The University of Illinois Springfield is going to pot. The capital city’s state university has partnered with the online marijuana educator Green Flower to offer a certificate program for students interested in entering management within the cannabis industry. The program, which began in 2020, is geared toward fostering economic development within central Illinois, said Robert […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inOpinion
What colleges should consider
There is a perception that last month the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions. But that is not the case. What it did was end race-conscious admissions. Former first lady Michelle Obama put it this way: “So often we accept that money, power and privilege are perfectly acceptable forms of affirmative action, […]
Posted inNews
A double standard
Allegations of past racism by the Springfield City Council have cropped up as council members ponder appointing a former council member to a city commission. In 2016, shortly after Gail Simpson had left the council, then-mayor Jim Langfelder sought to appoint her to the city’s Ethics Commission. Simpson, who is Black, said she was told […]
Posted inOpinion
A house divided
Please fill in the blank: “Our Father, who art in heaven, ____ be thy name.” This month, that question came up on the television gameshow “Jeopardy,” and none of the otherwise smart contestants could answer it. The social media universe exploded with indignation. (In case you are wondering, the correct word is “hallowed.”) The Rev. […]
Posted inNews
Civil disagreement
When does good, honest debate end and incivility begin? That’s a question members of the Springfield City Council are asking themselves in the wake of being asked to sign a civility pledge. Mayor Misty Buscher and eight members of the City Council signed the pledge. But council members Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. and […]
Posted inNews
Bishop Paprocki defends Ugandan government
A newspaper column written by Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki condemning Pride Month and praising a Ugandan law criminalizing homosexual acts has raised the ire of progressive Christians in Springfield. At issue is a June 8 piece in the Catholic Times in which the bishop wrote, “The Catholic Church teaches that pride is the deadliest of […]
Posted inOpinion
When history needs a rewrite
When I was in high school, my Grandma Wanda fought a battle with the American Legion to have a veteran’s marker placed on the grave of her husband’s grandfather. Eventually, the Legion post relented and put a veteran’s stone over John Beckerdite’s earthly remains. What gave the veteran’s organization pause is that John hadn’t served […]
Posted inOpinion
Life with vets
Folks often ask me, “What’s it like to be married to a veterinarian?” My response: “Well, not all that different from being the son of one.” You see, I’ve been blessed with two veterinarians in my life – my father and my wife. I was reflecting on this familiar anomaly as I recently watched the […]
Posted inNews
Fired library managers speak out
Summer Beck-Griffith was told the mayor wants to take the Lincoln Library in a different direction when she was notified of her firing earlier this month. But in the wake of her dismissal, by newly elected Mayor Misty Buscher, Beck-Griffith remains perplexed as to just what that “new direction” might be for the capital city’s […]
Posted inOpinion
When pregnancy is treated as a problem
Are you pregnant? Are you planning to get pregnant? Are you in a relationship? I squirmed uncomfortably as my boss asked these questions to a finalist for a job opening. I’d identified the person as a promising journalist, but he wanted to do the final screening. The questions he asked had little to do with […]
Posted inNews
The sky’s the limit
To combat a national shortage of aircraft mechanics, the Federal Aviation Administration has given Lincoln Land Community College a $500,000 grant. “We earmarked over half of that money to be for student support: tuition, books and tools. We’re also helping them pay for their testing that they’ll do upon graduation,” said Nancy Sweet, dean of […]
Posted inNews
A controversial purchase
After spending $1.2 million on a new firetruck, the city of Springfield found out it is one inch too tall to fit under the viaduct near the main fire station. Once they discovered the problem, rank-and-file firefighters were sounding the alarm. “It’s too tall to fit under the Capitol Avenue underpass. So, anytime we have […]
