There have been a lot of firsts for Springfield Public Schools in recent weeks. Such as the first time the school board met via Zoom, the video-conferencing platform. Watchable on YouTube, the video showed all the members appearing from home, the same place we’ve all been told to stay. School board president Mike Zimmers opened […]
Rachel Otwell
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Keeping the faith
Willa Barger has attended Union Baptist Church on the northeast side of Springfield for 69 years. “I’m a lifetime member,” she explained. This Easter, she celebrated at home where she lives with her son. They watched service from a livestream on Facebook. “I have never experienced this,” said Barger. “The only (other) time that I […]
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Call for submissions: thanking essential workers
Grocery store workers. Mail carriers. Sanitation workers. Nurses. Teachers. Those braving the unknown. Illinois Times invites you, our readers, to thank an essential worker in your life. We’re all having to cope with the impact of this pandemic. Those on the frontlines are carrying a heavy burden and adjusting to a new normal. We want to pay tribute. Here […]
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Sangamon County officials announce third coronavirus death
A third person in Sangamon County has died after being infected with the new coronavirus. The news came in a release sent on behalf of the county health department and area hospitals on Saturday afternoon. The patient was a female in her 70s who tested positive on April 4. She was an inpatient at Memorial […]
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Taking art to the streets
Springfield artist Felicia Olin relies on the Old State Capitol Art Fair for about a third of her annual income. Previously scheduled for mid-May, the fair has been canceled “due to the uncertainty of the COVID 19.” Olin said at times, lately, she’s felt despondent. “I’m literally just staring at a pile of stuff I’ve […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Overcoming trauma
The first time I met Dana Pfeiffer she picked the place. It was near her home in Pleasant Plains, a combination coffee shop slash auto detailer that employs people with disabilities to help them learn job skills. She wore a bright red hoodie. She was impossible to miss. The moment I stepped inside, she turned […]
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A hotel to call home
Coronavirus is especially risky when it comes to congregate settings. It spreads easily. Throughout the state there have been clusters of infection at correctional facilities and a nursing home. Some have died. And now, some are grappling with the best way to house survivors of domestic abuse who have left unsafe situations. On April 2, […]
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Springfield parks: enjoy, responsibly
The Springfield Park District has issued guidance about its facilities in light of coronavirus. The district said Washington, Southwind and Lincoln parks have become busy which can make keeping at least six feet away from others challenging. “Springfield Park District certainly encourages people to comply with the governor’s executive order and stay home, first and […]
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Make a wish
If you could wish for anything right now, what would it be? That’s the question that’s been posed to residents of Lewis Memorial Christian Village, a senior community in Springfield. “I think people are at their best when they’re serving others,” said Kelley Tierney, director of sales and marketing for Lewis Memorial. The effort is […]
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Addiction recovery groups shift to video and phone
Robert Duckels is married with three sons. He’s an attorney who lives in Carlinville, between Springfield and St. Louis. And he identifies as an alcoholic. Like many people who struggle with addiction and are now in recovery, it was hitting “rock bottom” that propelled him to quit. “I realized that there was really nowhere else […]
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Roadside Americans
“I have hitchhiked a couple times. But that’s not why I wrote the book,” said Springfield native Jack Reid of his new book, Roadside Americans: The Rise and Fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation. The nonfiction history was just featured on a list by Smithsonian Magazine of newly released titles to “read while you’re […]
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Coronavirus resource and info guide
The State of Illinois has set up a website with a list of resources and links to information, here. From the World Health Organization: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome […]
