Arts Beat

Music April 1: Kansas, with the “Leftoverture 40th Anniversary Tour.” 8 p.m. Peoria Civic Center Theater. 673-3200. April 1: Larry Keel Experience, with Still Shine. 10 p.m. Kenny’s West Side Pub. 676-1693. April 1: Bradley Trumpet Day guest artist concert…

Labor Roundup

NLRB tosses Columbia’s objections, certifies UAW for grad students. After a three-year fight against its own teaching and research assistants who voted to unionize with the Auto Workers, Columbia University must bargain. The National Labor Relations Board last month tossed…

Peoria Rally for Science 

BY SUSIE GRANA INGRAM One of my favorite things about the Peoria area is its beautiful river valley and the incredible abundance of life it supports. Throughout the coldest months, Bald Eagles use the river as their winter retreat. Yet,…

Combating hate

Lecia Brooks, outreach director at Southern Poverty Law Center, will speak in Peoria Aug. 29 at the Bob Michel Student Center, Bradley University. Hate groups are proliferating across the country and in central Illinois. Brooks will speak about the rise…

Japanese tycoon buys Journal Star

BY CLARE HOWARD Peoria’s only daily newspaper, once family owned, was purchased by a privately held Japanese conglomerate aiming to become a global telecommunications leader. The sale is expected to close by year-end. SoftBank, owned by Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son,…

Hate crime plea deal

BY BILL KNIGHT Two of the three people arrested in connection with a Memorial Day weekend melee in Canton that resulted in multiple charges, including commission of a hate crime, on Feb. 15 pleaded guilty to battery. In an agreement…

LaHood

Cat C-suite leadership leaves; Community leadership must join forces to move Central Illinois to a new level  “A kick in the gut.” “The rug has been pulled out from under us.” “A betrayal by Cat of the community.” These quotes…

Monroe

Bob Michel was a hero  Bob Michel is gone. At the age of 93, the Peoria native slipped from this world to the next leaving a history of accomplishments and service unmatched by anyone from this city or this state.…

Members of labor unions mostly know the ins and outs of organizing – or at least a vague notion of the possibilities of working together toward a common goal. Ironically, workers who need unions the most may feel indifferent or…

Editorial

How journalism reports on lies and abortion The New York Times took the unprecedented step of deciding to use the word “lie” in headlines when referring to Donald Trump’s repeated misstatements. The decision received some criticism from other established media…

Letter

Yes: public ownership of water company For the last several months, I have served on a committee established by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria to explore the question:  “Will public ownership of a water company benefit the…

Op-Ed

Is Health Care a Privilege? BY DR. RAHMAT NA’ALLAH, M.D. The author has a master’s degree in public health and is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She practices at Unity Point Clinic-Family Medicine in Peoria and…

A warm day in February Today as I write it is 71 degrees in Peoria. I cannot remember any time in my life when it was this warm in February in Illinois. People are sitting in cafes drinking their coffee…

Nature Rambles

Spring cleaning Who would have thought that we would be seeing February days with sustained 60+ degree temperatures! While spring seems to want to make an early start, I have a feeling that we will still see more of old-man…

Serendipity

Even with limited technology skills, I often use and greatly appreciate the wonders of Google. Entering only part of a quote I remembered, Google responded instantly with missing words and the author’s name. Amazing! That technological capability alone is worth…

West Peoria News

Upcoming City Council meetings:  7 p.m. March 14 and 28 in City Hall. The following names will appear on the April 4 consolidated general election ballot for the position of alderman: Ward 1, Leroy Dohm Jr.; Ward 2, Jerry Meismer;…

Bricks & Mortar

Peoria City Hall total cost with furnishings in 1899: $271,500 Public buildings are by their intrinsic nature a reflection of the community that they serve and the time in which they are built. So it is with Peoria City Hall,…

Real Talk

The legacy of Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama. President Obama said her entire name when he thanked her for taking on a role that she hadn’t wanted or bargained for during his farewell address in Chicago. It’s true, she…