Judicial Integrity Unit Needed Here BY SHERRY CANNON I completely agree with the premise in the September Community Word’s editorial by Clare Howard. In it Clare stated that a democratic nation cannot exist without a fair and functioning judiciary. Trump’s…
Unions Benefit Both Members and Non-Members BY SHARON K. WILLIAMS Most people may not realize how much unions have positively affected the workplace. If you value your weekend, your health insurance, your retirement plan, your middle class income and your…
Be A Force For Change BY DALE GOODNER The dandelions were pretty much invisible. As I looked across my lawn from a distance, here in July, that distinctive green foliage blended in perfectly with the grasses, clovers, and dozens of…
Could 2017 be the year for industrial hemp in Illinois? BY REBECCA OSLAND Farmers and other advocates have been trying for decades to bring hemp back to Illinois agriculture. This year, the Illinois Legislature grappled with SB1294, co-sponsored by Sen.…
Put Healthy Food within Reach for All Peorians BY SUSAN LEVIN, M.S., R.D. Putting healthy food into reach: That’s the tagline for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly food stamps. But the reality is that healthful foods are out…
Sad History of Public Land for Private Profit By Karrie E. Alms What does open space forever mean to you? Many of our early leaders believed and many today know that public parks are a smart investment for America’s health…
Is Health Care a Privilege? BY DR. RAHMAT NA’ALLAH, M.D. The author has a master’s degree in public health and is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She practices at Unity Point Clinic-Family Medicine in Peoria and…
February is Black History Month in a Divided Nation BY ASHLEY M. MILLER Ashley Miller is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and currently practices law in Peoria. Black History Month 2017 is coming on the heels of a…
Vibrant Public Schools Hurt by For-Profit Charters By Dan Montgomery President, Illinois Federation of Teachers When Professor Ray Budde first conceived charter schools in the 1970s, he had a vision for innovative schools that could be laboratories of best practices…
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Far More Costly to U.S. Than $340 Billion BY DR. PAUL WINCHESTER, M.D. The author is director of neonatology, St. Francis Hospital, Indianapolis, and clinical professor of pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine. A recent study by…
