Throngs of people stood, clapped and cheered to welcome home and thank 92 veterans and their guardians when the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight returned to Springfield’s Capitol Airport around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 1. After a long and hot day in Washington, D.C., the veterans walked the length of the airport with people standing […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inFilm
The Runner and Runner both fall short, Fix lacks a purpose
Logic trips up The Runner You gotta give it to Gal Gadot. She can run, and do so in a variety of ways. If you need her to run with joy, she’s on it. If she needs to run with desperation, no one does it better. Throw in being able to commit this act in […]
Posted inPoetry
Intervention
I was at the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factoryin Vermont. I saw a small boy about to losethe scoop atop his cone; he was holding ittipped. I caught the scoop as it fell, pressedit hard into his cone, straightened the cone,and sent him on his way. His parents neversaw how a major catastrophe was […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rich Solomon receives Trailblazer Award
The Abraham Lincoln Council, Scouting America presented its prestigious Trailblazer Award to Rich Solomon, chair of the board and CEO of Solomon Colors, at a Sept. 8 dinner at Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park. The Trailblazer Award was established in 2010 to honor a member of the central Illinois community who exemplifies the attributes the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Big Ten blood drive competition
If you have Big Ten school ties, you can donate blood while also helping your favorite institution. The Abbott Big Ten Blood Drive competition runs through Dec. 5, the end of its regular football season. For Illini fans, this is the opportunity to receive an orange Illinois T-shirt in exchange for their donation. Impact Life […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The Way begins with you: Join us in building a stronger community
Our purpose at United Way of Central Illinois is to improve lives by mobilizing our community. We invest in solutions, convene partners and develop innovative strategies that create opportunities for every person to succeed. Our work is grounded in the belief that strong communities are built when people have the opportunity to learn, earn and […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Welcoming a new year with prayer, penitence and charity
This coming Friday evening we will mark the beginning of the Jewish holiday season known as the Days of Awe. Rosh Hashanah, observed this year from Sept. 11 through sunset on Sunday, Sept. 13, is the Jewish New Year. For religious purposes, Jews use a lunar calendar, and the appearance of a new moon marks […]
Posted inIT Picks
Remember Sept. 11 this Friday
This Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Springfield Fire Department is inviting the community to join firefighters, police officers and city staff members as they remember those who perished that day. To participate, arrive at your local neighborhood station by 7:30 a.m. According to the department, there […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Career Connections
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is looking for area professionals to join its new Career Connections program to work with high school students exploring their future opportunities. Career Connections is a database hosted on the Chamber’s website where area students and counselors can find a local professional to interview about their career and educational path. Students will be able […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Portraits of grit and determination in “Her Game is Hardball”
A revelatory dive into baseball history as well as a testament of hope, Mark Durand’s Her Game is Hardball is a fascinating documentary that looks at many forgotten eras of American sports history while portending the birth of another. Nine years in the making, the film examines the struggles of women’s baseball in America, while […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Returning home: Finding purpose in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois – the place she once said she would never return to – would eventually become the place where she rediscovered purpose, community, and a renewed sense of belonging. Growing up surrounded by community engagement was nothing new for Azaliah Isaiah-Davenport. What was new was the challenge of leaving behind what was familiar, experiencing […]
Posted inFilm
Mayday is smart and funny, realistic Sun shines
Reynolds, Branagh energize Mayday With the exception of 1988’s Red Heat, I’d be hard-pressed to name a Cold War buddy movie. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein set out to double the total of this subgenre with Mayday, a surprisingly entertaining piece of ridiculousness. Smart, funny and driven by as an unlikely duo of actors […]
