Editor’s note: Recently, some Dunlap High School freshmen were disciplined by the Dunlap School Board for drug and alcohol infractions. Michelle Tyler, a parent, takes exception with the school board’s punishment.

When "Blacktop Reform" was brought to Peoria County late last month it was reportedly done to protect little old ladies living in the county from unscrupulous non-union paving contractors.
So, one has to wonder about some developments on this issue going on behind the scenes.

Diane Vespa, wife of 10th Judicial Circuit judge candidate John Vespa, sent out an e-mail last night thanking people for their support of John's candidacy and a little more.

Some people and organizations go out of their way to be outrageous in order to get coverage. This ploy works to varying degrees.

Here's one example I want to share tearing down Illinois' most famous son.

Lucas Woith offers his unique perspective on the election both at the local and state level.

Dr. Norm Durflinger, interim superintendent of District 150, responded this afternoon to the question "Why is District 150 reluctant to run like a business?"

Members and supporters of the Tri-County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness gathered recently for their annual dinner. There was smiling, laughter and fellowship. But, when they got down to talking about the needs the mentally ill in Peoria and beyond, there was little to be festive about.
The 2005 study “Answering the Call,” by the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Illinois, found almost one million Illinois citizens suffer from a serious mental disorder in any given year. The study found the direct and indirect costs of mental illness total more than $2.6 billion a year for the state.
That means, everyone, whether touched directly by mental illness or not, is impacted.

James and Tina Fink stood in the remains of their burned-out house in Peoria Heights.
Out front, a big dumpster sat on the street full of their possessions, now reduced to charred junk.
They looked skyward from the living room and saw blue skies overhead because there was no roof.
They were caught in a downward spiral of finances, and they say part of the reason is their bank, one of the largest in the nation, but without a local branch.
“It’s been a living nightmare,” James said. The couple said they have learned a valuable lesson from all this — bank locally.

The vote was taken last night to reduce the PAWS budget by $250,000. But, the outcome is not final. The battle is not over for those who chose to stay in it.For some people looking at the Peoria budget deficit, which now appears to be climbing toward the $15 million mark, the answers are easy. But, for most, the decisions come hard.
PAWS, the city’s animal shelter, is one agency caught in the crossfire. One suggested cut would result in the euthanization of an estimated 7,000 animals.

Recently, while on vacation, I did a Web search with the question, “Are manners passé in 2009?”
I came across an interesting post at thinkingethics.typepad.com. A Jan. 13, 2009, post was right on target.

Some years ago, then First Lady Hillary Clinton said, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
That idea comes to mind concerning the implementation of the Drug Market Initiative/Intervention Program, also known as DMI. Tom Larson, a lieutenant of the Peoria Police Vice and Narcotics Unit, is heading up the new program, which basically takes the approach, “It takes a village to reform a drug dealer.”

Students are back in school, catching up after summer and making weekend plans.
Often those plans include parties, and often those parties include alcohol.
Many parents try compromising with their teens by providing alcohol at semi-supervised house parties.
We all know who they are. They’re known as the “cool parents.”

“Is anger the fuel that powers political passion?” is the question Ben Boychuck, a writer for the Washington Post, asked back in 2008.
I wondered the same thing as I covered the Sept. 17 Peoria County Tea Party. There was lots of anger on display Sept. 17.

Mindy Watkins, in my humble opinion, has one of the finest singing voices in this city. But, as Watkins, 38, spoke about her former Richwoods High School teacher Wayne Macomber her voice cracked.

The drunk lady stood in front of Big Al’s, balled up her fists, thrust her arms downward violently and screamed “This is dog****.”
She was looking at a man across the street at Hoop’s kneeling on the ground next to a Peoria police squad car.
She watched for a moment and then walked up Main Street mumbling.