Through the African American Lens A group of black Civil War veterans had an idea in 1915 and now just over 100 years later, Americans are witnessing it come to life as “A place that transcends the boundaries of race…
Labor Roundup
Unions, progressive groups ask Congress to restore bank controls. Organized labor and allied groups have demanded congressional leaders control the nation’s banks by restoring the Glass-Steagall Act, the Depression-era law that for decades separated financial finagling and regular consumer banking.…
Maximum Greed — The EpiPen This is the amazing success story of Heather Bresch, daughter of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin. Bresch become a pharmaceutical CEO, quadrupled the price of her company’s lifesaving EpiPen and was then able to increase her…
Elder Care Concerns: Loneliness
BY DAVE WEINAN In March, I wrote a column about the three plagues that could potentially affect the well-being of elders: boredom, loneliness and helplessness. I want to revisit one of those, loneliness, with information from a Sept. 6 New…
Two separate shootings linked to Heidelberg case
New evidence now indicates retaliation was a possible motive behind the shooting death that landed Cleve Heidelberg in prison for the past 45 years. Heidelberg’s attorneys have conducted interviews that seem to confirm the case may actually involve two separate…
Dangerously high levels of EDCs in Central Illinois
Residents of Illinois and especially the Peoria area are exposed to high levels of pesticides and other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), said Gail Prins, PhD, lecturing recently at the Jump Simulation center. Prins, professor of physiology and urology at the…
FBI: Breakfast Program Threatened Nation
Hungry people start walking toward Ward Chapel AME Church before dawn on Saturday mornings. They walk to receive a hearty breakfast. They walk for the acceptance and respect they receive at the church. For some, it’s their only meal of…
Water: The New Oil
BY TERRY BIBO Central Illinois may well be the Saudi Arabia of water. “There’s extreme value in the water,” says Bryan Stubbs, executive director of the Cleveland Water Alliance. “It is the new oil.” It is safe to say most…
Bogus Science Destroys Families
BY ELAINE HOPKINS PEORIA, IL – Quietly behind closed doors, the drama over what is commonly known as ‘shaken baby syndrome’ plays out in courtrooms across Illinois and the nation. Medical science cannot prove this diagnosis, now known as ‘abusive…
PEORIA STADIUM The historic Peoria Stadium is under discussion by the school and park districts. The question remains, what to do with it? Its wonderful past includes Bradley and local high school football and track events, and even Peoria Red…
Justice delayed can be justice denied, and words matter As the Illinois State Fair wound down on Aug. 18, a libel suit linked to the fair and Central Illinois’ current and former Congressmen was about as active as a beer…
CAUTION: AVOID AMPUTATION
Do Not Sever Labor from Democracy Labor Day started in 1882 to celebrate and respect the contributions of American workers and provide them with a paid holiday. Today, “respect” and “celebrate” are less part of the equation. Today, the holiday…
Letters
Moral Right to Information About Abortion Patients have a right to be informed of all their medical options for care and treatment, not just the options consistent with the religious beliefs of their health care providers. Most of us assumed…
OP-ED
Silicosis: A Look at the Ugly/Immoral Corporate Response BY CHRIS M. STEVENS Profits not people. Always was, always is, always will be. Corporate culture. Clear cut and concise. An effective method includes discharging employees who pose a potential future expense,…
Open Letter to Central Illinois:
Nov. 8, 2016, will be one of the most significant presidential elections of our lifetime. Presidential elections are always important, but this year one candidate has demonstrated over and over his inability to control his temper, his lack of…
There’s only one race, the human race Am I a racist? Should everybody question themselves and then, periodically, return to the same question because our brain is constantly being bombarded with subliminal racist messages and influences. Most of us are…
A Dandy Bird Aug. 20 was a great summer day. Thirty people piled into three vans after an early morning thunderstorm. Binoculars and field guides in hand, we set off to experience the beginning of fall migration. Travelling south, we…
Seasonal changes in weather and scenery are lovely advantages for living in the Midwest, believes this native Peorian. Sure there’s summer humidity and February dreariness, not to mention running air conditioning one day and the furnace two days later. Such…
This year’s 16th annual West Peoria Night Out Against Crime will be 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday Sept. 10 at the Franciscan Recreation Center. Judge Jodie Hoos is a special invited guest. Events include: bicycle rodeo and drawing, cane demonstrations,…
(Editor’s Note: Peoria City Council Member Beth Akeson was under fire recently for some inflammatory Tweets she posted. She sent a message saying she would never support the Black Lives Matter movement because it is divisive, and she said all…
Eric Ewan directed an excellent production of “The Spitfire Grill” for Corn Stock. The musical is about the journey of a young woman just released from prison who decides to start her life anew in a rural Wisconsin town. It…