While there is no shortage of great prep gridiron action or NFL team spirit in Springfield, the capital city's offering of college football leaves something to be desired. Sure,
While there is no shortage of great prep gridiron action or NFL team spirit in Springfield, the capital city's offering of college football leaves something to be desired. Sure,
If you're looking to get into the maze craze this fall, we have great news — Springfield will host its very own 10-acre corn creation. If that's not enough, it's even cut i
By now, your summer fling is either nearing an end, you're thinking about taking the relationship to the next level, or the thought of spending the holiday season alone is depres
The colorful and raspy-voiced U. S. Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen died in 1969, but his memory lives on at the Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, near Peoria. This is a research center,
No kids allowed. It's a strict requirement of Garret Moffett's new October tour, "R-Rated Springfield." "If you enjoy TV shows like 'The Sopranos,' then you will enjoy this,"
Many days, Mother Nature locks you indoors and keeps you there with her sweltering heat or bone-chilling cold, soul-sapping humidity or ear-warping wind, rain, snow, sleet, thund
Despite local opposition, in 1929 Henry Ford bought and dismantled the courthouse in Postville and had it set up again at his Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich. The courthouse
Determined to put an end to the rumor that there's nothing to do in central Illinois, we reached out across the region to identify a bevy of fairs, festivals, concerts, art exhibi
Best Green-Friendly Business Food Fantasies 1512 W. Wabash Ave. www.foodfantasies.com If you've ever "fantasized" about free-range turkeys and locally harvested tomatoes, you may not be su
Best Green-Friendly Business Food Fantasies 1512 W. Wabash Ave. www.foodfantasies.com If you've ever "fantasized" about free-range turkeys and locally harvested tomatoes, you may not be su
Best Original Band Best Local Band Likely to Make it Big The Station Over 10 years of constant touring across the U.S. took The Station a long way from its humble beginnings in Chatham, Ill
In a hurry and pinching pennies? Our readers didn’t deliver one clear winner so we decided to feature the top five vote getters. Here’s the skinny on some of your options for fast, cheap m
Best gym for weight training Fit Club all locations www.fitclub.net Though it’s not obvious to a casual observer, it’s true that weight training burns more calories when the muscles a
Best Chips and Salsa Xochimilco 2941 W. Iles Ave., 546-3116; 3210 Northfield Dr., 544-9206; 6901 Preston Dr., 483-1006 You can tell a lot about a Mexican restaurant by its chips. If they’re
Rather than name a winner in this out-of-town eatery category we thought it would be far more fun to challenge readers to eat their way around central Illinois. In alphabetical order here are nine ea
Best school crossing guard Rosemary Thomas She starts her mornings as crossing guard at St. Aloysius school, then by 8:30 she’s on the job at Ridgely elementary. She’s back again at both
When we started working on this Best of Springfield edition many weeks ago, the world was a calmer place than it is today. Given the general craziness we’re all experiencing as Wall Street and M
He is dressed as a cowboy and looks to be about 6, which, according to my (admittedly yet unpublished) Rules of Diner Etiquette, is about two years too old to be leaning over the back of his booth, in
I’m 65. The TV is on because I like background noise as I pretend to do my morning exercises. The man has a few wrinkles around his eyes, but his eyes are clear and bright. His
Doctor: No more hamburgers for you! Neighborhood bar and grill: $2. Police officer: The alleged hamb
Henry Rose is a man full of charity, kindness, and even temper; he can’t recall ever thinking ill of anyone, and he’s never been angry. Life is good, always has been, and through
Brad Dood (pronounced “dude”) settled into a smirk. “Right place! Right time! Right stuff! No one more deserving,” he thought. “I’ve paid my dues!”
