Feature | Thursday, September 2,2004

Arts harvest

From dance performances to art shows, from theater productions to Halloween fun, the Springfield arts scene bursts with offerings this fall. In Chicago, the Art Institute is featuring an exhibit

Books | Thursday, May 13,2004

A feeling for family, down on the farm

By Cinda Klickna

What happens when 10 siblings decide to join forces? Add 10 cousins to the mix, and imagine the fun and frivolity. Often, downright naughty things happen. Springfield native Helene Odell Moss O'

Feature | Wednesday, December 24,2003

The view from inside

By Cinda Klickna

As anyone who enjoys an occasional night out listening to music or watching a good performance can attest to, Springfield doesn't suffer from a lack of cultural offerings. Indeed, the number of org

Feature | Thursday, August 21,2003

What’s in a name?

The origins of Springfield school names

By Cinda Klickna

It's easy to figure out how some schools got their names: Fairview had a view of the fair; Pleasant Hill stood on a pleasing hillside; Southern View, Laketown, and Southeast referred to specific areas

Feature | Thursday, May 1,2003

The Lost City

The diary of Lucy C. Williams describes a Springfield of grand theaters, great poets, and high expectations

By Cinda Klickna

A lot happened in 1935: Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean; Bruno Hauptmann was sentenced to die for killing the Lindbergh baby; and, here in the Illinois stat

Books | Thursday, May 1,2003

The Case of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon

Maddening mystery finally solved, says local science teacher

By Cinda Klickna

For several weeks in September 1944, people in the town of Mattoon, Illinois, showed the symptoms of exposure to poison gas--nausea, vomiting, weakness leading to near paralysis, light headedness, eve

Feature | Thursday, May 1,2003

Springfield 1935

By Cinda Klickna

ORPHEUM THEATER Near the corner of Fifth and Washington once stood the Orpheum Theater, known for its lavish interior. It rivaled the big theaters of New York and then fell victim to "progress" in 19