Connect the dots. • By the end of November, 4.7 million Americans had registered for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the Washington Post. That’s 10 times more than all of 2016. • Hurricane Harvey set…
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Undoing Racism
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Undoing Racism
Racism is a learned behavior and undoing racism is a learned behavior. One of the country’s leading scholars on undoing racism will be speaking in Peoria Jan. 22 at Bradley University. David Billings will talk about his new book, “Deep…
Following decade of no pay raises journalists see tiny salary boost
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Following decade of no pay raises journalists see tiny salary boost
After nearly a decade with no pay raises and constant increases in their share of health insurance premiums, employees at Peoria’s only daily newspaper may see a small increase in pay and a commitment to freeze their share of health…
Salting our roads — and water and fields
by Bill Knight • • Comments Off on Salting our roads — and water and fields
There are always trade-offs, it seems. In “Inherit the Wind,” the Henry Drummond character (Spencer Tracy in the film version) sums it up: “Progress has never been a bargain; you have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there’s a…
Mark Clark’s body in morgue unclaimed; family never notified
by contributor • • Comments Off on Mark Clark’s body in morgue unclaimed; family never notified
BY LAWRENCE J. MAUSHARD Editor’s Note: Peorian Mark Clark was 22 and a member of the Peoria NAACP and leader of the Peoria Chapter of the Illinois Black Panther Party. He was running a BPP free breakfast program for children…
Medicaid expansion helps more women
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Medicaid expansion helps more women
For those who consider access to safe, legal abortion a basic human right, there was a sense of justice when Gov. Bruce Rauner defied many in his base and signed House Bill 40 into law. The legislation, effective Jan. 1,…
Food nutrients going up in smoke
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Food nutrients going up in smoke
BY CLARE HOWARD Yet another sign of global climate change is no further away than your morning bowl of cereal. As the world continues to burn fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, scientists are linking increasing levels…
Jerry Klein: “The Last Sail”
by Terry Bibo • • Comments Off on Jerry Klein: “The Last Sail”
BY TERRY BIBO As always, Jerry Klein appeared bemused. A young reporter, I was racing out of the Journal Star building, probably to conduct an interview. A fine arts critic, he was wandering in, probably to compose a review. The…
Questioning pension mergers
by Community Word Staff • • Comments Off on Questioning pension mergers
Illinois has 628 separate police and fire pension funds, each with administrative costs. Ohio, by contrast, has one Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund. At a recent talk in Peoria, Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston and gubernatorial candidate, said merging multiple…
Current Events Echo Historical Racism
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Current Events Echo Historical Racism
BY CLARE HOWARD Wendel White’s photography painfully deepens our understanding of racism in America. His images speak softly but the message screams at full volume. Racial discrimination in America has surely evolved over the past century forged by legislation, litigation…