Springfield air quality was reported as “unhealthy” as of noon on Friday according to a government system tracking wildfires and air quality. A spokesperson for the Illinois EPA told Illinois Times the smoke is “being transported from wildfires.” A city spokesperson also said Friday that there has been misinformation about controlled burns in the area. […]
Rachel Otwell
Posted inNews
An unlikely pair
In January, when Helping Hands of Springfield and the Springfield Art Association teamed up to shine a light on those experiencing homelessness, no one could have anticipated the lasting impact. Erica Smith is the social service organization’s director. She said the project was aimed at adding a level of humanity often missing from conversations about […]
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History and healing
Vincent “June” Chappelle grew up in Chicago in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Chatham. As an adolescent he got into a box of family photographs and began to piece together his origins. He found out his family was tied to a plantation. He is the descendant of a slaveholder from South Carolina. Chappelle called the […]
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Student screen time
After school abruptly went remote in March, the state board of education recommended a maximum of 90 minutes of daily “engagement” for students in kindergarten through second grade. For third through fifth graders the max was two hours and rose incrementally to 270 minutes for high schoolers. Much has changed since then. Springfield’s public school […]
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Police residency and review
Police reform is a nationally trending topic as demonstrators continue to protest killings of Black people. Meanwhile, activists are calling for changes they say would address concerns regarding the Springfield Police Department. Community leaders continue to meet to explore potential police reform. Black Lives Matter Springfield has held a series of off-record conversations with police […]
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Springfield vigil for RBG
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the day after Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, community leaders and residents gathered outside the federal courthouse downtown for a vigil. It was one of many at courthouses across the country. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton attended with some family members. She said as a young lawyer, she saw Ginsburg […]
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Igniting change
Harry Carlsen roasted a pig while his uncle, Buff Carmichael, sat in the backyard under a tent. A line of friends took turns greeting him. They wore masks and sat in distanced lawn chairs on a summer day in August. A rainbow windsock twirled nearby. A Black Lives Matter sign was planted in the lawn. […]
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The march goes on
Kish Broomfield was watching the memorial service for George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who inspired a fresh wave of the Black Lives Matter movement after a cop killed him, when inspiration struck. “In his remarks, Al Sharpton mentioned the March on Washington. And my sisters and I were like, we want to be there,” said […]
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Food for thought
The local food movement has its fair share of supporters in the capital city, but changing the current supply chain is no small task. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is hosting a series of discussions about food, farms and the election. And in Springfield, the city is working with the help of the federal Environmental Protection […]
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Douglas vs. Douglass
Stephen A. Douglas was a complicated person. So said Samuel Wheeler, Lincoln scholar and former state historian. “If it weren’t for Abraham Lincoln, this would be the land of Douglas,” said Wheeler. Douglas – who was an Illinois resident, politician and lawyer – is largely known in Springfield for his debates with Lincoln. That’s apparent […]
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COVID-19 and college
The University of Illinois is aiming to have its saliva tests used throughout the nation and world. The so-called Shield tests provide rapid results and were developed by researchers in Urbana-Champaign at UIUC. “Direct saliva testing can address bottlenecks of time, cost and supplies,” said Martin Burke in a release. “Our test also has unique […]
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Road to recovery leads to becoming a rabbi
Arthur Stern’s first full-time position as a rabbi is at Temple Israel in Springfield. For Stern, it’s a major shift in his profession. And for the faith center, it symbolizes a shift in philosophy. Stern draws from a storied past when it comes to his approach to religion. About 30 years ago, at the age […]
