Cammie Kelly declines to testify in day care death trial
A child murder trial that started last week looks ready to conclude tomorrow, following a short but intense defense. Cammie Kelly of Springfield was charged with aggravated battery and first degree murder following the 2011 death of 11-month-old Kaiden Gullidge of Rochester at the day care Kelly ran out of her home. Kelly’s trial started…
A mixed bag for defense in day care death trial
Day 4, morning An Oregon doctor who consulted on a child death investigation in Springfield faced blistering questions this morning in the fourth day of trial for an accused day care worker. Cammie Kelly, 68, of Springfield, is charged with aggravated battery and first degree murder in the 2011 death of 11-month-old Kaiden Gullidge of…
The recycling drop-off
PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Saving the world, even this very small part of it, is a tricky business in every sense of the word. Lake Area Disposal is closing its popular recycling drop-off center, at least for a while, after losing money on it for a couple of years. The closing of the drop-off…
Don Blankenship guilty
Jim Hightower PHOTO BY LARRY D. MOORE Don Blankenship didn’t get what he deserves in his federal trial, but he definitely deserves what he got. “Guilty,” declared all 12 West Virginia jurors who pondered the charge that this arrogant and avaricious CEO of Massey Energy Company willfully conspired to violate America’s mine safety laws. As…
Should the Cook County Democratic Party consider a state’s attorney endorsement?
PHOTO BY ALAN SOLOMON/TNS With growing numbers of black and Latino politicians calling for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to resign, it’s probably time for the county’s Democratic Party leaders to rethink their summertime decision not to endorse anyone in the primary. The incumbent state’s attorney is facing two Democratic primary challengers, Kim Foxx…
Letters to the Editor 12/10/15
A view of one of the shooters’ assault rifle on a curb, along with other evidence and markers, near their SUV and a damaged San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department patrol car on San Bernardino Avenue in San Bernardino, Calif., on Friday, PHOTO BY ALLEN J. SCHABEN/TNS WORKPLACE VIOLENCEIt appears to me that the terrorist…
Editor’s note 12/10/15
In this day and age, who in their right mind would want to start up and run a police department? The Springfield Park District, by all appearances. The district already has a department, but in name only, given that it has just three officers who can’t keep track of evidence or policies and procedures, let…
Report from Paris at halftime
PARIS – Join us as we stroll through Le Bourget Airport, site of Lindberg’s landing and now the Climate Conference. ( Aside: No, Illinois Times did not really send me to Paris.) Our first impression is the smell of French bread baking in special ovens constructed for the conference. Next, we are overwhelmed by people…
Historic homes for the holidays
Hosted by the Springfield Heritage Sites Coalition, the fifth annual “An Historic Christmas” event highlights six of Springfield’s most beloved historic sites. During the event, the sites open their doors for an afternoon of special tours, holiday cheer, activities, performances, crafts and more. Participating sites are the Lincoln Home, the Illinois Executive Mansion, the Elijah…
Deck the walls with gifted artwork
Gifted is a one-night-only contemporary art exhibition featuring artworks by the six talented leaders of The DEMO Project (Brad Balster, Brytton Bjorngaard, Shane Harris, Judah Johnson, Allison Lacher and Jeff Robinson). Each artist has created 20 works specifically for this show, with the intent of “gifting” each work to a member of the audience. The…
Big chords, big dreams, big hair
This weekend treat yourself or a loved one to a performance of the Springfield Theatre Centre’s production of Rock of Ages, the jukebox musical that features classic rock and glam metal hits from the 1980s. The soundtrack includes songs from Bon Jovi, Poison, Journey, Europe, Styx, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more. Rock of Ages…
Going scold turkey
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon I have a bad temper and I’m trying to change. Now when I’m mad, I leave the room to compose myself. Recently my boyfriend said something that really upset me. Taking a break allowed me to calmly explain that he’d hurt my feelings. He apologized, and I could tell…
Don’t raze the Thompson Center
PHOTO BY USER GRIDGE VIS WIKIPEDIA.ORG The state government center in Chicago is showing its age but should be revitalized instead of sold to developers, argues a respected architecture and urban planning observer. The James R. Thompson Center, just after noon on a weekday, is the liveliest of the government buildings clustered in the North…
Selling off Illinois
