Illinois
Wonder Lake is now the fastest-growing Illinois town. How it’s trying to manage its expansion
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/MQCOTAAZTNG7FB37YZUV357CH4.jpg?ssl=1 "Wonder Lake is now the fastest-growing Illinois town. How it’s trying to manage its expansion")
Wonder Lake Village Administrator William Beith heard about the community’s new claim to fame last weekend via a text from one of the trustees.
“We knew we were going to grow, but I would not have guessed the fastest in the state,” Beith said.
But according to data newly released by the U.S. Census Bureau, Wonder Lake’s population as of July 1, 2023, was estimated at 4,889, up from 3,966 since 2020 – an increase of 23.27%, the largest of any municipality in Illinois. That growth can be attributed to two housing developments: The Meadows of West Bay and Stonewater.
The building boom in Wonder Lake started shortly after Beith started working for the village in June 2021.
“Two weeks after I started here, the guy from [Stonewater builder] D.R. Horton came in with 60 building permits. We had two in all of the previous year,” Beith said.
In May alone, there were 15 approved home construction permits in the village, he said.
Stonewater is expected to bring a total of 3,400 to 3,700 homes, and an additional 10,000 residents, to the village in the next 20 years. The section now underway now has 711 housing units in it, Beith said, including single-family houses, townhomes, duplexes and an age-targeted, attached four-unit model.
The Meadows of West Bay was a Neumann Homes development, left unfinished after the builder when bankrupt in 2007. Another developer, Lennar, bought and is finishing the development, which has between 300 and 400 homes in it, Beith said.
Village officials knew that eventually, Wonder Lake would be on the map for new residents.
“It was a matter of time until the universe aligned to get it moving,” said Village President Dan Dycus. The village and developer Andy Teegen of McHenry-based NRB Land worked together to get Stonewater ready for development, including city water and sewer, far in advance of any homes being built there.
“Wonder Lake will be a lot stronger if we lean into ourselves. We can benefit if those tax dollars go to our municipality, versus being sent to the county.”
— Wonder Lake Village President Dan Dycus
Those utility systems were designed to serve east-side Wonder Lake residents and businesses too. The village hopes that by later summer or early fall, it will begin the project of extending both utilities from Stonewater to businesses along Hancock Drive that are currently on private well and septic systems. The village’s de facto downtown, the commercial corridor was annexed into Wonder Lake in February.
Other preparations the village has made in advance of the growth include using grant funds to purchase additional vehicles for the police department, increasing department salaries and expanding its parks.
“New public parks and pickleball courts have been added in Meadows of West Bay, a frisbee golf course was added in Woods Creek Park and Stonewater has a center park with over 11 miles of walking paths,” Dycus said.
Wonder Lake making news headlines for its growth is a little nerve-rattling, Dycus added.
“It puts us on the radar. I want to make sure the village lives up to the reputation” that buzz creates, he said.
At the same time, Wonder Lake wants to appeal to its longtime residents, as well as those who are not in the village. Another 4,000 residents around Wonder Lake are not inside the village limits.
“That is what we have to balance, the generations of people who have lived in Wonder Lake all of their lives” who want to retain the small-town feel, Dycus said.
The Hancock annexation and utility improvements also means those utilities will soon be closer to other, unincorporated sections of the village. Dycus hopes that encourages others to seek annexation.
“Wonder Lake will be a lot stronger if we lean into ourselves. We can benefit if those tax dollars go to our municipality, versus being sent to the county,” Dycus said.
What the growth also could bring to Wonder Lake is additional commercial investment, Trustee Joe Houston said.
More rooftops and residents “gives us that boost to attract new business to the downtown area,” Houston said.
YORKTOWN, Va (WAVY) — A 31-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to exploiting a York County child online.
According to the York County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Andres Arreola pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to perform child sexual abuse acts and using a communication system to facilitate certain offenses involving a child.
The case began in April 2025 after the parent of a 9-year-old child called the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office about inappropriate messages they found from Arreola to the child on an online chat platform.
