Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady said he will not reopen a case that sent Cleve Heidelberg to prison 45 years ago despite information from a Chicago attorney and local investigator that the police investigation and prosecution of the case…
Peoria’s “revolving door of poison” — Childhood lead poisoning devastates families & communities
Flint, Mich., pushed childhood lead poisoning onto a national stage, but Peoria’s lead poisoning levels are equally “frightening” and will hurt Peoria for generations to come, one health care provider said. “We have a revolving door of poison,” said Dr.…
POLITICAL BULL
With that headline, readers will probably think I’m going to talk about the presidential debates, Republican and Democrat. Not so. I’m referring to those local and area office holders who’ve been on television and in the newspaper talking about helping…
Five years after the publication of Peorian John Kelly’s “The Other Law of Moses,” the 250-page paperback seems as relevant as ever. Progressive populist Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality and college debt; conservative populist Donald Trump rails about overpriced…
Scalia’s death means a reprieve from Supreme Court’s bifurcated thinking on free speech
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death leaves the court balanced between conservative and liberal positions on free speech rights and unions. Scalia and the court’s other conservatives comprised a winning five-block coalition that had been expected to issue a conservative…
Save Our Parks!
Funding for our local and national parks is in jeopardy. People who love the outdoors and enjoy our parks must speak out against a possible disastrous decision to eliminate funding and protection for parks. At least 60 percent of Illinois…
OpEd
YOGA: Good for what ails you? What if we could avoid degenerative bone loss with some simple yoga poses done at home? By Lisa Nelson Raabe I bet you have heard the sound of this word recently – yoga. We…
Ethics of Stewardship I am honored to be invited to write for the “Community Word.” I would like to focus on the concept of stewardship within our religious communities. Stewardship for me focuses on how we use the resources we…
Spring Cleaning It’s that time of year when we start looking forward to the end of a long winter. A season of renewal is looming. However we often enter this time of year feeling that we are still weighed down…
Growing older doesn’t intimidate me, although it’s happening sooner than I planned. The accumulation of years occurs with or without my consent so I don’t have to feel responsible for it. Even excessive amounts of chocolate or desserts, which I…
Early voting in West Peoria is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 11 at West Peoria City Hall. Voters are encouraged to use the side entrance of the building for best access. Voting polls in West Peoria will…
Can a woman be president? Should a woman be president? Yes, I definitely think women are capable of world leadership, and we ought to give women the chance because we need change. I was raised by three strong women, so…
I have been taught a variation of a quote by the Spanish philosopher George Santayana who stated, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Yet, I have learned to remember and celebrate the past, not only…
The British stage and screen actor John Ronane (“Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Six Wives of Henry the VIII” (PBS), “Art” at the Apollo on Main Street) once remarked that people used to say they were going to “hear” a…
Arts Beat
MUSIC March 4: Lizzi Neal Band, “Live at the Five Spot.” 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6822. March 4: “Get the Led Out” – The American Led Zeppelin. 8 p.m. Peoria Civic Center Theater. 673-3200. March 4: Three and A…
Peoria Artists Are Starving
Art feeds our soul, but without sales, that’s all it is feeding. In a tough economy, buying art is not at the top of anyone’s list. So what’s an artist to do? ArtsPartners of Central Illinois and Bradley University stepped…
Labor Roundup
Labor criticizes President Obama’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year for keeping the “Cadillac tax” on high-cost health insurance plans. The Cadillac tax is a 40-percent levy on health plans provided by employers to workers if the value is…
Elder Care Concerns
BY DAVE WEIMAN Boredom, loneliness, and helplessness have been called the “Three Plagues of Nursing Homes.” But, they apply to other levels of services for the elderly, too. A retired carpenter who loved to work with his hands, but due…
Ten Surprising Facts About Cholesterol
What many people have learned about cholesterol is summarized by the following: High cholesterol will clog up your arteries and cause a heart attack. There are two main types of cholesterol. Good cholesterol or HDL for high density lipoprotein that…
Environmental News Brief
Junk Science Journals Two scientific journals known for their industry ties have become go-to publications for researchers who minimize risks from chemicals, according to an article published by Center for Public Integrity. Critics are charging the two peer-reviewed science journals,…