Peoria City Council wrestled with its 2022-2023 biennial budget — and each other — during special meetings this fall. On Oct. 26: Peoria Township officials asked for a tax increase, but didn’t get it. City Manager Patrick Urich said recovery…
Area airports in line for nearly $7 million
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Rebuild Illinois will provide almost $7 million to airports in central Illinois. General Wayne A. Downing — Peoria International Airport will receive $2.8 million in federal money and another $900,000 from the state…
Lincoln Branch Library celebrates extension
The Lincoln Branch Library marked its 10th anniversary of its expansion and renovation. The addition in 2010 to Peoria’s only Andrew Carnegie library expanded the South Side space from 4,570 to 16,300 square feet with a modern extension to the…
Eureka College promising free tuition
Eureka College is expanding its tuition-free program to qualified students for four years. The Uniquely Eureka Promise Program, which was originally offered to transfer students, is now available to students from all over the state of Illinois, and gives them…
Real Talk | Emphasizing empathy behind the badge will help strengthen our communities
I heard a true story from Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell a while ago that sticks with me to this day. He told a story to a group about a man who was in the county jail. This person was…
Inland Art | Artistic freedom inspires Iranian artist
Iranian-born painter Shahrbanoo Hamzeh moved to the United States in 2018 as a graduate student and completed an MFA in Painting from Illinois State University in the spring of 2021. Since graduation, the artist has continued to expand upon a…
Art Alerts | January 2022
ART Examples of the drawings of the renowned Mauricio Lasansky will be displayed in the Heuser Gallery at Bradley University starting Jan. 19. From the university’s collection, the exhibit will run through March 18. CINEMA In limited theatrical release starting…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | A half-nuke, half-renewable energy house: Can it stand?
No. Just as it was impossible to stitch together an economy with half-slave, half-free labor, a half-nuke and half-renewable energy house is equally impossible. Nuclear and renewable power are irreconcilably incompatible. Yet, the General Assembly and Governor’s 2021 Clean Energy…
Nature Rambles | Prescribed fires help preserve ancient oaks
The Peoria region is blessed with woodlands along the bluffs of the Illinois River. Many of these have been protected as conservation areas and nature preserves. Places like Forest Park, Detweiller Park, Robinson Park, Camp Wokanda and Singing Woods are…
Serendipity | Friendship and fun play well together
Playing games has always ranked high for me as a great way to have a good time. I remember playing board games by myself as a child. I would assume the role of the three other players the game was…
West Peoria News | Community Word expanding our horizons
It seems that in this time of many changes, another one is happening with the first edition of the Community Word of 2022. There is a new managing editor, a former West Peorian, Brian Ludwig. He spent his formative years…
Labor Roundup | G&D ironworkers unionize, two strikes settle with raises
Ironworkers at G&D Integrated in Morton have voted to unionize, they reported, adding that it’s “just one more example of how collective power can make big change for workers.” At press time, negotiations for a first contract had started. Legendary…
Purging contaminants from U.S. drinking water, including toxic PFAS chemicals
A growing sense of urgency nationwide is focused on a new category of “forever chemicals” called PFAS. Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances include a group of about 5,000 manmade chemicals used in a wide variety of products from fire fighters’ foam,…
America is back in the infrastructure business
BY RAY LAHOOD Member of Congress, 18th Congressional District 1995-2009 Secretary of Transportation 2009-2013 I am writing my final column for Community Word after receiving an email from Clare Howard inviting me to comment on the passage of the much…
Chiefs get pay hike, housing
The absence or presence of justice can be found almost everywhere, from homeless shelters to legislatures to baseball diamonds. Baseball is probably far from your mind unless you’re a fan of Atlanta (whose World Series star was ex-Peoria Chiefs outfielder…
Complete Streets Program
The Lion’s Den | Mightier Than a Sword
“When I get mad, I put it down on a pad; give ya something that cha never had.” – Chuck D (Public Enemy), “Welcome to The Terrordome” In recent years there has been a war raging against the press. For…
Straight Talk | Giving thanks
As the year comes to an end, I want to take this opportunity to thank the people who’ve made it possible for our program, “Breakfast with Roger and Friends,” to become the fastest growing morning show on Peoria radio. Royce…
Bill Knight | A lesson from Carole King
Around the holiday season of hope, the touring show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” sparked warm thoughts of the award-winning singer/songwriter’s singular knack for finding hope amid loss, faith in the face of despair, and fine music and lyrics –…
Editorial | Undermining local journalism hurts everyone
Dear Gov. Pritzker, Legislature, City Council and others: We are losing independently-owned newspapers at an alarming rate. You say you value local journalism, but you undermine its very existence when you don’t return calls from reporters, don’t issue statements in…
OpEd | Qualified Immunity
Here are statements concurring with the op-ed in the November issue of Community Word by Professor Joanna Schwartz, “Ending qualified immunity won’t ruin cops’ finances. It will better protect the public.” That piece was reprinted with permission from USA Today.…
Real Talk | Power Without Courage is Useless
Since its enactment in 1965, The Voting Rights Act, (VRA) has been reauthorized and amended five times, with bipartisan support. The last time the Senate reauthorized and amended the VRA was in 2006, by a vote of 98-0 and for…