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.…

The Watch | Drawing new lines

On Sept. 28, Community Development Director Joe Dulin told the Peoria City Council about the impact of 2020 census data on council districts. Peoria now has 113,150 residents, down 1.6% from 2010. To proportion districts equally means District 1 would…

Inequalities in diabetes care

America is doing a “god-awful job managing diabetes,” a specialist said at a recent forum hosted by The Hill digital news company. Skyrocketing rates of diabetes in the United States are being met with “systemic inertia.” African Americans and Native…

Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl Prairie Update

AmeriCorps

Last month, I wrote about the impending destruction of a native prairie near the Rockford International Airport. This prairie, one of the few remaining habitats of its kind, was slated to be destroyed by airport expansion beginning Nov. 1. Since…

Inland Art | Wild Things: The art of Peggy West

Peggy West

Peggy West’s avowed mission is to raise awareness and appreciation for the “wild things that can be found in urban and suburban landscapes.” A printmaker, a master naturalist, and educator, West creates mixed media prints and collages that feature delicately…

Art Alerts | December 2021

Area artists Steph Van Doren and Jaci Willis’ joint exhibition through Dec. 17 at the Contemporary Art Center’s Preston Jackson Gallery features Willis’ sculptures in swirling lines of stainless steel with touches of slumped glass, and Van Doren’s paintings on…

Briefs on journalism

Pope Francis’ reflections on journalism Excerpt from an address to journalists delivered by Pope Francis on Nov. 11: “Journalism does not come about by choosing a profession, but by embarking on a mission, a little like a doctor who studies…

Serendipity | Less is more

Drawing was never my favorite pastime. I wasn’t good at it, recognizing that even at an early age. But papers, stationery and notebooks, I loved. Some people believe handwritten notes on colorful paper are only memories, and for sure technology…

West Peoria News | Christmas carolers

West Peoria Scouts and their families will again be caroling for the community 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7 when they tour in their holiday float. When you hear the music and fire sirens, go outside and…

Labor Roundup | December 2021

Workers at G&D Integrated in Morton last month won their union election and are now represented by the Ironworkers, which praised the “G&D workers who fought tirelessly for a union, and now have a voice on the job, the right…

Systemic change needed to curb nutrient runoff

Nitrogen and phosphorus are running off farm fields in Illinois at ever increasing rates despite millions of dollars spent on research and conservation practices designed to mitigate the problem, according to the state’s recently-released report on nutrient loss. Conventional farming…

Muralist rekindles towns’ past

Underground Railroad painting

Scott Lindley’s life work has been about forging relationships and building community. And painting. Lindley, 52, heads up “Walldogs,” a group of artists who’ve created murals throughout Illinois, from a standalone piece chronicling Elmwood’s abolitionist past to a series of…

Bill Knight | Farewell to a fine journalist

Journalists don’t pursue their career for thanks. Compensation mostly is indirect, learning issues and interacting with people much more than pay. (A favorite quote about journalism-as-a-calling is from Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and novelist Anna Quindlen, who said,…