The hot air balloon portion of Balloons Over 66 Weekend in Lincoln, a festival that has been one of the biggest annual attractions in Logan County, has been canceled for 2026. However, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch offered hope that hot air balloons will be seen during the Aug. 28-29 event in some fashion. Seth Goodman, […]
Tamara Browning
Tamara “Tammie” Browning is a freelance writer and reporter from Petersburg, Illinois. She has a weekly newsletter “Mother Road Moves” on Substack that chronicles the people, places, things and happenings on Route 66 – from Illinois to California.
Posted inNews
A “Survival Revival”
Community activist Reggie Guyton has lived life increasingly aware of the inequities aimed at people due to their skin tones and inability to pay for things that bring them joy. Guyton, a historic actor at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, grew up in University Park, a village in the south suburbs of Chicago. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
From India to Springfield
Many social media congratulatory comments posted upon the conclusion of the Naturalization Ceremony at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 13, 2025, were meant for each one of the immigrants who at that time became America’s newest citizens. The congratulations were extended to every one of the nearly 400 people from over 70 countries, including […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The face of downtown
A man who holds a Springfield bowling record is on track for a milestone in his professional career. O.J. Crowder set a city high-series bowling record with an 886 in November 2008. Today, Crowder has served downtown Springfield as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 30 years. Crowder’s 2008 bowling […]
Posted inArticles
Showcasing women’s stories
Physician and public health professional Dr. Kemia Sarraf (“Dr. K”) with no regret shares with the world her experience with impostor syndrome through a video noting Women’s History Month in March. Sarraf, CEO of the trauma-responsive coaching and consulting business Lodestar, shares her life’s mission and how at times she doesn’t feel “up to the task” […]
