The end of the Prairie House era

Art gallery is closing because Edith Myers, 92, plans to retire

Back in the early 1970s, the owner of a downtown Springfield gallery hired metalsmith Joe Spoon to work as the “artist in residence.” The gallery owner provided a small, open s

High-octane intervention

Parole officer’s near-death experience sends him searching for “the gas-pump lady”

From the kitchen table where he was eating supper with his family, Jeff Hart saw the clouds change direction. They rolled east, then shifted suddenly west, like they had just de

Putting the leader in cheerleader

At Lanphier High, three brave boys add fresh bounce to the rah-rah squad

You’ve seen these guys before. OK, maybe not this specific trifecta of testosterone, but you’ve undoubtedly seen guys just like them, clowning around on the sidelines at the f

Out of tune

Musicians aren’t the only Illinois Symphony players disenchanted with conductor Karen Lynne Deal

Everybody in this story loves the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. The musicians who drive hundreds of miles from every corner of this state to play for $63 per performance love the orchestra

Orchestra hires interim executive director

Elizabeth Hare, 54, joined the Illinois Symphony Orchestra last month as interim executive director. Although she grew up playing piano, majored in music theory and music history at Rice University,

To get fresh teachers, grow your own

Nikki Moore “belongs in a classroom,” but she didn’t know that at first

A few years ago, someone in the Chicago public school system came up with a brilliant way to help Riley Higgins, who was then about 3 years old and living in Springfield. Why would anyone

Former cop sues Vermilion County prosecutor

Claims Playpen dancers were part of revenge plot

David Lewis, the former law enforcement officer who spent more than a year in the Vermilion County jail charged with 49 felonies, has hired a Springfield attorney to file suit against his

Modulation at Illinois Symphony Orchestra

ISO gets new exec as musicians vote no-confidence in their maestra and move to unionize

After almost a year with no one officially at the helm of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the board of directors has hired a new interim executive director, Elizabeth Hare. She joins the

The long road

Deidre Lockhart, now a professional with a master’s degree, reflects on her colorful past

Ask Deidre Lockhart how tall she is, and she will tell you she’s just under 5-foot-10. You don’t even have to verbalize the follow-up question. With a tone that says “I ge

An unusual move for power as Democrat chairman departs

New rules allow Timoney and Davlin to “stack the deck”

In a move that has party veterans scratching their heads, Patrick “Tim” Timoney, outgoing chairman of the Sangamon County Democrats, has appointed almost 40 new precinct committeemen over