Seniors struggle at Sangamon Towers
Early on a Friday morning in late August, a group of Springfield seniors sat around a table outside Sangamon Towers, the apartment building they call home. It was a cool morning, out of the norm for the month’s heavy heat, and some wore light jackets. “Everybody in this building should be able to come out…
Pomegranate power
Pomegranates are in season now, just in time for bedazzling festive dishes and adding a ruby sparkle wherever they land. This ancient fruit has held deep symbolism and cultural significance for centuries, from tying Persephone to the underworld in Greek mythology to dyeing priestly garments in the Bible’s book of Exodus. While there are a…
Teach children citizenship
“A well-informed citizenry is the backbone of a healthy democracy,” writes Lindsey Cormack in her 2024 book How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It). She contends that raising engaged and informed citizens is an often-overlooked aspect of parenting. Cormack persuasively argues that parents have an essential role in…
Springfield Theatre Centre’s The Hello Girls
Area audiences have the chance to catch a new (for Springfield) musical about a small group of World War I heroes, and this writer hopes you take it. The Hello Girls is an uplifting and exciting history lesson that chronicles the journey of five courageous women who served as bilingual telephone operators on the front lines…
Soaring violin and a Beethoven masterpiece
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-2026 season truly got underway Friday, Nov. 7. After debuting last month with the well-attended “Star Wars Greatest Hits” concert, the ISO seems to be settling into its temporary digs at the First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, with its excellent acoustics and comfortable pews. The church has…
Incoming November music
Look out folks, we’ve got a bunch of stuff happening this week, but then again, we seem to find a ton or two of things to do every time we look for live music in Springfield and the surrounding area. Let’s see what we can find to hear out there in this week’s search. Thursdays…
Three great bands, one great cause
Tonight, WQLZ and Danenberger Family Vineyards are teaming up once again to present a great show for a great cause. Velvet Chains, Dead Sugar and The Haunt are this year’s Rock the Pink lineup. Proceeds from this show will benefit the American Cancer Society. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the music beginning at 7…
Advocating for change
With one listening session under its belt, the newly formed PURPLE Coalition is beginning what its members hope will be years of advocacy on behalf of Blacks and other chronically disadvantaged people in the Springfield area. Tiara Standage, president of the People United for Reform, Power, Liberation and Equity Coalition, said the organization was born…
Editor’s note 11/13/25
Just as everybody knows who started the war in Ukraine, everybody knows the party to blame for the big jump in health insurance premiums. And we know who tried to cut off SNAP benefits, fired thousands of government workers and caused airline chaos. It wasn’t Sen. Richard Durbin of Springfield. He and a few other…
Voters to weigh tax increase for mental health board
A second commission formed by the Sangamon County Board has run its course, with the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission wrapping up its final meeting on Nov. 5 – one week after the Massey Commission held its final public meeting. The Mental Health Commission unanimously voted to approve language for a March referendum asking Sangamon…
Key Illinois Democrats at odds with Durbin over shutdown vote
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is once again at odds with other prominent Illinois Democrats over a vote that set in motion a plan to end the record-long federal government shutdown. Durbin, who is not seeking reelection in 2026, was one of eight members in the Senate Democratic caucus to join Republicans in supporting a procedural…
Taking action to address overdoses
Experts in overdose response told Illinois Times they’re skeptical of Springfield’s capacity to treat people in need, despite the recent announcement that the city will use its share of opioid settlement funds to launch a crisis response team to aid people experiencing an overdose or mental health crisis. Last month, Mayor Misty Buscher announced the…
Portland Response To “Shimmy”
How can anyone be blamed for dancing the “Shimmy” when even a cockroach can’t resist it in the face of jazzy music? Dr. Helen Clark, head of psychology department here, is authority for the statement: “The Shimmy is fast becoming the popular indoor sport for cockroaches.” She has proved to her students that soft, tuneful…
Letters to the editor 11/13/25
JUST SAY NO We should reflect deeply on this question: Do we value the people and the livelihood of our community over a Texas-based AI company that has come for our land and resources (“First data center in Sangamon County,” Oct. 23)? If we do, then we should be saying no to CyrusOne’s proposal for…
