Everything old is new again in Jacksonville, even the annual New Year’s Day celebration in the west central Illinois city of nearly 19,000. “I would say it started in the 1970s. It was in the early 1980s when I started doing it, then it slowly progressed, and all of a sudden the other bars recognized […]
David Blanchette
David Blanchette has been involved in journalism since 1979, first as an award-winning broadcaster, then a state government spokesperson, and now as a freelance writer and photographer. He was involved in the development of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and more recently the Jacksonville Area Museum. David and his wife, Sue, live in Petersburg.
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Sluggish market for high-end houses
Is there a doctor in the house? Not as many in the Springfield area, thanks to the state of Illinois’ budget woes. Uncertainty over the state’s fiscal situation, fueled by Illinois’ record-setting budget battle and huge backlog of unpaid bills, is having a noticeable impact on the sale of high-end homes in the area. These […]
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Evolving Benedictine
Bram Stoker would have liked this school. “Just drive by at night,” said Benedictine University Springfield Campus Director Janet Kirby. “It has taken time for the community to understand that we are still here, we are teaching students, we are alive and creating great stories.” Kirby was among the 25 of Benedictine’s 100 employees who […]
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Mansion progress report
The fountain is gone. You can tell because a wide treeless dirt path, accented by a large mound of gravel, offers an unimpeded view of the empty space where it once stood. The north entrance is a stark vision of exposed steel beams, plywood construction doors, broken concrete and huge recycling bins brimming with discarded […]
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Precision beef bulls
The Annual Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale on Feb. 23 during the 29th Illinois Beef Expo was pretty predictable. And the genetic testing that made that predictability possible was good news for those buying or selling animals during the event. The Illinois Beef Expo took place Feb. 24-28 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. “This absolutely […]
