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 […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
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 […]
Posted inNews
Pilot training program coming to Springfield
Southern Illinois University is planning to create a pilot training facility at Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport that eventually may instruct more than 100 students, Illinois Times has learned. The Carbondale-based aviation program confirmed Monday that the school is indeed considering such a facility for the capital city but said it is still in the […]
Posted inOpinion
When corruption is legal
The worst kind of graft is perfectly legal. I’ve been thinking about that these past few weeks as revelations are brought forth about gifts U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received from a rich buddy. Let me preface my criticisms of the jurist by saying I often agree with his decisions. But that doesn’t absolve […]
Posted inOpinion
Common-sense gun reforms needed
When I read about four adults and one child being killed last month in a shooting rampage in Cleveland, Texas, I just cringed. We live in a society where gun violence has become commonplace. Mass shootings have become weekly occurrences. During the first 18 weeks of 2023, our nation experienced 19 shootings that have each […]
Posted inNews
Springfield in the spotlight
Public television viewers across the country will soon learn what Springfield has to offer, thanks to a television feature hosted by actor Dennis Quaid. The Big Easy star hosts the Viewpoint Project, which specializes in short-form public television stories. Each story highlights specific industries, communities or topics around the world. Producers from the show reached […]
Posted inNews
New mayor makes appointments
The department heads selected this week by Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher include Republicans, Democrats, holdovers and new faces. “It’s extremely important to me that the community knows that diversity does matter to me. I have to fix that so that our equity scorecard looks better. And I’m passionate about doing that,” said Buscher. Buscher said […]
Posted inOpinion
The myth of May Day
A lot of the “history” we were taught in school was nothing more than fables. Christopher Columbus didn’t prove the world was round. George Washington’s teeth weren’t made of wood. Abraham Lincoln didn’t write the Gettysburg address on the back of an envelope. The Liberty Bell didn’t crack on July 4, 1776. Benjamin Franklin almost […]
Posted inNews
The micropantry movement
It all began three years ago in the midst of a global pandemic and it is responsible for feeding thousands of hungry Sangamon County families, but no one is quite sure how it all got started. More than three dozen micropantries, or blessing boxes, have been created in Springfield neighborhoods and nearby communities. Folks with […]
