Cover Story
Share your ideas about the future of Springfield
Do you have an idea – big or small – about the future of the capital city? The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln (CFLL) wants to hear from you. Over the next six weeks, from now until Thanksgiving, local citizens are invited to share their ideas about the future of the greater Springfield…
Systemic racism in Illinois home loan and banking industries
In Illinois and around the country, an increasing number of universities, investigators and researchers are turning up evidence of systemic racism in the financial sector that has plagued Black Americans for decades In June, a report from Chicago radio station WBEZ-FM and the nonprofit news organization City Bureau found that for every dollar banks loaned…
Coronavirus hits Sangamon County jail
The Sangamon County jail has been placed on lockdown due to an outbreak of covid 19 that has infected five employees and an inmate. The outbreak was confirmed this afternoon, Sheriff Jack Campbell said. In addition to not allowing visitors in the jail, Campbell said he expects courtroom proceedings will be impacted, with heavier reliance…
More than meets the eye in funny, poignant Act
It takes a certain degree of fearlessness to be a stand-up comic, and a bit of arrogance as well, I think. This is something writer/director Steve Byrne knows well as he’s climbed his way through the ranks of this cut-throat world to become one of the most respected members of the community. His experiences form…
Will Madigan hearings have substance?
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin is a former prosecutor, and that outlook on life has never really left him. He’s not big on a lot of criminal justice reforms, even standing up to his party’s president to oppose the early prison release of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was staunchly opposed to legalizing cannabis.…
debate poem #1
I don’t intend to make any judgments on the high or low points of last week’s vp debate except that I’d be a pro-vaxxer if science endorsed but I do want to note that the fly was bored 2020 Jacqueline Jackson
Letters to the Editor 10-15-20
VOTE EARLY If you are still giving thought on how to cast your vote this year, perhaps you might consider voting early in-person at the Sangamon County building. From now through Nov. 2, you can cast your ballot there. Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray, along with his polite and helpful staff, have made the experience…
Taxing messages
It’s hard to avoid the debate about a proposed change to the way income is taxed in Illinois. You may have already voted one way or the other. Gov. JB Pritzker, one of the wealthiest politicians in the country, has made it a pet issue. He and other proponents of the proposal, which would lead…
Prison puzzle
Illinois prisons house 18% fewer inmates today than in March, and more change is needed, state corrections director Rob Jeffreys told lawmakers during an Oct. 13 hearing focused on prison reform. “The numbers haven’t looked like this since 1992,” Jeffreys told a joint meeting of the Illinois Senate Criminal Law committee and Senate Special Committee…
Back to class?
Hundreds of people in Springfield apparently signed a petition demanding students be allowed to reenter public classrooms. In the city, private schools have welcomed students back to in-person learning. However, District 186 decided it would begin the 2020-’21 school year remotely for all. During the Oct. 5 school board meeting, Sarah Rogers spoke on behalf…
Tallying misery
As a plan forms for sheltering the homeless during winter, outreach workers and police last week visited Tent City as part of an attempt to count the number of people living outside in Springfield. Beyond simply counting, the city and social service providers want to know why people have nowhere else to sleep and what…
Culinary meds for colds and flu
Flu and cold season will soon be upon us, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, many are increasingly concerned with their health and well-being. It’s easy to worry over every little sneeze and sniffle, especially if you have kids in school or you yourself have to go out into the world to…
House hunters
Luann Hickman’s house on East South Grand Avenue is one of the nicest on the block. Which isn’t saying much. Like too many other East Side neighborhoods, Hickman’s has seen better days. Paint flakes from nearby homes, several of which need new roofs. Fire has destroyed a garage and scorched the back of Hickman’s house.…
Mid-October music
Centuries ago we might say, “Welcome to the Ides of October,” but that seems a little confusing since we aren’t Romans. So since “ides” means basically the middle of the month, let’s stick with “mid” and find out what’s going on around here. I’m sure our on-the-ball readers remember a band based out of Springfield…
Springfielder from Ghana on conflict back home
Ghana is one of Africa’s biggest postcolonial success stories. Since declaring independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, the West African state has enjoyed a high degree of prosperity and rule of law, due to sustained economic growth and a strong societal emphasis on education. Robust governmental institutions have flourished over the past 63 years…
Carl Bopp
In a lifetime of music that started at age seven and began professionally during college, Carl Bopp indeed epitomizes the words “lifelong musician” and continues to live up to that moniker every day. Based out of Pekin, his Facebook page “about” section says it all: “I’m a musician/entertainer and a photographer performing at events and…
A challenge for the sleuth in you
It’s the mid-1920s. An important meeting between rival mob bosses and madams is taking place at Edwards Place. During the post-meeting party, a mob boss is killed in grisly fashion, setting the stage for a classic whodunit. Guests will need to put their detective skills to the test to discover which of the six suspects…
