Cover Story
Saving lives one pint at a time
Springfield resident David Butt has donated enough blood to completely fill 33 human beings. “After I retired, I made it my personal goal to be a maximum blood donor to the extent that my health would allow me to do that,” said the 71-year-old Butt, the former emergency management director for Springfield and Sangamon County. …
A better way forward for youth experiencing homelessness
“Every little thing I did, I felt like I was in their way, even breathing.” This statement, shared during a focus group by a young person in our community without stable housing who relied on relatives and acquaintances for a place to stay, highlights the emotional toll youth face as they try to meet their…
Don’t Say Good Luck realistic and moving, subplots derail Brink of War
Realism buoys Good Luck There are numerous ways a film like Don’t Say Good Luck could go wrong and yet director Julia Hart applies just the right touch to pull off this small miracle of a movie. Working from a script she co-wrote with husband Jordan Horowitz and first-time scribe Laura Hankin, the filmmaker handles…
The mail carrier, the grocery clerk and the barista
No, the next line isn’t “walk into a bar!” although creating such a joke might be an interesting challenge. What, then, is the relationship between these three? They each represent the kinds of relationships sociologists call “weak ties.” That is, the kind of casual relationships that don’t generally lead to strong emotional bonds, although they…
Welch discusses Benton investigation
House Speaker Chris Welch sat down for interviews with some selected reporters last week. He told most of them that his office had conducted an “informal investigation” into sexual harassment allegations against former Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) in 2023. Welch’s staff has not responded to our request for an interview (same goes for the Chicago…
Looking to the skies
No one who’s seen it is likely to forget it. I refer to the ending to Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind when the aliens’ mothership dropped from the sky to land on an isolated Wyoming butte. Imagine something that unexpected, that wondrous, landing in Sangamon County. Lots of people thought that wondrous…
Persistence pays for local writer
A new jukebox musical, featuring the music of the iconic artist Cher, is on a hopeful trajectory for possible off-Broadway or better yet, Broadway fame. Before you say “not another jukebox musical” and ask, “Isn’t there already a Cher show?” this one follows a very different plot and interesting origin story. Writer Mike Sheedy is…
Slurping through a heat wave
Buckwheat has been on my mind quite a bit this summer. For a recent cheese-themed dinner at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, my task was to prepare buckwheat crepes for the main course, serving two per plate for 80 guests. Working with buckwheat flour proved challenging, and it took a few failed attempts with a…
A historic undertaking
Springfield resident John Oxford once restored a 1,500-square-foot house built in 1903. He has now taken on a much bigger project as the new owner of the 8,600-square-foot red brick, Italianate mansion at Eighth and Cook streets, which was built in 1865. “This will be a much larger undertaking,” he said. “I’m newly married,…
Robust August music-making
As we gear up for the first full weekend of August, the live music scene is in full throttle mode. With the pedal to the metal, the race is on to get to the Illinois State Fair, but first, let’s take a pit stop for upcoming shows happening in the here and now. Thursdays will…
La Esquina del Movimiento
DANCE | Display those dance moves at downtown party Would you like to show your dance moves or learn how to dance? Here’s your chance to try some Latin dances including salsa, merengue and bachata. This free pop-up Latin dance party started last Saturday and will continue on Saturdays through Aug. 29. The event includes…
Identifying brownfield sites for redevelopment
The Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission is seeking public input as it begins assessing contaminated brownfields in areas that are difficult to redevelop after being awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The grant is scheduled to run from October through September 2030 and will be used initially to look at…
Police transparency
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a link to the Springfield Police Department’s live online data dashboards. A revamped “transparency” section on the Springfield Police Department website shows this year’s stunningly low rate of shootings as well as familiar clusters of violent crime and traffic stops on the economically disadvantaged east side. Mayor…
Letters to the editor
GREAT PROGRAM This sounds like a terrific program to offer non-traditional skills and emotional/spiritual support to those who struggle with addiction (“Creating a recovery movement,” July 16). Many art-related skills can help reduce stress and anxiety, which would be another benefit to those participating. If the desk (in the photo) that Rev. Margaret Ann Jessup…
Tizzathee
Radio introduction to Jackie’s writing show for kids: My co-teacher and friend said he long thought “Tizzathee” was the name of our country, for he sang My country Tizzathee in school. “Today let’s write on Tis of Thee, what it really means to you.” Linus says in Charlie Brown “I love mankind, it’s people I…
Thinking is part of the learning journey
Earlier this month, the Illinois State Board of Education released guidance on artificial intelligence for Illinois schools. The guidelines are needlessly complicated, repetitive and lacking substance. In a bit of self-parody, ISBE readily admitted to using AI to construct the 409-page word salad. The phrase, “teaching and learning are shaped by human relationships and by…
