What was known as Douglas Park in Springfield has a new name. On Wednesday night, the Springfield Park District board voted 6-1 to rename the park in honor of Otis B. Duncan. He was a Springfield resident who served in World War I and was the highest-ranking Black member of his division. The proposal began […]
Rachel Otwell
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Birthday by mail
Birthdays aren’t the same during COVID times. With ramped-up mitigations and public officials calling for no socializing with those outside immediate households, get-togethers are increasingly rare – or at least should be, to slow the rate of infection. Over the past several months some have taken to birthday parades. The birthday girl or boy (or […]
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To teach or not to teach?
One-third of teachers throughout the state have considered leaving the profession this year, according to a survey done by one of the state’s largest unions for school staff, the Illinois Education Association (IEA). The scientific survey polled more than 1,300 union members from across Illinois during the week of Oct. 19. Among other questions, members […]
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Dist. 186 to remain remote through 2020
Springfield Public Schools will continue to hold remote classes through the rest of the calendar year. The decision comes as Sangamon County – along with the region, state and country – sees a surge in COVID-19 cases. In an email to staff on Friday, District 186 superintendant Jennifer Gill writes: “Over the last few days the […]
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Abortion haven
When Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September, many began to lament the potential undoing of a host of human rights milestones. High among them was the federal decision on abortion access. In 1973, via the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a woman’s right to choose an abortion […]
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Teaching emotional intelligence
Illinois was the first state to create standards for “social and emotional learning” – also called SEL – per the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003. But in a year like 2020, its importance is crystallizing. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, SEL is the process children and adults use to gain skills […]
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When COVID is the boss
On Halloween, Sangamon County hit a record high of 123 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in a single day. At least 67 county residents infected have died. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, for the week of Oct. 18-24, there was a positivity rate of 8.2% for Sangamon County. If the positivity rate is […]
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County and city continue to defy COVID-19 mitigation measures
The city of Springfield and Sangamon County continue to defy state COVID-19 mitigation measures that were to go into effect on Sunday. During a Tuesday press conference, the county announced and released a temporary rule that a county spokesperson said goes into effect on Friday at 12:01 a.m. Instead of restricting indoor service at bars […]
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Letter threatens Springfield woman over politics
Lindsay Evans lives in Springfield, where she and her family have been under quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. On Monday, she said she received a letter postmarked Oct. 31 that threatened “severe consequences” based on her support of presidential candidate Joe Biden. Evans said she had a Biden sign on her lawn before her homeowner […]
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Century of suffrage
Suffragists in Illinois were ahead of their time, earning the right for women to vote in presidential elections in 1913, before many other states. State suffragists utilized a variety of methods. In 1891, Ellen Martin, a Chicago lawyer who lived in Lombard, was reportedly the first woman in the state to vote. Since the town’s […]
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Taxing messages
It’s hard to avoid the debate about a proposed change to the way income is taxed in Illinois. You may have already voted one way or the other. Gov. JB Pritzker, one of the wealthiest politicians in the country, has made it a pet issue. He and other proponents of the proposal, which would lead […]
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Back to class?
Hundreds of people in Springfield apparently signed a petition demanding students be allowed to reenter public classrooms. In the city, private schools have welcomed students back to in-person learning. However, District 186 decided it would begin the 2020-’21 school year remotely for all. During the Oct. 5 school board meeting, Sarah Rogers spoke on behalf […]
