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]]> Mark Jennings spent more than 20 years serving his country in the U.S. Army Airborne. When he retired around 2002, “Sarge,” as he was known, enjoyed gardening, cooking out and ]]> 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]]> Last week, my younger son lost two teeth in the same day. We all know what that means: he was in for windfall from the Tooth Fairy. At a dollar per tooth, he was due two bucks minimum. He]]> I now believe there will be peace in the Middle East. I also believe that the Illinois legislature will someday ratify a budget before the fiscal year ends, and Dick Cheney will appear on]]> My friend Becky always made the same New Year’s resolution: to have a hot date on New Year’s Eve. That way, she had 12 months to work toward her goal, and it ]]> When I called Elbert Kern last week, the first words out of his mouth were simply “I’m done.” Kern’s tone reinforced that sentiment: His voice ]]> When I met Rodney Miller, I was shocked to find him wearing blue jeans and a turtleneck. From all I’d heard, I expected him to be dressed in spandex tights and a cape, because people w]]> Two years ago, Todd Green was happy with his Blackberry. Or so he thought. Then he went to his son’s basketball practice, where another dad hanging out in the bleachers was showing ]]> Untitled Document Here at Illinois Times, we have a new full-time staff writer, which qualifies as a truly blessed event at our lean, mean little journalism machine. Her name is ]]> Nothing about last Thursday’s press conference was by the book. The announcement was hasty (less than an hour’s notice) yet the cast included the mayor, the polic]]> Ask Jonathon Monken how he got the job as director of Illinois State Police — at the tender age of 29, with no law enforcement experience — and he’ll start with a story ab]]> What I’m about to tell you doesn’t matter. I mean, if it were important, the Illinois State Police would have punished the guy who did it, right? Instead, ISP director Larry Trent allowed ]]> Untitled Document The first summer that Mike Dial went to camp, he spent a lot of time sitting in the administrative office. Plagued by attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity,]]> Untitled Document Ask Sheila Walk what she misses about her previous teaching job, and she ticks off a list ranging from the profound to the mundane: She misses the quaint archit]]> Untitled Document In 2002, this paper published a picture of Alva Busch using a blow dryer to remove decals from his work vehicle. At the time the snapshot was taken, in 2001, Bu]]> Untitled Document Sherry Williams no longer answers her cell phone, at least not when I ring her. If I want to arrange a play date between her adorable daughter and my adoring so]]> Untitled Document Everybody knows what “DNA” stands for — not just deoxyribo nucleic acid but also “do not argue.” It’s a conversation-ender, ]]> Untitled Document Simpsons schmimpsons. Who needs ’em? So what if Springfield, Vt., whomped us in USA Today’s contest to host the animated family’s movie pre]]> Untitled Document Back in December 2005, I spent several days in a Sangamon County courtroom watching a middle-aged man stand trial for possession of marijuana. Set up in a sting]]>