Source: Milhiser could be next U.S. attorney
Sangamon County state’s attorney John Milhiser could be in the running to become U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, a source says. Milhiser, a Republican doesn’t deny that he’s interested in the Springfield-based post now held by James Lewis, a Democrat who has announced that he will retire effective Dec. 24. Milhiser wouldn’t…
Still counting . . .
An update on the issue I raised here and here: The U.S. presidential vote is still being counted. As of December 6, Hillary Clinton leads by 2.6 million votes, which is 2 percent of the total. Donald Trump’s share is 46.2 percent. Kevin Drum notes, “Aside from the obviously corrupt election of 1876, no winning candidate in…
Powerful “Moonlight” a Timely Tale of Lost Youth
Riding a wave of positive buzz provided by the many film festivals where it was greeted with numerous accolades, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight arrives in theaters with the onus of not only having to live up to the hype but also breaking a losing streak where independent features are concerned. Thankfully, the movie delivers all we’ve…
Fair and just
Readers who share my dismay at the ways that the structure of our national political system frustrates the will of the majority have a sympathetic ear in blogger Jason Kottke, who offers links to useful video lessons in how the system works, or rather doesn’t work. As Kottke says, Fairness and justice should not be…
Not the pick of the litter
Among the original items in Mr. Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda (he counts 44, I get a little more than a dozen) are several sensible reforms that the saner Democrats ought to at least be talking about. Alas, according to today’s news accounts, the governor he has settled on the two dumbest as his conditions for approval…
Country blues
Looked at in one way – actually, looked at in several ways – Donald Trump’s win was the revenge of the countryside against the city. While the billionaire common man couldn’t carry Illinois, he did prevail in every county outside greater Chicago. He did least well in the most urbanized counties, but very well indeed…
Bing bing, bong bong, bing bing
What an election year. I feel like I’ve been transported through a cosmic squirrel hole and into a baffling political universe where facts are fiction, bizarre is normal and corruption is a virtue. Since I can’t yet conjure up the deep meanings (or lack thereof) in this year’s national vote, I’ll offer instead a reflection…
Letters to the Editor 12/1/16
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE Thank you for putting out specific steps, especially local actions, that are key in addressing the rapidly shifting climate on this planet. (“Perishing planet,” Nov. 24, illinoistimes.com)I would suggest that every week Illinois Times make a place for a watchdog column that informs local citizens as to how they can support action on…
Editor’s note 12/1/16
As Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly get closer to a deal to bail out Exelon’s money-losing nuclear power plants, there is not a peep heard in the Prairie State about the dangers of nuclear power. As the world was reminded by Fukushima in 2011, accidents can release deadly radiation, poisoning the environment.…
A woman’s visceral reaction to Trump
During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump said many things that were not entirely true. Whether he actually believed everything he said is difficult to know. Numerous women accused him of sexual harassment. While campaigning in Pennsylvania in October, Trump was widely quoted as saying, “Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign.…
Christmas characters come to life
See scenes and characters from beloved holiday stories come to life during “A Storybook Christmas” in downtown Hillsboro. The two-day holiday celebration hosted by Imagine Hillsboro runs 5-9 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. on Saturday. Meet beloved characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, the conductor of the Polar Express, Rudolph,…
Elvis is in the building
For an unforgettable holiday show celebrating the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, don’t miss Joseph Hall’s “Elvis Rock ’n’ Remember Christmas Show” on Friday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m., at The Legacy Theatre. This powerful tribute concert showcases the roots of Elvis’s musical career from rock ‘n’ roll to country, pop, rhythm and blues, gospel, and…
Tulle time
A female friend of mine wanted to get married but her boyfriend was resistant. He’d been married before with disastrous results. He eventually married her – not because he wanted to be married but because it meant so much to her. Initially, she felt bad about this. She had to give up her romantic dream…
Sustainably suited up
