Cover Story
Home for the holidays, sadly
All they want for Christmas is a job. As our COVID-19 guest stretches its uninvited stay into the end-of-the-year holidays, continuing pandemic restrictions and shutdowns have kept many Springfield area residents from the paychecks they desperately need. That means Christmas stockings may go empty in many households this year, the unemployment assistance system will remain…
Bars, restaurants to reopen on Sunday
Restaurant and bars will reopen on Sunday under measures approved by the Sangamon County Department of Public Health. The reopening comes despite the health department acknowledging that fewer than 20 percent of intensive care unit beds have been open. National experts also warn that travel over the holidays could spread the virus. In Colorado and…
Stocking stuffers
It’s Christmas Eve, and I know what you’re thinking. Too late. Santa’s departed, the post office is closed, Victoria’s Secret has left the building and you’re out of Amazon points. But always remember: It’s the thought that counts. And so here are some gift ideas for those who matter most. The Springfield Park District: Praise.…
Bailing out
Sangamon County prosecutors have increased the number of petitions filed that require defendants to prove that sources of bail money are legitimate before they can be released from jail, courthouse insiders say. As of last Friday, 42 of 365 inmates had petitions on sources of bail filed in their cases. The petitions mean that inmates…
Movies for holidays at home
While change has occurred in almost every facet of our lives this year, Hollywood still looks at Christmas Day as a big day for big releases. And while we won’t be able to take them in on the big screen – though Universal Pictures is hoping some will flock to see their western News of the…
Two Christmas songs
Happy holidays to everyone, and here’s to having a very Merry Christmas, too. Since there’s not much going on in the live music world, nor in the virtual one either, how about a ramble on two popular Christmas songs that just happen to be favorites of mine? I’ve always appreciated the song Happy Xmas (War…
Animal Protective League
No matter the season, the Animal Protective League (APL) is always at work caring for ill, injured, abused and abandoned cats and dogs, and coordinating their adoptions by responsible pet owners. For over 60 years, the APL has been the voice for animals in Springfield and Sangamon County. It operates a limited-admission animal shelter and…
Wonder Woman 1984 a bloated bore
Bloated and dull, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 doesn’t collapse under the weight of expectations, rather, it fails to come within a country mile of meeting them. Far too modest in scope and execution, the sequel plays like a big-budget episode of the 1970s television series – far too long on needless exposition and far…
Editors note12/24/20
Here’s gratitude for Illinois Times making it through another year, and for all who helped IT do so – our readers, our writers, our newsmakers, our staff and drivers, our subscribers and donors, our advertisers and friends. Some weeks we marvel, not at how few ads we have, compared to before, but how many, compared…
It is time to show our resilience
If you pay attention to global affairs, you know that increasing numbers of people believe U.S. leadership in the world is coming to an end and the West more broadly is being eclipsed. I think these predictions are exaggerated, but they are not without some basis. Our challenges have grown. It is time for us…
Too late for a tax increase now
“What if” games are never quite accurate, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Gov. JB Pritzker had the opportunity — and most probably, the votes — to balance the state budget with an income tax hike during 2019, his honeymoon year with the General Assembly. Instead, the governor came into office…
Christmas poem # 15
my daughter Damaris wrote this note to her grandparents when she was 25. I found it saved in my parents’ papers. Damaris – ever loved as she was loving – thought of daily but more so holidays – ! left this life by her own hand in 2010. “Happy Yule 1978! Dear Gram and Gramp,…
Letters to the editor 12/24/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. PRIORITIZING VACCINES My daughter texted me with the news that people over the age of 75 are in the next group to receive the COVID vaccine, and I fall into this category. However, I am…
Solving the preschool puzzle
Is a new state agency on the horizon? It’s at least a possibility. The Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding is set to release its recommendations in March. The commission, created by Gov. JB Pritzker in December 2019, is charged with establishing funding plans that would “provide equitable access to high-quality…
A shot of hope
Medical professionals on the frontlines were some of the first to get inoculated for COVID-19 in Springfield last week. St. John’s was designated by the state as the regional coordinating center for “Region Three” in west-central Illinois. The first doses were given Dec. 16. St. John’s received a shipment of vaccines to distribute to several…
City accused of discrimination
The city of Springfield is again accused of discriminating against LGBTQ employees. Former city library employee Kate Holt, a transgender woman, claims the city violated state law by refusing to cover her medical expenses related to gender transition. Transgender people have a variety of ways to go about transitioning. Some, like Holt, regularly take hormonal…
Craving Pop-Tarts: A reminiscence
We’ve been traveling and living in our converted school bus since the start of the pandemic, often without Wi-Fi or a decent cellphone signal. For self-amusement (or just wanting to feel I’m doing something purposeful), I’ve probably spent close to 1,000 hours standing at my bus’s kitchen counter engaged in cooking, baking and food preservation…
