Cover Story
“This is chemical trespass.”
More than 700 Illinois schools are within a quarter-mile of crop fields, yet state law doesn’t require pesticide applicators to notify them before spraying. Advocates say a new notification proposal would give educators and park staff time to move children indoors and reduce exposure. This story was originally published by Investigate Midwest. When the wind…
“Teach them diligently”
A non-Jewish acquaintance, who grew up knowing very few if any Jews, recently confided in me that he had been taught by his father to admire the Jewish people because of our reverence for and pursuit of knowledge. The Jewish respect for knowledge and appreciation of its value has ancient roots going back to the…
Building site of historic banquet with Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Long Nine Museum Open HouseFri., Feb. 13, 1-5 p.m.200 S. Main St., Athens Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 217th birthday and his enduring legacy by attending this open house at the Abraham Lincoln Long Nine Museum. The museum is located inside the historic Col. Matthew Rogers Building. It’s where Lincoln and his fellow “Long Nine”…
Put new spending ideas on hold
Gov. JB Pritzker announced a plan last week to “manage Illinois pension commitments through a set of proposals designed to build on the state’s recent fiscal progress and further reduce long-term risk for taxpayers and retirees.” The price tag, however, is already giving one legislative leader pause. And “fiscal progress” is not the reality when…
Dracula shows some life, Send Help doesn’t end well
Cast finds life in flawed Dracula Estimates as to how many times Dracula has appeared on film range from approximately 200 to 500. The low number is tabulated by purists who only count productions that feature a version of Bram Stoker’s character while the latter figure included parodies or knock-offs of the seminal vampire. He’s…
Valente versus Cahnman
Miguel Valente, a 25-year-old budget analyst in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is running in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Sangamon County Board’s 18th District, pitching himself as a fiscally minded candidate focused on affordability, transparency and government efficiency. Despite Valente being on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff, his opponent…
Editor’s Note
“A Forum on the City Garbage Ordinance,” the title of a recent Springfield public meeting, sounded like a recipe for complaints about disastrous public policy. Everybody knows, don’t we, that the city’s trash collection system, using multiple private haulers, leaves many households without regular pickups, an invitation for fly-dumping? Not so, says the Independent Coalition…
New craft grow operation in the works
Justin Conder is only 40 years old with a sturdy build and firm handshake, but gray already specks his otherwise brown hair. It’s quite possible a frustrating, eight-year odyssey to obtain a state craft-grow cannabis license has something to do with that. “I ask myself that sometimes,” Conder says with a weary laugh when asked…
Continuing her legacy
Members of Sonya Massey’s family, who declared victory with the recent sentencing of her killer to a 20-year prison term, say they hope her tragic death leads to policy changes in Sangamon County and nationwide. The sentence, which likely will be appealed to a higher court by lawyers representing former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean…
Letters to the editor
VOTE YES In March, Sangamon County voters will decide whether to create a county mental health board funded by a small, dedicated sales tax (“Creation of mental health board will be up to voters,” Jan. 29). As a pediatrician and president of the Sangamon County Medical Society, I strongly support voting yes. Mental health needs…
Probably True (Uncle George Trever)
Great uncle George Trever was pastor of the Beloit Methodist Church maybe 1890. He was an explosive speaker, and the family story goes that he shot out his false teeth, which landed in the lap of a congregant, Uncle George calmly lisped to the woman, “would you be so kind as to pass the plate?”
America’s Parkopolis
The Scots poet Robert Burns famously said (I’m using the version in English) “Oh, would some power gift us / To see ourselves as others see us!” For me, that power turned out to be YouTube. I am a latecomer to the video blog posts of transportation planning and engineering consultant Ray Delahanty, known professionally as…
Farmer’s cheese pancakes
Preserving food was vital for survival before modern refrigeration, especially for milk, which was plentiful in the summer but scarce in winter. About 8,000 years ago, a method was devised to ensure milk could be stored for the cold season: it was curdled using either acid or rennet, and the resulting curds were then preserved…
February music fun
Fancy this. my fellow February friends. Suppose you live in a world that offers live music at a reasonable price (often free) in varying venues (generally well-kept) on a regular basis (more than one show nearly every night of the week) and all you need to do to participate is to participate. Yes, this described…
Legacy Jam
Event celebrates Lincoln’s love of reading Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s love of reading and lifelong learning with the Lincolns4Lincoln Literacy Jam, benefiting Compass for Kids’ afterschool program. This special kids’ event in the museum plaza features celebrity story readers, musical entertainment, a magician, local sports mascots and interactive children’s activities. Tater Tots Rock gets things rolling…
