Nitrogen and phosphorus are running off farm fields in Illinois at ever increasing rates despite millions of dollars spent on research and conservation practices designed to mitigate the problem, according to the state’s recently-released report on nutrient loss. Conventional farming…
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Muralist rekindles towns’ past
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Muralist rekindles towns’ past
Scott Lindley’s life work has been about forging relationships and building community. And painting. Lindley, 52, heads up “Walldogs,” a group of artists who’ve created murals throughout Illinois, from a standalone piece chronicling Elmwood’s abolitionist past to a series of…
Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl, a Prairie in Peril
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl, a Prairie in Peril
In Illinois, the prairie state, finding prairies can be a real challenge. Over 99.99% of Illinois native prairie has been destroyed. Most prairie has been converted to agriculture. The areas that were too hilly to plough or too dry or…
Science Brief | Vaccine Hesitancy
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Science Brief | Vaccine Hesitancy
The unvaccinated may not be who we think they are, according to The New York Times. In a recent analysis, The Times reported that the United States has among the world’s highest COVID-19 deaths per capita, but vaccinations are widely…
The Black barber: he dispels vaccine myths as he cuts your hair
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on The Black barber: he dispels vaccine myths as he cuts your hair
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
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Riverfront Museum photo exhibit shows 1940s unity, diversity
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…
Hunger: a growing global crisis with local seeds for solutions
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Hunger: a growing global crisis with local seeds for solutions
Here’s the question: “Why has the industrial food system, after decades of producing massive quantities of food – 40% of which goes to waste – failed to eliminate hunger in the world? And not just in ‘poor countries,’ but in…
Peoria loses two Civil Rights icons
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on 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
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on School for algebra, language arts and hope
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
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Government’s “tragedy of errors” still saved the arts
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…