Features

Enrich our Earth: Community composting ‘great’ for the health of our soil, our food, our people — our planet

There’s a way to address the common human activities of discarding food, which results in dramatic methane emissions, especially from landfills — composting; and the Peoria area has a convenient, simple way to make a big difference: community composting.

Nature Rambles: The view from the hill flows on for forever

The final resting area of a historic pony truss bridge is a very interesting travel wayside: It now sits at the top of two separate watersheds. … Rain falling east of the bridge will wind its way to the Illinois River through Crow Creek south of Henry. Rain falling west will meander to the Illinois via the Spoon River near Havana.

Inland Art: Regarding the black hole

With exquisite rendering, Justin Henry Miller skillfully combines a perversion of implied slick surfaces with indulgent colors, creating a sort of Freudian exploration of desires. Yet, within one’s visual vocabulary, a familiarity emerges as if these fundamentally different elements harmoniously converge.

Bill Knight: Portrait of Mark Clark as a young Peorian

Fifty-four years ago Mark Clark was shot to death in raid by police on Black Panthers’ headquarters in Chicago. This year the recollection is more intense. One of Mark’s sister, Gloria, in her book “Mark Clark: Soul of a Black Panther,” wrote of her “concerted effort to make sure that Mark’s legacy is never forgotten nor lost to future generations.”

Our nurses need to be heard: Now

XAVIER JACKSON

We, trusted guardians of America’s wellbeing, have been screaming that no one should feel comfortable with the state of our nation’s health-care system for years. This essential component of our society is collapsing into disarray

Find a way out of war: Local family’s escape from Israel puts conflict in perspective

You can disagree with Israeli policy and not be antisemitic. Indeed, roughly half of Israelis disagree with their government’s policies. And about half of Jewish Americans also disagree with Israeli policy. You can also sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians and not be pro-Hamas or anti-Jew.