A day trip to Cave-in Rock

From 20 Day Trips in and around the Shawnee National Forest, by Larry P. Mahan andDonna J. Mahan. Used with permission.• Cave-in-Rock State Park• Tower Rock• Elizabethtown• R

A guide to the Shawnee National Forest

At 280,000 acres, the expansive beauty of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois can feel both breathtaking and intimidating. In fact, in April of this year, Saline County Central Dispatch a

Gambling on the fairgrounds

How slot machines and harness racing could change Springfield forever

Step right up! Welcome to the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where kids can milk cows, and cows can win ribbons and anyone 21 years and older can contribute to an electronic, press-a-button, hear-a-beep,

Grads from around the globe

The growing effort to attract international students to UIS

Over the last decade the University of Illinois Springfield has slowly but steadily increased the number of international students in attendance, reaching 5 percent of the overall student body in grad

More than able to succeed

Students with disabilities overcome obstacles to graduate from UIS

They told her she shouldn’t even be in college.That’s the advice Alex Carrano, 24, received from staff to deal with her learning disability and test anxiety at a former university before s

Hope comes full circle

Founded to help children with disabilities, The Hope Institute takes on autism

“We expanded from a family,” says Georgia Winson, newly appointed executive director of the Hope Institute for Children and Families. “But it always goes back to a family.”In t

10 things you can do in Springfield to save the planet

The Earth Day issue: Save. Simplify. Grow. Make a difference.You don’t have to be Captain Planet, Al Gore or Rachel Carson to help the environment. Saving energy, preserving natural resources an

The lives they lived - Part I

Celebrating 22 loved ones lost in 2009

About the issue This last week of the year Illinois Times takes a loving look back at some of the lives that ended in 2009. All across Springfield this past week, chairs were empty and hearts were a

The lives they lived - Part II

Celebrating 22 loved ones lost in 2009

KENNETH “GENE” WELLENREITER JR. Aug. 13, 1971 – July 27, 2009 {image-7167}Gene Wellenreiter came into my life about six years ago and taught me more about life and living through

Goat invasion

A growing breed of livestock preserves an old way of life on a Sangamon County farm

Like an art critic judging a sculpture, Mike Earles leans back and places the end of his goateed chin between the raised thumb and forefinger of his left hand. His eyes narrow as he leans