First, my Uncle Joe Binder died after a long illness. Uncle Joe was born in Hungary, but escaped to the United States in the 1950s to avoid having to serve in the Army. He met my Aunt Barbara in a bar in Peoria. He…
Author Archive for Billy Dennis
No buses on Sunday? This issue won’t walk away
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on No buses on Sunday? This issue won’t walk away
“This is a really, really bad situation,” said Gregory Johnson. He’s a cashier at the East Peoria Kroger’s Store. He normally takes the bus to work. Except Sunday. On Sunday he walks. And it isn’t for the exercise. The problem…
Last call for the dead-tree media
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on Last call for the dead-tree media
I used to work at a newspaper called the Cape Girardeau News Guardian. It was a rare thing: a start-up newspaper. It began about six months before I joined up, and it ceased publication about a year after I left to…
Things that happened to the Jews that will not happen to Bishop Jenky
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on Things that happened to the Jews that will not happen to Bishop Jenky
Bishop Daniel Jenky claims that Barack Obama is behaving like Hitler did. More precisely, he said that Obama is on the path that Hitler and Stalin took. He said this in a homily, given from the pulpit of the church.…
What is Aaron Schock thinking?
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on What is Aaron Schock thinking?
Sometimes, you just have to wonder what Aaron Schock is thinking. Obviously, it’s not: “Hey, I better watch myself or I’m going to get my butt kicked in the next election.” Aaron Schock’s campaign reimbursed the Congressman (or friends and…
Book burnings all around
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on Book burnings all around
There’s a rumor we’ve burned some Korans in Afghanistan and some Muslims go on a murder spree. Oh, really not good. President Obama apologizes for the burnt Korans. And the religious right goes nuts. Also not good. Iran starts burning Bibles (or so…
‘Saint’ Patrick Urich got away with murder
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on ‘Saint’ Patrick Urich got away with murder
Well, not literally murder. But he nearly killed his own career. Or, maybe not. Here’s the problem. The Peoria City manager wanted to move some $29 million around to help pay for bonds that the city is buying to finance…
Every station in Peoria has a labor problem
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on Every station in Peoria has a labor problem
And if by “labor problem,” you mean a “management-is-trying-to-screw-workers-around” problem, you’re right. WMBD 31 electrical workers recently put out an informational picket describing how WMBD 31 management — actually Nexstar — has them working without a contract. So, WMBD 31…
A few random thoughts running through my head this month …
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on A few random thoughts running through my head this month …
It’s amazing. A couple of years ago, the Peoria County State’s Attorney had some cops arrested and changed with police brutality. The arrest was based on a YouTube video taken immediately after a nighttime race through Peoria’s streets. The convicted…
OccupyPeoria makes a splash
by Billy Dennis • • Comments Off on OccupyPeoria makes a splash
It was a surprisingly large rally, by Peoria standards. I hung out at the Occupy Peoria rally on Oct. 15. What you have to understand is no one really occupied anything. The rally was held at the corner of West…