Cap City

The broiling heat of summer couldn’t melt the spirits of about 16 teens volunteering their time at the community garden in the state fairgrounds on Tuesday. The high school-aged youth mulched, weeded and cleaned several gardens inside the horse racing track this week, having a bit of fun as they worked. They are spending their […]

Springfield traffic is mostly kinda square, but a new project could change that. With construction now underway, the city is about to get its first roundabout intersection [see “Going ’round and ’round,” by James Krohe Jr., Dec. 3, 2009, at illinoistimes.com]. As part of the Capitol Avenue Beautification Project, crews are now working to construct […]

July and weather that feels like summer may only have just arrived, but school is just around the corner. In preparation, community members are organizing a supply drive for students in Springfield, Pawnee and Auburn school districts to ensure that every student is ready to learn on the first day back at school. Every year […]

Is that old refrigerator in your kitchen, garage or basement sucking up gobs of electricity? If so, now is a good time to get rid of that inefficient appliance, save some money on your power bill, help the environment and get an extra little bonus for doing so. City Water, Light & Power is now […]

Eight flutists and one cellist showed New York City what Springfield’s made of this month, as the Eddy Flute Choir took the Big Apple by storm on a goodwill tour. A “melting pot” of ages, the group led by Debbie Eddy of Eddy Flute Studio 51 showcased local musicians aged eight through adult-hood as it […]

Traditional artists take note: The Illinois Arts Council wants to help you do your thing, and singer-songwriter Clark “Bucky” Halker wants to get you connected. Halker, who serves as director of Chicago-based nonprofit Company of Folk, is trying to find Illinois artists who practice “traditional” forms of art – everything from woodcarving and blacksmithing to […]

Unmapped coal mine voids are costing Springfield School District 186 an extra $49,300 on a project originally expected to cost $262,000. The district hired geothermal well-digging company, The Hole Deal, this spring to develop a field of 120 geothermal wells that would more efficiently heat and cool Jane Addams Elementary School. In order to get […]

Two opportunities for charitable giving in Springfield are giving new meaning to the phrase “put your money where your mouth is.” Through July 2, Shop ’N Save grocery stores in Springfield offer shoppers a chance to combat child hunger by purchasing a full bag of groceries for the Central Illinois Foodbank at a cost of […]

Two different groups are calling Illinois’ urban fishing program a bad idea. One says it’s fiscally irresponsible, and the other says it’s just plain cruel. Both the Illinois Policy Institute, a group that pushes free-market principals, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a group that pushes for animal rights, say Gov. Pat […]

In a city as old as Springfield, there are bound to be a few businesses getting up there in years. We even have a few businesses and nonprofits nearing or past their 100th year. The Illinois State Historical Society is seeking businesses and nonprofits to honor with its annual Centennial Award, given each year since […]

They’ve still got $5,000 to go, but board members of a three-year-old fund designed to boost historic preservation in Sangamon County are hopeful they can approve the fund’s first grant recipient sometime next year. The Historic Preservation Fund at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln was established in May 2008 with leftover funds […]

While he wasn’t in the starting lineup, it was clear to many that a Pleasant Plains teen was packing some heat when he threw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field May 7. Scott VonDeBur, 14, won the chance to throw down to relief pitcher James Russell at Les Turner’s ALS Foundation’s 17th Annual Lou […]