GALESBURG — Started in 2014 as a student initiative, the one-acre Knox College Farm has blossomed into a chemical-free operation that produced more than 2,300 pounds of food last year used in the school cafeteria and shared with the community.…
BY GARRY MOORE In many cities throughout the country, African Americans will observe Juneteenth–the name given to a unique American occurrence that marked the end of slavery in Texas. It’s also referred to as Black Independence Day (an alternative to…
Renée Mullen is science savvy, and she was totally caught off guard by some totally unscientific public policy. Mullen has a PhD and taught in the science department at Eureka College for years. She has conducted scientific research around the…
Maybe you’ve realized: You’re being robbed. But it’s no burglar; it’s not at gunpoint. Your tips are stolen by your boss, or you regularly work 50 hours a week with no overtime pay, or you’re handed cash at the job…
The In 2018, the Kroger grocery store chain closed two of its Peoria stores in two predominately low-income, African American neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there have been no suitable options to take the place of these stores. The closing of these stores,…
Plans are underway to recognize the only Peoria person to receive a Hollywood Oscar, movie industry’s highest award. Tami Lane, a graduate of Woodruff High School and Bradley University, received the 2005 Academy Award for Best Makeup in the movie…
Illinoisans could spend the summer contemplating the consequences for jobs, climate and the energy industry, feeling hope or disappointment. At press time, it seems as if Illinois lawmakers could put the state on track toward a future of caring for…
The saga of renaming Peoria schools continues, as does the national debate over removing statues of historical figures. Advocates for renaming Peoria schools have been charged with “cancel culture” because they want to correct the myths and fables of American…
BY DALE GOODNER We have a growing dilemma, a potential catastrophe, that is hiding in plain sight. Insect populations all over the world are disappearing. What we are losing are the “good guys,” –– countless beneficial insects, such as bees,…
The pandemic may be abating here. Fallout continues. Peoria Housing Authority met virtually April 5. Jackie Newman, CEO, reported the revamped PHA offices had a soft opening. Staff will assess needs and adjust restrictions as necessary to comply with COVID-19…
Eagerly from Seattle, Wash., I watched her first announcement to run for mayor, reading the Peoria Journal Star, visiting her website — all the time wondering what I could do to ensure that her run was successful and that the…
There are a few special places left in this world. If you are taking a hike in some of the natural areas that we are blessed to have in Central Illinois, you might observe a harbinger of just how special…
Peoria Riverfront Museum is host to the worldwide traveling debut of “T.REX: The Ultimate Predator” created by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Now through Sept. 6. The Peoria Art Guild will be hosting live demonstrations…
Editor’s Note: The REDress Project was conceived by Canadian artist Jaime Black to commemorate murdered and missing indigenous women. The REDress Project was displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in 2019. Eliida Lakota brought the concept…
Environmental Racism: “Toward the Fossil-Free Future: Food, Farming, Fracking, Climate & Justice” was the topic of a recent zoom lecture by scientist and writer Sandra Steingraber. Fossil fuel extraction is a form of environmental racism, Steingraber said. Factories, refineries and…
China’s Loess Plateau experiment successfully restored depleted farmland in the less arid parts of the plateau. One precondition for success required an end to free-range grazing by goats, a major cause of soil erosion. The breakthrough came when a county…
Organization does not come easily to me. It doesn’t come to me at all except for those times when generous loved ones offer suggestions after I’ve asked their advice. My oldest child told me once I’m a rather unique disorganized…
Sadly, the City of West Peoria made the decision to postpone the Fourth of July parade and flag raising ceremony a second year due to the pandemic. Parade arrangements must be made several weeks ahead of the Fourth and forced…
Elon Musk added to list of labor-law violators. Tesla Motors and owner Elon Musk, have joined the ever-lengthening list of rich corporate moguls breaking labor law. In Musk’s case, it was with a tweet, and his Twitter account had at…
To know the Chinquapin Oak is to know something about our region’s ecological history and our own ecological geneology. Chinquapins are hallmark trees of the Central Illinois River Bluff. Slow growing with dense wood and a gray-brown bark, the tree…
The Peoria Park District is loudly proclaiming its values in a series of solar roof panels on the Bonnie Noble Center, Lakeview Recreation Center, Owens Center and RiverPlex Recreation & Wellness Center. The panels testify: We are fiscally responsible and…
Autumn 2020 was exceptionally beautiful, but what Bill Conger remembers from that time is exceptionally terrifying with significant gaps in his memory. Conger, 53, is curator of collections and exhibitions at Peoria Riverfront Museum. He and his wife Michelle were…
