Cover Story
A rocky recovery
People are showing up at Gateway Foundation sicker than ever from drug and alcohol addiction because of various factors at play in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people with substance-use disorder who walk through the doors of Gateway’s Springfield Treatment Center begin to shut down physically and lose consciousness. That’s according to…
Insurance reform proposal fails
State Rep. Sue Scherer asked fellow lawmakers April 6 to vote for legislation she said would protect patients harmed by the contract dispute between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic. Scherer, D-Decatur, whose 96th House district includes parts of Springfield’s east side and eastern Sangamon County, was unsuccessful in securing passage…
The taxman cometh for your virtual yard sale
Death and taxes remain certainties, and in Illinois, the latter has become more certain than ever. This tax season marks the second year that the Land of Lincoln has targeted the gig economy by requiring companies that process digital payments – think PayPal or Venmo – to report payments at thresholds below what the Internal…
Editor’s note 04-07-22
It makes a lot of sense what Zelensky said, even though commentators dismissed it as fog of war. He said the U.N. should remove Russia and its veto from the Security Council and, if that doesn’t work, abolish the council. “The main thing is today, it’s time to transform the system, the United Nations,” he…
The doctor will see you now – wherever you are
If you won’t go to the doctor, the doctor may end up coming to you. Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine is targeting underserved communities by bringing health screening teams to churches as well as community organizations that primarily serve Black and other minority communities. “We’re trying to establish a partnership. And most importantly, we’re…
Letters to the editor 04-07-22
REJECT PRIVILEGE I read with interest Scott Reeder’s article regarding white privilege (“Leading a privileged life,” March 31). I am sure at some points I, too, have been privileged in this way, but I don’t want to perpetuate this social imbalance, either. I think one way we can end this treatment is by not accepting…
Dems attack Irvin’s past as a criminal defense attorney
As you probably already know, the Democratic Governors Association recently launched a TV ad blasting Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin for claiming to be a crimefighter while having defended dangerous criminals as a defense attorney. “Richard Irvin’s real record on crime?” the DGA ad begins. “For 15 years, Irvin has been a defense lawyer, profiting…
Guilty by association
Defending the accused shouldn’t be a mark of shame. But in the world of politics, there may not be a more loathsome creature than a criminal defense attorney. I’ve been thinking about that these past few weeks as I watched Republican senators attack U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and Democrats assail Illinois GOP…
A network without a net
Yesterday, I was provided the opportunity to testify before the Illinois House of Representatives State Government Administration Committee on the impact of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’ termination of Springfield Clinic as an in-network provider for thousands of individuals and families throughout central Illinois. These are some of the patient stories I was…
These pear trees are pretty but problematic
Spring has sprung in Springfield. Redbud, dogwood, magnolia and other flowering trees are, or soon will be, in bloom. One flowering tree dominates the streetscape along many major streets and downtown. Although their prolific white blooms may appear pretty, ornamental pear trees have become a huge problem. They have been overplanted, spread easily and can…
Baseball is back
After a winter of discontent during which Major League Baseball owners locked out the players and essentially shut down the off-season activity that baseball fans know as the “hot stove” league, major league baseball has returned with a hard-charging one month spring training and a season that opens April 7. Here in Springfield the off-season was…
Matzo for Passover
Signs of spring are everywhere. In addition to spring flowers and chocolate, large displays of matzo have appeared in grocery stores just in time for the Passover holiday, which begins April 15 at sundown. Passover commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from slavery and lasts for eight days in the diaspora. The Seder meal is a culinary…
Music from Marty, Honey and EDA
Here comes some April fun, with famous folks, new venues, regular places, familiar faces and lots more happening this week in the Springfield music scene. Sit back and read up on it, then be sure to get out and take it all in as the weather warms and the action grows. Here’s a heads up…
Sharp Knives is a thriller, Ambulance is inane, Metal Lords short on details
Ambulance profoundly stupid One of the reasons Phillip Morris was finally held liable for their manufacturing and distribution of cigarettes was that it was proved that they knowingly produced and promoted a product that was harmful to the user. The same argument could be made against Universal Pictures and their new film, Ambulance. Surely, they…
