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 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…
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…
Billionaires discover inequality
Earth hasn’t become Bizarro World, DC Comics’ cubical planet where a flawed copy of Superman talks in twisted negatives. When that super-powered villain says, “I love you!” he means he hates you. If Bizarro says, “I’m sad you succeeded,” he…
Warning in Lincoln’s “house divided” speech resonates ominously with Rauner’s “right-to-work”
BY DOUG DAY Next month will mark the 161st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Peoria speech that served to revive the political career of the country lawyer, former one-term Congressman and future President. The Peoria speech was part of the Lincoln-Douglas…
Medical marijuana works for me
The debate around medical marijuana should move away from the lack of scientific studies and focus on experience. I admit to formerly being a pot smoker. Some time back I quit smoking weed to focus on family and career. Unfortunately,…
A Roller-Coaster Year
By KYM LADD HARTZ Winter changing to spring was very smooth. Everything was perfect, unlike last spring when winter kept coming around when you least expected it and killing off new spring buds. No, this spring was as well as…
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…
A Legacy for Future Generations
A Legacy for Future Generations It was a summer day in 1990 that I piled into a car with several folks and drove up into Marshall County to explore some natural areas. We were off to meet someone who had…
On a typical frosty-cold January day, a friendly and enthusiastic group of loved ones gathered in anticipation of a wonderful event. Determined to stay for the long haul, while hoping for a short one, we were willing helpers extraordinaire. But…
Night Out Against Crime will be hosted by the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch, City of West Peoria, West Peoria Township, Peoria County Sheriff’s Department, Peoria Park District/Franciscan Complex and the Travelers Protective Association from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept.…
The Great Work Begins Theatre Troupe moved to an intimate space downtown, Ear in the Envelope, 820 SW Adams St., to present Don Nigro’s ‘70s era play “Seascape with Sharks and Dancer.” It was well performed by Andrew Jon Rhodenbaugh…
ARTS BEAT
Stage highlights for the next few weeks: MUSIC Sept. 4-5: Budweiser Illinois Blues Festival featuring Jonny Lang, Taj Mahal, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Victor Wooten and the Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band and more. Gates open at 6…
Art As Experience Is there sound if there are no ears to hear it? Is there art if there are no eyes to see it? Art does not exist apart from human experience. It is not created in a vacuum.…
Labor Roundup
Labor groups endorse Iran deal. U.S. Labor Against War (USLAW), the grass-roots organization that led the organized labor to oppose George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, is campaigning for unionists and leaders to back the proposed agreement to curb…
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS BRIEFS
Coal’s Devastation Coal accounts for over 40 percent of Illinois’ electric power generation, according to the Institute for Energy Research. While Ameren posted profits of more than $586 million in 2014 (more than double the $289 million in 2013), the…
Why Are So Many People Obese? There is an obesity epidemic in this country. The percent of people who are overweight and obese has doubled since 1992. Now one-third of adults in the United States are obese. What has happened…
Heartland Festival Orchestra honored for community support
The Heartland Festival Orchestra earned the 2015 Community Relations of the Year award from the Illinois Council of Orchestras. “Committed to giving back to the community, the Heartland Festival Orchestra continues its tradition of partnering with deserving local nonprofit…
Farmer links dead calves and tainted silage to pesticide drift
After 40 years of farming in rural Princeton, Dan Schafer is between a rock and a hard place, grappling with a problem that could threaten his livelihood and the safety of the public food supply. He told his long-time…