“Jazz is the big brother of Revolution. Revolution follows it around,” — Miles Davis Following the end of the Civil War, as Black music continued to evolve, transitioning from the spirituals, blues, and gospel music, a new, freer, unencumbered…
Cannabis, trains and upcoming budgets dominate government agendas this fall. Peoria City Council On Aug. 23, councilors reviewed an ordinance about recreational cannabis businesses. Changes relate to social equity applicants, meaning those who have convictions for cannabis possession and…
It is time to change your clocks to regular time on Nov. 7 from Daylight Savings time to regular time. Set your clocks back one hour. The consolidated elections for the City of West Peoria fall on April 4, 2023.…
Peoria teachers’ unity and community support made the difference in a settlement between the union and the Peoria Public Schools, leaders say. Bargaining started in March, and after 19 stymied negotiating sessions, a mediator was brought in. The third meeting…
Local and federal law enforcement are on alert for disruptions in the Nov. 8 election in Peoria, where threats have included possible attempts to intimidate voters, plus a campaign of correspondence apparently intended to disrupt the election’s preparations and execution.…
Two attempts to block the Nov. 8 referendum on whether or not to keep the Peoria County Auditor office failed in the last month as Judge James Mack denied requests by Peoria County Auditor Jessica Thomas and community advocate Karrie…
The good news is the Peoria Federation of Teachers reached agreement on a new three-year contract with the Peoria School District. Unfortunately, it took months of negotiations, a federal mediator, and the threat of a strike. Once again both sides…
ART The 10-foot artwork “Mars,” by U.K. artist Luke Jerram, is a highlight of “Mars: The Exhibition,” continuing in November at the Riverfront Museum. The interative display will be here through Spring. MUSIC Keith Urban is set to play…
Spending almost half of my life working in a school capacity, I have seen a lot of issues involving children. Lately it seems to have grown strikingly more serious — more aggression, more serious crimes, the anger, the hurt.…
Information is power, it’s said, but increasingly — especially with today’s sophisticated, speedy technology — so is disinformation. In elections, maybe such fearmongering was always powerful. Commentator H.L. Mencken in 1918 wrote, “Democracy tends to degenerate into a mere combat…
Do Republicans have what it takes to control Congress? Will Democrats keep their hold on statewide offices? Casting an uneducated vote, political scientists say, can be worse than not voting. It’s important for the electorate to be knowledgeable of the…
Metro Peoria’s monthly newspaper has compiled a bit of campaign information for some key races affecting central Illinois. Most media attention in campaigns for the Nov. 8 election has focused on the tops of party tickets. In Illinois, that means…
We reached out to the candidates running for a seat on the Peoria County Board to give them the opportunity to let our readers learn something about them. District 2 CAMILLE COATES (D): “Born, raised and educated in central Illinois,…
At press time, a few shows remain in the Blue Ridge Community Farm’s fall concert series, but there’s no end in sight for Jim and Laura Sniff’s activities — or the love behind it in Chillicothe. A self-described “farm kid”…
By EMILY GILL Social mobility has long been the United States’s answer to inequality. Equality of opportunity should allow individuals to rise as far as their abilities and hard work can take them. In the twenty-first century, however, the promise…
By YOLANDA WALLACE Have you ever been down to the Marina far east along the walking trail near the Illinois River? Sometimes I’d go walking along the trail and see the Constitution Park. That’s where people go to discuss…
By JAMES WILHELM Every member of Congress of the United States of America, specifically the Senate and House of Representatives, takes a solemn oath to “… support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and…
Helvetica: Uppercase, currently on display at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria until Oct 22, is an exhibition of an ongoing series by the artist Travis Janssen, Associate Professor and Head of the Printmaking Program at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.…
At the top of all Illinois ballots is a Proposed Amendment to the 1970 Illinois Constitution “EXPLANATION OF (WORKER’S RIGHTS) AMENDMENT: The proposed amendment would add a new section to the Bill of Rights Article of the Illinois Constitution that…
Some people are born organized; others spend considerable time and energy trying to get organized. Is there a gene for that, or medical or psychological assistance? If so, please do your kind deed for the day and let me know…
Ameren and MISO are playing politics with state regulations, slow walking Illinois into an electricity shortage Past columns revealed Exelon crippling the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard and thus contributing to Illinois’ electricity shortage. Additionally, Exelon supports its grid operator’s…
