Cover Story
Growing a garden for children
Springfield will soon have a new children’s nature play area unique to central Illinois. Lincoln Memorial Garden (LMG) is undertaking its largest project since opening the first nature center in 1965. A simulated stream, water log tunnel, sensory table, water pump, natural musical instrument, footbridge, observation areas, outdoor sink and log climbing structures are some…
Illinois Commerce Commission official blasts pipeline proposal
An Illinois Commerce Commission staff member’s blistering criticism and recommended denial of Navigator CO2’s proposed carbon-dioxide pipeline has encouraged opponents of the project. Navigator’s request for ICC approval for the Navigator Heartland Greenway pipeline “is not a benefit to the citizens of Illinois nor in the public interest,” ICC case manager Mark Maple said in…
Hiyashi Chuka, a Japanese summertime dish
Although Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the old Japanese 24-season lunisolar calendar is still used to celebrate birthdays and cultural events. July 7 is Shsho or “small heat day” when the “warm winds blow, and young hawks learn to fly.” In modern times, July 7 is also known as Hiyashi Chuka Day. Hiyashi…
Truly July music is here
Well, “wow” is all I can say for starters. My column from last week was nearly a wash, mostly because of storm-related cancellations. I’m not really sure what gigs happened and what didn’t at this point. Let’s be thankful for the good help done getting things back to whatever normal is and move on to…
Joy Ride crude but touching, Indiana Jones sequel wraps things up, nothing original in Ruby Gillman
Ride juggles crudity with poignancy There are times during Adele Lim’s Joy Ride when it’s obvious all involved are trying a bit too hard to be included in the Gross Out Hall of Fame. Thankfully, there’s enough genuine humor and heart to offset the blatant crudity and ribald moments that are, at best, hit-and-miss. The…
What colleges should consider
There is a perception that last month the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions. But that is not the case. What it did was end race-conscious admissions. Former first lady Michelle Obama put it this way: “So often we accept that money, power and privilege are perfectly acceptable forms of affirmative action,…
Something smells rotten in Rochester
The Rochester village president has denied a liquor license to the business owner that recently evicted his son. At issue is the future of the building that once housed The Alibi, a bar and restaurant at 320 E. Main St. in Rochester. The building’s most recent tenant was Ben Suerdieck, who was evicted June 13…
Black children face highest risk of being gun victims
Black children and kids from low-income households, regardless of race or ethnicity, face the highest risk of being hurt or killed by firearms, a Southern Illinois University School of Medicine doctor found in a national study published by one of the world’s leading medical journals. Dr. Ruchika Goel, a blood-diseases and cancer specialist at SIU’s…
Letters to the editor 07-06-23
NO AUTHORITY I just read the article about Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s defense of the Ugandan government’s position on homosexuality (“Bishop Paprocki defends Ugandan government,” June 22). This article comes on the heels of the Illinois Attorney General’s report on sexual abuse in the church. I am a lifelong Catholic, but when it comes to moral…
Study cannabis in college
The University of Illinois Springfield is going to pot. The capital city’s state university has partnered with the online marijuana educator Green Flower to offer a certificate program for students interested in entering management within the cannabis industry. The program, which began in 2020, is geared toward fostering economic development within central Illinois, said Robert…
