As Emily Gill pointed out in her OpEd in the July issue of Community Word on Fulton v Philadelphia, the stakes for this case were quite high. Not only was there a possibility of the court granting a “license to…
The Watch | Summer in the city
On May 25, the Peoria City Council approved borrowing $15 million from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) State Revolving Fund (SRF) at 1.4% interest. A revolving loan over seven years, the loan will be repaid through new sewer rates.…
Real Talk | Be An Eagle
If you did not have the opportunity to visit the “What I Need Now In The Ninth Grade” (W.I.N.N.I.N.G) Summer School 7-week program led by Carl Cannon’s ELITE Game-changers team, held at Lincoln School, you missed a treat. Carl and…
Nature Rambles | Bumble Bee Summer
As June drought turned into July monsoon, we witness another strange year for weather in Central Illinois. The rains came just in time to spur the growth of native prairie flowers before they set bloom. The summer onset of blooming…
Inland Art | Lisa Nelson Raabe
For artist Lisa Nelson Raabe, the process of making art is integral to how she experiences the world and navigates life’s rhythms. “I see the world differently when I am making art.” She says that making art has been a…
Art Alerts | August 2021
From 5-9 p.m. on Aug. 6, the Contemporary Art Center will host its First Friday Studio Tour of 3rd floor studios, where the work of about a dozen area artists are created, shown and sold. The facility also has three…
Reflections From The Clergy | Rest as a Radical Act
Of all the words, experiences and conversations of the past year, the word that resonates the most is depletion. Simply saying, “I feel depleted,” in a phone call or a video meeting results in nods and agreement from across the…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | To Tree or Not to Tree, Part 2: Assisted Regeneration of Trees
Several themes guide this series. First, climate deterioration demands rapid abolition of fossil-fuel emissions. Trees cannot substitute for ending emissions. However, we must also extract LOTS of atmospheric carbon. Half of above-ground tree mass consists of carbon absorbed through photosynthesis.…
Serendipity | So Long Ago
According to the calendar I’ve kept for decades, my high school graduation was 55 years ago. More precisely it was on Wednesday, June 1, 1966 that my classmates and I walked down the aisle of St. Mary’s Cathedral as students,…
West Peoria News | Cannabis lounge
The 20th Annual Night Out Against Crime is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3 at City Hall. The event is sponsored by the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch. Its regular monthly meeting will be 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug.…
Labor Roundup | August 2021
400 religious leaders urge passage of PRO Act. Saying that protecting and expanding workers’ right to organize is a moral imperative, and a boost to workers who most need it, more than 400 religious leaders signed an open letter to…
Rain gardens and the art of noticing
Professor William Hope at Knox College works with students to harness observational skills with manual labor for an embodied understanding of the correlation between bioswales, deep-rooted perennials, the Anthropocene and experiential learning. Hope, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, helped…
Coffee shop “contained” in Hanna City
HANNA CITY – After talking with a friend, developer Ron Gulley knew that building a successful coffee shop in rural Peoria would need to be at a good location and unique. He settled on Ill. Route 116 and shipping containers.…
“Wildflower meadow bouquets” tell story of season, time and place
Kira Santiago could have relocated from central Illinois to work in the Chicago area, but the soil lured her back home. “Farming near Chicago was something to consider, but people need to come back to this soil. Someone has to…
Lead water pipes: Invisible public health threat
Lead water pipes are a major public health risk, especially in Peoria that has among the highest rates of childhood lead poisoning in the country. Illinois recently passed legislation calling for replacement of lead service lines carrying water from the…
The Lion’s Den | The History of History
“History is written by the Victors” is a term often attributed to Winston Churchill. In its simplistic interpretation, those in power are in a position to provide their historical narrative. In recent weeks there has been a political outcry over…
Straight Talk | Not good “news”
A number of incidents in the local media prompts me to focus on Peoria’s broadcasting industry. Let’s start with the dismissal of WEEK TV’s talented meteorologist, Jesse Guinn. Guinn reportedly was unceremoniously fired without notice or any kind of preliminary…
Bill Knight | Bank fees for federal Paycheck Protection Program loans
The saying “Think globally, act locally” has a parallel in how news is received. Whether international or digital sources, national press, broadcasters or print, headlines stressing Big News can seem to imply important events or acts happen far away, not…
Editorial | Deliberate Misunderstanding
It is not antisemitic to advocate for Palestinian human rights and respect. It is not antisemitic to protest war against Gaza. It is not support of Hamas, a terrorist organization, to object to bombing Gaza. It is not antisemitic to…
OpEd | Fulton v. City of Philadelphia
Editor’s Note: A column in the next issue of Community Word will analyze the Supreme Court ruling against Philadelphia affirming the right of Catholic Social Services to refuse to accept same-sex couples as foster parents. BY EMILY GILL By the…
The Watch | History in Peoria
At last, here are a few historic happenings which do not involve global illness … Rita Ali became the first woman and first person of color to serve as Mayor of Peoria when she was sworn in on May 4.…
Real Talk | Take Your Knee Off Our Necks
A metaphoric knee has been on the necks of Black people for over 400 years in this country. That knee was literally displayed on May 25, 2020 when police officer Derek Chauvin applied pressure to George Floyd’s neck with his…