Since the holidays, catalogs for gardening tools and seeds might have piled up like paper compost, but spring is here, and a group of volunteer gardeners at Peoria’s Ag Lab is preparing this season. “We’re planning and will be getting…
Illinois is soaked with gambling, from lotteries and casinos to off-track betting and video slots in what seems like every gas station with a few square feet of seating over by shelves of over-priced junk food. This month, things will…
At press time, the Peoria City Council is expected to vote Feb. 22 on a redistricting map after a Feb. 8 public hearing that discussed so-called Version 2.3. As reported in the February Community Word, out Jan. 26, the 2020…
Judith W. Mann will discuss one of the most famous women painters of the modern era — Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi — at the Peoria Riverfront Museum on March 10. The lecture by Mann, St. Louis Art Museum’s curator of…
Last year, Peoria County had the highest number of homicides since 2019, approaching the dismal statistic logged by Cook County. The 34 murder victims mean a murder rate of 18.9/100,000 people, compared to Cook County’s 21/100,000 stemming from its 1,087…
The 2020 Census updated data about populations, and people may wonder what happens next. A definite result is changing local voting districts at all levels, though specifics remain unclear. A possible result is revising plans for public and private services…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Toxic Release Inventory shows companies’ data on industrial waste last year, and of all of Peoria’s zip codes, four have businesses that say they released between 12.6 tons to six pounds. Metro Peoria has…
In the spring of 1996 Kent Redfield was a 47-year-old political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he wrote a report for the Illinois Campaign Finance Project (ICPR) outlining dozens of ways to change how candidates raise…
The absence or presence of justice can be found almost everywhere, from homeless shelters to legislatures to baseball diamonds. Baseball is probably far from your mind unless you’re a fan of Atlanta (whose World Series star was ex-Peoria Chiefs outfielder…
Around the holiday season of hope, the touring show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” sparked warm thoughts of the award-winning singer/songwriter’s singular knack for finding hope amid loss, faith in the face of despair, and fine music and lyrics –…
