“Healing” is a term doctors use often to describe a patient’s progress, but healing goes beyond the flesh.Dr. Audrey Tanksley delivered a keynote speech about the intersection of violence and health at a Feb. 20 forum held at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. Tanksley is the medical director of Heartland Alliance, an international organization […]
Lindsey Salvatelli
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Women compete for more seats at the table
Lisa Badger, a first-time candidate for office who is running for the Springfield Park District Board, says she decided to run because she “feels strongly there should be diversity in government.” Badger and Park District Board president Leslie Sgro are the only two women in the race. If they win, the board will remain representative […]
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Punk rock pastor
Rev. Paul Hemenway is all about authenticity, and his career even before devoting his life to God and his ministry was about throwing out labels and being yourself. Hemenway isn’t just the senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield, he’s a musician whose influences range from the pioneers of metal music, Black Sabbath, to […]
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Sewers, sidewalks and leaves
Ward 6 Alderwoman Kristin DiCenso is facing a challenge from a political newcomer who said her motivation to run for city council struck her while raking leaves. Candidate Elizabeth Jones, who operates Bright Beginnings Home Daycare, is challenging the incumbent in a race that has already provoked controversy. Jones said her motivation to run […]
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Future cannabis laws are hazy
With Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s support of recreational marijuana, state lawmakers are moving swiftly to add Illinois to the list of states that legalize the consumption, sale and growth of recreational cannabis. What recreational marijuana in Illinois will look like is still unknown, but the talk of legalization has raised many questions from residents about local […]
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Frigid response to pet law
Pet lovers had the opportunity to put a new animal protection state law into action during last week’s polar vortex, but some do-gooders were frustrated about limited action taken by law enforcement and Sangamon County Animal Control. With temperatures below zero last week, an incident involving two dogs left outside overnight demonstrated the confusion […]
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WQNA off the air
A series of events that seems as though it could only be written in a Hollywood script recently played out in the studio of WQNA 88.3 FM. The team at WQNA 88.3 FM, a student- and volunteer-run streaming station owned by Capital Area Career Center, is in the middle of what WQNA program director Jim […]
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Picking up the pieces
With the unpopular term of Gov. Bruce Rauner and divisive politics of President Donald Trump, coupled with a state that’s been losing population and a shifting demographic, Republican leaders are facing an uphill battle to maintain their place in Illinois politics. The typically Republican stronghold in the collar counties around Chicago – Kane, DuPage, Lake, […]
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A past worth remembering
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, has put his name on a bill that would designate the area where remains of the 1908 Springfield race riots were uncovered as a national monument. Racial tensions hit a low point in Springfield’s history in mid-August of 1908. Provoked by a claim of rape that was eventually recanted two […]
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Law takes aim at firearm sales
Gun dealers around the state have been hit with a new law that will impact more than who buys firearms. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 337 on Jan. 17, a holdover piece of legislation from the 100th General Assembly. Sen. John Cullerton placed the piece on hold March 31, shortly after the bill was […]
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H.O.T. cops reaching out
The Springfield Police Department is now one of just a handful of law enforcement agencies around the country that has a Homeless Outreach Team. Homelessness isn’t isolated to one part of Springfield, and responding police officers have been left with limited options when dealing with a transient population. “There’s not a section of town or […]
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Health care starts at home
The Pillsbury Mills neighborhood is next on the list for health care professionals who are attempting to affect positive change in Springfield, block by block. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 6.8 percent of Illinois residents were uninsured in 2017, less than the national average of 8.7 percent. Despite this, there are still areas where […]