Investigators determined Arreola sent sexually explicit messages and images to the child and persuaded the child to send explicit images in return, knowing the victim was a 9-year-old.
Detectives were able to identify Arreola in Illinois, where he was taken into custody. He was then extradited him to York County where he remained behind bars without bond. Detectives also recovered electronic evidence supporting the charges.
A judge ultimately sentenced Arreola to 40 years in prison, suspending 31 years and six months, leaving him with an active prison sentence of eight years and six months.
After his release, Arreola will serve 20 years of supervised probation. He cannot have unsupervised contact with minors and will be required to register with Virginia’s Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Registry.
“The exploitation of children—whether in person or online—will not be tolerated in York County,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Krystyn Reid in a statement.
Reid goes on to praise the investigators, prosecutors and the “the young victim and the victim’s family throughout this case. Anyone who seeks to harm a child, regardless of where they are located, should expect to be identified, brought before the court, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
A woman was taken into custody, accused of breaking into a home in Aurora, Illinois, on Saturday morning.
Aurora Police said around 9:14 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of South Edgelawn Drive for a report of a residential burglary after a neighbor reported what they described as a suspicious person on the property.
Arriving officers found evidence of forced entry at the home and encountered a woman inside the residence who refused to come out.
Police said officers secured the area and members of the department’s negotiating team and Special Response Team responded to the scene. After more than an hour of negotiations, officers took the woman into custody without further incident and she was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
No other individuals were inside the residence, and there were no injuries to officers or anyone in the area.
Investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
These real estate transactions, recorded the week of June 29, are compiled from information on file with Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. They represent sales of $78,000 or more.
PEORIA COUNTY
3713 W. Pagewood Drive, Peoria: US Bank National Association to Mauricio G. Soto and Lorena Veladquez Montenegro, $92,900.
1506 N. Third St., Chillicothe: Holloway Holdings LLC to Michael Pareja Jr., $115,000.
14513 N. Grandview Drive, Chillicothe: Damien E. Wineinger to Nicholas Deaton, $116,000.
715 W. Corrington Ave., Peoria: Zachary and Jacqueline Taylor to Ellis W. Deputy and Parker M. Ross, $127,500.
1501 W. Marlene Ave., Peoria: Mary Lawless to Melissa P. Blain, $143,000.
123 SW Jefferson Ave., #E5C, Peoria: Jose Tapia to Peoria Property Management LLC, $145,000.
101 N. Hazel St., Chillicothe: Darnell S. Wilkins to Gage R. DeVries, $147,000.
420 W. Albany Ave., Peoria: Debra Yang to David Ramsey to Madelyn Brandt, $160,000.
638 N. Coolidge Court, West Peoria: Jose J.B. Garcia and Garciela C. Abascal to Gary P. Unferth, $160,500.
5133 N. Montclair Ave., Peoria Heights: Dalton A. Carlson to Carrie Randell, $164,900.
1022 S. Allen Ave., Peoria: Kenneth Gausselin to Jakob C. Uryasz, $170,000.
1405 W. Daytona Drive, Peoria: Kimberly J. McKinney to Josef L. Taylor, $170,000.
2228 W. Moss Ave., West Peoria: Lauren Deppe to Sheila White, $174,900.
918 N. Hushaw Ave., Chillicothe: Tyler and Paige George to Rissa M. Foster and Austin Laroe, $174,900.
3120 N. Biltmore Ave., Peoria: Timothy and Courtney Arnett to Nicole McClean, $180,000.
509 W. Florence Ave., Peoria: Yolanda Shuster to Grant D. Hagedorn and Paris Lucas, $185,000.
2320 W. Winnebago Drive, Peoria: Jake Ott to Megan and Michael Davis, $188,000.
123 SW Jefferson Ave.,, #E26, Peoria: Wayne G. Walker and Brenda Goodbread Walker to Frederick W. and Kathleen A. Page, $190,000.
