ILLINOIS HAS A BUDGET; IT IS ABOUT TIME Finally Illinois has a budget. Two years without a budget has made Illinois look incompetent to deal with fiscal issues. Certainly, the passage of this budget is long overdue, and there is…
QUICK THOUGHTS The editor has requested a short column this month, so I’m going to share some thoughts about my morning show, “Breakfast with Roger and Friends,” that started in 2002 as “Breakfast with Royce and Roger.” We lost Royce…
As the Black Lives Matter organization prepares to receive an international peace prize this fall, the issue of how police treat some people differently than others seems as unsolvable as ever, so that can lead to history’s foundation for policing.…
Jim Crow=Mass Incarceration Hate Speech=Violence “Sundown Towns”=Colonization Law=Suppression Fear=Hate Police=Control According to Chris Hayes in his new book “A Colony in a Nation,” America is approaching conditions that mirror those that sparked the American Revolution. We have two castes, one…
Genius of Frank Lloyd Wright tempered by his antisemitism Once again, Professor Paul Krainak has shown why he is recognized as our foremost authority on the history, value, influence and cultural significance of American inland art and artists. His informative…
Be A Force For Change BY DALE GOODNER The dandelions were pretty much invisible. As I looked across my lawn from a distance, here in July, that distinctive green foliage blended in perfectly with the grasses, clovers, and dozens of…
As a general rule of thumb, country music is one of my least favorite genres. Before you turn the page and leave me behind, you need to know, dear friend, occasionally there is a song that sneaks through and touches…
The partnership of Edward Heidrich and Martin Kingman in 1888 to form the Peoria Cordage Company showed the growth of the American agricultural industry. The new company would specialize in producing binder twine and other similar products, and through another…
The road to redemption; a change is coming soon Two of the greatest mysteries that still haunt us as Americans are who killed JFK and Dr. King. What is not a mystery is how we have treated each other so…
Our family vacations weren’t intended to become a tradition. They began because travel benefits were part of my husband’s airline employment. Our three children learned early about flying, hotel stays, and visiting family in the D.C. area. They also learned…
West Peoria Neighborhood Watch is hosting its 17th annual Night Out Against Crime 3 to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Franciscan Park. Kids are encouraged to bring their bicycles to be inspected and take a test ride through an obstacle…
It’s no secret to the art community in Peoria that Preston Jackson is an artist of boundless productivity. He’s recognized nationally as an artist and teacher of tremendous influence having been on the faculty at the School of the Art…
MUSIC Aug. 1: Mondo Cozmo, Mt. Joy, Jeremy David Baker. 7 p.m. Limelight Eventplex. 693-1234. Aug. 2: Peoria Municipal Band 7 p.m. Warehouse District. Aug. 3: “Tailgate N’ Tallboys Series 2017” presents Kane Brown. 7 p.m. Peoria Riverfront – Festival…
Trump’s Labor Dept. yanks beryllium protections. The Trump administration’s Labor Department has dumped added beryllium exposure protections for construction and longshore workers, saying the issue needs further study. “No matter where they work, U.S. workers deserve protection from exposure to…
Needed: Women in Leadership
Beth Crider Derry was a kindergarten teacher for 17 years before she became Peoria County’s Democratic Regional Superintendent of Schools. Derry insists there is nothing remarkable about her, save one decision she made to enroll in Illinois Women’s Institute for…