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…
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…
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…
Firearm violence has been a major topic across the nation and in our own Peoria area. It is a leading cause of injurious death and has doubled in cases in Peoria from 2020 to 2021. Last month in our Part…
Three of the five candidates who earned at-large spots on the Peoria City Council were elected for the first time. And three retained their seat at the half circle at City Hall. All five want to get things done for…
Willie Nelson is “on the road again,” returning to the annual Summer Camp music festival at Three Sisters Park outside Chillicothe this Memorial Day weekend. Nelson — who turned 90 on April 29 — played the popular event in 2009.…
ART • Bradley University’s Heuser Gallery has two exhibits in early May: Nichle Gronvold-Roller’s MFA show continues through May 3, and a Graphic Design Portfolio Show is scheduled for May 6. • The Contemporary Art Center has two exhibits displayed…
It’s the little things that make the moments of our lives extra special. And it takes a big heart to fill them with love. Serendipity. That’s what Sandra Dempsey Post provided for readers for more than 40 years all over…
Two solar projects up, one down, as we cut the carbon footprint. Peoria County Board Peoria County Board met March 9 with all members present. Regular business focused on approval of solar project developments and power purchase agreements between Peoria…
The environment in which resilient economic ecosystems emerge is not always rooted in large-scale development of entire cities but in the smaller, action steps taken by the local community to make the city safer, more livable, and financially resilient while…
The heated confrontation between Peoria Rivermen fans and the Civic Center Authority Board is over — for now. A short-term, one-year lease agreement with a second year option was reached and all God’s children said “Amen.” Not everyone praised Ric…
It’s one thing to enrich the wealthy through targeted tax cuts, etc., but must government make the poor needier? That’s looking likely since Congress in its Consolidated Appropriations Act, enacted Dec. 29, 2022, set March 31 of this year as…
Wes Brooks can rightfully promote his movie Space Prairie — Act I as “years in the making.” Maybe more importantly, the 26-year-old can also legitimately call himself a filmmaker. Brooks and two other Peoria-area filmmakers screened some of their work…
Creative clothing with a view toward sustainability is the focus of three fashionistas in Peoria. Dana Baldwin creates phenomenal evening gowns, wraps and coats, Aareon Boyd up-cycles vintage wear and Lily Scalf focuses on natural dyes and elegant daywear. Each…
Russian oligarchs are named incorrectly. America has oligarchs, men whose extraordinary wealth can sway governments. As Gilens and Page (2014) show, economic elites and big corporations get their way when Congress crafts legislation whereas ordinary citizens have negligible impact. Wealth…
Thanks to Bill Rau and The Community Word for highlighting the concerns around the massive CO2 pipeline buildout planned for Illinois. These pipelines are dangerous, especially when run through densely populated areas like Peoria’s South Side where the geography ensures…
Firearm violence is taking place in communities across the nation and recently surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injurious death in the United States. Peoria is no exception. Firearm homicides of Peoria County residents doubled from 2020…
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court last June, many states have passed legislation defining and limiting the circumstances under which abortions may be performed. As a result, many doctors and hospitals have been extremely timid about…
April is the month when the forest floor comes alive with new growth. In Illinois forests, the ground layer comes alive while the tree tops still slumber. The amount of daylight steadily increases throughout the month as spring takes over…
On Saturday, May 13, the morning will start slow for thousands of volunteers from coast to coast. At the USPS Persimmon Annex just south of the State Street Post Office, Cub Scouts from Pack 219 will meet, grab a snack,…
By a whopping 70%, Peoria County voters said the office of County Auditor should be closed. Members of the County Board had overwhelmingly stated there was no need for an elected auditor. Auditor Jessica Thomas was expected to accept the…
