A young, single mother who works at a local hospital was offered a total scholarship for CNA classes and a nursing job after graduation. She couldn’t accept the scholarship and start CNA classes because she doesn’t have a high school…
As cold weather returns and an annual estimate of homelessness looms next month, advocates for the homeless are preparing for winter –– amid a worsening pandemic. Meanwhile, the state’s health department in November issued new recommendations urging Illinoisans to stay…
COVID-19 is roiling every corner of the globe, even in the most remote regions of the Amazon. Indigenous people there, in the United States and other countries are particularly hard hit by COVID. Inequality is a COVID super spreader. International…
Now that the 2020 presidential election is over, it’s time to do an autopsy. What did we learn? We learned that nearly 160 million Americans voted in this year’s presidential election as of this writing. Clearly, people felt that a…
With 31 days in December and 20 days in January before the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, many of us are holding our breath. It’s unclear how outgoing President Trump will react. He…
The contest for Peoria mayor has taken more turns than a Central American road race. We’ve known for weeks who’s in, while rumors circulated about others interested, but undecided. Most local political, civic, and business leaders were unimpressed with the…
Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation joined in bipartisan opposition to an executive order by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue to end SNAP benefits for seniors and the disabled living in supportive living facilities. In Peoria, these SLF…
The Journal Star has clearly deteriorated under GateHouse and now Gannett ownership, but a new low was reached Sunday Nov. 15 with a column on page B1 about Gov. JB Pritzker’s order restricting indoor dining in restaurants and bars. The…
BY BILL FEIPEL Advocates of “Originalism,” some of whom have recently made it on to the Supreme Court, tell us the Constitution must be interpreted based on the “original understanding” of its creators “at the time it was adopted” ––…
Tuesday, Nov. 3 was one of the most consequential elections for African Americans since 1876 when Democrat Rutherford Hayes was awarded the presidency in what is now called The Compromise of 1877 which ushered in the Jim Crow Era. As…
God love the people who keep doing their jobs without drama and fanfare, despite the hot mess which has been 2020. And that includes most of our public officials. On Oct. 13, Peoria County Election Commission geared up for the…
When I think back to when I first became interested in nature, the world seemed a relatively “wild” place. The nearby woods in an urban area was a place to explore. One November day, so long ago, I remember coming…
Terry Karpowicz is a builder. His sculpture is recognizable to most viewers as large-scale welded and bolted, generally mechanistic abstractions. His work has distinguished numerous public sites in Chicago and the Midwest, beginning in the late 1970s. While fond of…
Art is a powerful language that can communicate through a combination of facts, emotion, conviction, beauty and degradation. Artist Rhea Edge knows how to wield all these tools. She uses her art to convey an environmental message and a moral…
As you may know, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Peoria chapter organizes an annual Diwali food drive for our local communities in need. This year, because of restrictions and safety concerns due to COVID, we can’t personally shop and deliver items. We…
What might be Biden-Harris’ strategic entry into climate legislation? What is the must-win bill Biden should want delivered to the Resolute Desk? Without exception, bill No. 1 must reduce greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% by 2030. Only large, fast…
The West Peoria Neighborhood Watch has included 20 years of watching and reporting for all West Peorians. Thanks for those years and go for another 20. Maggie Moore has been the person coordinating and guiding this watch that makes our…
Wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy, happy moments and knowing you are loved and cherished by many, especially your Grammie! As a child I was in love with Christmas. I understood…
The AFL-CIO and SEIU last month complained to the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO), charging the Trump administration with violating numerous international labor laws during the coronavirus pandemic. The complaint from the Service Employees International Union and the labor federation…
For years, Jimmy Buckley watched government subsidies go to big corn and soybean farmers growing crops that become fuel and animal feed. Buckley grows organic fruits and vegetables for hundreds of people in central Illinois yet until this year, he…
Misleading attacks on the ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to enact a graduated income tax (“Fair Tax”) range from scare-tactic lies to exaggerations that defy logic. Some opponents say that a Fair Tax will lead to taxing retirement…
His mantra: If someone asks for my help, that’s all I need; we provide help. Dr. Wasim Ellahi was recruited to come to Peoria more than 20 years ago, and when he died Oct. 5, he left a legacy of…
