A perfect storm of voter suppression in the middle of a global pandemic failed in Wisconsin last month. The Democratic governor tried to postpone the election to a later, safer date –– a move many states had already done. The…
Well, at least now we know what we fear most in a crisis. Fearing a shortage of eggs perhaps, or cheese filled hot dogs, or logically all of the ingredients needed to prepare your favorite healthy meal might have made…
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has revoked the permits for the Dakota Access pipeline pending a full environmental review. DAPL has been an ongoing battle to protect tribal lands and tribal rights to hunt, fish and participate in traditional ceremonies.…
BY KAREN HUDSON It has long been known that animals and humans readily trade disease by “species jumping” in a process called zoonosis. Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. Zoonotic diseases are very…
BY ELAINE HOPKINS A new television series, “Mrs. America,” explores the people involved in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a battle that continues to this day. The series streams on Wednesdays on Hulu. The…
At every government level — from Washington D.C. to Springfield to Peoria — COVID-19 is changing the subject, the format and the outcome of public meetings. When the Peoria County Board held its March 12 meeting, for example, Chairman Andrew…
During this unprecedented time, when everything we seem to know is turned upside down, there are still many steadfast harbingers of reality in the natural world. The chorus of Robins and Cardinals still begin at daybreak even if we are…
John Phillips began painting in earnest about the time that the medium was relinquishing its preeminent avant-garde station, leaving painters with the task of buttressing and re-defining the practice. Its formal contours had been turned inside out or neglected in…
As we write this column, we are in our fourth week of shelter-in-place, and the news headlines are filled with the death toll, the failing economy and the total disarray of life as we knew it. A steady diet of…
There is a safe, long-standing drug that is showing success with septic shock, a serious infection that causes our immune systems to go haywire. This is timely because sepsis can be complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the same…
The experience of sheltering in place for someone living alone is different than it is for those who live with a spouse, significant other and/or children. Without distractions you do one of two things; you worry excessively or you pray…
During adversity, a person’s true nature (Swa- self, bhaava- essence) gets exposed. In normalcy, many of us take on covering to fool others and sometimes ourselves. We take on roles to fit into what we believe is expected from us…
Countless examples exist of inspiration, kindness and generosity among people learning about improvising and compromising as circumstances surrounding them suddenly changed. Pandemic was an unfamiliar word to many, and even those knowing the meaning, found its presence difficult to accept.…
Cancellations due to the “stay at home” mandate include Neighborhood Watch, May 13; West Peoria Book Club no May meeting; West Peoria Township Clean Up Day will be rescheduled. Boy Scout Troop 11 members are selling 30-gallon trash bags. To…
NY Mayor Bill de Blasio orders probe of Amazon firing protesting worker Christian Smalls, who organized a walkout to demand greater protections against coronavirus for warehouse workers. About 15 workers participated in the walkout at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse after…
MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Alyson McKean Regional Marketing Manager (309) 409-5775 Alyson.McKean@unitypoint.org UnityPoint Health calls for community help with COVID-19 Peoria, IL- March 27, 2020- UnityPoint Health (UPH) joins health systems across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin in…
BY CLARE HOWARD OSF Saint Francis Medical Center issued a policy Tuesday prohibiting employees from buying, borrowing or making their own personal protective equipment like face masks. At a time COVID-19 is sweeping across America taking a devastating toll, healthcare…
Donald Trump shouldn’t be blamed for the coronavirus outbreak any more than the asteroid moving past Earth April 29. However, he is responsible for his response to the escalating emergency, and he’s downplayed danger while almost 140,000 in more than…
Detainees at the Peoria County Jail cast absentee ballots for the statewide primary in March. They will vote again in the upcoming presidential elections. Peoria County Jail Superintendent Ronda Guyton coordinated with Peoria County Board of Elections director Tom Bride…
Research and nearly half a century of precedent have widely disproven the value of three-strikes-and-you’re-out, but change may be too slow in coming for Lester Mason. The three-strikes legislation was supposed to act as a deterrent to violent crime. Instead,…
We’ve been doing our morning radio show for almost 18 years, give and take a year here and there when we made a few transitions, through no fault of our own. It started as “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” and…
