Illinois residents can now conveniently recycle household batteries. As a result of legislation that took effect Jan. 1, Illinois has a battery stewardship program. Lowe’s in Springfield and Home Depot in Jacksonville are examples of places where people can take household batteries to be recycled at no charge. The Portable and Medium Format Battery […]
Special Issues
Posted inHome & Garden
Home & Garden Events
ONGOING Spring Migration Bird Hikes Tuesdays, 8-9 a.m., through May 12. Matt Hales of the Illinois Audubon Society will lead hikes looking for migratory species as well as resident species. Free. Adams Wildlife Sanctuary, 2315 Clear Lake Ave., 217-544-2473. April Nature Walks Saturdays in April, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Nature lovers can enjoy guided […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Spring Home & Garden 2026
This year’s Spring Home & Garden issue has 10 easy projects you can tackle to freshen up your home, tips on container gardening, new options to recycle paint and batteries and more. Plus, find a special calendar of upcoming home and garden events.
Posted inHome & Garden
Year-round container gardening
Container gardening offers a practical and beautiful solution for growing flowers, vegetables and herbs in central Illinois where weather extremes and limited space often challenge traditional gardening. For leafy edibles, start with herbs and salad greens, which tolerate a wide range of light conditions from windowsill to kitchen garden and actually favor a little shade […]
Posted inHome & Garden
New community garden available at Hobbs Park
The Springfield Park District is transforming former baseball fields into a community garden at Hobbs Park, located south of Bunn Park near the intersection of Fox Bridge Road and Culver Avenue. Building on the success of the Jefferson Park Community Garden, this new initiative will provide a community garden serving the east side of Springfield. […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Illinois launches paint recycling program
If you have old cans of paint stashed in your basement or garage that you don’t how to get rid of, there’s good news for you. Illinois residents can now recycle latex and oil-based architectural paint products at numerous retail hardware and paint stores, including in Springfield and surrounding communities. This is due to the […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Easy refreshes for spring
According to the daffodils and tulips popping up outdoors, we made it through another Midwest winter! Now that we are surrounded by more green plants and sunshine, many people start to feel the urge to shake off those winter blues and let the bright light in. And while the impulse to do a full-blown spring […]
Posted inWomen's Business Showcase
6th Annual Women’s Business Showcase
Spring in Central Illinois is the perfect time to put your business in front of new customers—and the Women Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois (WECI) Women’s Business Showcase is built to do exactly that. Join us on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for one of the region’s most anticipated events celebrating women-owned […]
Posted inWomen's Business Showcase
Empowering growth
In communities that are growing and thriving, opportunity is not reserved for a select few, it is cultivated intentionally, shared broadly and supported through meaningful partnerships. At the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance (SSGA), that belief is central to our mission. While our work often focuses on attracting new businesses and supporting major economic development projects, […]
Posted inArticles
Showcasing women’s stories
Physician and public health professional Dr. Kemia Sarraf (“Dr. K”) with no regret shares with the world her experience with impostor syndrome through a video noting Women’s History Month in March. Sarraf, CEO of the trauma-responsive coaching and consulting business Lodestar, shares her life’s mission and how at times she doesn’t feel “up to the task” […]
Posted inWomen's Business Showcase
Helping female entrepreneurs grow
Women entrepreneurs are one of the fastest-growing forces in the American economy. Yet when it comes time to scale – buying a building, expanding a facility or investing in equipment – many founders run into a familiar obstacle: access to the right kind of capital. I am president of Small Business Growth Corporation, an SBA […]
Posted inWomen's Business Showcase
What I wish more women knew
A few years ago, I did what many women consider at some point in their careers. I stepped out on my own and built a consulting business. I craved a sense of control, autonomy and the chance to work with leaders who truly wanted to “buy what I was selling.” For six years, I ran […]
