Over 100,000 donated precooked ready-to-eat meals are being distributed in central Illinois and overseas as a result of a collaboration among far-flung Rotary Clubs and nonprofit organizations. A container with more than 23,000 individual meals is enroute to Turkey. Arrangements are being made to ship another container to Ukraine. Pallets of meals have already been […]
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 inSpecial Issues
Chat with a robot
On Nov. 30, 2022, Open AI, the artificial intelligence research laboratory, launched ChatGPT, which created a viral sensation. Individuals can create a free account and start a conversation to get “artificial” answers to questions in seconds. ChatGPT is both fascinating and frightening. This is a common reaction when new technologies with huge opportunities and consequences […]
Posted inNews
Five honored during Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza honored five downstate individuals for their outstanding contributions to the state of Illinois and their communities. She hosted a recognition ceremony Feb. 23 in her Springfield office. Dr. Shelia Boozer had a long and distinguished career in Springfield public schools as a teacher and administrator […]
Posted inNews
Honoring outstanding citizens of today, celebrating great citizens of tomorrow
Six new Lincoln Laureates will be honored at the 59th Annual Lincoln Academy Convocation and Investiture on April 29 in Springfield at the Illinois State Capitol. Laureates are individuals who have made significant contributions to Illinois or whose achievements have brought honor to the state. “Their life stories are inspiring and show the obstacles and […]
Posted inNews
The art of a medical doctor
Dr. Roland Folse chaired the SIU School of Medicine Department of Surgery for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2000 after a distinguished medical career. For more than a half-century, he has also used his hands to create art in many forms. A retrospective of his paintings and 3-D work is on exhibit at the Jacksonville […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Student artists compete in 100th Scholastic Art Awards
This year is the 100th Scholastic Art Awards, the premier art competition in the United States for students in 7th-12th grades. Regional winners will be honored Feb. 5 at Springfield High School (SHS), and their artwork will be exhibited at the Springfield Art Association (SAA) February 5-23. Many passionate individuals make this competition possible. Rosemary […]
Posted inNews
Menstrual justice
The Temple B’rith Sholom Sisterhood recently learned about “menstrual justice” and turned education into action, donating “feminine hygiene products” to Sojourn House. The Sisterhood is a vibrant group of Jewish women who serve the temple and local community in myriad ways. Social justice is a pillar of Reform Judaism and a priority of the Sisterhood. […]
Posted inNews
Catapulting careers
Leah Wilson, Kidzeum executive director, is constantly working to engage youth in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning experiences. Kidzeum embarked on a partnership with Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) and the carpenters’ union to build and demonstrate trebuchets – a form of catapult using a counterweight – for a fall “punkin chuckin” […]
Posted inOpinion
Multiple Nutcracker performances this holiday season
The Nutcracker ballet is a holiday classic. For some The Nutcracker is a longstanding family tradition. Others may not have experienced the magical adventures of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they journey to the Land of the Sweets. There are multiple performances in Springfield this December at various times and locations with different cast […]
Posted inNews
Lanphier graduate on a path to live his dreams
Brendan Barnhart of Springfield graduated from Lanphier High School last spring and now is a freshman at Lincoln Land Community College majoring in psychology. He is also taking introductory Japanese. His goal is to move to Japan and teach English. Barnhart’s interest in Japan stems from his love of Anime – Japanese hand-drawn animation – […]
Posted inNews
Boys will be men
Michael Phelon birthed The Outlet in 2005 and has nurtured it ever since. His vision was to provide an outlet for young males to plug into something positive. The Outlet serves males ages 8 to 22 who are from single-parent homes. Its mission is to help boys develop the capacity and skills to make responsible […]
Posted inOpinion
Lincoln Top Hat restored
Felicia Olin was voted best visual artist for Illinois Times Best of Springfield 2022, continuing her many consecutive wins. In 2009, she painted a large fiberglass Lincoln top hat for the Hats Off To Lincoln Bicentennial Project sponsored by Springfield Rotary. This was Olin’s first big project when she was an emerging artist. Her inspiration […]
