Cover Story
Getting back to business
For Nelson’s Catering, the COVID-19 pandemic was an economic disaster but one that the longtime Springfield business survived. Sales were down 80% in 2020 after the pandemic hit Illinois in March of that year. Receipts in 2021 were 60% below previous norms. Even in 2023, when hospitals saw big drops in COVID-19-related admissions and deaths,…
Ed Burke goes on trial
Perhaps the weakest federal criminal charge against former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke was about his plot to extort the Chicago Field Museum because a friend’s daughter never heard back about an internship after Burke sent over her resume. US District Court Judge Virginia Kendall seemed “unimpressed” by federal prosecutors’ reasoning in mid-December after Burke’s legal…
Judge denies Sam McCann’s request to delay trial again
The bench trial of former Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann on illegal campaign fund spending charges will begin as scheduled Feb. 5, a federal judge ruled Jan. 10 when she turned down McCann’s request for another delay in the almost 3-year-old case. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless also denied McCann’s second request since…
Mid-January music
Here’s hoping you’re adjusting to all things in this new year that is upon us. The music rolls on regardless of the year or the time of year or the time in general, so let’s see what’s on tap around the “old town tonight.” What do you say? Open mics are in style and trending…
Join local comics to fight homelessness in the community
Experience a night of laughter while helping two amazing local charities at the same time this Saturday as Rx Comedy raises funds for Helping Hands of Springfield and the Animal Protective League. Featured comedians Larry Smith, Richard Bailey, Clay Foley and Dr. Maurice Shaw will be doing their best to fight homelessness in both humans…
Ferrari a character study of the founder, Good Grief a tiresome slog, Society of the Snow deals with survival and morality
Ferrari effectively defies expectations Michael Mann’s Ferrari is not what I expected, which is a good thing. Instead of a film devoted to numerous auto races and by-a-nose-checkered-flag finishes, this is more of a character study regarding the company’s namesake. Brought to vivid and poignant life by Adam Driver, this period piece looks at a…
Editors note 1/11/24
We’re hearing that democracy is on the ballot in this presidential election year. But it’s such a vague concept. Will it sell? Voters care about inflation, the border, interest rates, etc. What is democracy anyway? The ballot box, of course, and majority rule, including peaceful transfer of power. Government of, by and for the people,…
The legacy of St. Joseph’s Home lives on
A Springfield nursing home that closed in 2021 is still caring for elderly Sangamon County residents, but in a different way. The St. Joseph’s Home in Springfield operated for 118 years under the sponsorship of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception, but when it closed the Catholic order decided to have the…
Disparity in access to college credit for high schoolers
As the cost of higher education continues to rise in Illinois and elsewhere, a growing number of students are working to earn as many college credits as possible while they are still in high school. But even as the popularity continues to grow for “dual credit” offerings – courses in which a student earns credit…
Governor names new DCFS director
The troubled state agency charged with the protection of abused and neglected children will have new leadership in the new year. Gov. JB Pritzker announced Jan. 3 that Department of Juvenile Justice Director Heidi Mueller will take over the embattled Department of Children and Family Services starting Feb. 1. “The work Director Mueller has done…
Trying to hire more drug counselors
Amid five straight years of record overdose deaths in Illinois, a new state program aims to alleviate a shortage of professionals who work to prevent substance use disorders. Illinois’ behavioral health counselor workforce “is aging while new entrants are declining,” according to a 2019 report to the General Assembly; 56% of certified substance use disorder…
Family Story #4
Ron and Trever, 10 and 8, are naked playing in the back pasture making a mud dam in the crick to create a pool; their cousin Carl has arrived from afar dressed in fancy pantaloons befitting a special visit; he’s sent down to the crick where his cousins promptly pelt the stranger with mud he…
Letters to the editor 1/11/24
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- WE NEED WINDMILLS I am so sorry the Illinois Times letter writers are being deprived of the “dark sky” and “beautiful country” because of windmills, those “noisy” eyesores that cause “light pollution” (“Letters to…
First Pres enlarges its welcome
The bright red arched door of First Presbyterian Church, across from Lincoln Library on Seventh Street in downtown Springfield, beckons people from all walks of life to enter. The church has a long history of service and commitment to the Springfield community. Beautiful Tiffany stained-glass windows, a specially designed pipe organ with 3,250 pipes and…
Fresh flavors for a frigid forecast
Did everyone have a great December? I certainly did. It was quite a run of eating and drinking and I have no regrets. Unfortunately, my once roomy jeans are no longer roomy and the ache in my joints is a reminder that there are consequences to my gluttony. As lovely as all those cookies were,…
