Author Archive for Brian Ludwig

Dash of devotion

South Side Mission

The free meals at the South Side Mission feed poor souls every day. But what’s been cooking in the kitchen nourishes the hearts and minds of a ministry of culinary artists. Chef Chris Franzoni has been devoted to teaching aspiring…

Editorial | Good ones got together, and passed a bill on guns

A few weeks ago, one of the co-owners of The Community Word received a campaign mailer from a Republican state senator that asked, “Are you tired of politicians threatening your right to own guns?” It claimed, “The rights of Illinois’…

Peorian Oliver Mack offers some insight into ‘Winning Time’

Lakers

HBO wrapped up its controversial “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” on May 8. Basketball fanatic Oliver Mack has not seen the 10-part miniseries. He doesn’t have to, though. He was there. “Winning Time” takes some serious artistic…

Local cyclist gearing up to Bike for MS

Alex Lamprecht feels the need for speed with the wind in her hair. The financial advisor at Thrivent is gearing up for her seventh Bike MS ride this summer. “The gameplan is I’m going to try to do 100 miles…

Village people

It Takes a Village

It takes a village, so it’s been said, to help a community succeed, and Bernice Gordon-Young is literally using that philosophy to help meet her city’s needs. Gordon-Young started It Takes a Village of Peoria, Inc. six years ago and…

Placing bets as easy as it gets

Par-a-dice

The Los Angeles Rams scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, but holder Johnny Hekker bobbled the snap on the extra point so Matt Gay couldn’t kick the football. No big deal, right? Nobody noticed, eh?…

Editorial | COVID spin doctors making job harder on the real ones

S.A. Shepler (c) Community Word 2022

“Follow the science,” they say, which is good advice. Unfortunately, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has become way too political and is spinning out of control. It’s important to connect the dots and not let opinion cloud the facts. Especially these…