Posts Tagged ‘ Word on the Street ’

‘Word’ column enters the 1990s

February 25, 2010
By Billy Dennis

Blogs, called weblogs at the time, began in the 1990s. The term was coined in 1997. The first known journalist’s blog started in 1998. The blog that would become Peoria Pundit started in 2002. And now, in the second month of the year 2010, Peoria Journal Star’s Word on the Street column now has a...
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PJS just can’t stop carrying water for politicians

November 30, 2009
By Billy Dennis

Sure, the Peoria City Council spent $16,000 to print a glossy and mail a glossy magazine full of old information that’s readily available elsewhere. But there’s nothing to worry about, says the Journal Star’s Word on the Street column. After all, the money was budgeted last year. And they aren’t doing it again this year. And some people...
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Maybe it should be called ‘Word from the Inside’

November 16, 2009
By Billy Dennis

What’s a politician to do when the word on the street isn’t favorable? Complain to someone at Word on the Street, which is what Jim Montelongo when he started hearing people thought some of the stuff he was doing as a member of Peoria City Council was *gasp* politically motivated. Montelongo, a Republican, is the...
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Posted in Local | 7 Comments »

One-sided ‘Word’

July 27, 2009
By Billy Dennis

Today’s Word on the Street leads with details about how Caterpillar Inc. was revealed to be a behind-the-scenes contributor to the Build the Block campaign that convinced taxpayers to pony up for the plan to build a museum on the site of the former Sears in downtown Peoria. Caterpillar sees the museum as essential to...
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Posted in Misc | 6 Comments »

Gasp! OMG, politics may have played a role in naming a political appointee!

July 6, 2009
By Billy Dennis

Sometimes, the Peoria Journal Star goes out of its way to make themselves sound like hicks. Consider this passage from today’s Word on the Street: There is no question that she’s qualified: an award-winning, long-time farm broadcaster who also has a communications firm, Callahan remains active in animal agriculture. Would she otherwise have landed the...
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Site news: Posting will be light

May 19, 2008
By Billy Dennis

I’m working this evening, and my morning and early afternoon are taken up by Blog Peoria Project business. Member bloggers might want to read this important post. Anyway, do check out Word on the Street. Apparently, there’s something Barbara Van Auken hasn’t been telling me.
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Local: Shut out of the process at D150, parents turn to politicians who at least listen

May 12, 2008
By Billy Dennis

Today’s Word on the Street mentions that parents who are upset at D150’s decision to cut a month’s work of instructional time out of their primary schools are taking their concerns to members of the Peoria City Council. I’ll paraphrase the positions taken by two of the council members quoted in the article. Mayor...
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Today’s news: JS takes a spring break

March 3, 2008
By Billy Dennis

All links via the Journal Star: Today’s Word on the Street is especially newsy today. Dave Koehler comments on his civil union legislation. It looks like Elliot’s is gonna get some kind of liquor license today. Peoria County officials defend their silly little push poll that faked public support for raising taxes for the regional...
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Posted in Local | 6 Comments »

Media: Good catch in today’s Word on the Street

December 3, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Karen McDonald has a good catch in today’s column. It turns out Dick Versace has been describing himself as both pro-life and pro-choice, depending on the person he’s speaking to. And John Sharp gives us the school on the City of Peoria’s budgetary shortfall and the possibility that this is the year they will seek...
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Posted in Misc | 6 Comments »

Media: Today’s word on the street is ‘regurgitation’

November 26, 2007
By Billy Dennis

In today’s Word on the Street, JS reporter John Sharp sought someone to comment on Peoria Heights Mayor Mark Allen’s comment that “those online bloggers didn’t bother to show their faces when we have public meetings on it. … They are real strong and tough online, but when we have the public meetings, no...
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Posted in Misc | 6 Comments »

Today’s news: Stripping away the excuses

November 5, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Unless noted, all links via the Journal Star. The snarky comments are my own: Never underestimate the value of getting your information from the source. Peoria’s might be the site of a new steel plant. No word on how much cash and incentives, if any, taxpayers would be expected to cough up. Since one presumes Caterpillar...
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Posted in Misc | 3 Comments »

Media: She’s back … ?

October 29, 2007
By Billy Dennis
Media: She’s back … ?

OMG! Be still my heart! If Jenny Davis back on the beat? It’s been about a month since Jenny left the City Council beat and Word on the Street to take a job as editor of one of those silly sections the JS prints that I never read. She did it because let her...
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Today’s news: Learning something new

October 23, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Today’s links are via the Journal Star: Clare Jellick’s article on the Manual restructuring is up. It includes the list of “recommendations” that the various subcommittees working on the plan asked the board to approve. The meat of the story is that they want the new Manual to operate under a longer school day, a...
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Today’s news: This time, it’s personal

October 16, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Links via the Journal Star: There are some ideas on how to restructure Manual High School. Too bad the public won’t hear them. When you pay a consultant to advise you on what insurance carrier to you, you assume that the consultant isn’t getting money from the insurance carrier they recommend. Hence, Cat’s lawsuit. I was under...
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Posted in Misc | 1 Comment »

Today’s news: Being there

October 15, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Today’s news links via the Journal Star: I didn’t have the staying power to sit through the entire Peoria City Council meeting last week. So of course in today’s Word on the Street, PJS reporter John Sharp had all sorts of juicy details I didn’t have about the final three hours of the meeting. Council...
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Media: Missed messages

October 9, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Yesterday’s Word on the Street: “Peoria County Board member Tim Riggenbach said he’s seeking the Republican nomination for the 92nd District seat being vacated by Aaron Schock.” My reply: “I have it on good authority that Peoria County Board member Tim Riggenbach will NOT run for the Republican nomination for the 92nd District seat being...
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Politics: ‘Word on the Street’ just a little too dated to be considered ‘in the loop’

October 8, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Some thoughts on today’s Word on the Street: I see they finally got around to reporting on the controversy over Aaron Schock operating his 18th District U.S. House seat out of county GOP headquarters. I reported on it back on Sept. 20, 18 days ago. Kudos! Better late then never, I always say. Members of the...
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Posted in Politics | 13 Comments »

No word from the Journal Star

September 4, 2006
By Billy Dennis

One of the first things I do when I wake up on Monday mornings is to go the the computer and read Molly Park and Jennifer Davis’ wonderful Word on the Street column. I was especially looking forward to today’s column because Labor Day marks the unofficial start of election season, where politicians take...
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Posted in Misc | 11 Comments »

Only someone in a coma could miss this pattern

February 27, 2006
By Billy Dennis
Only someone in a coma could miss this pattern

Kudos to Jenny Davis and Molly Parker for a spot-on perfect Word on the Street column today. They lead with details about the corrupt (my word, not theirs) Peoria Civic Center Authority are hell bent to force taxpayers to finance a new hotel right next to the Civic Center. The first plan fell through because...
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Posted in Politics | 7 Comments »