Cap City

Reading, writing and arithmetic just don’t set in very well with students unless the person teaching them knows, embodies and promotes the three Rs of education – building relationships, setting rigorous standards and striving to bring relevance of a subject to students’ lives. It’s those qualities, shown through service that goes beyond the usual, that […]

A winning float in the Jan. 1 Rose Parade had a little touch of central Illinois on it. The Springfield branch of the Heartland Lions Eye Bank dedicated three roses on the Donate Life “Seize the Day!” float in honor of two Decatur residents, Wilma Shewhart and Roena Henne, who received cornea transplants, and the […]

Springfield veterans in need have a new ally looking out for them: an enthusiastic Filipino woman with a heart of gold. Rose Amon of Springfield is founder and chairman of HONVEE (HONoring VEts Event), a local nonprofit group that raises money for homeless veterans. Created in February 2010, HONVEE now has the backing of Sangamon […]

As her 3-year-old sister, Breann, and 6-year-old brother, Lucas, hollered “Daddy! Daddy!” 8-year-old Destiny Ellis said, after great thought, that now she can ask Santa Claus for a Pillow Pet. That’s because she and her siblings 10 minutes earlier had already gotten their original request – their dad, Staff Sergeant Bradley Ellis with the 183rd […]

Climbing stairs isn’t often thought of as exciting or particularly challenging, but for John “Oz” Osborn, 37, of Rochester, it’s so much fun that he gave up BMX racing. He seems to have a knack for climbing stairs, as evidenced by his second place finish in the American Lung Association’s 2010 Fight for Air Climb […]

The Springfield American Civil Liberties Union erected its second annual display in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday, but is hoping to avoid the same backlash from right-wing critics who last year argued that the group was cleverly trying to stamp out God. Last year, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly stood by as his guest, author Ann […]

Though Christmas music can be annoying when piped through the tinny speakers of every grocery store and shopping mall, it’s much more enjoyable when played in person by a talented group of local musicians. The Illinois Symphony Orchestra, led by maestra Karen Lynne Deal, is offering an elegant taste of the holidays with its upcoming […]

Ten students from Iles School are trying to change the world – one LEGO at a time. The students, this Saturday, Dec. 4, in Champaign are competing in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League “Body Forward” Challenge, in which children work with adult mentors to design and build LEGO […]

Computer Banc’s new logo says it all: A computer for every kid. It’s the goal executive director David Fowler has set for the Springfield community to achieve over a three-year period. Just by ramping up output by 1,000 computers each year, Computer Banc can provide every family whose children participate in the free and reduced […]

The Better Bag Project is getting bigger. Headed up by Sustainable Springfield, Inc., and the Green Business Network, the Better Bag Project is a drive to get Springfield residents to use fewer plastic bags. Started early this summer, the Better Bag project this fall joined forces with members of the area’s educational institutions to bring […]

The holidays are upon us, and that means two things: the season of giving and the season of freezing. But Springfield City Water, Light and Power brings both of those ideas together, giving the fortunate a chance to give back and the less fortunate a way to keep the heat on this winter. CWLP’s Project […]

If you went out to eat in Springfield on Nov. 16, you might have made a difference in someone’s life without even knowing it. That’s because 20 restaurants in Springfield volunteered to give 10 percent of their proceeds for the day to the United Way of Central Illinois’ “Dine United” program, which supports local health […]