811 N. Elbert Court, Hanna City: Andy and Tristin Anderson to George L. and Sharon L. Robertson, $192,500.
1729 E. Truitt Road, Chillicothe: Robert A. and Leah N. Santini to Austin V. Davis and Lexi M. Ludolph, $195,000.
5315 N. Isabell Ave., Peoria: Thomas and Teresa Stegall to Michelle V.R. Vargas and David Bean, $195,000.
1113 N. Maplewood Ave., Peoria: Diego A. Galindo and Katherine E. Hitchcox to Jesse S. and Rachel Mitchell, $200,000.
11217 N. Oakwood Drive, #3, Peoria: Jiyoun Kim to Christopher M. and Deangela M. Broadhurst, $215,000.
5333 N. Big Hollow Road, Peoria: Brent and Kimberlee Christians to Darin M. and Normandy Kennery, $220,000.
118 W. Merle Lane, Peoria: Josef L. and Nicole E. Taylor to Anthony Licea, $249,900.
1604 W. Devereux Drive, Peoria: Evan A. Zeddies and Jordan Barone to Timothy J. Draher, $251,000.
1320 W. Holly Hedges Drive, Peoria: Mohammed Osman and Jetlira Islami to Kristopher Lanham, $266,000.
505 W. Merle Lane, Peoria: Aaron K. and Mycah L. Amstutz to Luke D. and Alexandra Murphy, $269,900.
2407 W. Carriage Lane, Peoria: Sofia R. Beltran Dimaculangan and Michelle A. Echavez to Karen G. and Allan Pedregosa, $270,579.
1820 W. Gaylord Ave., Peoria: Michael and Alice Ardis to Robert S. and Madison Hessling, $279,900.
1255 W. Wonderview Drive, Dunlap: Cheryl and Jeremy J. Norfleet to Madalyn G. Niemann and Brandon Barnes, $288,500.
16004 N. Centerville Road, Edelstein: Lisa Leitner to Seth and Maria Leitner, $292,000.
1001 SW Adams St., Peoria: Chic Flats LLC to Michael N. and Jane M. Fielder, $299,000.
205 W. Southgate Drive, Elmwood: Dustin M. and Andrea Turner to Camden B. Jennings and Stacey J. and Sierra F. Peterson, $303,000.
