Cover Story
REGEN – Grownups getting stronger
The articles presented in our special section beginning on page 14 constitute the winter edition of REGEN, for “Grownups getting stronger.” Published quarterly by Illinois Times since 2020 as a standalone magazine, REGEN has highlighted active and energetic seniors (who don’t like being called seniors). The first issue explained, “We reject the notion that older…
Choice
When my second child was perhaps five she would present me with “which would you rather?” Such as, being eaten by a hungry grizzly bear, or having my hand nailed to a board with black widow spiders swarming on it? I would answer I really didn’t want either! She would reply, “Yes, but what would…
Letters to the editor 12/11/25
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES Sangamon County has already been bought and sold on the data center by CyrusOne, and the public hearing was a joke. The project is being rushed forward on the basis of info overwhelmingly…
Coach and caregiver connect
Latasha Friarson is a caregiver with Abcor Home Health. For the past several months she’s been assisting Mike Suhadolnik, a health and fitness coach, to be more independent after a fall a year ago. Friarson goes to Suhadolnik’s home Monday-Friday, three hours each day. Having a caregiver does not come naturally for Suhadolnik, and he…
Old friends
George King and Dick Bilinsky didn’t know each other until they and their wives moved into Concordia Village around the same time in 2023. The couples happened to join each other at dinner one night and, as George says, “We just clicked.” Bilinsky adds, “I knew we were going to be friends when George revealed…
Mysteries of central Illinois
Sports, mystery, intrigue – two local authors have recently published novels that have similar ingredients but different themes. Mitchell’s book, Theory Markspurn, takes readers deep into the world of volleyball. Those who know little about the sport will quickly learn terms and rules. Mike Stutz, in his novel Murder in Athens (pronounced Ay-thens), spins a…
A museum for the right to vote
When El Paso, Illinois, high school history teacher Michael Melick decided to have his advanced class focus on local history, he didn’t predict it would result in a museum devoted to voting rights in this heart-of-corn-country town, population 2,730. El Paso is north of Bloomington, 87 miles from Springfield. But while Melick initially may not…
Panna cotta
Panna cotta is a chilled dessert that manages to be simultaneously rich yet delicate and perfectly elegant while still economical and make-ahead friendly. Hailing from the northern Italian region of Piedmont, the name panna cotta literally translates to “cooked cream,” though in reality it spends very little time on the stove. The preparation is simple…
Put on a happy face
Bye Bye Birdie is a satirically corny, upbeat and schmaltzy musical waxing nostalgia about the 1950s. The show was a hit on Broadway when it debuted in 1961 and only grew in popularity with the release of the 1963 Ann-Margret film. It delivers a hefty songbook of toe-tapping tunes including “How Lovely to be a…
December-ing music
‘Tis the season to be whatever works for your holidays, but it is most definitely “the season” as ubiquitous decorating, non-stop shopping and most importantly to us, literal live music permeates the landscape with complete abandon. The aforementioned season, as the song says, only comes once a year so let’s get out and see what…
Play portrays historic Christmas Eve moment during Civil War
This play by Ken Bradbury is set on Christmas Eve, 1864, in the White House. President and Mrs. Lincoln (Randy Duncan and Pam Brown) are visited by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (Dennis Rendleman) as they await news from Gen. Willliam T. Sherman’s army. Sherman’s army has not been heard from since it left Atlanta, Georgia,…
Springfield gets a city planner, again
The city of Springfield has hired Suraksha Bhandari as its new professional planner, bringing a blend of international experience, architectural training and research-driven urban planning to city hall. Bhandari comes to Springfield from Salt Lake City, where she completed a master’s degree in city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah and worked in…
Former emergency medical workers to be tried separately
The two ambulance workers charged with first-degree murder in the 2022 death of Earl Moore Jr. will be tried separately, a Sangamon County judge has ruled. Circuit Court Judge Robin Schmidt on Dec. 2 granted the request from both defendants, Peter Cadigan, 53, and Peggy Finley, 47, both of Springfield. The former employees of LifeStar…
Wake Up Dead Man captivates while Merv fails to inspire
Johnson, Craig continue to delight with Dead Man One of the aspects in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movies that elevates them above other films of that ilk is the social commentary he manages to weave into them. The first entry was a sharp examination of class in America, xenophobia and the predatory attitudes the haves…
