The Illinois Auditor General recommended a sweeping list of changes for the state’s Department of Children and Family Services in regards to LGBTQ youth. The audit released earlier this month found the agency failed to comply with best practices – such as identifying youth in care who are LGBTQ and ensuring they are placed in […]
Rachel Otwell
Posted inNews
Doris Turner fills Senate seat vacated by Andy Manar
In a unanimous vote on Saturday, Feb. 6, Doris Turner of Springfield was chosen by Democratic Party officials to represent state Senate District 48, which includes all or parts of Springfield, Decatur, Taylorville and Litchfield. The seat was vacated by Andy Manar earlier this year. State Sen. Doris Turner is a lifelong resident of the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Love and communism
Richard Gilman-Opalsky is a radical on the prairie. He came to teach at University of Illinois Springfield from New York City, where he earned a Ph.D. from The New School. He said upon graduating, he realized most universities were not keen on hiring political theorists and philosophers, and were “even less interested” in hiring ones […]
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Teaching Black history better
“Social studies has always been my least favorite subject,” state Sen. Kimberly Lightford told Illinois Times last October. That was back when hearings about the “Black Agenda” were ongoing. Lightford, a Democrat from the Chicago suburb Maywood, was the primary Senate sponsor of the education package that passed the General Assembly earlier this month. Lightford […]
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Rosemarie Long, Sangamon County Republican Chair, has died
Sangamon County Republican Chair Rosemarie Long has died according to a press release sent out Wednesday night on behalf of the Republican Party of Sangamon County. Long was a member of the Sangamon County Board for 17 years, six of them as vice-chair, according to the county party’s website. She was also President of the […]
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Springfield cannabis workers seek to unionize
Workers at a cannabis dispensary in downtown Springfield are seeking to unionize. They say bullying, a lack of paid sick time, limited hours and a lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 are reasons why. Ascend Springfield employees at the downtown location (628 E. Adams St.) are organizing under the umbrella of the Local 881 chapter of […]
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The KKK’s Statehouse rally 27 years ago
In the days before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Springfield braced for potential violence. The insurrection attempt by a mostly white mob in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 resulted in multiple deaths. The actions were publicized in plain sight by groups driven by extremist, nationalist ideologies. Afterward, the FBI warned that members of the same groups […]
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Time for “repair work”
Kathy Johnson of Springfield knows a thing or two about diplomacy. She filled posts in countries including Poland, Austria, Mexico and Syria. She is a senior member of the U.S. Foreign Service after serving 31 years. Her last assignment was director of the National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., a post she held […]
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Charting its own course
Micah Miller is one of the three District 186 school board members to consistently vote for schools to remain remote. Whichever position parents, teachers, administrators or board members take – it’s a controversial one. While just about any in-person activity comes with a risk to health these days, Springfield serves many low-income and at-risk students […]
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Plywood and troops to protect Statehouse
Illinois is ramping up efforts to protect the Statehouse in Springfield. That comes in the wake of reports that groups connected to deadly violence in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 might be plotting further actions in capital cities. On Monday, an FBI memo warned that armed protestors could be headed to state capitals in […]
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County releases vaccination plan
On Wednesday, the Sangamon County Department of Public Health announced a COVID-19 “beta test” of a mass vaccination program. A new online dashboard has also been launched, tracking the number of vaccinations given in the county. As of Wednesday afternoon, it showed that 9,443 initial doses had been given, which is a little more than […]
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FBI memo warns of “armed protests” at statehouses
An FBI bulletin has warned that “armed protestors” could be headed to state capitols in the coming days. That comes in the wake of violent and deadly actions by extremists and Trump loyalists on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C. “An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this […]
