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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Pope John XXIII is remembered as saying, “I never met a pessimist who managed to do something good,” a phrase that comes to mind after hearing two new Americana CDs with a sympathetic ear that was charmed, then disappointed. (Full…
“Vaccine refusal is like a big pile of tinder waiting for a lightning strike.” Dispute resolution is foundational to civil society. Whether that means speed limits on the roads, individual gun rights or mandatory vaccinations –– individual versus societal rights…
If it only means saving embryos and fetuses then we need to have a talk; a real, no holds, honest to God, talk. Reducing the number of abortions is simpler if you are really ready to be Pro-Life. But here’s…
Growing up in Peoria in the 1970s, nearly every Black girl I knew at Manual was pregnant. Somehow the White girls in my college track courses were not; well that is another story. My high school counselor offered to give…
In response to this question: How am I supposed to encourage people to see the lynching memorial/museum and boycott Alabama at the same time? People should not boycott Alabama. Boycotting will only hurt people here who are already hurting. The…
BY JOYCE BLUMENSHINE The Clean Energy Jobs Act needs your support. This state legislation will likely come back to the Illinois House and Senate this fall and is essential for efforts to expand solar and wind energy and new jobs.…
Sewa is selfless service performed without expecting anything in return. It is an act performed by humans as a basic property of being a human, not guided by the expectation of joy dependent on desire fulfillment. As a human, we…
Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees Pastoral scene of the gallant south The bulging eyes and the twisted…
As May turns to June, bird migration in Illinois winds down and most resident species have taken up housekeeping. They have established nesting territories, and started raising young. During this time, they sing less often and even the most strident…
