Across the country, states are legislating an “anti-woke” agenda. Imagine my surprise when I learned of the Texas legislation that would require all classrooms K-12 to post the Ten Commandments. Taking this bold step, Texans are not just rebuking the…
Poetry: The Romantics, 1966; Main and Flora
Big old building with small apartments. Mine was one room, furnished, tiny kitchen, tiny bathroom, I inherited from a Chicago friend. He left his posters — Che Guevara, Malcolm X, a Picasso, and a Miles Davis album. Soc. 101 for…
RESCUE MISSION: Veronicah Richards returning to Kenya to help abused women
“Our mission is to give hope to women and children of Kenya, to help them survive and thrive through food, shelter and rehabilitation from abuse. Our vision is to change one life at a time by giving a hand up not a handout.”
Heat Waves — in Red & Black: Home, sweet carbon-neutral, home
Last year, Illinois households burned 422 trillion cubic feet of gas resulting in 23 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. That matches annual tailpipe emissions of 5 million autos. Energy audit crucial in helping improve our house’s energy efficiency by 85 percent
Labor Roundup: UAW prepping for Big 3 automakers; Senate bill could raise national minimum wage
UAW wants relationship with Big 3, with respect. Going into negotiations this summer with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), new United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain says the union wants a good relationship with automakers, but workers haven’t…
Straight Talk: Why so much deception in all these hospital ‘deals’?
For some reason, Unity Point Health officials didn’t call it acquiring Methodist, Proctor and Pekin hospitals a sale, but a “strategic affiliation,” which it wasn’t and isn’t.
Undiscovered mine delays Landfill #3
Information on abandoned mine that jeopardizes 2025 readiness was not shared among state agencies during feasibility investigations
Bill Knight: Rich tax dodgers cost us all
Federal budgets gutting the IRS, whose audits target “earned income” homes over the wealthy. … Candidates say they support “law and order.” But it’s really for some.
The Lion’s Den: Hip-Hop has become CNN of the ghetto
So explained not only for the genre’s origins but also because it is an art form born of the streets that gave a voice to the voiceless and would let the world know what was happening in forgotten America. … Today Hip-Hop has transformed our world; from commercials to movie soundtracks, the “culture” is thriving.
Arts Alerts: Contribute art to “Flowers for Ukraine” at Contemporary Art Center; Avett, Doobie brothers in town; “Sister Act,” “Rock of Ages” in theaters
The deadline to apply is midnight June 10. Also opening June 30 (in Gallery 3R), “Vera Scekic: Synthetic Being” showcases her fondness for manipulating paint as it’s affected by gravity.
The Watch: Cats and dogs, pools, parks, zoos, and museums on the agendas
Regular business at Peoria County Board included revising the zoning code for solar and wind facilities to align with state code, as required by a recently enacted state law. The Greater Peoria Leadership Council gave a presentation to City Council on talent attraction strategy.
West Peoria News: Lighting District fully converted to LED
The project has saved the city more than $16,000 per year in energy cost and paid for itself in less than two years, at a cost of $50 per light
Inland Art: Local MAP guides young artists on career path
Labor roundup: Will Teamsters go on strike at UPS? Alaska unions OK with Willow Project
Negotiations between the Teamsters and United Parcel Service started April 17, and the Teamsters are warning members to prepare for a strike. The union’s new president, Sean O’Brien, has vowed that the union would go to the mat for key…
INSIDE OUT: Amazing ‘Body Worlds RX’ at Riverfront Museum brilliantly exposes life — and health
Donating bodies to science goes beyond helping medical students and harvesting organs, as shown by the world-renowned “Body Worlds RX” exhibit opening May 13 at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Today, seniors are warned to pay attention to their hips…
Nature Rambles: Red-headed Woodpeckers are dangerously temperate-amental
Central Illinois has long been a refuge for healthy populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Our plentiful oak woodlands and rich river valleys have long been home to this colorful species. With its bright red hood and black and white body, it…
The Lion’s Den: Cost of being poor can be very expensive
According to U.S. Census data, the official poverty rate in 2020 was 11.4 percent, resulting in 37.2 million people living in poverty. In addition, Census data indicates that between 2019 and 2020, the poverty rates increased for non-Hispanic Whites and…
Heat Waves in Red & Black: Inflation Reduction Act — save money at home by decarbonizing
If you want to help arrest global warming but are not sure about your best actions, then the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, offers a lengthy list of things to do. Over the next 10 years (2023-32), this breakthrough climate…