COVER STORY
Phoenix Center facing closure
Two years after Sara Bowen-Lasisi began working for the Phoenix Center, she realized the Springfield nonprofit appeared to be overbilling the state for grant-supported HIV testing. But Bowen-Lasisi said the questionable practice was openly admitted and encouraged by the former executive…
LATEST NEWS
Will this be the year the state legislature approves a cellphone ban in schools?
After the Latin School of Chicago passed a cellphone ban, students, who typically would be glued to their phones on…
“A good step forward”
A three-building apartment complex with 22 affordable housing units for people exiting homelessness is opening where the Sportsman’s Lounge once…
Illinois lawmakers begin days of deep dives on data centers
Illinois lawmakers are digging deep on data centers, with a House committee hearing from mayors, labor groups, and agriculture representatives…
Sangamon County approves data center
Sangamon County Board members voted 17-10 to approve a $500 million data center project on April 7, just weeks after…
Marc Ayers to resign from County Board
Springfield resident Marc Ayers isn’t ruling out running for Ward 7 alderperson or mayor in April 2027, or maybe another…
Sangamon County seeks applicants for Mental Health Board
Following voter approval of the March 2026 referendum, Sangamon County is now accepting applications for individuals interested in serving on…
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NEWSLETTER
News
County Board could approve data center 15 days after tabling proposal
Pushback from citizens and threats of voting out board members might not prevent the Sangamon County Board from approving a…
A battle for control
At the March 31 Springfield City Council meeting, several members expressed discontent with what they feel is a lack of…
UIS union begins strike
Members of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Tenure / Tenure Track union of University of Illinois Springfield officially began…
Mass text message
Many Sangamon County residents received a text message around 4:45 p.m. on April 1, promoting the proposed CyrusOne data center…
opinion
State revenues rise but situation remains volatile
State government revenues were up $1.571 billion at the end of the third quarter, according to the most recent report from the legislature’s bipartisan,…
Letters to the editor
WE’RE ALL COMPLICIT These data centers concern me. The only thing I feel a rational person can do is significantly reduce their reliance on…
Poll: Cost of housing a problem in Illinois
A YouGov poll conducted last month shows Illinois registered voters overwhelmingly believe that the cost of renting and buying a home is a problem…
Why the UIS faculty are on strike
An art professor at UIS told me her supply budget hasn’t changed in more than a decade. She covers the shortfall out of her…
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Food and drink
Strawberry season
Many may be surprised to learn that strawberries are not technically a fruit or even a berry. Botanically, strawberries are…
The French Connection
One of the most rewarding aspects of travel is discovering local culinary traditions – those storied techniques and heritage dishes…
Two cheers for chives
The past week was a tough one for plant lovers. The first half of the month was unseasonably warm, precipitating…
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Music
Bring on April music
For some reason things feel like they’re moving rapidly right now as we are set up to…
Midweek music muster
Hello everyone to the month of April and all the music therein. We missed making an April…
Music through March
Here we go into the last weekend of March with weather that to say the least –…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Just before, just after, during: Experiencing Easter transformation
What are we doing during these 40 days of Easter? In more than six decades of living, I feel I’ve not yet grasped all there…
Greg Kanter interview
Rabbi Greg Kanter of Temple B’rith Sholom talks with Tony Stang of The Mosaic Project about his journey of faith and coming out. Related
A welcoming place
By 2024, Greg Kanter had been out as a gay, ordained rabbi for nearly three decades, a pioneer of sorts, who had been leading a…
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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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