What’s right with Peoria I’m old and growing older. One of the few benefits of old age is we know what life was like years ago and see what it is today. Others can not. Peoria was different in…
Few people reside on their ancestral land; few live where they believe their religious faith originally preferred. If they did, more Mormons would populate Illinois, and a lot more Native Americans would demand a return of property throughout the state…
Open Letter to Peoria Dear Mayor Ardis and Peoria City Council Members: Peoria should become a sanctuary city. There are two compelling factors why we should; the first is moral. Contrary to what some fake news sites indicate, sanctuary cities…
Six Brockman Women Travel to Women’s Rally for Rights On Jan. 21, six women from my family, aged 16 to almost 60, joined with 500,000 others from across the nation to march in Washington, D.C. We marched in solidarity with…
February is Black History Month in a Divided Nation BY ASHLEY M. MILLER Ashley Miller is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and currently practices law in Peoria. Black History Month 2017 is coming on the heels of a…
The Worth and Dignity of Every Person One of the core teachings of virtually all of our religious traditions and our secular democratic tradition as well is the idea that every person has worth and dignity. Democracy really cannot function…
January 20, 2017, a date that will go down in… you decide! As I write, there is a soon-to-be-inaugurated, new President leaving Blair House and traveling to St John’s Church for a morning church service. The service is closed to…
Valuable Insights Relearned During 12 Difficult Days Even with only the most basic medical knowledge acquired through the years, I often rely on self-diagnosis. If the condition of my hair or house is disconcerting to me, or I’m bothered that…
Political caucuses for the Republican and Democratic parties were held on the evening of Dec. 6 for the upcoming township elections on April 8. The following will be running for office on April 8: Township supervisor, Sharon Kennedy; township clerk,…
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…
Peoria and Washington, D.C.: 800 miles apart, one voice
Two men, 200 miles apart, two rivers, one mission
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…
Trump victory de-coded
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…
ACLU questions Heartland Clinic about religious restrictions
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…
Cautious optimism following election
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…