News

The Black barber: he dispels vaccine myths as he cuts your hair

Floyd Jackson

With COVID deaths and diagnoses hitting African American and minority populations hard, a new and trusted voice urging vaccinations is emerging: the Black barber. Nationwide, African American barbers are recognized as trusted counselors, friends and advocates for their community. Some…

Riverfront Museum photo exhibit shows 1940s unity, diversity

Frank Williams

When “Railroaders: Jack Delano’s Homefront Photography” opens at Peoria Riverfront Museum on Oct. 9, it will be a return of sorts for Delano, who visited Bradley University in 1988 as the first guest in BU’s Bunn Lectureship in Photography. Delano…

Peoria loses two Civil Rights icons

Sam Polk worked his way up the ranks of the City of Peoria’s Public Works Department. But he built his legacy in the Peoria branch of the NAACP. He was the sturdy and steadfast bridge between the NAACP of the…

School for algebra, language arts and hope

Police Chief Eric Echevarria and students

The pandemic robbed hope from countless students across the country, but 26 young people in Peoria who had been struggling with remote learning got back on track during a special summer program. Then they got an added surprise with an…

Government’s “tragedy of errors” still saved the arts

Corn Stock Theatre

The arts are vital to America, and many culture groups were hit hard during the pandemic, according to Brookings Institution which reported the sector lost $150 billion in revenue and 2.7 million jobs. Fortunately, Washington saw that helping such organizations…

Dissecting Afghanistan

The United States spent more than $74 billion on Afghanistan over the course of a 20-year war, the longest in American history. To many people, the withdrawal of U.S. troops felt messy, dishonorable, chaotic, emotional, disloyal, and terrifying. The Peoria…

Medical and economic bonanza

Danette and Josh Swank

Construction of the $237 million OSF Cancer Institute represents the largest capital campaign in the 144-year history of the OSF mission, said Bob Sehring, CEO of OSF HealthCare, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility. Of the 38…

Solar panels emerge from Peoria farm field

solar panels

Illinois American Water Co. is converting an agriculture field off Galena Road to a nearly-10-acre solar field at 6111 N. Galena Road along the Illinois River. Karen Cotton, company spokeswoman, said the company is excited about this project that furthers…

Kickapoo Creek Watershed: the untold story

Ed Stermer

When Cheryl Resnick moved to Peoria from the arid Southwest, she saw geology from the perspective of Arizona’s sweepingly dramatic landscape linked to ancient geological events and cultural heritage. She saw the absence of all that in central Illinois. Then…