Cover Story
Down on the farm
The seeds of a trade war, severe weather, plummeting prices and corporate farming competition mean that many farmers are harvesting a bumper crop of problems, especially those people loosely defined as “family farmers.” “They call them ‘the farmers in the middle,’ and their numbers are declining pretty rapidly,” said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson.…
BABY TALK
Every new year, it’s the same old thing: Who got born first? In 2020, it was A’Nylah Essence Hamilton, who came into this world at 1:40 a.m. on New Year’s Day at St. John’s Hospital. Congratulations. It’s a nice name, and names are not what they used to be. Every day, seems, we run across…
Poached pears. Perfect.
Years ago I worked for a catering company in Chicago that, in addition to standard wedding and corporate events, provided meals and hospitality for some of the biggest touring acts that came through the Windy City. We fed the crews touring with all kinds of acts, from The Dead and Fleetwood Mac to Jerry Seinfeld…
Bracing 1917 nearly loses its way
On paper, Sam Mendes’ 1917 seems to be a foolhardy endeavor. Intending to shoot his World War I epic as if it were one continuous shot is an approach that, one would think, paints the filmmaker into a corner. Not only does he have to contend with the difficulties in achieving it but the approach…
On into the new year
Here we go tumbling toward weekend number two for the year 2020 and things look about the same as usual, which means there are numerous cool and happening events for you to participate in if you would only choose to do so. The Music at the Museum concerts, produced by Chris Vallillo on the second…
Mitch Faulkner
This singer and songwriter, guitarist and performer from Casey, Illinois (between Charleston and the Indiana border), takes his belief in the power of song quite seriously. His physical voice, deep and moving, fits his artistic voice as Mitch Faulkner sings his self-penned songs in a “alternative country rock” genre, concerning “the risks and rewards of…
Misinterpreting Mary
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is offering a new guided tour focused on Mary Todd Lincoln. The tour will take guests through the museum to learn more about Mary’s life before, during and after her relationship with Abraham Lincoln. During the tour, interpreters will lead a discussion of her crucial contributions to Lincoln’s political career…
Strawberry fields forever, but no monkey balls
Lines were long and the wait lasted 20 minutes the day after cannabis became legal in Illinois. I speak not of Springfield’s sole pot purveyor for consenting adults, but a Subway near my office, which got slammed during the first lunch rush of 2020 as dieters jammed the counter and drive-thru in search of veggie…
Editor’s note 01-09-20
Mayor Jim Langfelder has released what he calls a proactive budget, particularly with regard to the homeless, proposing local money for a homeless coordinator and using federal funds to pay for a day center. Or maybe an office aimed at helping address health and housing issues. It would be tempting to call the mayor a…
Fun with the Illini at the RedBox Bowl
If the 2019 RedBox Bowl on Dec. 30 were a battle of the marching bands, Illinois would have been the clear victor. But of course, it wasn’t, and in just about every aspect of the event, the opponent California Golden Bears had the upper hand. The disparity wasn’t most apparent in the stat sheet –…
First lady in the loop on redevelopment push
First lady M.K. Pritzker is in the loop on plans to bring a university presence to downtown Springfield, according to emails and elected officials who say they’ve spoken with the governor’s wife about proposals. Emails show that the first lady met with Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder in early November to discuss downtown redevelopment, less than…
GREEN ACRES
Pot prices are, so to speak, sky high, with folks spending hours in line to procure marijuana. Some shops shut down less than a week after weed for the masses turned legal, saying there’s either a shortage or staff can’t handle all the overtime. Even before tallying $10 million in sales during the first week,…
