Cover Story
Finding a way forward
Never in his 26½-year career had he seen it before. Springfield Police Chief Kenneth Scarlette, 48, said he and one of his deputy chiefs were driving in an unmarked car on South Grand Avenue to get lunch on the city’s east side when a young man on the side of the road, without provocation, spotted…
Chicago mayor slams state legislators
Last week, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson repeatedly slammed Statehouse legislators. “Some of the same individuals who claim to support an elected representative school board only got the gospel once I became mayor of Chicago,” Mayor Johnson told reporters during one of the most combative and counter-productive press conferences I have ever seen. No. Lori Lightfoot…
The Apprentice chronicles the making of Donald Trump, Super/Man inspires, Joker 2 examines mental illness
Apprentice: A portrayal of narcissism run amok Donald Trump and his advisers have made it very clear they would sue any film company that would have the temerity to distribute Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice. Credit Briarcliff Entertainment for taking a flyer on the film, which is taking advantage of some fortuitous timing, releasing it only…
Langfelder versus Lesko
What could be the closest and most interesting countywide race this election cycle pits the incumbent Democrat against a well-known Republican in the contest for Sangamon County recorder. The Sangamon County Recorder’s Office is the county’s official land records office and files deeds, mortgages, releases and assignments, property liens, veteran discharge papers, corporation papers, and…
Dominicans launch literacy center for immigrant women
Ana Manriquez came to the United States from Mexico 24 years ago seeking a better life for herself and her family. During the past two decades she has seen her career transform from cleaning hotel rooms to owning her own business. But in September she took a new step: taking English classes. “In immigrant families,…
Helping students catch their breath
Education has always come in many shapes and forms. But in Springfield Public Schools, some of those forms may be the plank, the downward-facing dog and the butterfly. Yes, youngsters are being taught yoga along with reading, writing and arithmetic. Jennifer Martin, associate professor of education at University of Illinois Springfield, is partnering with Springfield…
Letters to the editor 10-10-24
DO THE MATH The less you rely on smoke and mirrors, the less you will have to put out fires (“Tiny houses, big controversy," Sept. 26). The total project includes 18 tiny 540-square-foot homes and a 1,200-square-foot learning center. The total amount requested for the project is $5.2 million, $400,000 from the city of Springfield…
Silage Poem
Silage Poem Ron Dougan writes Libbys in Janesville Enclosed is our check to cover your invoice. We are glad to get silage that has not been sprayed with DDT. We have a fine supply of feed with which to go into the winter. I will be interested in observing the reaction of the herd to…
Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
“Something to help one forget the everyday, humdrum routine of our mortal existence,” muses Sherlock Holmes in Spencer Theatre Company’s newest production, Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. The show is loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles. No need to brush up on your early 1900s literature, though,…
Complementary condiment
I am the designated pickler and fermenter at my current restaurant job. Because we are a farm-to-table restaurant with a full-time gardener, our menu changes weekly, inspired by what’s coming out of our kitchen garden. This summer’s weather has been extremely kind to our garden, and our tomatoes are beautiful and prolific. With such abundance,…
October-ing music
It’s nearly mid-October in central Illinois, a time when the squirrels get busy, the festivals wind down and the seasonal changes in our live music locations are noticeable. What doesn’t change is the quantity and quality of our entertainment options, so let’s go jump in a proverbial pile of leaves to see what rolls around.…
Help outfit local professionals in need of work clothes
In this annual two-day event organized by RISE Springfield, area residents can help outfit their fellow community members in need of professional work clothing. On Fri., Oct. 11, donate clean, gently used professional clothing items with no holes or stains for those in need. Examples of needed clothing include dresses, skirts, suits, slacks, khakis, blouses,…
An anchor of hope?
Confession: I’m scrambling to get this column to IT and make a deadline for a presentation I’m to give at the Communicators for Women Religious Conference in Chicago next week, so I’m double-dipping. The conference theme is “Navigating the Winds of Change.” Months ago, I had to give the organizers a title. Hastily, without much…
