Even four years after successfully kicking his addiction to prescription pills like Percocet and Hydrocodone, Darren still red-flags himself at doctor visits. “I am a recovering addict,” said Darren, a Springfield resident who asked to use a pseudonym for this article. Darren is one of 2.1 million people nationwide who have become addicted to prescribed […]
Brittany Hilderbrand
Posted inNews
Jimenez and DelGiorno gear up for campaign
Incumbent Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Springfield Anthony DelGiorno, a Democrat Incumbent Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Springfield, is seeking election to her first full term as representative for the 99th District covering part of Springfield. She faces fellow Springfield native Anthony DelGiorno, a Democrat, who says that Jimenez is not doing enough to truly represent her […]
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Empowered and employed
From left to right: Ann Jessup, Rev. Margaret Ann Jessup, Megan Shomidie, Shareese Tinsey and Cassandra Lusardi. PHOTOS BY Brittany Hilderbrand Shareese Tinsey, a Springfield mother of five children, had been struggling to find a job that would provide a steady income. That changed when Rev. Margaret Ann Jessup offered Tinsey a job at Wooden […]
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Habitat home needs funds
Demara Albert and her three children,left to right: Tacorian, Teryawna and Takwon. PHOTO BY Brittany Hilderbrand For three and a half years, Demara Albert’s name was on a list with 17 other candidates who wanted to become homeowners through Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County. Although Habitat temporarily suspended its home-building projects due to the […]
Posted inMusic
Eclectic singer stands up against domestic abuse
Charmaine Neville, New Orleans musician Charmaine Neville, a domestic abuse survivor, believes that women who experience domestic abuse do not feel that other people truly understand their situation. “People don’t understand that you can’t always get away,” she said. “Sometimes, no matter how far away you get, you always are found.” Neville is a well-known […]
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Regulating religious restrictions at Catholic hospitals
Angela Valavanis, an Evanston woman who had a history of complications during pregnancy, felt betrayed by her obstetrician gynecologist of 15 years when she was denied a tubal ligation after the doctor’s medical practice had been sold to a Roman Catholic hospital. “I felt betrayed by a lack of information that would have led me […]
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A better way to investigate rape
After a 15-year-old girl from outside Chicago was raped in 2007, she and her family waited for eight years with uncertainty about whether her rape test results would offer a resolution. A 2013 investigation by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office found 176 rape kits in the basement of the Village of Robbins police department. The […]
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School funding reformers want local sponsorship
For parents like Shatriya Smith of Springfield, equitable school funding for K-12 students is a must. As a result of budget cuts and a school funding formula many call unfair, Smith’s daughter will have to repeat the sixth grade. “This has been a difficult year,” Smith said. “Last year, my daughter was doing great in […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Can we just ride worry-free?
The Farewell Ride, black and aluminum glass-sided coach Harley-Davidson Road King Trike conversion, offered to avid bikers by Butler Funeral Homes in Springfield. PHOTO COURTESY OF BUTLER FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATION TRIBUTE CENTER For bikers like Phil Cornell, longtime motorcyclist, a fun summer is a safe summer. “I do this because I love to ride,” […]
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Let’s celebrate: A cancer survivor’s tale
Ronda Guyton with Heidi Floyd, right, who will speak about her cancer journey in Springfield Friday. PHOTO Courtesy of Susan G. Komen Heidi Floyd still remembers her mother, alone in her bedroom, whispering to her over the phone that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. “She said it as if she had done something […]
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Legislators try to stay in control of redistricting
In an effort to restore credibility to the redistricting process, two lawmakers from Chicago are proposing a constitutional amendment to change how legislative maps are drawn. The proposal could be the Illinois General Assembly’s last chance to maintain control over the redistricting process as two other competing proposals seek to wrest that power away from […]
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Shadow children
Victor Vieth, founder of Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center in Minnesota, says nighttime is “the terrible time” for many children. “It’s at nighttime when many children are beaten, shaken, sexually abused and cry themselves to sleep,” Vieth said. “These are the shadow children of our country.” On April 25, Vieth joined supporters of the […]
