Cover Story
Going home
The new year has been kind to William Kent Dean. On Jan. 1, his first grandchild was born – near the end of his third state prison term for selling cocaine, this one a 15-year bid. Dean prefers that the girl’s name not be published. Then, the state advanced his release date. He was freed…
DNA backlog: “We walk among murderers”
When an Illinois Senate panel met last March to discuss the state’s backlog of untested forensic evidence, there were more than 70 DNA samples in murder cases more than a year old awaiting action from Illinois State Police forensic investigators. That number is down to 14, representatives of the Illinois State Police told the…
ALL YOU CAN EAT
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Leavenworth, this week became the latest in a long string of Illinois pols who’ve sinned after years of – as they are inevitably prone to say – serving constituents whom they profoundly regret disappointing. We’re neither disappointed nor surprised by Sandoval’s guilty plea to bribery charges. Indeed, we’re proud of…
NO MORE GOLDFISH PRIZES
It is a mainstay of fairs and carnivals around the country: sink a ping pong ball into a fish bowl and win the goldfish swimming inside. But if a bill in the Illinois Senate becomes law, carnivals would no longer be allowed to award live animals – such as fish, reptiles and hermit crabs –…
A parable for impeachment week
It looks like a children’s book with its colorful illustrations; it reads like a children’s book with its rhyming couplets. But look closer. It is obvious that Brent Bohlen’s The Parable of the Peacock: A Read-Aloud Picture Book for 2020 Voters is for adults. The blurb on the jacket says it’s “a satirical look at…
After School Special
When it comes to doing the duo, this twosome of Aasne Daniels and Jerry Setnicky (both on acoustic guitar and vocals) dig into the popular music of the last several decades to do “acoustified” versions of rock and pop songs by artists such as Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Smashing Pumpkins and Britney Spears. For…
Fermentation nation
Even though I’ve been living away from Springfield for the past 10 months I still get text messages out of the blue from my former CrossFit coach Mike Suhadolnik. Mike is an audacious crusader obsessed with helping older people reclaim wellness in the second half of life. He has taken on the medical establishment and…
The Stradivariuses of the mandolin world
The mandolin orchestra was extremely popular at the turn of the 20th century. A uniquely American musical contribution, it has been largely relegated to history books and rare early recordings. Lloyd Loar was a musical virtuoso and acoustic engineer, who was born in Cropsey and grew up in Lewistown. He essentially established bluegrass music in…
Ritchie back in comfort zone with clever Gentlemen
To say that Guy Ritchie’s career has been spotty is a bit of an understatement. Bursting on the scene with the brash gangster flicks Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), his frenetic style and post-modern take on the genre proved to be Britain’s response to the Quentin Tarantino phenomenon. However, a…
Finding your nontraditional interfaith identity
No matter your profession or faith, in order to develop and sustain a collegial and productive work environment, it is important to understand your own faith-based beliefs, and to be aware and understanding of the faith-based beliefs of your peers in the field in which you work. Parth Bhansali, a Chicago-based first generation Indian-American and…
Open mics and more
As we slip-slide our way into February of 2020, let’s take a look at the entertainment coming our way this week, including those who give others an opportunity to perform on stage. I’m referring to those odd little things called open mics or open jams happening on the off days of our ever-flourishing music scene.…
Transcendental Springfield
I’ve long been a fan of Henry David Thoreau, the guy famous for checking out to live in the woods. “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” he once wrote. His meaning seemed clear at last week’s two-politician confab at Citizens Club in downtown, a place where far too many Vietnam-era parking meters…
Seeing flaws in our heroes
Is it time for sainthood or a public reckoning? I was thinking about that Sunday as my phone beeped with tribute after tribute for Kobe Bryant. No one can deny Bryant was one of the great athletes of his generation and died much too soon. But it is also undeniable that a 2003 sexual assault…
Editor’s note 1/30/20
Frank Edwards was the aw shucks alderman, known for the common sense he gathered at his auto body shop and a reputation for integrity he earned as a firefighter. Because of his character, fellow aldermen turned to him to fill in as mayor after Tim Davlin’s death. If he made too much of being mayor…
New Senate president off to a good start
Give new Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) some credit. He’s made a few very solid moves since Jan. 18, when he was elected to his chamber’s top job. Harmon won a majority vote of his caucus before the full Senate voted. With the factions all over the place, putting a deal together wasn’t easy.…
archival memory #11
us methodist kids junior high age went to epworth league sunday nights we got the prayer hymn any bit of program out of the way fast for then came the games! “poor puss” was a favorite we sat in chairs in a circle “it” blindfolded stumbled around till he – or she – found a…
Letter’s to the editor 1/30/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. PIPELINE PROVIDES JOBS The upcoming hearing for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) optimization project is a major opportunity for the Illinois Commerce Commission to create valuable improvements to Illinois’ role in the broader energy industry…
For your Valentine
Diane, I have loved you for over 38 years! Looking forward to our next adventures together! Susan Chad Cordani, you are my forever Valentine! All my love! Your wife!! Dear Beverly, being your wife has been the best part of my life. Thanks for all the wonderful memories. Rennea 26 years on 4-20-20!! Love you…
