Most people have no idea that the capital city has its very own rugby team. “The Celts used to be bigger in Springfield, and then we had a waning period and the interest came down,” says Brian Foreman, a member of the Springfield Celts since 1998. “People still say, ‘Springfield has a rugby team?’ “Yeah, […]
Amanda Robert
Posted inNews
Order in the court
When Thomas and Darlene Noreuil moved into Woodland Acres Mobile Home Park, at 3500 N. Dirksen Pkwy., in May 2004 they had recently retired from their jobs with the Illinois Secretary of State and Horace Mann and hoped to settle into a slower-paced lifestyle. “We were looking for a place to live as senior citizens,” […]
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New law prohibits involuntary sterilization
Sterilization is a sensitive issue for people with disabilities, says Marsha Koelliker, public policy director for Equip for Equality, a statewide protection and advocacy organization. Adults with disabilities have historically been sterilized against their will in Illinois and in the rest of the country, Koelliker explains, because their guardians believed that children could inherit their […]
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Walking ‘Side by Side’ with cancer patients
Cancer care isn’t only about treating physical symptoms — it’s also about helping patients handle the emotional distress that accompanies their illness, says Dr. Rhonda Johnson, the director of the new psycho-oncology division of the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University. “They’ve undergone chemotherapy, they’ve lost their hair, they may have lost pieces of […]
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Clayville’s back on track
They’ve vanquished weeds and brush, separated worthy antiques from junk and have begun restoring aged, but sound, buildings. This weekend the Pleasant Plains Historical Society will show off its success, hosting its first major community event at the Clayville Historic Site. The “Clayville Cruise In” will parade classic cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles along a […]
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SIU cancer institute needs funds to “make it run”
It’s like building a car and not investing in gas to make it run, says Dr. K. Thomas Robbins of the brand-new, but still unopened home of the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University. “It’s one of those things where you’ve invested so much,” Robbins, a head and neck cancer surgeon and the director […]
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Boy Scouts leave United Way
When Curtis Penfold was a sophomore at Auburn High School, he picked performing arts as his primary interest on a career interest survey — not for a class, but for the Boy Scouts’ Venturing & Exploring program. He soon joined theater Explorer post 420, a co-ed group of 15 teenagers who meet twice a month […]
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College loans fall as applications increase
At least 267,000 Illinois college students will receive little to no state financial aid this year, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Executive director Andy Davis says that applications for student aid in Illinois have increased by 25 to 30 percent in 2009 — likely due to greater financial instability of students and their […]
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Prizewinner
Any time the state faces a financial crisis, the demands begin. Stop the sky glide. Melt the butter cow. Put the prize-winning Jersey heifer out to pasture. The Illinois State Fair is too expensive, and we just don’t need it. Naturally, fair organizers disagree. The Illinois State Fair has been a free-standing institution since 1853, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A fair start, 156 years in the making
The Illinois State Fair began in 1853 as a salute to agriculture. The founders of the newly-created Illinois State Agricultural Society wanted to give farmers an arena to discuss and advance their profession, so they decided to host a state fair. The first was held that October in Springfield on the near-west side grounds where […]
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State hikes ‘sin’ tax
When MacArthur Frazier, the owner of Mac’s Lounge, 1231 E. Cook St., first heard last week about the state’s new tax increase on beer, wine and hard alcohol — included as a funding source for the $31 billion capital construction plan signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on July 13 — he wasn’t surprised. “Politicians always […]
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Springfield medical leaders join national health care debate
As legislators on Capitol Hill work to develop a $1 trillion national health care reform package, two leaders of the Springfield medical community identified problems with the current health care system and strategies for fixing these problems. They spoke at a public policy briefing hosted by the Citizens Club of Springfield on Friday. Dr. Kevin […]
