In 2008, a ballot referendum passed with 72 percent approval to improve the library facilities throughout the Peoria Public Library system. Evidenced by this action, voters in Peoria made a public statement that all Peorians should have equal access to…
The miseducation of the Negro: How minorities and those from poor socioeconomic status are constantly betrayed by the educational system Go to school, learn and work your way out of the ghetto! Those are words of inspiration that poor children,…
A distinguishing characteristic of contemporary art is that it reveals subjects either socially marginalized or sub rosa. Many artists believe art has a moral responsibility to do so. Art that advocates for the rural, but is formally and conceptually rigorous…
MUSIC Feb. 3: Ed and Judy Howard. 8 p.m. Rhythm Kitchen. 676-9668. Feb. 3: The Brazilionaires “Live at the Five Spot.” 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6877. Feb. 3: Growler. 10 p.m. Kenny’s Westside Pub. 676-1693. Feb. 4: Derel Monteith.…
Lawmakers seek answers to Wal-Mart straining public resources. State Rep. John Lesch, a prosecutor in St. Paul for 15 years, can recite the address from memory: 1450 University Avenue West. That’s Wal-Mart’s Midway location, a magnet for shoplifting and other…
BY CLARE HOWARD Donald Hey and Bud Grieves are focused on re-establishing the ancient “flood pulse” of rivers. The flood pulse is the lifeblood of rivers, the ebb and flow of seasonal cycles of gentle floods and droughts established over…
News Analysis BY GEORGE HOPKINS Democracy is not for the faint-hearted. Disappointing stuff happens. Neither our Founding Fathers nor the Greeks had much use for democracy. An old Greek joke described democracy as a process by which two wolves and…
BY CLARE HOWARD Federally funded health care clinics cannot operate under rules that are religiously based, however, some of the lease agreements between Heartland Health Services and OSF Saint Francis Medical Center have restrictions that limit counseling and access to…
News Analysis: BY TERRY BIBO Scanning headlines in 2016 could make you fearful, anxious, maybe crazy — even when you weren’t looking at the presidential race. On Dec. 14, “Dow nears 20,000” and the Federal Reserve raised interest rates because…
First let me thank Clare Howard for the opportunity to present my views and perspectives in Community Word. When Clare first approached me about this opportunity, I was very reluctant and wondered if anyone would care about Ray LaHood’s point…
COUNTY AUDITOR RESIGNS Not many people, especially those holding public office, will walk away from a job paying $96,000 a year, but Carol Van Winkle did. The Peoria County Auditor, angry and frustrated with the county board, resigned from her…
As the nation prepares to cope with a Donald Trump administration that’s nominating a Ku Klux Klan sympathizer as Attorney General (Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions), it’s wise to recall recent history so that it’s not repeated – and to…
Editor’s Note: On Jan. 20, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States despite losing to Hillary Clinton by a margin of more than 2.5 million votes. More than half of the country…
Halt fossil fuel pipelines Thank you for the article by Bill Knight (December 2016) about fossil fuel pipelines and their presence in Illinois. I need to stress that I am speaking as an independent activist in the story, not a…
Vibrant Public Schools Hurt by For-Profit Charters By Dan Montgomery President, Illinois Federation of Teachers When Professor Ray Budde first conceived charter schools in the 1970s, he had a vision for innovative schools that could be laboratories of best practices…
Living With a Loose Cannon Welcome to a new year, my friends. We are about to have a new President. I know some people must be happy about that, but I am not one of them. If he is your…
Winter Wings Winter has finally tightened its grip on Central Illinois. Crisp air and frozen ground define the landscape that was home to warm breezes and green growth not so long ago. In the shift of the seasons, nature also…
Calendars won’t be replaced by electronic devices in my world anytime soon. I realize my preference is not universally shared, and I don’t consider myself resistant to change. But I believe firmly in the adage, “If it isn’t broken, don’t…
