Cover Story
Closure
David Metcalf grew up in and around MacMurray College. His father was a long-serving faculty member at the east- side Jacksonville institution, and his great-great-grandfather was one of the college’s most successful presidents. When it came time to pick a college to attend, Metcalf naturally chose MacMurray. But there won’t be any more Metcalfs attending…
Four fine black-owned restaurants
Black-owned businesses are cornerstones of Springfield’s culinary heritage. From beloved establishments that have been passed down through the generations to fresh, new upstarts, these restaurants nourish Springfield’s soul. Here are short profiles of four of Springfield’s several Black-owned restaurants, a sampling of what the city has to offer eaters. Many of these businesses have tirelessly…
Jerome keeps questionable cop
Public officials in Jerome don’t want to talk about the village employing a police officer who quit the Riverton Police Department after a video caught her looking the other way while a fellow officer head-butted a suspect in a drunken driving case inside the police station. Tricia Langan resigned from the Riverton department in February,…
State Fair canceled
The Illinois State Fair is canceled. The announcement from the state concerns both the fair in Springfield as well as the Du Quoin State Fair. Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder had said he hoped there would be a way to go forward with some agricultural aspects of the fair. Along those lines, the Department of Agriculture…
Working in solidarity
George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade are only the most recent names added to a long list of black men, women, and LGBTQI people who have become victims of racial violence. It is not a struggle that is new for today. It is a burden and pain felt since the founding of…
Con air
You can go far in this world with cojones and a cellphone. Ask Chase Brown, who stands accused of frauds that span the nation. Marks provided credit card numbers and cash and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods while Brown chartered planes, according to a grand jury indictment issued last week. Prosecutors say…
Editor’s note 6/11/20
We who have had long experience with police, and have seen their good sides and bad, having watched them overreact and underreact, can understand those who want to “defund” the police and start all over again. It would be good to have social workers respond to domestic violence calls and drug rehab specialists to call…
pandemic poem #3
my friend who works at a grocer’s bakery counter tells me he aspires to be gentle, sympathetic with the customers during this covid crisis “People tend to be very emotional about their cakes and doughnuts.” 2020 Jacqueline Jackson
Letters to the editor 6/11/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. FEELING SAFE YET? The survey that asked Sangamon County residents how they felt heading into Phase Three of the governor’s reopening plan included a question about when you would feel safe, which seems odd (“Will…
Hundreds march in Taylorville
Chadwick Workman attended his first demonstration less than a week before organizing his own. Like many young adults, he’s been moved to act in the wake of another highly publicized police killing of a black man. The Taylorville show of unity against racism on Thursday, June 4, brought out hundreds of people who marched to…
Cleanup time
Springfield aldermen say it’s time to get tougher on scofflaws who don’t mow lawns, clean up garbage and otherwise ignore ordinances aimed at keeping the city looking nice. A proposal sponsored by Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer would hit offenders with fines even if they clean up their acts before administrative court dates. Too often,…
Nighy salvages a spotty Sometimes
Sometimes a performer’s sense of charm and charisma can salvage a sketchy script. Such is the case with Carl Hunter’s Sometimes, Always, Never, a slight dramedy that at its core has a reasonably interesting premise, yet is sorely in need of a nip here and a tuck there. Be that as it may, this well-meaning…
Jumping into June music
Here we go a-recovering from a necessary (I truly believe) shelter-in-place order, and as we work to make it all work out the best we all can, you can feel the release that live music allows performers and listeners to experience. Here’s to those helping make this transition happen in a safe and careful way…
Go anywhere. Learn anything.
Leave it to the librarians to find ways to keep us informed, entertained and engaged during a pandemic. When they had to close their doors to their patrons, they did not skip a beat and immediately began to offer ways to help us continue to discover our world, connect with others and get inspired. While…
Officials in Springfield join protests
It was a hot weekend, with temperatures rising to the 90s, and there’s still a pandemic. And yet, hundreds marched again in Springfield. On Saturday, June 6, Jaala Smylie stood before a crowd outside the Capitol building, having successfully coordinated another large rally. It was a crowd diverse in age and background, similar to those…
Capital Cast
Capitol News Illinois · Perspectives on Progress: Rep. Marcus Evans