Yanks (“American”) Avatar (“embodiment of a concept”) is, by definition, the essence of American thought, the quintessential American. Were it
Eleven million people play online poker; 10,999,999 of ’em win, usually $2,000 each. No doubt you know one of the 10,999,999 — Uncle Bob’s strange friend wh
Harry Jacobs watched from his window as the February snow drifted in his neighbor’s driveway, most of it under the basketball backboard bolted to the roof over the gara
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,
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,
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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
The South African Boer goat quietly invaded the United States via Texas about 15 years ago – and has been nibbling its way north ever since. Developed by Dutch farmers
T he trained eye rarely misses them: three-barred crosses and primitive, colorful icons, occasionally spotted in roadside cemeteries and out-of-the-way chapels from Chicago to Carbondale
When Teresa Paul’s son, Sean, was born, she dreamed of the day when he would graduate from college, get married and have children of his own. Like many new moms, she was excited to take her baby
When Teresa Paul’s son, Sean, was born, she dreamed of the day when he would graduate from college, get married and have children of his own. Like many new moms, she was excited to take her baby
Old city directories and phone books tell the story.Thirty years ago, fewer than five health centers, fitness clubs, gymnasiums – pick a noun – did business in Springfield. Twenty years ag
My weight has been an issue for me for much of my life. I was a stocky kid off and on throughout my childhood. Just before my senior year of high school, I was able to lose a large amount of weight, a
Doctors, fitness professionals and nutritionists all have ideas on what men and women should and should not eat. Choosing the right foods can help save waistlines and lives.The country is growing larg
Incorporate healthy beverages into your diet to improve your overall health and not hinder weight-control plans.People have long been told by doctors and health experts that the foods they eat have a
Stress has become a daily part of people’s lives. Despite its detriments to health and well-being, stress seems to be something most people can’t shake. Increasing the number of relaxation
It only makes sense to turn a little patch of your property into a personal supply of organic food.Quality and cost control are the top reasons to do it – and avid gardeners will tell you that t
Most of us use our feet all day, every day – for work, for play, to get to our car , to get a drink of water, to get ourselves to the bathroom. With all of this walking, it’s not surprisin
So the economy has you rethinking that gym membership, and now you’d like to start working out at home – but you don’t know where to put all that cumbersome exercise equipment. Or pe
Science fiction would have us believe that one day in the future we’ll get all our food through little pills. Many of us have started down that path by opting for a handful of supplements in ord
Springfield is known as the home of Abraham Lincoln, but a man from Lincoln’s neighborhood gets short shrift in our city’s legacy. Julius Rosenwald was born a block from Lincoln’s ho
Springfield is known as the home of Abraham Lincoln, but a man from Lincoln’s neighborhood gets short shrift in our city’s legacy. Julius Rosenwald was born a block from Lincoln’s ho
Since this year marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War’s beginning, it seems appropriate to look back at how some of those soldiers spent their holidays. We begin with the accounts of two m
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson If one acorn can create a thousand forests, Springfield’s Harriet Knudson had enough acorns in 1936
One of the best theater tickets in town over the last couple of years was to Springfield actor Aasne Vigesaa’s performance of The Yellow Wallpaper at the Vachel Lindsay home, directed by Kevin P
A new event at the Old State Capitol on Sept. 10 follows an old tradition – showcasing artists and art in the building. It’s a practice that dates back to the 1800s. The event, “Cele
When Springfield Mayor Mike Houston announced in July that he would hold regular open office hours, he was in good company. In 1860, after he became president-elect, Abraham Lincoln did the same, but
Some people think there’s a lot of crud in the Statehouse. For more than 50 years, there was.From at least 1917 to 1970, the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (DPH) main diagnostic la
The Boeing B-17 was the world’s first long-range, strategic heavy bomber, deployed to England in 1942 to help retake western Europe from the German war machine that had invaded in 1940. Before t
Until the mid-1850s or so, much of Springfield was a mud bog. For decades our dirt streets were filled with trash and mud, and in summer, pools of rainwater stagnated on the streets and combined with
Walking down the main business street in Cairo, Ill., it’s tempting to think that this spring’s floodwaters of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers were sent to put the languishing town out of
