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August 20, 2020
Peoria’s Hometown Newspaper
Honor, Respect and Patience: The Brandon Act BY BRIAN CANO SR.
Peoria Times Staff Writer
Since June 25, 2018, the day 21-yearold sailor Brandon Caserta died by suicide on a helicopter flight deck, Patrick and Teri Caserta have done everything they could to bring justice to their son. A 2015 Liberty High School graduate, Brandon was an aircrew aviation electrician for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia. “They bullied and harassed Brandon, they tortured and messed with him on a daily basis,” said his father, Patrick, a retired Navy recruiter. “From the moment he arrived in Norfolk, they treated him horribly.” On July 28, U.S. Sen. Martha McSally
introduced legislation in honor of Brandon. According to the Brandon Act, if signed into law, sailors could initiate an immediate referral in a highly confidential manner. McSally said the Casertas have “every right to be withdrawn” because of the overwhelming grief of losing their son. McSally said it was important that Patrick and Teri turned their pain into advocacy in Brandon’s memory. “This is an epidemic in our society. We’ve all been touched by this to include myself; people we know have loved ones who have taken their own lives,” McSally said. “I’m so proud of Patrick and Teri.” Patrick and Teri have devoted their SEE BRANDON ACT PAGE 3
Brandon Caserta
City’s economy surges, despite pandemic
NEWS..............7 COVID-19 cases on the decline this month
OPINION...................9 BUSINESS...............10 FEATURES...............11 RELIGION................14 YOUTH....................15 CLASSIFIEDS...........16
BY TOM SCANLON
Peoria Times Managing Editor
Economists mulled over mostly good news on the national economy, unveiled Aug. 14. According to a Wall Street Journal story, “U.S. households boosted retail spending 1.2% in July, the third straight monthly increase despite a rise in coronavirus infections.” At the risk of bragging, Peoria might comment: “That’s nothing!” Despite slowdowns—and, at times, outright shutdowns—of restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters, the Peoria economy is not just surviving the COVID-19
pandemic but thriving through it. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, Peoria sales tax revenue was just over $90 million. After July 1, 2019, retail sales in the city really started taking off, with 10% or more increases compared to the previous year in five of eight months, and at least 4.5% increases in the other three. Then came shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. March retail sales tax revenue fell by 4% compared to the previous March. April was far worse, with a 13% drop. And then a curious thing happened: May rebounded, and was up nearly 8% over the previous May.
June was even better, with Peoria’s take of sales taxes at $8.7 million—a 13% jump over the same month last year. The powerhouse June brought Peoria’s fiscal year sales tax total to just under $99 million, a 6% increase over the 2018-19 fiscal year total of $93 million. “The percentage increase is pretty good—it even surprised us,” said Barry Houg, the city of Peoria’s deputy director of Finance and Budget. June’s sales tax revenue was the highest of any non-December (holiday shopping month) for Peoria in the last two years. “This is like holiday sales in the sumSEE CITY’S ECONOMY PAGE 8
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