Cover Story
Crisis care beyond cops
During a pandemic that led many to grapple with grief, distress and isolation – and civil rights uprising against police brutality and systemic racism – a lack of support for those suffering from mental health distress became increasingly evident. There is a growing movement to create a mental health crisis response that doesn’t solely rely…
Mid-June music joys
Come along my friends, as we travel on through the first full week of Phase 5 in Illinois, allowing us to open up fully after pandemic precautions of the last year. And that’s truly a joy to see, as music fans and followers, as well as players and performers, experience live music in abundance again.…
Two predictable flicks, but Holler is full of originality
Hitman a loud bore I missed going to the movies. You know what I haven’t missed? Bloated action movies that don’t contain a single original idea, just a plethora of rote action sequences that are supposed to pass for entertainment. Case in point, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, a needless sequel that brutally reminded me of…
State task force considers changes for MLK statue
Members of the state’s task force on statues and monuments discussed ways to relocate the statue of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and improve the statue’s image in the context of King’s legacy in Illinois. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White testified June 9 during the task force hearing that the image…
Editor’s note 06-17-21
CWLP chief Doug Brown was right when he said in a recent interview that proposed energy legislation is shortsighted for focusing on the environmental goal of getting rid of coal, while ignoring other factors. Reliability, affordability, safety and nuclear waste should also be considered in planning the state’s energy future. But Brown is probably wrong…
Making it illegal for police to lie to kids
New legislation awaiting the governor’s signature to become law would prohibit law enforcement from using unethical interrogation tactics, such as lying and coercion, on Illinois youth 17 years of age and younger. The initiative was led by the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) in partnership with several Illinois advocacy and civil rights organizations. “In Illinois there…
Senate adjourns with no energy deal
The Illinois Senate adjourned Tuesday, June 15, without calling a comprehensive energy regulatory reform package for a vote. After adjournment, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, made a statement similar to one he made June 1 after the Senate failed to call an energy bill for a vote. “There are still some points of contention…
Strategizing against homelessness
Josh Sabo believes in the inherent dignity and worth of every person. He learned this while serving in ministry. Sabo was at Central Baptist Church for 15 years, including eight years as lead pastor, before devoting his energies to tackle homelessness in Springfield. He is the coordinator of Heartland Continuum of Care, which recently launched…
Punctuation mark patent approved
Abraham Lincoln may be Springfield’s most famous citizen to hold a patent. But, can Lincoln’s patent hold a candle to Dr. Eli Goodman’s patent of The Rhetoricon “The Rhetoricon punctuation mark is used at the end of a sentence, phrase, statement or comment that is both rhetorical and sarcastic; with or without a sense of…
Get the lead out of drinking water
Bipartisanship might seem like a quaint notion, but every so often we see it in real life. Late last month, the Senate voted 89-2 to pass Senator Tammy Duckworth’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA) of 2021, which authorizes five years of funding for our public water systems and expands programs to address lead…
Letters to the editor 06-17-21
NO MORE EXELON BAILOUTS Legislators should oppose Exelon’s current $700 million nuclear ransom demand. You can’t build an energy future by bailing out the past. Recent revelations that Exelon’s business partner, EDF, is curbing its enthusiasm for the creation of Exelon’s spin-off company should warn Illinois legislators about the danger of granting the recently proposed…
Speaker Chris Welch gets rave reviews
On Nov. 19 of last year, the number of Illinois House Democrats who had publicly stated they would not vote to reelect Speaker Michael Madigan grew from 12 to 17, meaning that Madigan at that point did not have enough votes to win. By Dec. 1, two more House Democrats, including a member of Madigan’s…
Cold salads for hot days
It’s been fiercely hot here the last few days, and when the sun bears down on the metal roof of the school bus that we call home, the temperature inside often tops 100 degrees. On days like these, I try to minimize putting any more heat into the bus while making dinner. These cold Asian-inspired…
