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…
New Book: Former coach looks back
Time can offer perspective – if you have the time. When Gary Dreibelbis was Bradley University’s forensics director, he was on the road for 20 weekends a year – busy Friday afternoons and evenings, all day Saturdays, and getting back…
Flour Teeming with Life
Seth Higgins measures, mixes, folds, observes and tastes the differences between dead flour and living flour. “This flour is alive,” he said as he removed two bags made with Glenn hard red spring wheat from his walk-in refrigerator. “I’ve fallen…
Straight Talk | The “Honeymoon” Is Over?
Whenever a new executive comes on the scene, whether in business or government, there’s always a period of time when everyone is supportive. Some refer to that period as a “honeymoon.” Criticism is muffled in order to create a positive…
Bill Knight | “The Return of the Slinkenwolf”
Cynics or snobs listening to “The Return of the Slinkenwolf” may hear a banshee wielding a buzzsaw, but such types might also prefer humpback whales’ mating calls or think Up With People really was. However, the raw, industrial-strength style displayed…
Editorial | Colin Kaepernick: Amnesty International Award Winner
Amnesty International gave Colin Kaepernick its 2018 Ambassador of Conscience Award for his nonviolent protest against police violence against black people. The N.F.L. quarterback did not stand for the National Anthem but knelt to protest racial inequality and police brutality.…
Letter to the Editor | Study Art: Learn Empathy, Sensitivity, Tolerance, Critical Thinking
In his May 2018 article titled “Inland Art | Collecting Contemporary Art,” Paul Krainak so thoughtfully reminds us that by taking the time to embrace and inform ourselves with art we reap the benefits of a significant carry over when…
Op-Ed | Are We Losing Our Right to Peaceful Protest?
BY Eliida Lakota It is amazing to me the extent government officials will go to deny innocent people their constitutional rights –– people who are protecting their land and water. I attended the protest at Standing Rock and saw law…
Art. What Is It Good For? | Creative Healing
By Marianne Huebner A few years further back than I like to admit, I went to a mile-marker class reunion. It was there where my career as an art therapist took center stage like a bearded lady at a carnival.…
Inland Art | Barry Blinderman
While my column is generally about art in the Midwest, this month’s notes on Barry Blinderman’s retirement from Illinois State University speak to a germane link between coastal and inland art. In the 1980s, Barry was the director and co-owner…
Perspectives on U.S. Healthcare Policy | Policy in the Classroom
Upon walking into a class at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP), you will usually find me and my classmates debating the next step in managing a patient’s case. But at other times, you may see…
Nature Rambles | Look and Listen
June is the month when several species of milkweed come into bloom. This is Butterfly Milkweed, above, with distinct orange flowers. Native milkweeds are important nectar sources for many species of insects. They are also crucial nurse species for Monarch…
Real Talk | A nation’s wasted mind
I sat in a popular fast food chain and observed a woman talk and respond to herself and write down circles as if she was journaling the best novel that ever existed and I wondered to myself, how was I…
Serendipity | Quickly 70
Turning 70 is not without challenges. When the age category is asked on questionnaires, it means moving one more down the list to mark an X or circle. Not a big deal to some, but definitely a visual reminder that…
Science & Environmental Briefs | June 2018
In Denmark, people use about four, single-use plastic bags a year. By contrast, Americans use an average of one single-use plastic bag a day. Stores in Denmark do not provide free plastic bags. In 1993, Denmark implemented a tax on…
New Publisher at Peoria Journal Star
Announcements were made in the Journal Star and the Rockford Register Star regarding reorganization within GateHouse Media. Paul Gaier was named president and publisher of the Journal Star. However, readers of the Rockford paper were informed Gaier continues as publisher…
West Peoria News | Jamboree Run
There is a new starting time for the 21st Jamboree Run which steps off 5 p.m. Saturday, June 2 from the corner of Heading and Sterling avenues. Run proceeds will be used for local organizations. Registration fee is $30, and…
Arts Beat | June 2018
Music June 1: “Catch A Wave” (Beach Boys tribute). 7:30 p.m. ICC Performing Arts Center. 694-5136. June 1: Peoria Rhythm Kings. 10 p.m. Kenny’s Westside Pub. 676-1693. June 1: Cousin Eddie Live at the Five Spot. 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art…
Labor Roundup | June 2018
“Medicare for All” campaign got Sanders, Ellison boost, but mixed congressional reception despite more than 150 nurses from around the country descending on Capitol Hill last month. The nurses were members of National Nurses United; they were praised by the…
When jail provides hope
Romie Anderson and Maurice Young both landed in the Peoria County Jail after decades of minor crimes. That was a stroke of luck for both of them. In jail, both men ended up in a GED class together and encouraged…
Hate groups within law enforcement
Racists and neo-Nazis with guns and badges within the ranks of local law enforcement across the country is antithetical to American democracy, yet the evidence is visible and documented by the FBI, Office of Homeland Security and Southern Poverty Law…
Concerns mount for Water Warriors
BY ANDREA ROTH East Peoria resident Teresa Kaiser changed how she thought about water eight years ago. “We came home after a few days away, and I opened the freezer and an overwhelming swimming pool smell hit me,” Kaiser said.…