The Addams Family musical is based on a 1964 sitcom which was inspired by the cartoons of Charles Addams. All feature Gomez Addams, his wife Morticia and children Pugsley and Wednesday. They share their home on Cemetery Lane with Uncle Fester, butler Lurch, helping hand Thing and someone’s grandma. They are a close-knit family with […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inFilm
Dracula shows some life, Send Help doesn’t end well
Cast finds life in flawed Dracula Estimates as to how many times Dracula has appeared on film range from approximately 200 to 500. The low number is tabulated by purists who only count productions that feature a version of Bram Stoker’s character while the latter figure included parodies or knock-offs of the seminal vampire. He’s […]
Posted inIT Picks
Legacy Jam
Event celebrates Lincoln’s love of reading Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s love of reading and lifelong learning with the Lincolns4Lincoln Literacy Jam, benefiting Compass for Kids’ afterschool program. This special kids’ event in the museum plaza features celebrity story readers, musical entertainment, a magician, local sports mascots and interactive children’s activities. Tater Tots Rock gets things rolling […]
Posted inPoetry
Probably True (Uncle George Trever)
Great uncle George Trever was pastor of the Beloit Methodist Church maybe 1890. He was an explosive speaker, and the family story goes that he shot out his false teeth, which landed in the lap of a congregant, Uncle George calmly lisped to the woman, “would you be so kind as to pass the plate?”
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Save one life at a time
“Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 37a). These words were among the scriptures quoted last Friday at an interfaith prayer vigil held at First Presbyterian Church by Faith Coalition for the Common Good (FCCG) – an emergency gathering in response to the state-sanctioned violence […]
Posted inFilm
Wrecking Crew needs innovation, The Morrigan a worthwhile shocker
Bautista, Mamoa nearly salvage Wrecking Crew With the coming of sound to the film industry in 1927, the movie musical was born. Studios were so eager to promote the new technology through song and dance, there was a glut of musicals that nearly killed the genre before it could gain a head of steam. In […]
Posted inIT Picks
Photographer to discuss his images of local bald eagles and more
In two short programs, local wildlife photographer Brian Bowles will present his images and talk with participants about how they can find and identify local wildlife themselves. Bowles has been photographing wildlife for about 15 years and is interested in eagles, hawks, blue herons and turkey vultures. Bowles describes what he does as “drive-by photography” […]
Posted inPoetry
Train Wreck
There has been a recent awful train wreck, here’s one that didn’t happen. My great aunt, then, a young woman worked alone in a country radio shack in Wisconsin. She listened in to the Morse code though against the rules, she discovered a train was coming on the wrong track and would collide with another […]
Posted inUncategorized
UIS research highlights stakes for Illinois farmers amid changing hemp regulations
In November 2025, President Trump signed legislation to fund and reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. While many celebrated, Illinois hemp farmers were stunned. Buried in the legislation was a provision that fundamentally altered the federal definition of hemp, potentially making many hemp farming activities and products illegal once […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
She persisted
In November of 2018, on the 35th anniversary of my ordination as a minister of the word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), I was well celebrated by Westminster Presbyterian Church, the congregation I served from 2013 to 2025. At the reception following worship, Associate Pastor Rev. Trajan McGill surprised me with the children’s […]
Posted inIT Picks
Urban wildlife talks
Thu., Jan. 29, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. | Dana-Thomas House | 217-782-6776 OUTDOORS | Photographer to discuss his images of local bald eagles and more In two short programs, local wildlife photographer Brian Bowles will present his images and talk with participants about how they can find and identify local wildlife themselves. Bowles has been […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
UIS to offer free tax preparation services
The University of Illinois Springfield is offering free tax preparation services for the first time through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, expanding access to professional tax help for eligible members of the Springfield-area community. The program is hosted by the UIS’ College of Business and Management. Through the VITA program, […]