The trouble with winter is that staying warm in the cold weather calls for lots of gear, and all of our manufacturing, selling and consuming takes a toll on the planet we call home. Here are a few thoughts on how to be smarter and what to watch for as you look to dress yourself…
Mansion hosts exhibit by Springfield’s Nigerian artist
On Nov. 21, the Illinois Executive Mansion hosted an artist’s reception for Olu-Jimi Adeniyi of Springfield, resident artist for the Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum. The exhibit, which completed its run on Nov. 26, is intended to be the first of many to grace the mansion’s gallery once renovations are completed sometime in…
Star-studded books you need on your shelf
From reality stars to Internet sensations, the celebrity-penned book is a must-have this year. No matter what the genre, you’ll have everything you need for the celebrity-lover on your list. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, by Amy Schumer The star of Trainwreck and Inside Amy Schumer just released her debut memoir, filled with…
Go big and go home
First there was the smartphone; now there is the smart house. More and more household appliances are going high-tech every year, bringing fresh efficiency and ease of use to the table. These futuristic gadgets aren’t your everyday holiday gifts, but they’re sure to become a daily source of enjoyment for all who use them. From…
The best gift ideas of the season
Holiday gifts these days are a little more involved than a pair of socks or pajamas, what with drones and all, so it’s not too early to draw up your shopping list. And while you’re shopping for everyone else, why not treat yourself too? Here’s a round-up of must-have gifts for 2016: For herPlush velvet…
Innocent Decatur man released from prison
“It’s a great day and the journey’s just starting,” said a visibly emotional Charles Palmer of Decatur, surrounded by a jubilant crush of family and friends on Nov. 23. Palmer was released by the Illinois Department of Corrections on the day before Thanksgiving after spending 18 years wrongly imprisoned for the 1998 murder of William…
A fish tale
Randy Jones, who lives across the street from me, isn’t like a lot of people. Early last spring, he started digging in the front yard of the house he shares with his wife, Mary, and her mother, Sue Meyer. He spent weeks creating deep pits and long trenches with a shovel and wheelbarrow, a grey-haired…
LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALES
Historic sites in Springfield are gearing up for the holidays with events both somber and joyous. On Saturday at 1 p.m., veterans, friends and families will gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Oak Ridge Cemetery for the annual Christmas Remembrance at which the names of service members who remain missing in action or who…
Stars align for community Christmas tree
As a past president and founder of Downtown Springfield Inc., Dennis Bringuet of Ace Sign Company has been a big supporter of the organization’s community Christmas tree, which they erect each year in the Old State Capitol’s south plaza. Almost every year there have been logistical issues in getting an appropriate tree in place on…
Beatty out of step with Rules
I’m often asked if I have any favorite filmmakers or actors, and if I do, if I go easy on them in the reviews I write of their work. Personally, the opposite is true – if anything, I’m harder on them because my expectations for their work are higher. So, perhaps my hopes for Warren…
December doings
Welcome to our first “Now Playing” of December 2016. Yes, indeed, you read that right. We are fast approaching good-old two thousand and seventeen, with New Year’s Eve leading us into First Night Springfield and plenty of other celebrations to bring us off and running into the new year as prescribed by our Western European…
Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett
As their promo blurb says, these guys “are guitar players. In fact, they are guitar players with the legendary band Little Feat,” and from there, the blurb goes on describing the incredible careers of these pillars of rock music. Paul joined the famed band in 1972 as the rhythm guitarist behind Lowell George then stepped…
sides poem # 1
sides poem # 1 I’m sick of hearing there are twosides to everything there are threesides six a dozen a thousand and ifreally only two is each equally sound look at galileo look at tycho brahe lookat giordano bruno who said beforehe was roasted at the stake “therewas in me, whatever I was able todo,…
How to fall in love with Brussels sprouts
In his book Dave Barry’s Bad Habits, humorist Dave Barry describes his mother’s approach to a balanced diet: “For every food she served you that you could stand to eat, she served you another kind of food you could not stand to eat…if she served us something we really liked, such as hamburgers, she made…