2303 W. Kenfield Court, Peoria: DeTrail and Parker Davis to Dhaval M. and Prarthna D. Chaudhary, $303,090.
7125 N. Willow Bend Point, #34, Peoria: Holly Van Slyke to Beverly J. Satterfield, $320,000.
22014 N. Route 40, Edelstein: Larry D. and Vera M. Baer to Grant and Sarah Knobloch, $325,000.
12116 W. Jo Dan Court, Hanna City: Randall and Kelly Beyries to Christopher J. and Jennifer R. Rosenbohm, $337,000.
303 W. Aspen Way, Peoria: Cesar and Emily Esparza to Nicole Brusich and Joshua Vincent, $395,000.
12227 N. Wood Ridge Court, Dunlap: Jamie Borden and Zachary Bonson to Benjamin Tilly, $395,000.
2003 W. Miners Drive, Dunlap: Tyler and Alea Sheikh to Harshkumar I. Patel, $395,000.
7023 N. White Fir Drive, Edwards: Roger A. and Phyllis L. Malcolm to James and Lynne Gibbons, $400,000.
3104 W. Rosebury Lane, Dunlap: Logan and Shelby Bader to Cartus Financial Corporation, $430,000.
3104 W. Rosebury Lane, Dunlap: Cartus Financial Corporation to Ta Min Meng and Fan Yang, $430,000.
11316 N. Chesapeake Lane, Dunlap: Brian L. Williams to Sameer A. and Bhumi S. Shah, $493,500.
1205 W. Poplar Woods Court, Dunlap: Thomas and Mahliet Zimmerman to Ajay and Marli Gnanasekaran, $515,000.
14101 N. Evans Mill Road, Princeville: Bennett W. Avery to Bradley A. Cox, $525,000.
6009 W. Sunflower Drive, Peoria: Jess Burns to Ciara J. and Gregory D. White II, $533,000.
3900 N. Hawthorne Place, Peoria: Kevin M. and Molly C. Fahey to Timothy E. and Jacqueline M. Fahey, $600,000.
6410 W. Willow Oak Court, Edwards: Kevin N. and Kathy A. O’Brien to Vincent Roger and Charlotte L.E. Bozec, $633,000.
4000 W. Tangleoaks Court, Peoria: Keith and Casey Knepp to Daniel and Erica Husser, $832,000.
TAZEWELL COUNTY
434 Wesley Road, Creve Coeur: Juanita K. and Wayne E. Roberts to Travis Polston, $80,000.
1263 Sewell Lake Road, Manito: Everett F. Jr. and Janice G. Shue to Dee Ann and Tim R. Clark and Cynthia and David Sarff, $82,500.
100 Thrush Ave., Pekin: Tammy J. Crawford to Marissa Lawson, $85,000.
304 Sherwood, Pekin: Nancy S. Barnes and Luana S. Rademaker to Stanley J. Lundy, $90,000.
303 5th St., South Pekin: Edward D. Stoehr to Angela S. Johnson, $90,000.
400 Pekin Ave., East Peoria: Christopher and Tammy L. Finch to Jerry W. Deforest Jr., $108,000.
1430 Fisher St., Pekin: Dawn L. Wade to Cartus Financial Corporation, $113,000.
1430 Fisher St., Pekin: Cartus Financial Corporation to Hunter Meyers, $113,000.
106 Meadow Lane, Unit 2A, Mackinaw: Hillside Development Partners LLC to Ashley R. Douglas, $115,000.
16 Cracklewood Court, East Peoria: Pamela S. and William E. Aten to Peoria Heights Properties LLC, $120,000.
1313 Janssen St., Pekin: Phillip C. Kennedy Jr. and Bianca M. Langenbahn to Justin Lee, $120,126.
110 E. Park Ave., Deer Creek: Ivan L. and Kimberly A. Schoebein to Dillon Getz, $128,000.
305 Ehrett St., Creve Coeur: Angie L. and Brett A. Smith to Cameron Smith, $130,000.
102 Lincoln Road, Marquette Heights: Bradford R. Dunlap to Sharon K. and William R. Poston, $145,000.
1008 W. Jefferson St., Washington: Joshua K. Robinson to Colton D. and Rachel S. Sergenti, $145,000.
601 Pekin Ave., Creve Coeur: Jayson P. Couri to Andrea Miller, $149,500.
200 Anna St., East Peoria: Dawn G. Page to Rooted Beauty Company Property LLC, $150,000.
206 Kerfoot St., East Peoria: Cameron A. and Kayleigh Bush to Kylie Ellis and Brandon Pate, $150,000.
307 Camelot Drive, Washington: Ryan W. Blackorby to Jordan Schertz, $152,500.
2212 Belmont Drive, Pekin: Angela Bowden and Brett Gambetti to Alexis Hoffman and Tate Leitner, $154,900.
526 State St., Pekin: Richard A. and Theresa L. Sebelist to Karli L. Carlyle and Joshua McCree, $155,000.
301 Gem St., East Peoria: Cory B. and Hannah F. Kirwan to Gavin Whitaker, $157,500.
211 Oakdale Ave., Pekin: Anthony T. Cates and Colette L. Huskisson to Natilee C. Pitts, $160,000.
106 Ernest St., Washington: Amy J. and Christopher O. Lambert to Anchor Roots Equity LLC, $175,000.
116 Geraldine St., Green Valley: Brian M. Green to Joshua Pfanz, $177,500.
408 S. Eastern Ave., Minier: Bradley J. and Reita M. Rifner to Frank Zimmerman, $195,000.
1009 Eisenhower Drive, Pekin: Dalton Calvin to Dillon E. and Heather A.N. Pollitt, $200,000.
713 Pekin Ave., Creve Coeur: Andrea Miller to Evona S. and Michael A. Bowman, $205,000.
Parcel Number 05-05-10-300-015, Tazewell County: Alexandria Place LLC to Harris and Briarbrook LLC, $215,000.
