Daron Walker

The Pillsbury Mills plant has been closed since 2001, but “office hours” are continuing there every Tuesday morning through Sept. 26. Former Pillsbury employees, neighbors, retirees and families are invited to spend some time with site owner Moving Pillsbury Forward in a shaded, indoor sitting area on the south loading dock. It’s all a part […]

Chatham’s big summer event featuring that delicious, golden food staple is almost here. Yes, we’re talking about none other than the long-running, annual Sweet Corn Festival by the Chatham Jaycees. Things start at 5 p.m. Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Little Miss Sweet Corn pageant, games for children, more than 70 vendors and, of course, […]

A show that chronicles Black history in America is heading to the capital city, thanks to the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum. Chicago playwright and producer Ted Williams III’s 1619: The Journey of a People features three modern characters who lead the audience on a trip through time with performances set during […]

Imagine you and a sibling are actors in a traveling acting troupe. One day the group deserts you both at a dilapidated “state theater in a state unknown.” What happens next? That’s the scene for the partly autobiographical The Two Character Play by the great Tennessee Williams, who wrote it late in his career. The […]

Curtis Roberts, now a Springfield resident, served 29 years in prison for three robberies totaling $116 due to the “three strikes” law. His story was shared on an Ear Hustle podcast in 2017, which gained 750,000 listeners almost overnight. Ted Koppel, Bryant Gumbel, the PBS News Hour and many others interviewed him while he was […]

Film fans, you don’t want to miss this one. LUNAFEST, hosted by the Springfield Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), is an annual traveling festival that showcases seven short films written and directed by women and gender nonconforming filmmakers from all walks of life. The films, featuring themes of friendship, bravery and […]

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade once again will roll through downtown starting at noon Saturday. And barring inclement weather, thousands of green-clad revelers are expected to turn out for this popular celebration. The parade route remains the same. It will form up at the Horace Mann parking lot and surrounding area. The parade will travel […]

A gallery of more than 90 colorful pieces of art created by District 186 students has opened at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum (SCIAAHM). This is the second year for the “Art for the Ages” exhibit, which opened Saturday. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade created the pieces, which include paintings, […]