Will Pritzker sign a modified nuclear bill?
Gov. JB Pritzker has taken some heat for vetoing legislation to eliminate the state’s decades-old moratorium on constructing new nuclear power reactors. Pritzker was asked about the topic again last week and he said he would sign a version of the bill if it limited new construction to only what are called Small Modular Reactors…
Annual outdoor blues festival on tap this weekend
This two-day, outdoor blues music festival offers something for everyone, from awesome blues tunes to mouthwatering barbecue delights such as ribs, pulled pork, brisket, wings and more. A dozen food vendors will be present. Don’t forget the craft brews and other thirst-quenching drinks to beat the heat. This year is the event’s 19th, and organizer…
Editors note 8/24/23
If you missed Brian Mackey’s interview on The 21st this week with the publisher of the Marion County Record, the Kansas newspaper that was raided by police Aug. 11, it is worth looking up at nprillinois.org. Eric Meyer, the publisher, has a broad perspective – honed by his two decades as a University of Illinois…
Grit. Grind. Goal: The journey to success
In the grand journey that is life, few paths are as transformative and rewarding as the pursuit of higher education. College serves as the hub where dreams are forged into reality, and the journey through it is often defined by a trio of virtues: grit, grind and goal. Lincoln Land Community College has two outstanding…
Diversity among doctors
Springfield’s medical school does better than about 90% of its peer institutions across the United States and Canada when it comes to the share of graduates who are Black and members of other underrepresented groups. But the dean and provost of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine said medical schools in the United States and…
Expanded training programs for in-demand jobs
Lincoln Land Community College has been awarded a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce for the expansion of programs that prepare candidates for in-demand jobs. In-demand jobs are those that pay a sustainable wage and offer a promising future based on the projected number of…
Growing the east side of Springfield
Yves Doumen says he traveled 6,500 miles west, across the Atlantic Ocean from his home country of Cameroon, to settle in Springfield six years ago to promote sustainable agriculture. “We have space here, but at the same time, where we have space is where people are struggling to find fresh, healthy food,” Doumen told Illinois…
What to be when (and if) you grow up
When I was approaching high school graduation (in the late 1900s as my teenaged son likes to say), I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. This existential question was daunting. I envisioned myself in a city, wearing suits and making money. Noble goals, right? I meandered through college having…
Pie poem
Us kids watched while our grandma rolled out pie dough on her kitchen table top. She’d place a cover atop a pie, snip the edges, gather the snippings into a disc, add this to the oven with all the pies, for this, we all knew, was Bounce’s pie. Bounce was her personal ill-tempered rat-terrier. We’d…
Watch out for recruiter scams
If you’re looking for a job opportunity and it seems too good to be true, maybe it is. There are fraudsters out there who wish to take advantage of the hard work you’ve put in to get to the next stage of your career. Employment scams rose from third riskiest in 2021 to second riskiest…
Letters to the editor 8/24/23
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. ENTREPRENEUR OF ADDICTION The front cover for the Aug. 3 issue featured Chris Stone as an entrepreneur promoting alcohol, gambling, and now, cannabis (“Springfield’s cannabis entrepreneur”). This is the description of an entrepreneur of addiction.…
Fall Guide 2023
This year’s Fall Guide highlights what’s new at the Springfield Mile, autumn activities at Illinois state parks, area haunted happenings, tips on planting a fall garden and much more, plus a three-month calendar of upcoming events for the whole family to enjoy. Related Related Related Related Related Stories
The missing portrait
As I stood on the Australian shore last month, I pondered the majesty of the Pacific, but when I looked down, I couldn’t help but think of Rod Blagojevich. There at Rex Lookout in the Australian state of Queensland stood a plaque that once identified the politician who made the scenic overlook possible. But an…
LinkedIn profile pictures: Tips to get you noticed
You only have one opportunity to make a first impression. A recruiter or hiring manager’s first perception of you may be based solely on what they see in your LinkedIn profile photo. Your professional image is important, even online. According to LinkedIn, simply having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed…
Say no to Hunter Lake
For 55 years, the city has neglected Lake Springfield, refusing to dredge in hopes of building Hunter Lake, an unneeded, expensive and environmentally destructive monument to the Langfelders’ legacy. It would destroy historical wetlands, hundreds of acres of mature forest, endangered species habitat, two streams and hundreds of acres of farms, eliminating nearly 10% of…
Historic event with a new twist
This year’s Springfield Mile will include all the thrill, drama and edge-of-the-seat dirt track racing that’s been a tradition since its early years as part of the American Motorcyclist Association national racing series that began in 1937. Integral to Springfield’s horse racing and motorsports community heritage, the oval track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, known…
Fall fun at Illinois State Parks
Brightly colored leaves floating through the air, campfire smoke curling into the cool, crisp evening air and such special events as tagging monarch butterflies and dressing in costumes make a perfect time to fall in love with Illinois state parks. Whether you opt to book a room at an historic lodge, set up a tent…
Haunted happenings
Whether you’re looking for something spooky to get you in the mood for Halloween or more extreme scares that will test your limits, there are plenty of options in central Illinois for both kids and adults. Springfield-area activities Aristocracy Hill Haunted History Tour is a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour of Springfield’s haunted history. You will hear…
Fall events at Oak Ridge Cemetery
Oak Ridge Cemetery tree tour Saturday, Oct. 14 This is the ninth year for this free, family-friendly event, which will showcase a wide variety of unique trees, along with offering a kids’ table and educational activities for children, cookies and lemonade. Volunteer guides will interpret the 34 trees on the tour. All are on level…
Plant your fall garden now
I don’t know about you, but I have happily spent the last couple of months enjoying everything that summer has to offer in terms of delicious produce. Between the Old Capitol Farmers Market downtown and my in-laws’ garden, I’ve been up to my ears in homegrown tomatoes, fresh corn, spicy shishito peppers, juicy peaches, firm…
Good old okra
It would be difficult to find a garden vegetable more versatile or resilient than okra. Tall plants with delicate cream and burgundy-tinted flowers give way to slender pointed pods that can be stewed, stuffed, blanched, sautéed, deep-fried, roasted, grilled or even eaten raw. The history of okra is a long one and deeply woven into…
The Hill too predictable, Strays too raunchy, but Blue Beetle is poignant
Mawkish Hill overplays its hand My wife cracks me up sometimes, often without meaning to. For instance, the other night we were watching Jeff Celentano’s The Hill, a faith-based sports biopic based on the life of hitting phenom Rickey Hill. She went to bed early before the end rolled around and asked me the next…
Blues, barbecue, burgoos and you
If the forecast holds true, this week was a scorcher. But does that stop the intrepid music fan from making the rounds to experience live music? Of course not, though please take precautions to stay ahead of the heat in all the ways you know how. Hot as heck or not, it’s time to enjoy…
