Glancing at area farm fields, one recalls the Rodgers and Hammerstein lyric “the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,” and new research from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Studies (ACES) strengthens the notion…
Economic cost of losing newspapers
Not too many years ago, there were 112 members of the Peoria Newspaper Guild representing employees at the Journal Star including reporters, photographers and workers in circulation. That number has plummeted and now there are only 29 Newspaper Guild members…
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense
As gun violence across America continues, groups are forming to protest and strategize. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense has a chapter in Peoria that meets monthly the second Monday of each month 6 to 7 p.m. at United Presbyterian…
Views & Perspectives | Trump’s actions and inaction
June 4 was the 500th day of President Trump in the White House. Trump’s trade policy is a disaster for American agriculture and American business. The tariffs on agricultural commodities are horrible policy for our farmers. The tariffs are horrible…
Straight Talk | The Fight Continues
Just when the Peoria Catholic Diocese thought the fight with the Catholic Archdiocese of New York might be over, they learned it isn’t. New York Catholics don’t want the remains of Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be moved to Peoria. For…
Bill Knight | Eugene Debs fought for workers, free speech
After escalating tensions in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Serbia and the assassination of Austria-Hungary heir and Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist, 104 years ago this month Germany pledged military support to Austria-Hungary, which three weeks later declared war on…
Heard on the Bus
Eddie Russell Jr. was shot 16 times by Peoria Police “They knew he was mental but went ahead and shot him sixteen times. Then those policemen got metals.” “No way!” “Yes, ma’am.” Stop Requested
Editorials | The “Black National Anthem”
The Declaration of Independence sets forth the principles of our democracy: All people in this country are equal with inalienable rights, among them the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We can believe in the promises of…
Letter to the Editor | Catholic Hospitals Restrict Access to Healthcare
If you are a person needing reproductive health care, from contraceptives to abortion, beware of Catholic hospitals and their provider networks. That’s a message many people have not received, according to a recent study by researchers from California and Illinois,…
Letter to the Editor | ERA: Giant Leap Forward
On May 30, the Illinois General Assembly took a giant leap forward for women’s rights nationwide and ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. It took Illinois 46 years, but better late than never. Now we’re one state closer to seeing equal…
Op-Ed | Protect Peoria Hospital Patients from Hazardous Hot Dogs
A hospital stay shouldn’t put a patient at risk for cancer. But it can—if the menu includes hot dogs, sausage and other processed meat, which the World Health Organization has declared carcinogenic and placed in the same category as tobacco…
Perspectives on U.S. Healthcare Policy | Physicians and Gun Policy
If you live in the U.S., you can expect to live a good 78 years. Cases of malaria, yellow fever and measles – very real epidemics in other countries – have become sporadic and well-contained in America. You’re in good…
Real Talk | Becoming an Accomplice
Colin Kaepernick knew that taking a stand, or in his case a knee, would negatively impact his football career. And he did it anyway. When the press finally realized, during the 2016 National Football League season, that Kaepernick wasn’t standing…
Nature Rambles | Monitoring for declining pollinators
In 2015, the Pollinator Research Action Plan was released outlining the decline in pollinating insects and the challenges faced in stabilizing and enhancing populations of these beneficial insects. The findings and solutions outlined in this report have become known as…
Serendipity | All-ages Bunco
Game playing enthusiasts are delighted to know kindred souls who share the thrill of a dice roll or hand of hot cards waiting to be played. Wagers on the table or friendly games of chance aren’t the real issue. It’s…
Inland Art | Claire Ashley
Chicago artist Claire Ashley’s work – forms floating between image and text, concept and corporeality, is also about reconfiguring space. She is recognized by challenging the didacticism and vanity of mainstream sculpture, along with attendant traditions of welding and stone…
Arts Beat | July 2018
MUSIC July 1: Peoria Municipal Band. 7 p.m. Glen Oak Park. 691-3318. July 2: “God Bless America: A Patriotic GospelFest” concert by GospelFest Ministries. 7 p.m. Five Points Washington. 444-8222. July 3 and each Tuesday: John Miller and Preston Jackson.…
Yes, Peoria! | Neighborhood Fireworks
“Yes, Peoria!” We love living in this big city that acts like a small town. One example of this is the access to local government. Peoria is small enough that average residents have fairly easy access to elected leaders and…
West Peoria News | Fourth of July
The day and event is fast approaching when West Peoria showcases itself to thousands of people on the Fourth of July. This patriotic event is the longest running parade and ceremony in central Illinois, and this is our 48th annual…
Labor Roundup | July 2018
Two federal worker unions sue Trump over anti-worker executive order. Two of the nation’s largest unions for federal workers, the Government Employees (AFGE) and Treasury Employees (NTEU), have sued the Trump administration, demanding the courts throw out one of his…
Commencement Speech: Civility & Community Under Siege
(Excerpted from the commencement address Ray LaHood delivered to the graduating class at Illinois Central College May 19.) It is a great privilege to deliver a few remarks this morning. By the way, you might be interested to know that…
Elder Fraud
Frank and Suzanne are fiscally cautious and savvy, yet they somehow managed to fall victim to a young man with a track record of scamming seniors in central Illinois over home repair work. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s web site…