Cover Story
Construction season
Gloriastene and James Chappell had a hole filled in an exterior wall that was made by an errant bullet before it lodged itself in a living room couch while the couple were sleeping elsewhere in their east side home. Now retired from jobs with the state and factories, the Chappells have lived across the street…
Solar farm setbacks
The lawyer representing a solar development firm with state law on its side says the company is “evaluating all its options” after the Sangamon County Board, by a one-vote margin, turned down its proposed solar farm near a rural subdivision east of Springfield. Trajectory Energy Partners hasn’t yet decided whether to sue the county, apply…
Common-sense gun reforms needed
When I read about four adults and one child being killed last month in a shooting rampage in Cleveland, Texas, I just cringed. We live in a society where gun violence has become commonplace. Mass shootings have become weekly occurrences. During the first 18 weeks of 2023, our nation experienced 19 shootings that have each…
Democracy up close
Recently I had the opportunity to observe citizen engagement with members of Congress – the kind not typically seen on television. My husband, Randy Witter, and I were in Washington, D.C., for the University of Illinois System advocacy day. Teams representing all three University of Illinois campuses met with members of the Illinois congressional delegation.…
May music flows
Hello friends, and welcome to our continuing coverage of music happenings in our fair city and surrounding areas. As we slip into the second weekend of May, there’s a lot going on and lots to look forward to in the weeks ahead, so let’s get a-moving and a-grooving into it all. Fridays are always a…
Underground railroad conductor
This week the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation to create the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force. This bill was sponsored by 24 legislators from all parts of Illinois and from both sides of the aisle in both the House and Senate. The task force will be charged with connecting existing local projects and new projects…
Hold the anchovies
My wife is not a picky eater. She starts out her mornings with a forkful of my homemade kimchi, straight out of the jar, followed by a glass of my home-brewed lemon-ginger kombucha. She’ll eat roasted bone marrow, raw oysters, grilled octopus, and beef tongue tacos. At Enoteca Maria in Staten Island, she even shared…
Editor’s note 05-11-23
A friend who liked the old mayor told me he wasn’t so sure about this new mayor, not for any particular reason except he doesn’t know her well. I said I know but let’s give her a chance. It’s good to get new people involved, a new set of eyes on problems, a fresh approach.…
Springfield in the spotlight
Public television viewers across the country will soon learn what Springfield has to offer, thanks to a television feature hosted by actor Dennis Quaid. The Big Easy star hosts the Viewpoint Project, which specializes in short-form public television stories. Each story highlights specific industries, communities or topics around the world. Producers from the show reached…
Lefthanders skirmish in Loami
About 100 participants from as far away as Arkansas and Tennessee gathered at the Lefthanders Gun Club in Loami to show off their marksmanship with Civil War-era long guns. Teams dressed in uniforms worn by the Union and the Confederacy and represented regiments, such as the 2nd Wisconsin and the 56th Virginia, which saw action…
Letters to the editor 05-11-23
DOING BETTER Reading about how our community comes together to support one another, in the midst of difficult times, brings hope that better times lie ahead (“The micropantry movement,” May 4). Springfield is extremely fortunate to have community leaders and volunteers who make certain that we are doing better by each other each and every…
Ron Dougan writes his kids 03/25/1960
Ron Dougan writes his kids 03/25/1960 “Dear kids, do you know Plainfield? There’s an area near there where prairie chickens mate every year. They are nearly extinct but are making a comeback in this sand country. A naturalist couple keeps records. The cocks have their personal strutting areas and respect each other’s territories. After much…
Appropriate conclusion for Guardians 3, Crater is misguided, Michael J. Fox Movie a profile in courage
Guardians 3 a fitting conclusion Though darker than its predecessors, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a more than satisfactory conclusion to the outlier trilogy of the Marvel Films Universe. More than anything, this is Rocket’s story (voice by Bradley Cooper) as we finally become privy to just how he came to…
A video tribute to Springfield’s ballpark
BASEBALL | Stuart Shiffman One day during his tenure as general manager of the Springfield Sliders, Darren Feller was working outside Robin Roberts Stadium when a car with two occupants pulled up to the facility. Feller visited briefly with the driver and was then introduced to the passenger, the man after whom the stadium was…
State senator goes viral for comment on unrest in Chicago
My associate Isabel Miller recently interviewed Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, about the national controversy he found himself in after posting a statement on Twitter. I thought I’d share it with you this week. Here’s Isabel… A few weeks ago, Sen. Robert Peters posted a tweet that he knew would generate backlash. What he didn’t know…
Our chance for all Illinois kids to have books at home
There’s a literacy crisis plaguing the state’s under-resourced communities — rural, urban and suburban alike. Many thousands of Illinois kids show up for the first day of kindergarten without the basic reading skills they need, very often because they’re growing up in homes where there are no books. Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed 2024 budget contains…
