Views & Perspectives | Hooray! Illinois has a $40 billion capital bill
Thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Illinois legislators both Republicans, Democrats and Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois is finally on a course to fixing our pothole-filled roads, crumbling Illinois interstates and structurally deficient bridges. The $40 billion capital bill is long…
Straight Talk | Losing two community leaders
First it was news Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady had died. Then we learned that Peoria County Clerk Steve Sonnemaker had also passed away. Losing two outstanding elected officials and community leaders is almost too much to endure. I…
Bill Knight | Climate change is a job-killer
Last month, actor Rainn Wilson (from “The Office”) tweeted, “I love the idea of a Green New Deal but Fox News said the plan includes the mandatory sucking of farts out of camels, solar-panel skull implants, Al Gore face tattoos…
Editorial | Terminate the flawed Hyde Amendment
Thankfully, most Democratic candidates for the presidency are calling for the abolition of the Hyde Amendment. The amendment was passed in 1976 shortly after Roe v. Wade established the legal right to abortion. Hyde restricts federal funds from being used…
Letter to the Editor | Abortion access problem-solving
The sudden closing of the Whole Woman’s Health clinic in Peoria is a loss for the community and a loss for Illinois. We know this is undoubtedly resulting in many women feeling they are without access to abortion services. My…
OpEd | Gaza: Don’t Blame the Victims
BY DR. JOHN NIXON Israeli narratives and talking points concerning multiple assaults on Gaza are designed to obscure the context of a brutal occupation and blockade and to marginalize the Palestinians as extremist and irrational. Typical explanations given by Israel…
The Lion’s Den | January 23, 1977
Where were you on the night of January 23, 1977? With the release of the Netflix series, “When They See Us,” which details the trial of the Central Park five, we are again reminded of the power of film as…
Real Talk | “When They See Us”
Ava DuVernay’s four-part series on the Central Park Five, “When They See Us” is currently airing on Netflix. You have to have been under a rock to not have seen the film or watched commentary about it. My daughter, niece…
Nature Rambles | Titans of the prairie
July is the time of year when the tallgrass prairie becomes spectacular. Unfortunately, many of us will live our entire lives in the “Prairie State” without ever seeing a native tallgrass prairie. According to the Illinois Natural History Survey, in…
Reflections From A Hindu Perspective | The wish granting tree – Kalpataru
In prehistoric times the good and the evil forces churned the ocean of the cosmos, and one of the unique objects which the Divine granted to the churners was a wish granting tree. One day a traveler comes across this…
Inland Art | Katie Bell
Curator and artist Jessica Bingham just organized her first exhibition at Illinois State University with the work of native Illinoisan, and now Brooklynite, Katie Bell. Bell studied at Knox College and then at Rhode Island School of Art & Design…
Art: What is it Good For? | Big Picture Peoria and the next generation of public art
Summertime for kids are days full of wonder. The regular schedule of school is left behind and the long days of warmth and sunshine hold countless opportunities for new adventures. Happily this summer several children and teens are taking advantage…
Arts Beat | July 2019
July 3: A Killer’s Confession. 7 p.m. Twisted Spoke Saloon. 620-8595. July 3: Peoria Municipal Band. 8 p.m., Glen Oak Park. 691-3318. July 5: Rooster Alley “Live at the 5 Spot.” 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6822. July 5: John…
Serendipity | Creative options
Tryouts haven’t changed much through the years. They’re still filled with anticipation, excitement and uneasy feelings of “maybe I’m not good enough.” Typically there are more individuals competing than will make the team, land a role in the play, get…
West Peoria News | Fourth of July parade and flag raising
The 49th celebration of the West Peoria Fourth of July parade and flag raising is upon us. The parade starts 10 a.m. (rain or shine) and wends its way through West Peoria. This event is well attended by thousands of…
Labor Roundup | July 2019
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is campaigning to build labor support beyond the five unions that backed him in the 2016 presidential race, proposing workers take ownership of individual plants and businesses, out of the hands of the bosses and…
Ongoing conflict in Middle East stokes debate in Peoria
Retired Peoria pathologist John Nixon studies widespread human rights violations in Gaza with increasing alarm. As a physician, he felt he should not speak out while he was treating patients, but after retiring 12 years ago, he has studied the…
Can Peorians play a role in equitable and humane immigration solutions?
The Trump administration is ferreting out ways to impose a burdensome application fee on asylum seekers to discourage people fleeing for their lives from entering the United States. This would circumvent international law requiring nations to give asylum seekers a…
The REDress Project
Eliida Lakota, center, helped organize “The REDress Project” at Dayspring United Methodist Church in East Peoria to raise awareness about thousands of missing and murdered Native American women and girls. Native American women are 10 times more likely to be…
Views & Perspectives | Impeachment a waste of time; Pass legislation to solve our most pressing problems
Now that the Mueller Report is complete, it is time for Congress to begin debating and solving the country’s most pressing problems. More to follow further in this column. It seems the House of Representatives under the control of the…
Straight Talk | Solve the mystery on West Ann for $5,000
People are still talking about the tragic death of four year old Jeremiah Ward. The little boy was shot and killed by a vengeful gang member or drug dealer in the parking lot of the Lincoln Terrace Apartments, 2825 West…