For most of us in Sangamon County, gaps in mental health services are felt in deeply personal ways. A recent survey of every census tract in our community found that four in 10 of our neighbors have had an unmet mental health need in the last three years. While a decade of assessments has warned […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inIT Picks
High school poets to compete for state championship
This Monday, Jillian Garcia and Ace O’Malley will join 12 other students from around Illinois at the state Poetry Out Loud Contest. Garcia, from Decatur Eisenhower High School, and O’Malley, from Springfield Southeast High School, finished first and second, respectively, at the Feb. 12 regional. The state champion will get a trip to the nation’s […]
Posted inPoetry
Partial Letter, 1979
Dear kids, the sabbatical is going okay except this late blizzard has us all snowed in. I feed the birds every day but the feeder is empty by noon. You can’t see the ground with the pile up of hungry juncos. There are five pheasants nearby – I need to find their spot to leave […]
Posted inFilm
An honest, romantic, queer drama
Embracing its risqué subject matter, Harry Lighton’s Pillon is one of the most honestly romantic films to have graced the screen in the last decade. This queer drama deals takes place within the gay biker subculture, the relationship at its center based on a dominant/submissive dynamic, which will likely be a hard sell to middle […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Heaven is for Trump, but …
In his remarks at the 74th National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump proposed the idea that “he probably should get into heaven.” He seemed to base his rationale on his belief that he has “done a hell of a lot of good for perfect people.” His boasts that he “has done more for religion than […]
Posted inIT Picks
Monster X Tour
Springfield, are you ready to feel the monster truck thunder? With such names as USA-1, Veteran, Double Trouble, Skykotic and Lone Wolf, these monsters are set to rock the BOS Center for two shows on Saturday. “These 10,000-pound, car-crushing giants race, do wheelies and more,” according to the BOS Center. And get this, attendees can […]
Posted inPoetry
True Story
My sister Pat, maybe 7, woke early and decided to have an adventure She took some apples, set out along the shore path, cut across a field, passed some cows, ate an apple, continued on until she had eaten all her apples, judged the long day was over, others would worry, and decided that running […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Wuthering Heights a beautiful, frustrating film; Glen Powell shines in How to Make a Killing
Fennell her own worst enemy in Wuthering HeightsEmerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is a glorious, frustrating mess of a film. Thesumptuous production captivates with its broad visually romantic strokes, the directorputting her distinctive stamp on the Emily Bronte classic in using a vibrant and, at timesbrooding, aesthetic that’s never less than captivating. And yet, the overall […]
Posted inArts & Culture
DSI appoints interim executive director
Downtown Springfield, Inc. is searching for a new executive director “following a mutual separation with Carlos Ortega,” according to a statement the organization issued Feb. 17. Always On Consulting, the human resources company led by Debbie Thompson, has been retained to lead the search process. Jay Shanle, who currently serves as DSI’s director of communications […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The greatness of a nation
It is ironic and more than a bit frightening that in this Black History Month, 2026, those who claim to want to “make America great” are actively working to erase the numerous contributions made to this country by people of color and to downplay the enduring effects of slavery. A nation does not achieve greatness […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
31,875 households: The reality of ALICE in our community
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – but behind that acronym are real people you probably see every day. They’re the teacher at your child’s day care center, the aide who cares for your aging parent, the cashier who rings up your groceries, and the server who brings your coffee. They work full-time […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Wreath-laying ceremony at Lincoln’s Tomb
Started by World War I Veterans and members of The American Legion in 1935, the Legion’s annual pilgrimage to the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery is in its 92nd year. The wreath-laying ceremony that is part of this long-standing tradition was held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Lincoln Tomb in […]
