Becoming at home on the range

Between my father and Roy Rogers, I didn’t stand a chance. Songs of wide open spaces, mountains, and prairies, would weave a tantalizing tapestry of the trail. Dad grew up a country boy working around the farm and orchard, and…

Is your water making you sick?

Lauri Gannon – Peoria, IL Have you recently been suffering from a compromised immune system, respiratory difficulties, congestion, coughing, sneezing, increased allergies, or skin ailments such as itching, roughness, blistering, etc.? Have the fish in your backyard pond died in…

Freedom’s Price

We the people of the United States of America celebrate our independence this month. As we pull out the red, white and blue, make much noise and overindulge in festive delectables, let us not waste the day waiting for the…

Insights about family vacations

Plans commenced many months ago for a June, 2014 family vacation. When I mentioned a possible Florida trip or asked more experienced travelers for suggestions about renting a beach house, they would ask who was going. My response of “eight…

West Peoria News for July 2014

Sadly, one of our special summer events this year was unable to be held because of a rigorous rain storm. The Jamboree was unfortunately a “washout.” Many hours were spent in preparation of this community event. Thanks and respect to…

Happenings for July 2014

July 2 – Junction City Farmer’s Market – 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Call 309-689-0808. July 3 – Page Turners Book Club – 11:00 a.m. Join the discussion for “Best Kept Secret” by Jeffrey Archer. Dunlap Public Library. Call 309-243-5716.…

Miscellaneous stories for July 2014

Thousands of people in the Peoria area are thinking about starting a business Greater Peoria SourceLink can help them get started and succeed Small businesses are the engines that grow local economies and create jobs. According to the Small Business…

July Activities at Chillicothe Library

Sign and Sing Story Time – 10:30am Wednesdays, July 14th and 28th. Ages 0-5 – Join Abbey Cook of Communication Junction for a 30 minute interactive Story Time designed to engage your child and encourage their love of books. Each…

Come join the celebration

      Turning 60 can be rather unsettling for some folks.  But for a club designed for socialization and recreation, a 60thanniversary suggests a celebration with fun and fanfare.  People have enjoyed good times for six decades and it’s fitting to mark the…

Continued chaos at District 150

Never before in Peoria’s rich educational history has there ever been such chaos in District 150. The Charter Oak mess created by Superintendent Grenita Lathan and supported by a totally incompetent board, in my opinion, continues. Here’s the latest. The…

150’s super-security: ‘Mayberry, WTF’

(Middle-age woman in an old-style, gingham dress seated at a table, talking on an old-fashioned phone) G- Clara? Aunt G. Did you get your paper? Me neither. It’s getting so thin, you’d think it’d get easier to deliver. What’s that?…

From alien to native …

The question isn’t whether the aliens have landed. Fact is, they are here in the U.S., they number in the thousands of species, and they are increasingly disruptive: causing extinctions, spreading disease, harming forests, and contributing to ecological instability. And…

Let kindness and concern define us

Sleep deprivation adversely affects my disposition and thinking skills. Some might wonder why a woman whose grown children live away from home with children of their own is sleep deprived. I’m not a care provider for someone residing in my…

West Bluff News for June 2014

More traditional West Peoria summer events are planned for the first Saturday of June. June 7th marks both the 17th West Peoria Jamboree Run in the morning with the Jamboree and Scout Carnival that evening. Join runners for the 4-mile…

Sink holes can be difficult to repair

By Mike Rogers (Public Works Administrator) Due to the unusual weather this past winter, the City of Peoria is now seeing the effects of the deep freeze – sink holes. Sinkholes are depressions or holes in the ground caused by…

Methodist Mammo van schedule

Women 40 and over are recommended by the American Cancer Society to have annual screening mammograms. Early detection is the key to survival. UnityPoint Health Methodist MammoVan will be in these locations in June: June 3rd Morton UnityPoint Clinic 1909…