Cover Story
Best films of 2022
In looking back at past year-end lists, more times than not, embarking on such an enterprise proved difficult because there were simply too many quality films to consider. Having anywhere from 20-30 exceptional movies was an embarrassment of riches and winnowing them down to a final 10 representing the best of the best was an…
Emergency workers face murder charges
Family members of a 35-year-old Springfield man who died in December say they were glad two emergency medical service workers were charged with his murder after the pair allegedly put the man face-down on a stretcher and applied straps so tightly that he suffocated. “They were professionally trained to avoid situations like that,” Aaron Cutler,…
Illinois Senate approves bill shielding state from sheriffs’ lawsuit
A bill hastily amended and approved Jan. 6 by the Illinois Senate would shield the state from a lawsuit in which sheriffs are trying to force the state to prevent mentally ill defendants from languishing in county jail for months without adequate treatment. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said the proposed changes in state law…
House advances assault weapon ban, Senate giving it ‘extensive review’
A bill that would ban the sale and manufacture of assault weapons in Illinois advanced out of the state House on Thursday, Jan. 5, and now awaits action in the Senate. The bill was prompted in large part by the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park during an Independence Day parade which left seven…
Two Black candidates for city council cite racial bias in removal from ballot
One of the two candidates for Springfield City Council whose names were knocked off the April 4 ballot because of an insufficient number of valid signatures on nominating papers has launched a write-in campaign. “It’s more of a long shot,” Ward 5 candidate Calvin Pitts told Illinois Times. “But just because they wanted me out…
Swiss Gruyère cheese, the real deal
Back in 1973, I was a student at the University of Illinois living seven miles off-campus in a trailer park in rural Champaign County. On my drive home from classes, I used to pass a little fromagerie appropriately named “The Cheese Store.” I was 20 at the time and was just beginning to learn about…
The 10 best scenes of 2022
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…
Hello to 2023 music
Howdy folks, and welcome to the New Year. This one is known as 20 and 23 in our Western world, just in case you’ve lost count. I’m a little bit in shock, even though I’m fully aware that time marches, leaps and crawls all while standing still, to see the numbers just keep moving on.…
Quality-of-life services
In keeping with its mission to serve senior citizens with non-medical services to promote independent living and enrich their quality of life, Senior Services of Central Illinois is offering a variety of classes, services and discounted travel opportunities for persons age 50 and older living in Sangamon, Logan, Mason and Menard counties. The offerings support…
Lawmakers advance state government pay raises, also Pritzker’s ‘closing fund’
Officials at the highest levels of state government appear set to receive substantial pay raises this month after the House and Senate passed a budget bill that would also advance a $400 million business incentive fund proposal pushed by Gov. JB Pritzker. Under the bill, lawmaker salaries would increase to $85,000 annually, up from just…
Editors note 1/5/23
It makes for a happy new year to welcome to Illinois Times our new intern from University of Illinois Springfield’s Public Affairs Reporting master’s degree program. He is Don Howard, 61, from Georgia. These days journalism as truth-telling attracts all kinds, so it isn’t unusual to find an atypical student reporter. Don is a former…
Mike Coffey to fill Butler’s House seat
Springfield restauranter Mike Coffey Jr. will fill the seat vacated by former state Rep. Tim Butler, Sangamon County Republican Chair Dianne Barghouti Hardwick has told Illinois Times. Coffey manages the downtown supper club Saputo’s Twins Corner, which is owned by his parents, and owns the west-side eatery Papa Frank’s. “As a business owner, he’s very…
Matilda is glorious, Babylon a flawed but worthwhile film, White Noise too effective
Weir a dazzling Matilda There are some films that come from out of the blue and take your breath away. Such is the case with Matthew Warchus’ Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of the successful London stage play, now streaming on Netflix. Not being familiar with the source material, I wasn’t prepared for the glorious…
Supreme Court sets March timeline for oral arguments in cash bail appeal
An appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of a state law that would end cash bail appears to be at least three months away from resolution under a new timeline approved by the court Thursday. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the agreed motion setting the timeline for the high court’s appeal of…
Final decision on cash bail delayed
Kankakee County Judge Thomas Cunnington set off a chaotic chain reaction Dec. 29 with his ruling that the General Assembly over-stepped its constitutional grounds when it voted to eliminate cash bail. Cunnington essentially said that a cash bail requirement, even though not specifically mentioned in the constitution, could be inferred; and that the General Assembly…
Riverton vet helps make movies historically accurate
A Riverton veterinarian had his hand in the creation of the recently released Civil War movie Emancipation, starring Will Smith. Karl Luthin, an equine practitioner who has provided historically accurate horse-drawn wagons for movie and television productions throughout the United States, said Emancipation is his latest endeavor. Will Smith plays an enslaved person who became…
freemartin poem
found out what a freemartin is today a heifer calf that’s the twin of bull twins are not common but when a bull and heifer are born together the heifer is a freemartin 9 out of 10 can’t give milk or calve – usually the farmer ships them both though the bull might be ok…
Letters to the editor 1/5/23
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- PREDATORY The article “Predatory lending or practical solution?” (Dec. 22) includes this statement: “The legislation would cap interest rates that pawn shops can charge at a 36% annual percentage rate.” So the pawn shop…
When politicians lie
Folks are wringing their hands over George Santos. He’s a liar. And he got caught. He said he graduated from college. He didn’t. He said he had fancy jobs at Goldman Sachs and Citibank. They say they’ve never heard of him. He said he was a successful real estate investor. He doesn’t own any property…
This year CWLP needs a new, community-led Integrated Resource Plan
As we close out another season of giving in Springfield, let’s give thanks for prior residents and leaders who left us a treasure – our municipally owned power plant. We, the people of Springfield – not Ameren, or any other company – run City Water, Light and Power (CWLP). It’s a time for fellowship too,…
