It’s jarring when reality thumps wishful thinking. But “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” as it’s said. (Maybe the central Illinois equivalent is, “If wishes were caterpillars, butterflies would come.”) Anyway, the Peoria economy seems to be crying, “My…
Features
Organic farmers sustain huge losses From GMO contamination
by Clare Howard • • 4 Comments
DANFORTH, ILL. – On a warm September day on the cusp of harvest season, about 70 farmers from throughout the Midwest drove to a cavernous metal equipment barn on Harold Wilken’s organic grain farm in Iroquois County. They came to…
Labor Day 2015
by Clare Howard • • 10 Comments
Critical “tipping point” between unions and so-called “right to work” BY CLARE HOWARD As the nation celebrates Labor Day with parades and picnics, an “apocalyptic” moment is brewing in the United States with Illinois widely viewed as a critical pivotal…
News Analysis Unions, the “Wealth Gap” and the Day of Jubilee
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
BY GEORGE HOPKINS The late Texas oil billionaire Sid Richardson (1891-1959) famously said: “Money is like manure—unless it’s spread around it stinks!” Which brings up the current hot topic in contemporary politics: the rich getting richer; the poor getting…
Does where you live determine where you’ll go?
by Bill Knight • • 0 Comments
By BILL KNIGHT As Peoria’s City-County Citizen Leadership Academy starts this month with help from neighborhood activists, two recent studies seem to indicate a struggling Peoria and the need for strong neighborhoods to be the backbones of cities. The new…
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
ROYCE ELLIOTT PLACE The sun was shining brightly, almost like God’s spotlight on America’s cleanest comedian, Royce Elliott, as people gathered to honor the man who made so many laugh and smile. The occasion was the unveiling of the honorary…
by Community Word Staff • • 1 Comment
Over past 20 years, “Loaves and Fish” fed 300,000 Last year, I was talking with a couple about what went into their selection of whether and/or which church to call home. Their Christian faith is strong, so connecting with a…
ENVIRONMENTALISTS ALARMED AT LACK OF PUBLIC NOTIFICATION FOLLOWING CRASH THAT SENT COAL FLY ASH BILLOWING OVER CARS, WORKERS AND NEARBY HOMES
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
The Illinois EPA was not notified about a crash on Route 29 north of Peoria that resulted in coal fly ash spilling over the highway. Two southbound lanes of the road were closed for hours during a cleanup operation involving…
Faiths’ stewardship equals environmental responsibility
by Bill Knight • • 0 Comments
Life is more than mere existence. It’s survival and growth – as individuals, as a species, and as inhabitants of a planet teeming with life. But living has historically trod two paths: faith and reason, or religion and science.…
Country music trend sparks pushback
by Bill Knight • • 0 Comments
Counting on Miranda Lambert’s Feb. 21 concert at the Civic Center Arena to feature some version of “Somethin’ Bad,” her hit duet with Carrie Underwood, is like hoping for comic Rodney Carrington to stroll over from his performance in the…