With a holiday weekend on the horizon, Springfield officials remind residents to practice caution. Experts note that Sangamon County is seeing an uptick in confirmed cases of COVID-19. On June 29, 12 new cases were reported. The daily number of confirmed cases had been in the single digits, or at zero, for more than a […]
Rachel Otwell
Posted inNews
In her words: Khoran Readus
Khoran Readus puts the “active” in activism. In 2019 she took a job with Sojourn Shelter as a Sangamon County court advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. Previously she spent more than 15 years as a domestic violence advocate for the Sangamon County state’s attorney. She has four daughters, a son and a grandchild she […]
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Visions of an anti-racist education
The sentiment that schools do a poor job of telling the true history of racial oppression is not new, but calls for change have been amplified in recent weeks. This comes as demonstrators across the country call for widespread reforms in the wake of more police killings of Black people. Petitioners have asked school districts […]
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Innocence Project client freed
Nathaniel Onsrud left Menard Correctional Center on Tuesday, June 23, after more than a decade in prison. The same day, his conviction and sentence were vacated during a hearing in Rock Island County. Onsrud was convicted of killing his four-month-old son in 2007. The child was born prematurely and the Illinois Innocence Project said the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Making history
As demonstrators continue to plea for justice for people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Juneteenth was marked differently this year. Many say its unofficial status is proof that, collectively, we need to do a better job of acknowledging our roots. The Juneteenth holiday comes from an announcement of emancipation made in Texas on June […]
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Awareness through art
Michelle Smith wasn’t reacting to the police killing of George Floyd when she first began a series of drawings titled “Just Let Me Breathe.” But unfortunately, the work is increasingly relevant. And Smith just won a national contest with one of the pieces. “I’m quite a Ralph Lauren fanatic, actually,” said Smith, who noticed the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Springfield comes together
To track the success of a Facebook group created to help families in need during the pandemic, its creator suggests you check out the “thank you” section. There you will find an outpouring of gratitude from those who have received an array of items and support. Baby food and formula, cleaning products, furniture and clothing […]
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State Fair canceled
The Illinois State Fair is canceled. The announcement from the state concerns both the fair in Springfield as well as the Du Quoin State Fair. Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder had said he hoped there would be a way to go forward with some agricultural aspects of the fair. Along those lines, the Department of Agriculture […]
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Hundreds march in Taylorville
Chadwick Workman attended his first demonstration less than a week before organizing his own. Like many young adults, he’s been moved to act in the wake of another highly publicized police killing of a black man. The Taylorville show of unity against racism on Thursday, June 4, brought out hundreds of people who marched to […]
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Officials in Springfield join protests
It was a hot weekend, with temperatures rising to the 90s, and there’s still a pandemic. And yet, hundreds marched again in Springfield. On Saturday, June 6, Jaala Smylie stood before a crowd outside the Capitol building, having successfully coordinated another large rally. It was a crowd diverse in age and background, similar to those […]
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The coronavirus chronicles
On Thursday, March 12 we started regularly reporting on how the new coronavirus is impacting our community. Each day, there has been more to report. Closures, executive and emergency orders, medical updates — the news is always changing. Check in for our daily updates. For basic info and local resources, we have created a guide. […]
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Springfielders say Black Lives Matter
It was far beyond what anyone had anticipated. Several hundred people drove together, their cars poured down Ninth Street and nearby roadways. They headed to the Sangamon County complex, the courthouse and jail. Vehicles were colorfully and creatively decorated with signs, many stating: Black Lives Matter. One read, “No justice, no peace, prosecute the police.” […]
