A diversity of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants will be for sale along with multiple milkweed species and a selection of plants for pollinators and wildlife at the Illinois Native Plant Society’s popular annual native plant sale, planned for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, at the Reisch Pavilion at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. […]
Karen Ackerman Witter
Karen Ackerman Witter started freelance writing after a 35-year career in state government holding various senior leadership positions. Prior to retiring she was associate director of the Illinois State Museum for 14 years. She is the past president of the Kidzeum Board of Directors and is an active volunteer with the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise, Women for Women giving circle of the Community Foundation, NPR Illinois and other community organizations.
Posted inNews
Lincoln Presidential Foundation to auction some of its Lincoln artifacts
The Lincoln Presidential Foundation plans to auction a portion of the Taper Collection – including manuscripts, photographs, books, personal effects and sculptural items connected to Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln – to retire the outstanding loan balance from the Foundation’s purchase of the collection. The Foundation’s board of directors has authorized selling 144 items from […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Camp Compass kids receive handmade quilts and blankets
Compass for Kids is well-known in the Springfield community for the many ways it serves children and families through after-school and summer programs that provide academic and social-emotional support. Their goal is to empower Springfield children and families underserved by the community. Club Compass is an after-school program for students at five elementary schools in District […]
Posted inUncategorized
International Women’s Day: Unite & Resist in Springfield
Hundreds of people showed up at the Illinois State Capitol on Saturday for International Women’s Day – Unite & Resist in Springfield to speak out for women’s rights and protest actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Posted inNews
Springfield Urban Forestry Commission members resign
All appointed members of the city of Springfield’s Urban Forestry Commission resigned at the end of January, citing a lack of cooperation from the current administration. The UFC was reinstated in 2019 and led efforts to research grant opportunities, conduct a tree inventory, get a tree ordinance adopted, distribute hundreds of trees and secure substantial […]
Posted inNews
Trees enhance communities
Trees not only provide beauty and shade, they help clean particulate matter from the air and make communities healthier. They provide cost-savings in stormwater management and create a healthier ecosystem. They sequester carbon dioxide, increase property values, stabilize soils, reduce erosion and moderate heat islands. Springfield is a designated Tree City USA, a program sponsored […]
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Illinois reacts to World Health withdrawal
“The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO,” Donald Trump wrote in one of his many executive orders issued on Jan. 20. Public health officials – locally, nationally and globally – are alarmed by the potential impact. The World Health Organization, which is credited with eradicating smallpox and significantly reducing the burden of polio, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
BRUCE HANNON August 1934–February 2024
In the world of conservation, Dr. Bruce Hannon was a giant. A legend. An activist. A teacher. A mentor. And expert clocksmith. He leaves a lasting legacy – in the lands and waters he helped protect (most notably Allerton Park and the Middle Fork River), the conservation organizations he launched, the oak seedlings he gave […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
CAROLYN SCHNIRRING DUNGAN April 16, 1957–October 6, 2024
Carolyn Dungan, a lifelong resident of Springfield, had a profound influence on her family, friends and the Springfield community. “Carolyn was an incredibly kind and generous person,” said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. “She and her family have supported countless causes in our community, and her legacy […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A long-silent hotel comes to life as art
Robert Mazrim is doing it again – turning what some see as simply old, abandoned buildings and spaces into a medium for art and a window to the lives of people who once lived and worked there. This time he is partnering with Leah Wilson and the Kidzeum, installing a contemporary art exhibit at 414 […]
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Surgeon, a Springfield grad, shares life lessons
Dr. Andrew Lam – doctor, surgeon, author and storyteller extraordinaire – spoke to students at Springfield High School Nov. 1, 30 years after graduating from SHS. In the audience were his former guidance counselors, tennis coach and teachers who taught history, Spanish, physics, P.E., English, math and economics. All were delighted to witness his induction […]
Posted inArts & Culture
This I believe Illinois
Th is I Believe is an annual essay contest for high school seniors produced by NPR Illinois. Modeled after the program started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951, students are invited to write an essay sharing their own personal beliefs. This year, 245 students within the NPR Illinois listening area submitted essays – […]
