Since its enactment in 1965, The Voting Rights Act, (VRA) has been reauthorized and amended five times, with bipartisan support. The last time the Senate reauthorized and amended the VRA was in 2006, by a vote of 98-0 and for…
Columns
The Watch | Drawing new lines
by Terry Bibo • • 0 Comments
On Sept. 28, Community Development Director Joe Dulin told the Peoria City Council about the impact of 2020 census data on council districts. Peoria now has 113,150 residents, down 1.6% from 2010. To proportion districts equally means District 1 would…
Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl Prairie Update
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
Last month, I wrote about the impending destruction of a native prairie near the Rockford International Airport. This prairie, one of the few remaining habitats of its kind, was slated to be destroyed by airport expansion beginning Nov. 1. Since…
Inland Art | Wild Things: The art of Peggy West
by Robert Rowe • • 0 Comments
Peggy West’s avowed mission is to raise awareness and appreciation for the “wild things that can be found in urban and suburban landscapes.” A printmaker, a master naturalist, and educator, West creates mixed media prints and collages that feature delicately…
Art Alerts | December 2021
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Area artists Steph Van Doren and Jaci Willis’ joint exhibition through Dec. 17 at the Contemporary Art Center’s Preston Jackson Gallery features Willis’ sculptures in swirling lines of stainless steel with touches of slumped glass, and Van Doren’s paintings on…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | What caused the death spiral of Illinois coal-fired electricity?
by William Rau • • 0 Comments
What a difference a decade makes. Climate-destabilizing, coal-fired electricity expanded 2000-2010, and over 100 new coal plants were on the drawing boards. Coal-fired power achieved its Illinois peak in 2008 at 96.7 MMWh (million megawatt hours) which bested nuclear power’s…
Serendipity | Less is more
by Sandra Dempsey Post • • 0 Comments
Drawing was never my favorite pastime. I wasn’t good at it, recognizing that even at an early age. But papers, stationery and notebooks, I loved. Some people believe handwritten notes on colorful paper are only memories, and for sure technology…
West Peoria News | Christmas carolers
by Sharon McBride • • 0 Comments
West Peoria Scouts and their families will again be caroling for the community 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7 when they tour in their holiday float. When you hear the music and fire sirens, go outside and…
The Lion’s Den | Are we our brother’s keeper?
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
During the Monday Night Football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts on October 11, 2021, news broke that NFL head coach Jon Gruden had been fired from his $100 million job as the head coach of the…
Straight Talk | Peoria County Auditor: To be or not to be?
by Roger Monroe • • 0 Comments
By a vote of 15 to 2, the Peoria County Board Thursday evening, Oct. 14, approved its 2022 budget. That budget was controversial to some because it reduced the operating budget for the office of County Auditor Jessica Thomas by…