Seven of the sixteen Trump cabinet positions have “acting” secretaries. Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Chief of Staff, Office of Management and Budget, Small Business Administration. On April 10, President Trump told Americans that he was running the Department of Homeland…
Bill Knight | Ugliness in April elections
Dirty politics, surly opposition and ugly social media all surfaced around April’s election. Some races had no challengers; some couldn’t fill vacancies; some unqualified candidates resorted to name-calling or paying others for negative appeals. Willingness to serve takes time, money…
Straight Talk | Bullies? Are you kidding?
The Bradley basketball season is over after a surprising finish by Coach Brian Wardle and his Braves. They won the Missouri Valley tournament and gave nationally ranked Michigan State a run for the money before losing in the NCAA tournament…
Editorial | Rabbi calls for justice for Palestine
Rabbi Brant Rosen is a scholar who has patience, empathy and courage in his activism for Palestinian people and social justice. He proves it is possible to love Israel and the Jewish faith and protest human rights violations in Gaza.…
Op-Ed | Right to harm plays well in Peoria
BY KAREN HUDSON Illinois Citizens for Clean Air & Water recently hosted the Midwest premiere of “Right to Harm” at the Peoria Riverfront Museum Giant Screen Theater. The film reveals the multiple externalities created by concentrated animal feeding operations or…
Reflections From A Hindu Perspective | Guru
My salutations to the guru who opens the eyes of the one who is blind due to the darkness of ignorance with an ointment of knowledge. The first full week of May is celebrated as Teachers Appreciation week in the…
The Lion’s Den | 13th
This month we review the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th by filmmaker Ava DuVernay. This film takes an in-depth look at the industrial prison complex and the 13th Amendment which contributes to mass incarceration. The film highlights the role that politics and…
Serendipity | You CAN Go Home Again
Days after a wonderful visit with a good friend who lives in Maryland and was here seeing family, the quote about not being able to go home again popped into my mind. I googled it to see others’ thoughts, and…
Nature Rambles | Ubiquitous cottonwoods
Sometimes trees will surprise you. Even those that are so common that they go virtually unnoticed. Take the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) for example. It is a tree that grows from the east coast of the United States all the…
Real Talk | Part 2: Grief hurts, but healing is complicated
Webster’s dictionary has the meaning of the word “loss” as the state of feeling grief when deprived of someone or something of value; and the word “healing” meaning to make sound or whole. Since the election of Donald Trump, there…
Art: What is it Good For? | How to Become an Arts Advocate
One of the benefits in living in central Illinois is that our communities are big enough to provide amenities and small enough to produce connections that enable citizens to be influencers. This column is a good example of how two…
Arts Beat | May 2019
MUSIC May 1 and each Wednesday: John Miller. 6 p.m. Rhythm Kitchen. 676-9668. May 1-17: Gerald M. Brookhart Arts in Education Spring Celebration. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Peoria County Courthouse Plaza. 672-6906. May 1: Bradley String Chamber Music, 7:30 p.m.…
Inland Art | Susanne Nestory
Susanne Nestory has been a resident of Peoria for a little more than a decade. She came from New Jersey as the interim director of Bradley University’s Gallery and Collections and is currently and has been an adjunct professor since…
Fair income tax
Learn the truth about the graduated income tax. There are only eight states including Illinois that still have a regressive flat tax that hits low-income and middle-income earners the hardest. Gov. JB Pritzker favors a fair/graduated income tax with high-income…
Labor Roundup | May 2019
Workers’ Memorial Day is Saturday, April 28, and if you’re reading this issue before then, central Illinois labor unions are having a 3 p.m. service at the Workers Memorial Monument outside City Hall to honor workers who’ve died or been…
Save the Black farmer
First light on a July morning hints at the heat and humidity to follow, but Dwayne Harris has a joyful heart as he lugs around heavy hoses and waters 100 raised vegetable beds at 5 a.m. Harris has a goal…
Earthdance: Peace, social responsibility, environmental justice
Sherrie Campbell uses her body to communicate, heal, nurture and inspire. The former principal dancer with Peoria Ballet says her deep connection with the environment and dance has helped her navigate rough periods in life and infuses her with healing…
Voting in jail reduces recidivism
Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell said voting helps jail detainees feel connected and responsible for their communities. It also reduces recidivism rates. To facilitate voting, there are modular kiosks in hallways in the Peoria County Jail with instructions about voting…
OSHA investigates PJS; newspaper suppresses story
A serious accident at the Journal Star resulted in the loss of a man’s leg. The incident occurred Dec. 21, and an investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration remains ongoing. Journalists were ordered not to report on…
Views & Perspectives | Randy Simmons and leadership
Ordinarily, I write this column on one topic. This month I’m writing on three topics. One of the saddest phone calls I received from my son Darin was to tell me of Randy Simmons passing. I have known Randy for…
Straight Talk | Bradley versus Peoria Journal
It’s a gigantic pissing contest between two of Peoria’s major icons. Bradley’s basketball coach is ticked off at the PJ Star sports department. Wardle’s team this year made it to the NCAA tournament and suddenly the coach decided to get…