U.S. Federal Judge Joe Billy McDade spoke at the graduation of the Peoria Park District’s Elite program recently and called for establishment of a student CCC program like one implemented as part of the New Deal during the administration of…
News
He captured the pulse of central Illinois
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
BY DAVID ZALAZNIK Ben Dwyer died May 26, 2021 of ALS. I don’t remember exactly when Ben and I met. He was a photographer at WMBD-TV for almost 40 years here in Peoria and I started in late November 1989…
Harvesting food and education
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
GALESBURG — Started in 2014 as a student initiative, the one-acre Knox College Farm has blossomed into a chemical-free operation that produced more than 2,300 pounds of food last year used in the school cafeteria and shared with the community.…
Juneteenth: Celebration or Commemoration?
by contributor • • 0 Comments
BY GARRY MOORE In many cities throughout the country, African Americans will observe Juneteenth–the name given to a unique American occurrence that marked the end of slavery in Texas. It’s also referred to as Black Independence Day (an alternative to…
Home healthcare workers: Are you vaccinated?
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Renée Mullen is science savvy, and she was totally caught off guard by some totally unscientific public policy. Mullen has a PhD and taught in the science department at Eureka College for years. She has conducted scientific research around the…
Wage theft: Are you being robbed?
by Bill Knight • • 0 Comments
Maybe you’ve realized: You’re being robbed. But it’s no burglar; it’s not at gunpoint. Your tips are stolen by your boss, or you regularly work 50 hours a week with no overtime pay, or you’re handed cash at the job…
Science Briefs | June 2021
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Environmental Racism: “Toward the Fossil-Free Future: Food, Farming, Fracking, Climate & Justice” was the topic of a recent zoom lecture by scientist and writer Sandra Steingraber. Fossil fuel extraction is a form of environmental racism, Steingraber said. Factories, refineries and…
Chinquapin Oak: “The spirit of our region”
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
To know the Chinquapin Oak is to know something about our region’s ecological history and our own ecological geneology. Chinquapins are hallmark trees of the Central Illinois River Bluff. Slow growing with dense wood and a gray-brown bark, the tree…
Peoria Park District: Solar works in Peoria and saves money
by Clare Howard • • 1 Comment
The Peoria Park District is loudly proclaiming its values in a series of solar roof panels on the Bonnie Noble Center, Lakeview Recreation Center, Owens Center and RiverPlex Recreation & Wellness Center. The panels testify: We are fiscally responsible and…
He went from waiting to die to feeling empowered
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Autumn 2020 was exceptionally beautiful, but what Bill Conger remembers from that time is exceptionally terrifying with significant gaps in his memory. Conger, 53, is curator of collections and exhibitions at Peoria Riverfront Museum. He and his wife Michelle were…