Central Illinoisans fear “repeal & replace”
BY CLARE HOWARD Amber Pawula-Marcin speaks in a quiet voice, with a gentle smile, but her story roars out against the mantra “repeal and replace.” She has watched, listened and read as Congress spent millions of dollars on largely symbolic…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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;…
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,…
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…
For more than a decade, Joe Richey has been a force to be reckoned with in the arts in Peoria. Most readers know him as the co-director of the Prairie Center of the Arts along with his wife Michele Richey.…
MUSIC March 3: Preston Jackson & Friends “Live at the Five Spot.” 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6877. March 3: Nathan Taylor & Friends. 8 p.m. Rhythm Kitchen. 676-9668. March 3: “Get the Led Out” Led Zeppelin tribute. 8 p.m.…
AFSCME tries to restart bargaining. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has now given three budget addresses, but he clings to anti-worker demands and refuses to resume negotiating with the state’s largest public employees union, the American Federation of State, County and…
The Art of Channy Lyons Chandler Lyons Wildemuth was every bit as formidable as her name. Like Walt Whitman, she contained contradictory multitudes. She was a writer, an historian, an arts and animal lover. She was both warm and stern,…