Cover Story
Best films of 2024
Not much changed from 2023 to 2024 where the world of consumer cinema was concerned. We got more of the same where studio output was concerned, movies continued to be far too long and just how to release a movie in the post-COVID streamer-domination era to ensure its success remains a mystery. There were big-budget…
An unclear process
Longtime Springfield alderperson Chuck Redpath was appointed city clerk Jan. 7 by a divided City Council after a raucous, two-hour-long meeting in which several council members and the public said the process was rushed, unfair and corrupt. The vote for Redpath was 5-3, with two alderpersons voting “present.” Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano wiped away…
Bill aims to reduce state requirements for name changes
Illinois lawmakers could consider easing requirements for residents to change their names, a move proponents say will reduce risks for victims of domestic abuse, transgender residents and others. The measure must clear the full Senate in the first week of January to reach Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk, otherwise it must go through the entire legislative…
Training for a future in technology
At the beginning of a new year, many of us are setting goals and making plans for the future. At Lincoln Land Community College, it is our mission to transform lives and strengthen our communities through learning. Learning is a pathway for us to reach those goals that we set for ourselves – throughout our…
State could adopt ‘kin-first’ approach to foster care
Illinois lawmakers could soon make it easier for children in foster care to live with their relatives or other people close to them. Child welfare experts have long touted the benefits of foster children staying with kin. Advocates say those arrangements offer children more stability, decrease the trauma they experience, improve their mental health and…
Illinois’ minimum wage increases to $15 an hour
The minimum wage in Illinois has increased to $15 an hour as of Jan. 1, completing a six-year transition period since the increase was approved in 2019. Illinois workers making minimum wage will see wages rise by $1 and tipped workers will see their paychecks bump to $9 an hour. Youth workers under 18 who…
The hacking of a soul
Things started out all right. I was working on an important task when, all of a sudden, a strange and surprising noise began to sound and a most unfamiliar message appeared on my computer screen! Then an “authoritative” voice warned me NOT to turn off my computer. I was then directed to follow the prompts…
2025 music is here
Yeah, I feel the same way as you do. How the heck did it get to be 2025 already? The last thing I remember was going to concerts promoted by Len Trumper at the Armory, and the next thing here we are fixing up the Armory, and it’s 50 years later. Oh well, all I…
Series returns to Springfield for 33rd year
Molly Schlich Film Series Preview Party Wednesday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. Springfield Art Association Main Campus 700 N. Fourth St. 217-523-2631 springfieldart.org Each year, the Springfield Art Association plays host to eight critically acclaimed films from around the world. The series was created by Molly Schlich, a local resident who was passionate about international films and…
Cultivate awe in the new year
I do not fancy myself a skilled prognosticator. However, I can make one prediction about 2025 with a high degree of certainty: It will be a turbulent year. Those of us who value justice, equity, racial and religious harmony and the welfare of animals and of our planet will be sorely tried in the struggle…
Letters to the editor 01-02-25
NO BACKGROUND Very glad they finally hired a city planner, which was much needed (“Springfield gets a city planner,” Dec. 12). But why hire someone with no degree, training or experience in the field? Tim Moore Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes PLANNER NEEDS EXPERIENCE The key is that he lacks experience in planning. He doesn’t need to have…
Goin’ Down To Narnia
(Chorus follows every verse, by students in a 1976 Fantasy Class) Wilbur and Charlotte and Templeton the rat; There goes Peter Rabbit with a beautiful white cat; From a distant asteroid came the Little Prince; Said we all must hurry now, a matter of consequence. Goin’ down to Narnia: just follow the yellow brick…
Best scenes of 2024
Movies are about moments – big moments that erase our cynicism about cinema and remind us of its capacity to dazzle as well as touch us. This happens in a way only possible with a medium that seamlessly combines so many other art forms. These are instances that prompt us to consider things in a…
Plant-powered weekday meals
In this fast-paced world, one thing is certain: The best diet is whatever works for you. Whether keto, paleo, Mediterranean, Weight Watchers, vegan or just old-school calorie counting, folks trying to improve their wellbeing almost universally need to increase their intake of fresh, nutrient-dense veggies while reducing their consumption of processed foods. However, anyone who’s…
Out in the cold
Unhoused people who stay at Helping Hands of Springfield’s shelter say they are forced to leave the building every day for an hour and sometimes two each afternoon, bundled up and shivering in the cold, while workers clean the building and then check clients back in again. Several clients said the situation existed even before…
SPD officers going to D.C.
The Springfield Police Department will send 11 officers to Washington, D.C. to protect Donald Trump during the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Police Chief Ken Scarlette, who received the invitation while attending a law-enforcement conference in Minnesota last month. “I made a contact with a couple of high-ranking individuals from the…
Making the county health building a one-stop shop
The Sangamon County Department of Public Health’s building on Springfield’s east side is on the brink of a multimillion-dollar renovation that could make services more accessible to residents. “We hope it’s a $6 million project,” said Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter. “And we hope that we will be able to do it entirely…