317 Ken Ave., Morton: John M. Rellihan to Mayci Edwards and Vincent Massaglia, $245,000.
15611 Red Shale Hill Road, Pekin: Sharon L. Hundt to Brittany M. and Nicholas D. Toel, $250,000.
111 Patriot Drive, East Peoria: Terry R. Lamprecht to Debra D. and Timothy Kemp, $265,000.
102 Bittersweet Lane, East Peoria: Janet K. and John R. Ledbetter, $265,000.
Parcel Number 07-07-24-400-003, Tazewell County: Pamela S. Wiegand to Shelly R. Knapp, $269,810.
2102 Cordova Court, Pekin: John C. and Kristine S. Fordham to Angela J. Johnson and Daniel K. Prescott, $275,000.
101 N. Missouri Ave., Morton: Christopher P. Kryszak to Emma and Clayton Brown, $275,000.
206 W. Jefferson St., Morton: Scarfe Family Estates & Investments LLC to Stammtisch 2026 LLC, $275,000.
1813 Oakwood Drive, Pekin: Kirk A. and Tammy D. Zymkiewicz to Chalise M. and Matthew L. Jones, $277,000.
201 NW Washington St., Hopedale: Melody L. and Toby T. Terrell to Haley and Jacob Davis, $287,000.
410 S. Eastern Ave., Minier: Stacy Rinkenberger to Deborah L. to Mark E. Deterding, $295,000.
218 Tamarack Ave., Morton: Bryanna and Eric W. Martin to Chad and Trisha Mucciante, $317,500.
1437 Santa Fe Road, Washington: Chanda Dunston to Terry R. Lamprecht and Ellyce Polizzi, $320,000.
545 Whispering Oaks Drive, Groveland: Debra and James Williams to Christopher J. and Rebecca J. Heisler, $325,000.
29531 E. Lakeland Road, Deer Creek: Frank M. and Marianne H. Strawn to Ivan L. and Kimberly A. Schoenbein, $330,000.
203 Stonewood Drive, East Peoria: Michelle and Troy R. Miller to Brock Boeding and Megan Locknar, $360,000.
820 S. Locust St., Tremont: Joann M. and Roger D. Beutel to Julia R. and Matthew D. Stuber, $500,000.
432 Onyx Drive, Morton: Joshua P. and Laura L. Sutter to Jake T. and Jenna E. Klyber, $550,000.
2108 California Road, Pekin: Deanna J. and James S. Rowells to Ryan J. Henderson and Daniela I. Kocher, $670,000.
200 Cimmeron Drive, East Peoria: Larry F. and Susan M. Overcash to Smidt Properties LLC, $575,000.
26805 Liberty Lane, Washington: Brent A. and Sara B. Heider to Cartus Financial Corporation, $613,000.
26805 Liberty Lane, Washington: Cartus Financial Corporation to Carl M. and Lisa A. Volz, $613,000.
WOODFORD COUNTY
1327 Lakeview Ave., East Peoria: Taylor A. Riggio to Christopher M. Schmidt, $155,000.
208 Missouri St., Spring Bay: James B. and Betty A. McCarty to Ronald Nasser and Michelle L. Adams Nasser, $194,900.
1252 N. Skyview Drive, East Peoria: John and Tina Christianson to Nicholas and Ashlyn Christianson, $226,000.
901 Easy St., Roanoke: Michael A. and Yvonne M. Jenkins to Jeremiah E. and Megan E. Knapp, $259,500.
603 Manor Drive, Metamora: Ethan and Morgan Volz to Donald and Amanda Wilson, $270,000.
283 E. Lucille St., East Peoria: Kent A. and Clara J. Cook to Brett A. and Angie Smith, $285,000.
222 E. North Lakeview Drive, East Peoria: Brannon and Allison Ramsdale to Bradford Dunlap, $295,000.
1139 Willow Lake Drive, Metamora: Daniel A. and Kimberly F. Grieves to Kevin and Kendahl Grieves, $340,000.
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