I learned about the Adopt-A-Tree program at a previous tree tour. My father is buried in a family plot in a beautiful setting at Oak Ridge Cemetery, with a large, majestic oak tree nearby. I contacted my friend Guy Sternberg to learn more about this tree and discovered that it was deemed significant for being […]
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
Monarchs and the Mother Road
Springfield is proud of its connection to Route 66, which attracts tourists from all over the globe. The Illinois State Fairgrounds is the only state fairgrounds located along the 2,448-mile Route 66 highway. Springfield intends to take maximum advantage of this claim to fame, well in advance of the upcoming centennial of the Mother Road […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Two awarded Stand Together Scholarships
Olivia Hickman is a first-year student at Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC). She aspires to be a radiologist. Jasmine Tyler is a second-year LLCC student, studying to be a nurse. Both are working towards their dreams at LLCC, thanks to a full-ride Stand Together Scholarship, established by Tara McClellan McAndrew, Julie Krehbiel and Amy Tarr. […]
Posted inOpinion
Art exhibit by two 1972 SHS grads
Two Springfield High School (SHS) graduates are presenting a pop-up art show at the Springfield Art Association (SAA) in conjunction with their 50th high school reunion Sept. 23-24. Ann Kozeliski (Tallahassee, Florida) and Jeff Schewe (Chicago) are both award-winning artists. The exhibit is open Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (700 N. […]
Posted inOpinion
The Outlet youth tour civil rights sites
The Outlet is giving low-income youth in Springfield opportunities to expand their knowledge, resilience and perspective of the world and their place in it. For the past five summers, they have taken students to Selma, Montgomery, Atlanta and Memphis to visit key locations of the civil rights movement and experience college visits. Recently the Springfield […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s behind the war in Ukraine?
The Springfield community has an opportunity to learn about the war in Ukraine at a Sept. 13 program presented by the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (WACCI). How did political developments in Russia and its foreign policy set the stage for the war in Ukraine? To what extent have Western policies played a role? […]
Posted inOpinion
An archaeologist’s ultimate project
Archaeological investigations by Floyd Mansberger, Fever River Research, led to the discovery of remains of five houses burned during the 1908 Springfield Race Riots. Hanson Professional Services hired Fever River Research to conduct archaeological surveys at 10th and Madison Streets as part of the Railroad Relocation Project. The site was formerly a St. John’s Hospital […]
Posted inOpinion
Island Grove United Methodist turns 200
Island Grove United Methodist Church is celebrating its 200th birthday Aug. 28. The church is one of the oldest in the area, established only four years after Illinois became a state. Surrounded by Woodwreath Cemetery, founded in 1872, the church is in a picturesque setting on Old Jacksonville Road about 13 miles west of Springfield. […]
Posted inNews
Lincoln foundation reboots
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation has reinvented itself as the Lincoln Presidential Foundation with an expanded mission related to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. On April 1, 2021, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) severed its relationship with the foundation. As a result, the foundation no longer serves as the […]
Posted inOpinion
Science, math and fun at the fair
Drone racing, Unruly Splats, 3-D printed butter cows, virtual reality and an eSports competition are some of the engaging activities to be presented at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo at the Illinois State Fair. The expo will be open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 17-21 in the Orr Building on the west side […]
Posted inNews
Can race riot site become part of National Park Service?
The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a “special resource study” to determine if the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site meets the criteria to be included in the national park system. Public comments are being accepted online now through Sept. 3 (see link below). The NPS hosted a meeting Aug. 10 to explain the process […]
Posted inOpinion
Former politicos pen memoirs
Roger Eddy, Chuck Hartke, Jim Sacia and Zack Stamp were longtime legislators and lobbyists who became colleagues and friends. All were influenced by their upbringing. They have penned memoirs and are hosting joint book signings Aug. 17 1-5 p.m. at Boone’s and Aug. 18 at D H Brown’s, coinciding with Democrats Day and Republican Day […]
