I was shocked and broken-hearted upon learning my dear friend, Alicia Butler, had died suddenly. I knew she had been suffering in recent days because she told me, first on a Monday afternoon and then two days later. I said…

Read more →

I won’t argue the city council’s decision about its two top management hires, though I could. The creation and hiring of a chief diversity and inclusion officer and assistant city manager at a time when the same people are laying…

Read more →

I did it. Never thought I would. I quit taking the Peoria Journal. I’ve been a reader for decades. Before that, I was a carrier delivering the Peoria Journal Star in the morning to the south of my North Madison…

Read more →

Just when the Peoria Catholic Diocese thought the fight with the Catholic Archdiocese of New York might be over, they learned it isn’t. New York Catholics don’t want the remains of Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be moved to Peoria. For…

Read more →

Whenever a new executive comes on the scene, whether in business or government, there’s always a period of time when everyone is supportive. Some refer to that period as a “honeymoon.” Criticism is muffled in order to create a positive…

Read more →

It was a bad decision. The board of the Peoria Housing Authority hired the director of the Springfield Housing Authority and agreed to pay her $168,000 a year. On the surface, that sounds reasonable, although the salary is rather exorbitant.…

Read more →

Last year, I was a guest on a PJ Star podcast. One of the questions I was asked near the end of the interview was, “Why do you dislike the Journal so much?” I said that I didn’t dislike the…

Read more →