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Fall Guide 2022
An unseasonably cool August makes it easy to start thinking about bonfires and pumpkin spice. Our annual Fall Guide has tips on where to find the best pumpkin farms, haunted houses, Oktoberfests, camping sites and more, plus a three-month calendar of events. Related Related Related Related Related Related Related Stories
Special session on abortion appears unlikely
Back in early July, after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Gov. JB Pritzker and the two Democratic legislative leaders, House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, issued a joint statement, which in part said: “We plan to work closely together for the remainder of the summer to assess every possibility…
A mysterious motive
A New Berlin man who admitted to pointing a handgun at state Sen. Elgie Sims as the two were driving separate vehicles in Springfield in March 2021 was sentenced to nine months of probation on Aug. 17. Sangamon County Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin accepted Michael L. Hoyle’s guilty plea to aggravated assault, a misdemeanor. State’s…
apple harvest poem
one fall during the great depression the apple orchard was overloaded every tree groaned under its burden family, help ate apples applesauce apple pie apple brown betty still too many apples grampa took a large wagon we kids spent hours pitching in apples till the van was almost full then grampa hitched it up drove…
Letters to the editor 8/25/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- EXPAND IT Let the craft-grow businesses expand all over the state (“Green growth,” Aug. 18). Have you seen what Colorado and California have done? No need for high taxes, either. If you allow places…
A central Illinois thriller movie
Central Illinois filmmaker Ash Hamilton had written a script and was ready to begin shooting in 2020 when everything was turned upside down by the pandemic. He realized that his plans needed to be altered, and he had to learn how to pivot. “With the script I had written, complications occurred and basically, my idea…
Door County in the fall
Travel experts traditionally tout New England as the place for seeing fall’s color explosion, but you can experience the joys of autumn much closer to home. Just head north for a long weekend to the tip of Wisconsin’s thumb, Door County. The county topped USA Today’s list of 10 best places to see fall foliage…
The last study of Lake 2
The Springfield City Council recently approved another $285,000 for yet more studies on the city’s favorite 50-year-plus boondoggle, Lake 2. At the council meeting, Alderman Gregory asked the best, most obvious question: Is this the last of these endless studies? His question drew laughter, for we know the answer. Why more studies? The mayor and…
Have a fall camping adventure
Fall is the perfect season to take in the great outdoors. If the crisp kiss of autumn has you dreaming of a campfire and s’mores, you won’t have to go far or break the bank to get your wish. Carey Smith outlined many of the closest campground options in a recent issue of IT (“Camping…
One nation under God?
A new term is seeping into the American lexicon called “Christian nationalism.” It’s a misguided belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. I’ve read the original writings of many of our founding fathers, and this notion is just nonsense. Thomas Jefferson used his razor to redact portions of the Bible that…
Happy hauntings
Terror on the Square is a long-standing tradition that returns to the Petersburg square this year, 119 S. Seventh St. Set in a 1930s funeral home, this haunted experience in Petersburg features old-school ghouls as well as creative illusions in this 12-13-minute event. The scare level is considered medium and is recommended for ages 10…
Autumn brews
There’s lots of anticipation for pumpkin spice, cool autumn days and Oktoberfest, and that’s great, but let’s not rush summer – let’s savor it. It’s perfect beer garden weather, so celebrate with some fine, local craft brews. Here are just a couple of breweries to wet your whistle. Across the street from the Lincoln Home…
Fun fall family activities
Fall is a special time of the year for family-friendly activities and enjoying the outdoors. After a busy school and work week, stay close to home and make lasting family memories at any of the following area pumpkin farms or fall attractions. Bomke’s Patch 605 County Lake Road, Springfield Bomke’s is open for the fall…
Fall events calendar
Ongoing Carillon concerts Sundays, 2pm and 4pm. Wednesdays, 12pm. Spend an afternoon in the park and listen to master carillonneur, Carlo van Ulft, and assistant carillonneurs play a variety of music, from original carillon compositions to arrangements of popular classics and pop music. Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon, 1740 W. Fayette Ave., 217-306-1838. Rochester Farmers Market Second…
Editors note 8/25/22
The Springfield air was full of possibility this week as children and teachers returned to school, all vowing to make this year better than the one before. New outfits, backpacks and planners marked determination for success. New buildings, furniture and paint throughout District 186 showed children and educators that the rest of us are willing…
Baking with Bundt, an American classic
Now considered an American classic, the original Bundt pan was designed by Minnesota-based Nordicware in 1950. The aluminum ring-shaped cake pan with fluted edges was an updated version of a cast-iron pan used to bake Gugelhupf, a traditional yeast-leavened cake common throughout central and eastern Europe. Nordicware’s updated version was lightweight and allowed for even…
Driving while Black
As Billie Dent drove her Dodge Charger down East Cook Street in Springfield three weeks ago at dusk, she saw a police car do a U-turn behind her. The Virden woman checked her speedometer, but she wasn’t speeding. Her Dodge Charger was souped up with fancy wheel rims and a custom paint job. But she…
Blues and beyond
Now that the 2022 Illinois State Fair is in the rearview mirror, we can turn our attention back to the local scene without interruption from the large, but fairly pleasant, north-end ruckus. I spy the most consistently popular downtown festival, plenty of offshoots from the fest and an assortment of music-making goodies going on around…
Island Grove United Methodist turns 200
Island Grove United Methodist Church is celebrating its 200th birthday Aug. 28. The church is one of the oldest in the area, established only four years after Illinois became a state. Surrounded by Woodwreath Cemetery, founded in 1872, the church is in a picturesque setting on Old Jacksonville Road about 13 miles west of Springfield.…
Changes coming to Lincoln Library
Summer Beck-Griffith’s five-year plan for Lincoln Library is ambitious. It includes replacing all 67 of the library’s public computers, which she said are “incredibly outdated,” displaying exterior murals by local artists, starting up a digital content-creator studio, modernizing the building’s internet infrastructure, launching a bookmobile and renovating the youth-services department. Beck-Griffith, who became acting director…
Breaking a career-best performance, Audrey soothes the soul, Funny Pages takes risks
Boyega dominates Breaking John Boyega gives a career-best performance in Abi Damaris Corbin’s Breaking, a fact-based hostage drama that puts the plight of neglected veterans in the spotlight. As former Marine Brian Brown-Easley, a wounded warrior, the actor keeps us riveted throughout as his character is pushed to the breaking point due to indifference from…
A need for more nurses
A section of the former Shop ‘n Save grocery store on Springfield’s north end will be used to train Illinois State University nursing students beginning in August 2023. Almost 10,000 square feet of the property at 200 North Grand Ave. W. will be renovated through a partnership between Memorial Health and the Mennonite College of…
Lincoln foundation reboots
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation has reinvented itself as the Lincoln Presidential Foundation with an expanded mission related to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. On April 1, 2021, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) severed its relationship with the foundation. As a result, the foundation no longer serves as the…
