If you have been out along the Illinois River this summer, you might have noticed that the water level has been low for several weeks. When this happens, mudflats become exposed and then something magical happens. Seeds that lie dormant…
Serendipity | The joy of baseball
Baseball has played a pleasurable part of my life since I was a child. Not because I played on a team; that wasn’t part of a girl’s upbringing if she went to a Catholic school in the ‘50s and ‘60s…
Inland Art | Finding time to create art
Arts Beat | September 2018
Sept. 1: Lake Street Dive. 8 p.m. Monarch Music Hall. 966-0826. Sept. 1: Brainchild with The Spirit. 8 p.m. Courtyard Concert Series at Heritage Square. 670-0430. Sept. 3: West MacQueen Street Band. 11a.m.-2 p.m. CEFCU Stage on the Peoria Riverfront.…
Yes, Peoria | Litter
The City of Peoria established the Mayor’s Litter Committee in 2007. The goal of the committee was to create awareness of the impact of litter, encourage people to not litter, pick up litter and host neighborhood cleanups. The cleanups were…
West Peoria News | Night Out Against Crime
The West Peoria Neighborhood Watch invites everyone to its 18th annual “Night Out Against Crime” 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 15 at Franciscan Park. Play games, jump in the GaGa Pit, explore the armored vehicle Bearcat from the Peoria…
Labor Roundup | September 2018
News Guild reminds locals, bosses that media firms must address security. Facing increasing violence against reporters and President Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric and threats, News Guild President Bernie Lunzer is reminding both his locals and employers that firms must protect…
Banking on wetlands — our evolving land ethic
UN: American Dream Becoming American Illusion
Food for justice
Donations Needed: Journalism Diversity Fund
The Peoria NAACP has established a special account to fund coverage of diversity issues by central Illinois writers. The goal is to increase coverage of often-untold stories that cut through stereotypes and more accurately depict history, explain institutional racism and…
“Native Americans Speak”
President Donald Trump is calling for the largest rollback in protected public lands in the history of this country, and a coalition of Native Tribes and conservation groups is spearheading resistance. Working with that resistance is Clayton Daughenbaugh, a speaker…
Views & Perspectives | Judge Brett Kavanaugh an Outstanding Pick for Supreme Court
I have known and watched Brett Kavanaugh for two decades having first met him and his family playing golf at a charity golf outing supporting cancer research. While I was in Congress during President George W. Bush’s term, Brett served…
Straight Talk | The Deed Is Done!
I did it. Never thought I would. I quit taking the Peoria Journal. I’ve been a reader for decades. Before that, I was a carrier delivering the Peoria Journal Star in the morning to the south of my North Madison…
Bill Knight | Chicago Farmer
“Chicago Farmer” is a great name for an act, like “Goofy Ridge Industrialist” or “nonviolent commando.” But Chicago Farmer is much more than a snappy name. Born Cody Diekhoff, Chicago Farmer is more than a 39-year-old “singer/songwriter.” The troubadour is…
Editorial | Weaponizing Free Speech
Letter to the Editor | Protecting coal ash, not children
Governor Rauner’s Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is failing to protect us. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal health and water protections for communities near toxic coal ash waste dumps. If you live in the Peoria area, that…
Real Talk | You’re not going to take our pain and make it a novelty
Often times, we wonder why urban inner city violence is so romanticized, and that other races want to mimic the lifestyle in theory but in reality remain distant. While listening to NPR, I heard a podcast about a restaurant that…
Op-Ed | If only they’d come the right way …
Editor’s Note: Immigrants and refugee seekers have different rights. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, everyone has a right to seek asylum from persecution and violence. The UN states that “some mass displacements may…
Reflections From The Clergy | Rescue Children from the Caves of Poverty
One of the paradoxes of human nature is that we are capable of cooperating with others for the common good as well as “otherizing” people for our own gain. While many Americans were fervently praying for the safe rescue of…
Serendipty | Vacation Wisdom
Family vacations are great opportunities for honing cooperation and adapting skills; and enjoying new sights, family bonding, and relaxation. Ideally they also include experiences to inspire teachable moments. Even the good, beautiful, boring, or challenging can be rich with lessons.…