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Still popular, Bro Country sparks pushback
Many Country music promoters and programmers may have noticed some reaction to bro country, but the pendulum isn’t yet swinging away from the popular style. “Swinging away from ‘bro country’? Highly doubtable – not yet anyway,” says Chris Michaels, program…
A historic District 150 event
Ejecting a coach or player from a basketball game rarely happens. But, it does happen. When a player is removed it’s because of a flagrant foul or unacceptable behavior. A coach is gone when he receives a second technical foul.…
Help the homeless
“… bring the homeless poor into your house.” – Isaiah 58: 7 February is Black History Month, so it’s tempting to see emotional objections to the Peoria Housing Authority’s investigation into relocating Taft Homes as racism. However, if giving the…
Garbage: A mirror reflecting who we are
There was a lot of enthusiasm several years ago about a music video produced by the Young Professionals Organization of Greater Peoria that tried to secure Peoria’s bid for 2013 All American City by organizing hundreds of 20- and 30-year…
Letters to the editor …
Westminster Presbyterian Church: Withdraw Request for Digital Sign As both a member of Westminster and a West Bluff resident, I totally agree with the editorial (January 2015). The Church would fulfill a decades-long stated commitment to the area by…
“No” To New GMOs; “Yes” To Organic Farming
By Herman Brockman Basic research discoveries in the then-new field of molecular biology in the 1950s and ‘60s led to the ability to isolate (clone) a gene and transfer it from one virus or organism to another. This became…
American Muslims Who Made (Good) News in 2014
In the minds of many, there are widely held but oversimplified ideas of American Muslims. To correct the myopia created by media sound bites and humanize our people, I decided to introduce diverse American Muslims who made news in 2014:…
Eagle counts
With winter temperatures dipping below freezing, the Illinois River takes on a whole new personality. At this year’s Eagle Day at Forest Park Nature Center, the sub-zero wind chills kept the human population low. But the hardy folks who came…
Serendipity for February 2015
Google Valentine’s Day and a plethora of information is displayed. There’s quite the history for that middle of the month day when loving sentiments are shared. The genuine romantics need no designated time to show affection. They are comfortable with varied expressions of…
West Peoria News for February 2015
There have been personnel changes in the township’s trustees. John Powell was appointed to replace Marsha Miller after her move to Galena that resulted in her resignation. Kelly Abraham announced that she is retiring from her position and will be…
Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre is a positive experience
With so many positive qualities, it is hard to decide where to begin a recommendation for attending a show at Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre in Goodfield. Permit me then to further explicate the title of this column. Theater as…
Arts beat for February 2015
MUSIC Feb. 6: “Live at the Five Spot” featuring Cousin Eddie. 5:30 p.m. Contemporary Art Center. 674-6877. Feb. 6-7 & continuing each Friday & Saturday: live music at Rhythm Kitchen, 305 SW Water St. 676-9668. Feb. 7: Pianist Reid Alexander.…
Changing Peoria with portraits
Bad ink and quick news bites fuel fear and people end up labeling entire areas of a city as dangerous. An arbitrary boundary is created that people are afraid to cross. Because of that label, people see only streets of…
February 2015 neighborhood notes
* The Renaissance Park Community Association reports that its first public art project is complete. The colorful 12 x 78-foot mural painted on the side of the Muir Omni Graphics building on West Main Street also includes six large-scale artist-designed…
February 2015 labor roundup
‘Now or never’ in fight vs. TPP fast-track. Warning that it’s “now or never” in the fight against presidential authority to jam job-losing trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress, Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen…
Best test for cancer screening
There is good evidence to support breast cancer screening, but there is controversy about which screening method is best. An ideal cancer test would never indicate a cancer that was not present (false positive) and never miss a cancer (false…
Contraceptive counseling by zip code
Contraceptives are accessible to some Peoria women, not all Teen-aged girls in some areas of Peoria have more than twice the pregnancy rate as their counterparts nationwide but limited access to long-term contraceptives. Overall, the teen pregnancy rate in the…
Poverty and homelessness up, but not ‘criminalized’ here
As winter temperatures drop, homeless people may be more visible, either scrambling on the streets to find emergency shelter or seeking momentary refuge in public spaces like libraries. Homelessness and the poverty that can drive it continue. In a 2014…
Belafonte film highlights police harassment
An unarmed pedestrian is stopped on the street as a suspect and beaten by cops as a crowd gathers and protests. Unfortunately, that’s increasingly common, except in this scenario, the victim is white, the police African American, and society dominated…