Musical talent was never something I excelled in or modestly accomplished. What I lacked in musical ability was compensated by appreciation and enthusiasm. I loved listening to music, still do, and am proud of my lyrics recall. Might it be…
Labor Roundup | Peoria Starbucks will unionize; unions praise SCOTUS pick
Workers at 100-plus Starbucks stores nationwide have said they’re unionizing, including ones in Peoria, and that’s more than 1% of the coffee chain’s standalone locations (as opposed to counters inside retailers). Workers United says 968 more workers in 33 Starbucks…
Placing bets as easy as it gets
The Los Angeles Rams scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, but holder Johnny Hekker bobbled the snap on the extra point so Matt Gay couldn’t kick the football. No big deal, right? Nobody noticed, eh?…
The long reign of ‘The Velvet Hammer’
From The House that Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois’ Velvet Hammer by Ray Long. Copyright 2022 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Used with permission of the University of Illinois Press. What does the…
County combining Health Dept. and Coroner
On January 13, The Peoria County Board voted 16-2 in favor of rebuilding the current Peoria City/County Health Department instead of remodeling the current location at 2125 N. Sheridan Rd. Included in the vote was to also incorporate the Sustainability…
Real Talk | African Americans struggle just like crabs in a barrel
When Crabs are pulled from the ocean and thrown together in a barrel, the crabs will pull down any other crab that tries to get out before them. This is how the term “Crabs in a barrel” came to be.…
Bill Knight | Harmless revenue stream or dangerous scheme; Do you wanna bet?
Illinois is soaked with gambling, from lotteries and casinos to off-track betting and video slots in what seems like every gas station with a few square feet of seating over by shelves of over-priced junk food. This month, things will…
The Lion’s Den | Throw another log on the fire
We’re living in a world of cosmic slop, cast back into the primordial pool. I escape from this madness through reading; literature is one of my safe havens, and if Jay-Z can travel first class to change the forecast, as…
Editorial | COVID spin doctors making job harder on the real ones
“Follow the science,” they say, which is good advice. Unfortunately, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has become way too political and is spinning out of control. It’s important to connect the dots and not let opinion cloud the facts. Especially these…
OpEd | We must not define ourselves by our own circumstances
When the opportunity to write this column fell in my lap I had no idea what it would become, nor could I bring myself to understand what grace made me worthy of the honor. I promise to respect the people…
The Watch | City Council eyes Trewyn Park update; short-term rental option
On Jan. 11, Peoria City Council members set dates to discuss redistricting of the city based on the 2020 census results. The goal is for districts to be nearly equal in population, compact, contiguous, and respectful of geographic boundaries and…
Peoria city redistricting proceeding
At press time, the Peoria City Council is expected to vote Feb. 22 on a redistricting map after a Feb. 8 public hearing that discussed so-called Version 2.3. As reported in the February Community Word, out Jan. 26, the 2020…
Area leaders discussing rail to Chicago
The city of Peoria’s proposed passenger rail route would connect the city to Chicago. The Illinois Department of Transportation is currently conducting a feasibility study looking at a new passenger rail corridor running from Peoria through LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, Morris, and…
Straight Talk | Hear about Johns Hopkins COVID study?
It was shocking to learn the country’s major news networks and newspapers failed to report results of the Johns Hopkins University meta-analysis coronavirus study regarding the effects of the ordered lockdowns. Of course, if the national media doesn’t cover the…
Inland Art | Passion for preservation lies beneath local landscapes
Rozanne Hubbard has been painting landscapes for fifty years. Preserving a moment in time, Hubbard explores the human relationship to nature, capturing the essence of the land intertwined with environmental awareness. “Minor Key Tonality” is a painting referencing a rural…
Art Alerts | March 2022
Judith W. Mann will discuss one of the most famous women painters of the modern era — Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi — at the Peoria Riverfront Museum on March 10. The lecture by Mann, St. Louis Art Museum’s curator of…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Demand Flexibility vs. Murphy’s Climate Law
Murphy’s Law, “If anything can go wrong, it will,” merits climate crisis amplification: If two things can go wrong simultaneously, they will. And they have via electricity blackouts due to extreme weather. Examples: California in August 2020, and Texas in…
Environmental News and Notes
A look at issues of concern involving our planet. Illinois gas plants could offset Clean Energy’s gains Weeks after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, his administration tentatively OK’d a new source of heat-trapping pollution: a new…
Nature Rambles | Ancient trees key to a land’s legacy
Way back in forestry class, I learned that a good forestry practice was to leave some old trees standing when harvesting timber. Our forestry professor, Dr. Jay Cravens, used to say, “Make sure you leave some of the old trees…
West Peoria News | Spring forward with eye toward the Fourth of July
Winter is slowing down at the time of this writing but not completely leaving us. Many activities and meetings were cancelled and will soon become an active part of our community. March 13 will mark the start of daylight savings…
Serendipity | Hope springs forth from sunny disposition during winter doldrums
Every March I celebrate that winter is nearly over. My optimism is boundless. Sure, I realize it can still snow or ice can play havoc with plans. But even with unpleasant possibilities, Spring is right around a corner or two…
Labor Roundup | ‘Egregious attendance policy’ rankles railers; UPS cuts wages
Thousands of BNSF Railway workers in Galesburg and central Illinois, and throughout the country are fighting the freight carrier’s attempt to implement an attendance policy that would result in many workers receiving less paid time off. Last month, the Transportation…