BY SHARON WILLIAMS Eighteen months ago, Peoria County residents couldn’t have foreseen the far-reaching effects of a pandemic. It has been more than a century since our country has had to deal with something so fierce and unforgiving. We have…
Articles
As fires burn in West, sooty air blankets Peoria
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Smoke from wildfires burning across 13 western states is blanketing the rest of the country in smoke and soot. In Peoria, the Air Quality Index hit 122, considered unhealthy for sensitive people. The threshold for safe air is 100. A…
Rain gardens and the art of noticing
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Professor William Hope at Knox College works with students to harness observational skills with manual labor for an embodied understanding of the correlation between bioswales, deep-rooted perennials, the Anthropocene and experiential learning. Hope, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, helped…
Coffee shop “contained” in Hanna City
by Bill Knight • • 1 Comment
HANNA CITY – After talking with a friend, developer Ron Gulley knew that building a successful coffee shop in rural Peoria would need to be at a good location and unique. He settled on Ill. Route 116 and shipping containers.…
“Wildflower meadow bouquets” tell story of season, time and place
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Kira Santiago could have relocated from central Illinois to work in the Chicago area, but the soil lured her back home. “Farming near Chicago was something to consider, but people need to come back to this soil. Someone has to…
Lead water pipes: Invisible public health threat
by Clare Howard • • 0 Comments
Lead water pipes are a major public health risk, especially in Peoria that has among the highest rates of childhood lead poisoning in the country. Illinois recently passed legislation calling for replacement of lead service lines carrying water from the…
Judge calls for student CCC
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
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…
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…