Cover Story
Springfield’s cannabis entrepreneur
Recreational cannabis is a growth industry, and Springfield resident Chris Stone plans to take full advantage of the potential behind the once-banned substance. “Eight percent of the population uses cannabis regularly, so how do we get to the other 92 percent?” Stone said. “There is a large majority of people out there over 21 years…
Memorial Health announces layoffs
Memorial Health’s recently announced decision to lay off several hundred employees appears to be related to economic stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic made worse. The five-hospital health system, with 500-bed Springfield Memorial Hospital as its flagship, is reducing its workforce because of “national trends, such as the rising cost of supplies and equipment, high cost…
City settles with firefighters
Springfield firefighters will get 1% pay raises, and city officials will meet with their union regularly to talk about starting a city-operated ambulance service, as part of a settlement of a 2021 labor dispute that was approved by the Springfield City Council Aug. 2. “At least this starts the conversation,” Kainan Rinaberger, president of Springfield…
Debate over allowing non-citizens to become police officers
Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller helped ignite a firestorm over the weekend of July 29 when she expressed her disgust on social media with Gov. JB Pritzker. Miller (no relation) claimed on Twitter that Pritzker had signed a bill late on a Friday afternoon “to allow illegal immigrants to become police officers, giving non-citizens the…
August-style music
There’s something special about live, local music in August. Maybe it’s the end-of-summer feeling creeping in or the upcoming excitement of the State Fair extravaganza. Then again, maybe it’s just my imagination, but this month has always been the busiest for me as a working musician and for many others as well. Let’s take a…
Letters to the editor 08-03-23
MAYBE YOU’RE THE PROBLEM I can’t believe there’s a nationwide fuss over literally nothing happening (“Transgender turmoil,” July 27). A teenage girl saw someone she thought looked masculine in the locker room, but masculine-looking women exist, not including trans women – athletes with muscles, butch lesbians, women with androgynous buildings. People lashing out against trans…
Happiness for Beginners, Ninja Turtles both surprisingly enjoyable, Talk to Me a gripping thriller
Beginners upends rom-com expectations The last thing I wanted to do was watch another rom-com but there was Vicky Wight’s Happiness for Beginners, sitting in front of me. Helen (Ellie Kemper) is our just-divorced battered heroine and to, in her own words, “rise like a phoenix from the ashes,” she decides to take a guided…
United Way launches annual campaign with pickleball fundraiser
The United Way of Central Illinois is once again gearing up for their highly anticipated annual campaign kickoff event, signaling the start of a community-wide effort to support crucial initiatives in Sangamon and Menard counties. This year’s campaign launch promises to be a memorable affair, combining philanthropy and fun through a unique Battle of the…
The Barbie dilemma
I have never been a Barbie fan. By the time she came rolling into town in her pink convertible, I was starting to age out of the few dolls I enjoyed. I did end up getting, but not playing much with, Midge, a decision therapists could ponder for days. Why did I opt for a…
More housing for the homeless
Sportsman’s Lounge, which bills itself as Springfield’s oldest neighborhood tavern, would be torn down to make way for a 24-unit apartment complex that would house formerly homeless people, under a plan to be considered by zoning officials Aug. 16. The complex, in the 200 block of West Mason Street and the 400 block of Klein…
Illinois to invest more than $23 million in abortion access
As another of the states bordering Illinois is set to enact a near-total abortion ban this week, Gov. JB Pritzker on July 31 announced several new programs to help address the influx of out-of-state abortion seekers the state has seen in the 13 months since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. On Tuesday,…
Statehouse to decide how to regulate hemp
Illinois producers of recreational cannabis are facing what they consider to be unfair competition from hemp producers, and the General Assembly is likely to consider action to allow the two businesses to coexist more easily. Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, introduced HB 4101 late in this spring’s legislative session to regulate organic compounds derived from…
Editor’s note 08-03-23
During the recently concluded Camp Compass, a summer learning program conducted by Compass for Kids with School District 186, the 760 underserved children were delighted to get to go swimming once a week. This was accomplished by eliminating barriers of cost and transportation; even swimsuits and towels were furnished. Millions of U.S. children aren’t lucky…
Salsa verde, chimichurri, chermoula, zhoug
One of my daily tasks at my first restaurant job was to make a “green sauce” to accompany our bison or quail dish. I never had a specific recipe to work from, just a general formula. Since our restaurant was a “farm-to-table” concept, I made my green sauce with whatever seasonal herbs our farmers brought…
Novel makes Springfield history come alive
Over the years there have been several historical novels of varying quality starring members of the Lincoln family. From the title, Nancy Horan’s new novel, The House of Lincoln, could easily be mistaken for more of this Lincolncentric fiction. While the Lincolns do play a prominent part in the story, the focus is much broader.…
Illinois to be the first state to protect child influencers
Illinois is soon to be the first state in the nation to provide legal protection for children whose parents make money posting videos of them on social media channels, thanks to the work of a high school student from Normal. According to the new legislation, parents will be legally required to set aside a portion…
Censorship Poem
Censorship Poem Quite awhile back I was chatting with a fellow who had worked for the U.S. Geological Survey. With a few buddies he was mapping out remote areas in a western state, so users of the resulting detailed maps would know just where they were at. The men crossed a stream…
