From sex trafficking to online hate speech, Peoria Public Radio's readers engaged with a wide range of stories in 2017. Through thousands of pageviews, our audience followed along as the year presented news like we've never seen before.
Here are the most-viewed stories of peoriapublicradio.org in 2017:
10. Multiple law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at three Caterpillar offices on March 2. Federal agents entered Caterpillar’s World Headquarters Building on South West Adams St. in Peoria, Building AD in East Peoria and the Morton offices, following accusations of tax fraud. (story)
DEVELOPING: Here's the current scene at Caterpillar HQ. Updates here https://t.co/7wl2nEOeRJ pic.twitter.com/cxzbqj1PeJ
— WCBU News (@WCBURadio) March 2, 2017
9. The Peoria Fire Department's new automated alert system is delivered by a real person, a music teacher named Debbie. (story)
8. In Nov., the Peoria Police Department issued warnings about a new form of cocaine, laced with fentanyl. The department blamed the drug for the deaths of three people in the same week. (story)
7. Civic and political groups, including Change Peoria, organized protests in Feb., after they "caught wind" of Rep. Darin LaHood’s schedule. The backlash arrived as numerous House Republicans returned to their districts and were met by crowds of protesters at town hall forums. (story)
6. Metamora Township Schools closed in early Oct., after online threats surfaced that showed intent of a shooting. The threats came days after white freshman football players sent a racist video to their black teammates. (story)
5. Former Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy unexpectedly announced his resignation in June to join the Washington Police Department. WCBU's Tanya Koonce reported on the same day, County Jail Superintendent Brian Asbell, took the oath of office to fill the remainder of McCoy's term. (story)
4. The family-owned Lebanese restaurant Haddad's was vandalized in April. A vandal apparently lobbed a brick at the storefront and shattered a window, leaving the cafe fully exposed. Loreece Haddad, 83, spent the morning sweeping, instead of assuming her usual kitchen duties, preparing for lunchtime patrons. (story)
3. Metamora Township Schools grappled publicly with a racist incident that resulted in the suspension of four freshman football players. (story)
2. WCBU's newsroom investigated the proliferation of sex trafficking, concealed behind darkened windows of unlicensed 'massage' businesses. The Washington-based NGO Polaris estimates there are as many as 9,000 illicit massage businesses in the US, and 300 in Illinois. It looks like there are at least 20 in Peoria and Tazewell Counties. (story)
1. When 74-year-old Cleve Heidelberg woke up in his jail cell on May 22, he didn’t know he’d be stepping outside hours later in civilian clothing. In fact, Heidelberg was notified just minutes before that he’d be released, for the first time in 47 years. (story)
