Heat Waves in Red & Black | SOO Green Line needs green light
High voltage DC line could transport megawatts of wind energy to Midwest, if Exelon would allow it My last two columns dwelt on Illinois’ electricity shortage and barriers to fixing the problem. One barrier is Springfield’s lethargy. The state could…
Nature Rambles | Stench of sneaky snake still tantalizes senses
I’m sure we all have experienced something that takes us back to our childhood: The aroma of a favorite food, the sound of a familiar place, or the sight of a local landmark. I guess when we…
Serendipity | Money management starts with Mom & Dad
Financial situations were not something openly talked about when I was growing up. If they were, I didn’t hear them. We knew basics, but we also understood money conversations were private. It never occurred to me to worry about things…
OP-ED: It might be just me walking with the Pottawatomies
Descending into woods, a sign says “No bikes, No dogs.” Good. Leave that behind. The first fallen tree, two big trunks. This one fell last year sometime, not so long ago. Continuing, another tree with a young couple’s initials. I…
The Watch | No secret City wants to stop violence
Farewell to elections expert Tom Bride, who should get a patience award for months of listening to misinformed citizens gripe about voter fraud. Peoria City Council On June 28, Mayor Rita Ali presented an overview of Safety Network’s efforts to…
Labor roundup | Peoria Public Schools negotiations messy
Bargaining between teachers and Peoria Public Schools broke down last month, as the Peoria Federation of Teachers ended negotiations with District 150 by requesting federal mediation. “The PFT is pushing proposals that will better the school district and better the…
What are the odds this is COVID-iocy? New BA.5 variant may be most contagious as diligence in fight wanes
What’s worse than being sick and tired is being dead. It’s OK to be curious or concerned about monkeypox, an emergency. But it’s far less contagious than COVID-19 (only about 12,000 monkeypox cases have been reported, and no deaths). And…
The Lion’s Den: Art imitating life as life imitates art like a Mockingbird
I made a trip to the Mississippi Delta last month. During the seven-hour drive, I had the opportunity to listen to the story of Anthony Ray Hinton on the radio. Anthony Ray Hinton was a Black man falsely accused of…
Straight Talk: Under lights, City gets it right; School Board in wrong fight
Give credit to the majority members of the Peoria City Council. As we reported last month, members blocked an alleged effort by Mayor Rita Ali and City Manager Patrick Urich to quietly slip under the radar screen a payment of…
Dash of devotion
The free meals at the South Side Mission feed poor souls every day. But what’s been cooking in the kitchen nourishes the hearts and minds of a ministry of culinary artists. Chef Chris Franzoni has been devoted to teaching aspiring…
Have a beer, and a smile
No matter the job, sometimes you know: “I want a beer.” Beer’s not therapeutic or medicinal, of course (although maybe there’s some study that Ivermectin taken daily with a case of beer reduces awareness of strokes). I’m no expert (you’re…
Magic of brewing = alchemy of beer
Novelist Arthur C. Clarke wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” and at a time when we marvel at images from the James Webb space telescope, much less cryptocurrency, it’s understandable to take for granted how beer is…
Real Talk | Peorians: Prepare for victory
Bearing witness to many of our challenges as of late, Peoria seems to be at a crossroads. A hot topic polarizing our community as of late is community crime and violence. Peoria is pushing records in shooting deaths per capita…
The Lion’s Den | U.S. Colored Troops true American heroes from front to back
The film “Glory” tells the story of the all-Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment, organized in the northern states during the Civil War. What is not…
Straight Talk | Chaos, conflict in River City? Plus, anyone see Mike Pence?
Are you old enough to remember the song, “Ya Got Trouble (right in the River City),” from “The Music Man”? Robert Preston sings, “Friend, either you’re closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge or you…