Letters to the Editor

BICENTENNIAL DREAMS Thank you for highlighting the many efforts of groups statewide who are enthusiastically preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood in 2018. (“Tardy party,” by Erika Holst, Aug. 11.) While much needs to be done, communities throughout our state are meeting, planning and dreaming big dreams about ways they can commemorate […]

There is currently no public access to much of the 7,000-plus acres the city has purchased for a second lake. PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION   Open up lake landThe city began land acquisition for Hunter Lake in 1965. As of August, 2015 when Mayor Langfelder and IDNR Director Rosenthal signed the Memorandum of Cooperation […]

  PREPARE FOR CIVIC DUTYWe’re about eleven weeks out from the Presidential elections. Are you on top of the issues and concerns you’ll address with the pull of a lever or the punch of a stylus on November 8? If not, here are 10 ways to prepare for your civic duty in national, state and […]

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ARTWORK BY MICHAEL HOGUE/TNS   VOTE WITH CONSCIENCEFormer Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touts her diplomatic experience in her run for the U.S. presidency. While secretary of state, she failed to get our citizens out of harm’s way in Benghazi, Libya, as other nations did. She was complicit having our military […]

CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT   TRUMPING EXPECTATIONSDonald Trump is the GOP’s choice. People are expecting major changes with Trump as president. Voters need to submit to Trump what they expect of him. If Trump cannot meet those voter demands, he will be a disappointment. Our disappointment is God’s appointment. Brenda ArmsteadSpringfield MELANIA AND BILLI must have missed […]

STOP LAND GRAB Illinois is blessed with top-grade, food-producing soil that only a few places in the world can match. Those places are South Ukraine, sections of Argentina and along China’s Yellow River. We are also blessed with temperatures and rainfall conducive to agriculture. It is through this prime agriculture area that Great Lakes Basin […]

During his eight-year tenure in office, US President Barack Obama has added about 15 million jobs to the American economy, halved annual deficits and immensely increased gay rights – among other things. PHOTO BY OLIVIER DOULIERY/TNS   FEEL BETTER, NOT BITTERBy now we all have read how disappointed all the Erika Holsts out there are, […]

Samuel Johnson PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE DRIVING WHILE BLACK I am surprised that Samuel Johnson won’t get his day in court to prove his allegation that he was stopped by Springfield police for the color of his skin, not his failure to use a turn signal (“Judge dismisses lawsuit over ‘racial profiling’ traffic stop,” July […]

The first roundabout in Springfield is located in Park South, east of Black and Company. It is the predecessor to the roundabout located at 12th and Capitol streets. Roundabouts keep traffic moving by merging operations and keeping speeds at a safe level. PHOTO © GOOGLE 2016   IN GOOD COMPANYThere is a correction that needs […]

The City of Springfield’s first and only traffic roundabout opened in 2011, at the intersection of 12th Street and Capitol Avenue. PHOTO BY NAN BULLI ROUNDABOUTS Several years ago, the recently retired and greatly missed Dave Bakke of The State Journal-Register wrote an article expressing his concern about what he considered to be the excessive […]

Map of proposed Hunter Lake   ANOTHER INCONVENIENT TRUTHAt the May 17 CWLP electricity generation public forum, Mayor Langfelder said the proposed Hunter/Lake II is more about economic development than the need for more water in a severe drought. He may have revealed an inconvenient truth to the Army Corps of Engineers and USEPA, who […]

The Clinton Power Station, operated by Exelon Nuclear. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY Illinois is at grave risk of losing its status as one of America’s clean energy leaders. If it shuts down two of its high-performing nuclear plants, they will be replaced by out-of-state methane gas from fracking. (“After the atom,” by […]