A Kwanzaa Celebration will be held Thursday, December 28th at 4pm at the George Washington Carver Center. There will be storytelling, music, dance, activities for kids, food samples, and the lighting of the Kwanzaa candles. The event is free. Kwanzaa is a seven day African American holiday, created in 1966 by Dr. Maluana Karenga. It …
DOWNSTATE STORY VOL. 26 NOW AVAILABLE FREE ON THE WEB Ten new short stories by Illinois and Midwestern writers are featured in the 2017 edition of Downstate Story, Peoria’s only literary magazine for fiction. Downstate Story is now published only on the Web at www.downstatestory.com The writers in this issue are Pepper Bauer of Mapleton, …
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BY CLARE HOWARD The Third District Appellate Court of Illinois issued a ruling Thursday affirming Cleve Heidelberg’s right to a special independent prosecutor to review his trial and conviction for the 1970 murder of a Peoria County sheriff’s deputy. Heidelberg, who is African American, has consistently claimed he is innocent and was denied a …
By Bill Knight Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Nov. 2 announced her office’s opposition to Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed buyout of Tribune Media Company. (See Community Word coverage of the proposed buyout in the November issue, http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2017/11/01/8335/ ) Madigan and attorneys general from Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island together filed a comment with …
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Bluegrass recording artists the Henhouse Prowlers will perform Nov. 2 as part of a new music series in Peoria Heights. Jeff and Martha Huebner, owners of Trefzger’s Bakery and the Trailside Event Center, are launching [the] roots-inspired concert series with family-friendly hours, a full bar and a dinner menu. The monthly concerts at the historic …
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Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide widely used in central Illinois, was scheduled to become a banned substance in the spring. That ban was rescinded by the Trump administration, so this neurotoxin can still be used on agriculture crops, golf courses and road medians. Chlorpyrifos is a nerve agent that damages the brains of children and also kills …
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ACLU American Civil Liberties Union, Peoria Chapter http://aclupeoria.org https://www.facebook.com/ACLU.PeoriaIL/ Jeff Johnson, President; Jimena Lopez, Vice President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jeff Johnson, 309.397.4772; JTJohnson.PHR@gmail.com Jimena Lopez, 309.573.3283; jimenalopez83@gmail.com ACLU of Illinois to hold “We The People” Town Hall meetings in Peoria and Bloomington-Normal in November The ACLU of Illinois will hold town hall …
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Friends of Riverfront Park is sponsoring a Save the Park Fundraiser & Update on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 5 – 9 pm at Sky Harbor Steakhouse, 1321 N. Park Drive in West Peoria, IL. The event will include wine, cheese, and a silent auction of art, antiques, collectibles and other desirable items. Food will be …
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The Greater Peoria League of Women Voters will discuss Evidenced Based Education Funding at its Drinks and Dialogue event, 5:30 – 6:30 pm on Wednesday, October 18, at the Lariat Steakhouse, 2232 W. Glen Avenue, Peoria. Beth Derry, Peoria County Regional Superintendent of Education, will present an overview of the elements of the recent education …
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Prairie Rivers Network, an Illinois nonprofit environmental advocacy organization, is excited to bring one of the largest environmental film festivals to central Illinois. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a collection of films from the annual festival held in Nevada City, CA, now in its 15th year! The festival focuses on films that speak to …