COVER STORY
Rolling out the welcome mat
Abraham Lincoln may always be Springfield’s top tourist attraction, but the capital city is expected to draw thousands of visitors this weekend for the kickoff of an internationally popular road rally. For the first time in its long history, the annual…
LATEST NEWS
New home nightmare
In a room just off the kitchen area in the Chatham home of Jaigovinda and Phalita Sharma, a wicker sofa…
New owners for Jubilee Farm
NextGen Communities, the new owners of Jubilee Farm Ecology & Spirituality Center west of Springfield, has pledged to continue to…
Muni president addresses controversy
It may not have been the full-throated apology critics wanted, but a top official from Springfield Municipal Opera says mistakes…
Show me the job losses
Across the nation, economists have expressed concerns about the reliability of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not because of political…
Restorative justice in Sangamon County
The seventh floor of the Sangamon County Complex is busy on Wednesday afternoons. Mental Health Court participants wait in the…
Denial for Springfield solar project
The Sangamon County Board voted 15-8 to reject a proposed 20-acre solar farm adjacent to a residential subdivision on the…
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NEWSLETTER
News
Area data center updates
Plans for CyrusOne’s $500 million data center in Sangamon County are moving forward, with construction expected to begin this summer,…
Springfield Memorial Hospital CEO to resign
The president and chief executive officer of Springfield’s largest hospital is resigning after fewer than two years at the helm.…
Lawmakers at the end of session try to appease both sides in drug pricing controversy
Illinois lawmakers gave hospitals and community health centers much of what they wanted this session by passing a bill that…
Illinois seeks two Crest Hill prisons, leaving Lincoln out of Logan Correctional Center rebuild plan
The Illinois Department of Corrections is officially planning to rebuild both Logan and Stateville correctional centers in Crest Hill, dashing…
opinion
The future of our national parks
If recent news coverage has left you concerned about the future of our national parks, historic sites, and public lands you’re not alone. Regardless…
Letters to the editor 6/18/26
CONGRATS TO FLETCHER I was surprised to read of Fletcher “Bud” Farrar’s move from the role of editor, but pleased to know he’s still…
Pritzker offers some lobbying advice to Chicago Bears
Gov. JB Pritzker last week squarely placed the responsibility for passing a Chicago Bears stadium bill on the team itself and had some unsolicited…
Letters to the editor 6/11
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. VOTERS DIDN’T WANT IT…
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Food and drink
Chilled soups
When the temperatures soar and even the weeds are wilting, chilled soups manage to exude effortless elegance despite their dead-simple…
A Juneteenth convergence of cultures
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved Texans finally learned of their freedom – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.…
Canned goods for the summer
The height of the summer produce season may seem like an odd time to lean on canned and jarred ingredients,…
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Music
Joys of June music
Bring on the sunscreen and insect repellant, stay hydrated and say when, here comes some live music…
Music is jumpin’ in June
Tree frogs croakin’, fireflies flittin’ and June bugs jivin’ are all sure signs that the natural world…
In tune with June
Let’s take a walk (don’t run) through our upcoming entertainment adventures for this week in the capital…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Former Cubs, Cardinals stars to play
See former Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals legends battle it out in this seven-inning game. Playing for the Cubs side will be former pitcher…
Leviticus both terrifying and heartbreaking, Jessie stars in Toy Story 5
Heartbreaking Leviticus terrifying yet poignant Though discredited, conversion therapy relating to homosexuality is still being used today, albeit with much less frequency. Some of these…
Today’s Poem
What is it like to be 98, tra la?I have all of my bits and most of my witsexcept those that are gone that I…
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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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