PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The annual Morton Forecast Breakfast highlighted projects and investments to address the growth of the village.
Leaders from many different industries agreed that the village population has grown exponentially over the past two years – and they’re sharing the investment the village is making.
From its schools to its community — many seek out the village of Morton as a place to live.
But as the community grows, some are starting the discussion to add more police officers and firefighters; and make park district improvements.
“You want to make sure you’re providing those amenities to what residents of Morton for many years have come to value and keep those values and the Morton community strong and connected,” says Leigh-Ann Brown, CEO of Morton Economic Development Council.
Daniel Fife shared some concerns about response times to the recent fire at Morton Industries. Still, he says the village’s police department is adequately equipped to keep Morton’s criminal activity low.
“I’d come home two, three in the morning; there’d be three or four police cars riding all over Morton and nobody on the street but me and the police,” says Fife. “I don’t see a lot of criminal activity in Morton.”
According to a WCBU article, an 11.5-acre parcel near Northwood Park that the park district acquired in January will be turned into a “Campground” after the 2023 harvest of crops.
The parcel will be used for camping during the disc golf tournaments held at Northwood, something Carter Kovach, an avid disc golf player, welcomes.
“I live close enough that personally, I can drive here and back,” Kovach says. “But to make a weekend out of it just going camping, that’d be awesome.”
Brown says with all these entities, including the park district, library, and school district hosting their events and activities will welcome a lot of people to the Morton community.
