Cover Story
Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners
Phillip Merritt’s dementia is so advanced he’s lost the ability to speak. But with the help of his cellmates at Western Illinois Correctional Center, the 71-year-old still manages to get on the phone with his brother every few weeks. “He has to have someone call me, and then I don’t know what to say to…
State’s Attorney Dan Wright a candidate for judge
Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright is among seven candidates vying to be appointed to an associate circuit judge vacancy created by the July 23 death of Matthew Mauer. And former State’s Attorney John Milhiser, Wright’s former boss when Wright was an assistant state’s attorney, is now working for Wright as an assistant state’s attorney…
Letters to the editor 9/28/23
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- INVEST IN ALL KIDS The principal of St. Patrick’s Catholic School says it will be able to survive without the Invest In Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program, but wants the program to continue so…
Pritzker defends denials of medical release requests
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker defended the number of dying and disabled prisoners released under a landmark law that went into effect early last year at a news conference Aug. 31. “The Coleman Act is, in fact, being carried out as it should be,” Pritzker told reporters in response to an Injustice Watch and WBEZ investigation,…
Echoes of Yesteryear at Oak Ridge Cemetery
The annual Echoes of Yesteryear Oak Ridge Cemetery walk, sponsored by the Sangamon County Historical Society, has become a popular Sunday event every October. This year the date is Oct. 1. Actors in period costume will portray seven prominent citizens from Springfield who are buried at the beautiful cemetery. Park near the bell tower. Board…
The Niceties, a campus clash of ideas onstage
“It takes work to not be a bad person…you can’t just be the least bad person in a lineup and call yourself good.” That line, according to one of the actors, stands as a powerful summation of the struggle faced in a provocative new play currently running at the UIS Studio Theatre. The two-act, two-character…
Cheeseburger in paradise
Cold weather is just around the corner, and I’ll miss being able to cook outside. My favorite way to cook most foods is open-air grilling over wood or charcoal. Elizabeth Karmel agrees: “Grilling is the best way to cook, bar none. There is no other cooking technique that gives you this much flavor for your…
September music moves
Here we are wrapping up another month of mighty music-making as we slip on into October for the year of 20 & 23 or the Year of the Rabbit in Chinese culture or 5784 in the recently started Jewish new year. But all that matters not, for we are not here to do a thing…
Celebrate with German food, music and more
Germany’s traditional Oktoberfest celebration has spread worldwide with events happening from this week until early next month. Chatham is no different. The Chatham Jaycees host their traditional(ish) celebration in the village for a 10th year this Saturday. On tap this year are German food, beer and music as well as more than 25 vendors, a…
The death of checks
“Paper checks are dead and cash is dying.” When I read that headline in the Washington Post last week, I cringed. According to the Post article, back in 2000, six out of 10 non-cash payments were made with a paper check. Today it is 1 in 20. Or consider this: 57% of Americans haven’t written…
It Lives Inside an effective horror film, save yourself from No One Will Save You
Lives a cautionary tale of assimilation A bracing cautionary tale about the dangers of assimilation, Bishal Dutta’s It Lives Inside draws on Indian culture to create one of the more thoughtful and effective horror films of the year. Deft and subtle, this low-budget affair embraces its threadbare aesthetic, stumbling only at the end when Dutta…
Editors note 9/28/23
I gave my new friend a ride to Dollar General but when he asked for $10 I said no. “Thank you for your candor,” he said, no big deal. We’re finding new ways to describe those who are “unhoused” and “experiencing homelessness” because it’s a reminder that those in that circumstance are not alike, though…
Blight brigade
The city of Springfield is hosting a program Oct. 7 designed to target 55 neighborhood blocks deemed to be in need of extra attention from municipal departments. The targeted area was identified using police data on where gunfire is most often detected and public works information on areas receiving the most complaints for problems such…
Momentum after many delays
Ceremonial shovels turning over dirt Sept. 20 signaled the start of construction for a $67 million sports complex that city officials said will make Springfield a popular destination for young people competing on traveling athletic teams from throughout the Midwest and beyond. “This puts Springfield on the map for sports tourism,” Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher…
Springfield Clinic to be major sponsor
Springfield Clinic’s name and logo will appear on the inflated dome of a 190,000-square-foot structure for indoor practices and competitions at Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. That name recognition for the clinic, one of the largest multispecialty medical groups in Illinois, is just one part of its involvement as the park’s official Health and…
Incendiary Incident
At the small college I attended a big thing was made of “Homecoming” erever it fell during the season. The football game had its emphasis but mainly the festivity was of parties and dances and especially a celebratory bonfire: The year I was a freshman it was a momentous occasion for students hauled in from…
