Cover Story
Immigrants helped save this Illinois meatpacking town
In Beardstown, the Cuban couple had spent the past year building a life they were proud of. Their arrival in the U.S. had followed a long and uncertain path: a northbound journey through Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, followed by seven months in Monterrey, Mexico, as they waited for their appointment with Customs and Border Protection.…
United Way volunteers make lasting impact during Day of Action
This fall, the community came together in a powerful demonstration of service and teamwork during United Way of Central Illinois’ fall Day of Action. A total of 211 volunteers, organized into 26 teams, rolled up their sleeves and made a difference in our community. The day began with a kickoff luncheon sponsored by PNC. Volunteers…
Derek Cianfrance speaks about Roofman and its complex character
“I was looking for something that focused on a person people could relate to and what their hearts and desires were. I heard this story, and it walks the line between comic and tragic, which are two sides of the same coin. So, I was looking for something more palatable for people to see and…
Story of Roofman shines through, John Candy: I Like Me a loving tribute
Search for purpose drives Roofman Between 1940 and 1944, writer-director Preston Sturges produced a string of classics that were, and remain, an unprecedented success among Hollywood filmmakers. The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels and Hail the Conquering Hero were among the movies made during this period, each of them featuring a plot conceit the director returned…
Threat of ICE raids shadows every shift in Chicago’s food warehouses
This story is supported by funding from the Chicago Region Food Systems Fund. Each day before sunrise, David Huerta checks his rearview mirror for immigration enforcement agents as he drives through the dark to a warehouse in a southwest Chicago suburb. Once he’s clocked in, he peers periodically through the windows on the truck dock,…
Sangamon County Board settles opioid lawsuit
The Sangamon County Board approved a resolution last month to settle its 2020 lawsuit against more than three dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers for racketeering and corruption in incentivizing the overprescribing of opioids and resulting fatal overdoses. Sangamon County will receive about $620,000 over 15 years from the latest settlement before attorney fees are…
Letters to the editor 10/9
When I heard the topic for the guest presenter – alcohol and drugs – I thought these elementary school children would be bored by it. At first, while the speaker droned through preliminary remarks, there was little interest, but as soon as he mentioned drugs, hands shot up. “My dad was on drugs,” one of…
Sangamon County Sheriff’s union endorses David Timm
The union representing Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department deputies, correctional officers and court security staff says its membership overwhelmingly endorsed recently retired deputy David Timm to be the next sheriff over incumbent Sheriff Paula Crouch. Timm, 50, a Republican from rural Pleasant Plains, is collecting signatures on petitions to challenge Crouch, a Republican from rural Williamsville,…
City Council expresses surprise at TIF agreement
Springfield City Council members who said in September they were unaware of a previous mayor’s promise to send $100,000 a year to School District 186 from funds collected for two of the city’s tax-increment financing districts have no reason to plead ignorance, former mayor Jim Langfelder told Illinois Times. Langfelder, who lost his bid for…
Overheard
As a kid on the farm, I kept my ears open, especially around the hired men’s sitting room. I heard about Glenn and Bill, both courting the same girl. “Who took her to the dance?” asked one hired man. “Glenn took her,” replied the other. “But Bill hid in the rumble seat of Glenn’s coupe.…
Letters to the editor 10/9
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. UNDERSTANDABLE Dean Olsen’s cover story about the local impact of cuts to Medicaid was excellent – thorough, well-researched, with multiple perspectives (“Losing health care coverage,” Oct. 2). You made a complicated issue easier to understand…
Butternut squash lasagna
There’s a longstanding culinary tradition of crafting delicious meals out of repurposed leftovers. From Italian arancini, crispy fried rice balls rolled out of cold risotto, to shepherd’s pie made with yesterday’s roast, some of our most beloved dishes exist thanks to generations of creative and resourceful cooks. This recipe for butternut squash lasagna was born…
From Star Wars to the prairie state
This Friday, Oct. 10, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra begins its 2025-2026 season with a program of “Star Wars Greatest Hits.” The pops concert featuring John Williams’ soaring scores to the popular space opera continues in the vein of recent well-received programs featuring music from classic cartoons and the Harry Potter films, but it also acts…
Final year for popular annual tree tour
The public will have one last chance to take part in the popular annual tree tour at Oak Ridge Cemetery on Saturday, Oct. 18. This year’s tour, from 1-4 p.m., will feature the Grand Valley, a rolling expanse at the south side of the cemetery. There are no graves due to the terrain, providing a…
Mid-October music
As we fall into the autumn season (couldn’t help myself), the weather continues with not particularly fall-like conditions, but most excellent temps for our remaining outdoor activities. Come on along as we experience the wide and wonderful world of our live music community. First, it’s the second Thursday of the month so that means Thursday…
Annual event honors veterans
In this annual event, motorcyclists as well as drivers of cars and trucks are invited to ride to honor the nation’s veterans past and present. Meet first at Staab Funeral Home to register. Ride begins at 1 p.m. Stops will include Camp Butler National Cemetery, Spaulding Area Veterans Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park in Riverton, Oak…
Monster mashup at the Hoogland
Beetlejuice Jr. is a family-friendly, hour-long, gothic funhouse adaptation of the Tim Burton cult-classic film of the same name. Cleverly directed by Nicole and John Sivak, it’s an irreverent, zany show full of humor, heart and enormous sand worm puppets. The plot – as Beetlejuice declares in his meta opening number, “Being Dead” – is…
