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Volunteers invited to help remove invasive species at Washington Park
The splendor of fall is on full display at Washington Park. Volunteers who want to help improve the woodlands at…
Feds, state restrict sales of hemp products
Prairie State Hemp is set to close this week as the state’s crackdown on hemp products will effectively kill the…
A second Catholic high school for Springfield?
The Springfield Catholic diocese is exploring opening a second Catholic high school in the capital city, a proposal that has…
Judge dismisses data center lawsuit
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti dismissed a lawsuit Nov. 6 seeking a judicial review of the Sangamon County Board’s April approval…
COVER STORY
High school essay winners write from the heart
This I Believe is an annual essay contest for high school seniors sponsored by NPR Illinois. Modeled after the program started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951, students are invited to write an essay sharing their own personal beliefs. This is the 21st year for the contest; 226 students within the NPR Illinois…
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News
Make an Impact donates $26K to Habitat
Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County has been awarded $26,000 from Make an Impact to support its Mission in Motion…
More police for Springfield Park District
The Springfield Park District Police Department intends to double its full-time staff as part of its long-term plan to grow…
Springfield Memorial Foundation and SIU invest $2 million for AI in medical education
A combined $2 million investment from the Springfield Memorial Foundation and SIU School of Medicine will advance innovative medical education…
Hotel files petition to convert to apartments
The owners of MainStay Suites on South Dirksen Parkway have filed a zoning petition with the city of Springfield for…
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Previous Issues
opinion
Process to select next House speaker underway
Four House Democrats who were instrumental in drafting and circulating a letter last week that successfully called for a new Illinois House speaker issued…
School’s Out
As our Scott Reeder reported in April, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the state Regional Office of Education are working together on…
Letters to the Editor
GOOD MEMORIES We lived a block over on David Street in the early 1970s and we would walk over to this location for groceries…
Major issues vie for legislature’s attention
A few weeks ago, Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters that negotiators are closer than they’d ever been to a deal with the Chicago Bears…
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Food and drink
Aligot is a favorite in France
Last autumn, my wife, four family members and I had the good fortune of staying in a restored 16th-century farmhouse…
Great Halloween recipes with minimal fuss
Halloween cookery can range from playfully autumnal to murderously macabre. From festive pumpkin crostini to bloodied witches’ fingers and ghoulish…
The secret to tender meat
With soaring grocery prices, I’ve been passing up the expensive, well-marbled T-bone steaks for more affordable proteins. Top-notch ingredients will…
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Music
November music-making
Here we are, as promised, back with a Now Playing for the first full weekend of November…
Ricki Marvel to play Hobgoblinspookadelic concert Saturday
This Halloween night, your best rock ‘n’ roll entertainment value might just be the return of NIL8’s…
A spooky start to ISO’s new season
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra will kick off its 2026-2027 season on Halloween eve (Friday, Oct. 30), with…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
IT Pick
HISTORY | Movie features Eisenhower and his vision of U.S. highways This special showing is part of the upcoming Route 66 International Film Festival. After…
Chris Nickell interview
Vault 66 Pinball is more than an arcade; it’s part of Chris Nickell’s vision for a more vibrant downtown Springfield. In this episode of The…
UIS to honor veterans with yellow ribbons, flag ceremony, speaker and open house
The University of Illinois Springfield will honor military service members and veterans with a series of campus events leading up to and on Veterans Day,…
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Best of Springfield®
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Best Of Springfield 2026 Intro
LINK TO ARTICLES Every year, we ask our opinionated readers to tell us about their favorite people, places and things in the Springfield area. Over the decades we’ve been doing this, we’ve continued to tweak both the process and the results issue to try to keep things fresh and interesting. This year, more people voted…
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