Report: Guards abusing mentally ill in state prisons
There is credible evidence of guards physically abusing mentally ill inmates at Pontiac Correctional Center, according to a psychiatrist appointed by a federal court to monitor treatment of mentally ill prisoners by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Dr. Pablo Stewart found “persistent evidence of physical abuse” at Pontiac, according to a report by the psychiatrist filed…
“RBG” A Revelatory Work of the Modern Icon
“Witch” – “Evildoer”- “Monster” – “Disgrace”- “Vile Human Being” – “Anti-American” All of these words are heard describing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the beginning of Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s engaging and informative documentary RBG, a work that will likely not sway those who ignorantly oppose her role in our system of…
ERA in the Statehouse, then and now
Watching the debate on the Equal Rights Amendment last week in the Illinois House was a true case of déjà vu. Some 40 years ago, I was covering similar debates in the General Assembly as a young reporter for United Press International. When I realized how many years had passed, I was ashamed of my…
A Wall Street sin tax
Some extremely rich fellows who’ve been hiding behind the tree to avoid taxation for years are the global financial speculators engaged in the high-rolling, computer-driven, fast-buck, multi-trillion dollar casino gambles that now define Wall Street. Unbeknownst to most people, the dominant investment banks today have been converted into casinos. Rather than amalgamating capital to finance…
Let this one play itself out
Pointing out the holes in Maryann Loncar’s allegations against Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) is like shooting fish in a barrel. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that absolutely everything she said was untrue. Loncar, a longtime medical marijuana activist, made her allegations last week during a much-anticipated press conference on the final day of the General…
Letters to the Editor 6/7/18
GNAT NIGHTMARE In response to “Tiny insects, big annoyance” (Karen Ackerman Witter, Illinois Times, May 31): Factor in the increasingly mild winters due to climate change, and every spring is a new nightmare. Fred SlocombeSpringfield DOUBLE-STANDARD GAME Wind a conservative up and they’ll go off looking for a “single-edged double standard” that is being used…
Should township merge with the city?
Advisory referendums are good for our democracy, but only if the right question is asked. For years people have talked about the inefficiency and absurdity of two different governments serving the same geographical area, like the City of Springfield and Capital Township. But no legal mechanism existed to abolish the township or merge it into…
Adolescent Abraham
On Saturday, June 9, visit Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site to attend a book signing in celebration of Young Lincoln, a historical fiction novel for readers of all ages. Young Lincoln is written by St. Louis-based middle-school humanities teacher and author Jan Jacobi and has been described as “a cracking good story – one…
A colorful children’s ballet
Don’t miss the Springfield Youth Performance Group’s production of Alice in Wonderland on Saturday, June 9 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. The engaging and energetic ballet will feature new choreography by SYPG artistic director Caitlin Helton Scherer plus more than 55 local, young performers. “Alice in Wonderland is an ideal production to appeal…
Art and activities in the garden
In 2016, Our Vibrant Community and genHkids teamed up to design a community garden mural to compliment the community garden located on the west side of the Gus and Flora Kerasotes YMCA. The community garden is made possible by genHkids and the Kerasotes YMCA, and the mural was made possible by the Springfield Area Arts…
Ambivalence actually
My boyfriend of two years read my diary and found out that I had expressed feelings for another guy while we were together. I never acted on them (and I wouldn’t have), and I probably shouldn’t have told the guy I liked him. But my boyfriend shouldn’t have been reading my diary. He broke up…
BACK TO THE BACKLOG
A sense of relief returned to Illinois government last week. For the first time in years, lawmakers agreed to a budget by their May 31 deadline, and they did it with little partisan acrimony. But larger problems still loom. Among the biggest are the state’s backlog of unpaid bills, its unfunded pension liabilities and the…
Party like it’s (Vachel Lindsay’s version of) 2018
In his wildly ambitious 1920 novel, The Golden Book of Springfield, author and visual artist Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931) portrays himself time-traveling a century forward to a 2018 rendition of his hometown, where he encounters “a group of…Springfield painters, sculptors, and architects who are always dynamiting our stagnant exhibitions with appropriate bombs of paint.” Fittingly, beginning…
Storage wars
Story has been updated to include excerpts from an email sent to ALPLM by a former state official. Anyone who suspects that faith in government institutions might be lacking need look no further than a behind-the-scenes kerfuffle involving the city of Springfield and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The stars of the show…
Tuck-pointing made easy
After a two-year wait, Springfield resident and inventor Sean Denny has received the patent for a new device called the grout bag (a catchier name is likely forthcoming when it goes to market). “I had wanted somebody to tuck-point just the front part of my house and they wanted $8,000 for it,” said Denny. However,…
TITANS OF BUSINESS
High school students from Sangamon County will be among more than 30 budding Midwest entrepreneurs scheduled to gather Sunday at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham for a trade show sponsored by the Midland Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Effingham that seeks to instill business thinking in young folks. The event will feature products…
Poignant Adrift a personal survival story
I think the reason we like fact-based survival movies is that we can’t help but put ourselves in the place of whatever poor soul it is we see on screen and ask, “Would I be able to do that?” Whether sewing up a gaping wound, going prolonged periods without food or water, or hacking off…
Lake Rumble, Dumb Fest and Moore
If May is merry, can June be jolly? I vote yes. And so it seems that the pleasant weather (so far) and plentiful events (keep ‘em coming) are conspiring to make it so – so let’s go! There’s a newly-minted happening occurring around Lake Springfield this summer called “Rumble around the Lake.” Created and hosted…
John Byrne Band
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, this highly-regarded American-Celtic folk musician spent his formative years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his career spans both areas. From an acclaimed CD debut in 2010 through heralded performances and landmark recordings, John Byrne and his gifted group of fellow players set a course for modern Irish music in America, inspired by…
Our favorite Thai topper
I have been very fond of the Magic Kitchen’s tiny fried eggrolls and accompanying peanut sauce as long as I have lived in Springfield. In fact, I am so much in love that I never share my order. I want a whole order myself and any of my dining companions who want eggrolls need to…
Unsolicited poem
Unsolicited poem by Mitch HopperJ.Jackson’s buddy and tech-expertwhose words have appeared in thisspace before, credited or uncredited A secret with Jackie is weak.A small part of her mind it does tweak.It’s between us she’ll claim,just to ease up your brain.But it’ll end up in IT for next week. But fear not: your words are secure,No…
