COVER STORY
Rewriting history?
An exciting tale is told in a new $73,000 state-funded video presentation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The animated production brings to life the story of Robert Smalls, an enslaved man who purloined a Confederate boat, picked up other enslaved…
LATEST NEWS
Growing financial strain
As prices for gas and necessities keep climbing, the Illinois General Assembly is considering closing corporate tax loopholes and taxing…
Local cannabis businesses receive state funding
Four Sangamon and Logan County marijuana businesses received a total of nearly $2 million in direct forgivable loans last month…
Wyndham owner settles lawsuits with insurance company
Legal proceedings between the owner of the vacant Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel and the hotel’s insurance company may be nearing…
“Electrons instead of ethanol”
A proposed 1,730-acre solar development south of New Berlin is drawing growing opposition from residents, local officials and business owners…
Together Women Rise: A beacon of hope
Together Women Rise is “a beacon of hope,” says CEO Beverley Francis-Gibson. This national nonprofit, formerly called Dining for Women,…
Federal drug discount expansion proposal may cost Illinois millions, agency head says
A proposal that would expand access to a federal program that discounts the price of prescription drugs could end up…
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NEWSLETTER
News
An AI anniversary logo
Sangamon County officials revealed an artificial intelligence-driven logo concept to commemorate America’s 250 years of independence and 100 years of…
Wyndham plywood gets a paint job
More than six months after the Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel had its first-floor windows boarded, city workers began painting…
Early intervention
One by one, boys walked to the front of the courtroom May 5 to receive certificates marking the completion of…
Sangamon County appoints Mental Health Board
The Sangamon County Board appointed seven members to the county’s newly formed Mental Health Board during a May 12 board…
opinion
Letters to the editor
FOLLOWING PROCEDURE I work in state procurement and this is just how it is, unfortunately (ABC loses State Fair contract,” May 7). It’s whatever…
Legislation stalled as May 31 adjournment nears
Every year when the legislature arrives at mid-May, it’s always tempting to look around, see the absence of real bicameral movement on legislation and…
Letters to the editor 5/14/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. GREAT MAIL CARRIER I…
Reopening soon
Springfield was a grand hotel town in the ’20s. It was the state capital, a tourist mecca and a “good convention town” too, meaning…
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Food and drink
Five simple salad dressings
We finally enjoyed our first homegrown salad this week. Normally we’d have been feasting on greens much sooner, but an…
Celebrating women with “kids”
This week’s column is dedicated to a deeply caring connection: women and their “kids” (a pun very much intended). The…
Pavlova is a beautiful, tasty dessert
Pavlova is a lofty, show-stopping dessert that’s at once beautiful, easy and economical. Essentially a giant baked meringue with a…
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Music
Memorable Memorial Day weekend music
Mayday, mayday! Look out, folks, it’s already Memorial Day weekend with summer time fun just around the…
May music blooms
Hello and welcome to another edition of Now Playing, your weekly Illinois Times excursion into the music…
May music plays
As our month of May heats up (barely) we’re digging into those outdoor gigs (as weather permits)…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Grogu is lazy and redundant, Ryan accomplishes its mission as thriller
Grogu stultifyingly dull I remember as a child, while playing with either my army men or action figures, the scenarios I would make up for…
Have jokes, will travel
Cassandra Simpson has been performing as a stand-up comedian in Springfield for three years. For two of those years, she was the host for The…
Organizers plan antiracism workshop
Advancing the calls to action: From community insight to accountability and implementation | Sat., May 30, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | BOS Center This workshop is…
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Best Of Springfield 2025
See the results Every year, we ask our opinionated readers to tell us about their favorite people, places and things in the Springfield area. Over the decades we’ve been doing this, we’ve continued to tweak both the process and the results issue to try to keep things fresh and interesting. While anything food-related typically dominates…
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