the perfect addition to all the amazing experiences across Chicagoland, and we look forward to meeting the communities that make this market a top destination.”
The company said it plans to host a “sneak preview” event beginning at 11 a.m. on March 10, where several guests will “be treated to free racing, attractions, and arcade play with food and beverage options available for purchase.” The Andretti family will also be on-hand for autograph sessions that afternoon.
A limited number of spots will be made available to RSVP to the preview.
Then on March 14, the first 100 guests to visit the facility to be given one hour of free arcade play and entered to win a raffle for a free birthday party. Ten guests could also win free arcade play for a year.
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