ILLUSTRATION BY JEN SORENSEN When Gov. Bruce Rauner announced plans in October to sell the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, he made a pitch worthy of his deal-making days in the private sector. “We’ve got to drive value for taxpayers,” the former private equity executive said as he asserted the building is ineffective for…
Chicago’s art museums add joy to the holidays
Lions by Edward Kemeys, 1893, greet visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago. The lions were a gift of Mrs. Henry Field. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO A wassailing bowl and a Yule log greet visitors in the Great English Hall, while mistletoe and garlands on the staircase decorate the Virginia Entrance…
Funny murder mystery
Mrs. Modine and the Case of the Haunted Halloween Séance. By D. Ann Johnson. ISBN 9781517140434. 206 pages. Available on Amazon or CreateSpace. Want to cozy up with a good mystery over the holidays? Meet Mrs. Modine! She’s a mature widow with a snoopy disposition and is the creation of Dency Grubbs, a Decatur author…
Trial of day care worker begins
ILLUSTRATION BY TNS A day care worker accused of killing a child in 2011 is on trial this week in a case that examines a hotly contested theory about certain child deaths. Cammie Kelly of Springfield is charged with aggravated battery and first degree murder for the death of 11-month-old Kaiden Gullidge of Rochester. While…
Park police riddled with problems
Former captain Jonathan Davis The Springfield Park District police department is fraught with problems, and the park board should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix them. That’s the conclusion of a consultant who was paid $12,000 to study the district’s troubled police department and recommend improvements to address deficiencies in recordkeeping, equipment, staffing,…
Paying the heat bill
PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Illinois lawmakers approved funding this week to help low-income families pay their heating bills this winter, narrowly averting a potential humanitarian crisis. The program, known as LIHEAP, was caught up in the state’s protracted budget impasse until social service agencies pleaded for help, although many have already turned people away…
DEAD CAT IN MUSEUM
Way back in the 1980s, archaeologists who excavated an ancient burial mound near Jacksonville found the remains of 22 people, plus an infant plus a puppy. Except it wasn’t a puppy. Thanks to someone at the Illinois State Museum, where the purported puppy was stashed for safekeeping, the remains have been identified as a bobcat…
RESET BUTTON
When the city of Springfield in 2014 forked out more than $1.5 million to buy the oversized block just north of the governor’s mansion, civic leaders, to borrow a phrase from The Trumpster, called it huge. A really, really big deal. This was going to be a crown jewel, a spark that would ignite downtown…
Medical records in focus on third day of trial for day care death
Day 3, morning To hear the prosecution in Cammie Kelly’s trial tell it, Kaiden Gullidge’s medical history is totally irrelevant to why the 11-month-old died in January 2011. For the defense, Kaiden’s conditions are the only factor worth considering. Kelly was charged with aggravated battery and first degree murder after Gullidge went unconscious and stopped…
Choppy Sea fails to engage
Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase in In the Heart of the Sea. PHOTO COURTESY Warner Bros. Pictures On Aug. 12, 1819, the whaling ship Essex left Nantucket with a fresh lease on life. Wanting to keep it operational as long as possible, the company that owned the ship had given it a complete overhaul and…
December doings
The Way Down Wanderers play Bar None on Thursday with Sunshine Daydream. As we continue into the season with a reason for holiday happenings, we somewhat curb the big events but keep the gigs going with plenty of good music to go around. Please pay special attention to the many benefit shows presented by our…
The Love Hogs
Playing only their second show in 15 years, the legendary Love Hogs return to a Springfield stage after coming out of a pen from the past to play the Downhome Music, Art & Beer Festival last year. Far from being a bore (or a boar?) the power trio of Keith Voegele (bass, vocals), Greg Patterson…
Spirited holiday desserts
Meyers rum. Desserts that include infusions of alcohol have been traditional for centuries. Perhaps because historically, celebrations were rare occasions for bountiful food, especially sweets and strong drinks. These days, for better or worse, celebratory occasions aren’t the only times many of us have the opportunity to overindulge. Regardless, the holidays (including but not limited…
wordspoem
hey guys how about a new acronymheard it from a psychologist friendI was trying to bring up a word itgot itself as far as my mouth thentangled with my teeth they wouldn’tlet go no matter how hard it flailedtongue lips no help at all I didmanage to hurl a few accessibleexpletives at this increasing irritantthe…
