LOSING MY FRIEND JONATHAN WINTERS It was a stunning loss, especially the way I learned it. I was driving home listening to the news on WOAM when the reporter announced Jonathan Winters had died. I couldn’t believe it. We had…
Author Archive for Roger Monroe
Straight Talk for April
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
STUNNING! The recent announcement that Proctor Hospital had sold all of its Prompt Care offices to OSF St. Francis Medical Center was a stunning surprise, especially to officials at Methodist Medical Center, past and present. Truth is, historically, Methodist and…
Straight Talk for March
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
Harry Caray was considered by many as the greatest play-by-play announcer in the history of baseball. Fans of Mel Allen of the Yankees and Vin Scully of the Dodgers would disagree, but to those of us in the mid-west, Caray…
Straight Talk: Jim Maloof left his mark
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
Much has been written and spoken about Jim Maloof. And rightfully so. He touched thousands of lives, including mine. I’ve had the good fortune to know Jim for over 43 years. The friendship really began to blossom in November of…
Much ado about … nothing
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
The office building of our main WiredTree support offices will be undergoing fire safety system upgrades and the main power to our building is going to be shut off to undergo this planned maintenance. As a result, our support offices…
Straight Talk for December 2012
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
POST ELECTION NOTES Congratulations to the winners and losers in last month’s elections. The losers deserve special praise because it’s not easy to spend money, work hard, and wind up losing. No one enjoys losing. I congratulate you for trying.…
Chiefs welcome Cards
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
The old saying, “When you’re handed a lemon, make lemonade,” sure applies to the Peoria Chiefs. After Chicago Cub management unceremoniously dropped the Peoria Chiefs as one of their minor league teams, it took Chief officials two days to turn a…
Don’t shoot
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
Under the leadership of Mayor Jim Ardis, Peoria County State’s Attorney, Jerry Brady, Sheriff Mike McCoy and several others, Peoria is implementing a new program to combat youth violence. Badly needed in our city, it’s called “Don’t Shoot.” It was…
Heartland partnership: Going, going, gone
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
Jim McConoughey, CEO of Heartland Partnership, is apparently gone or close to it as I put this column to bed. Reportedly, others are unsure of their future with the organization. One of those is city councilman, Ryan Spain, managing director.…
A raise for Lathan? Not surprising
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
To those who’ve watched the board of Peoria’s School District 150, it wasn’t a surprise when members approved an unusually lengthy and wealthy package for Superintendent Grenita Lathan. Despite a “no confidence vote” by teachers, financial problems, poor classroom performance, challenges with bus…