Cover Story
Habitat helps families, one homebuyer at a time
Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County is nearing completion of its newest project on South Glenwood Avenue in Springfield. The four-bedroom, three-bath home is being built on a vacant lot with partial sponsorship from the nearby Westminster Presbyterian Church. It is the 119th project for the nonprofit Christian ministry which opened its doors in Springfield…
Ways to celebrate Juneteenth citywide
Illinois’ newest state holiday is a 158-year-old celebration of freedom. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in Springfield for over 20 years, it did not become an official state holiday until 2021 when Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill to commemorate June 19, 1865, the date when the last enslaved Black people in the U.S. learned…
It was homicide
State officials last week approved a request from Sangamon County coroner Jim Allmon, deciding that a Springfield man who died after a 2010 altercation with Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies succumbed to homicide. More than a decade ago, an inquest jury could not determine the manner of Patrick Burns’ death. Former coroner Susan Boone decided that…
An amazing Spider-Verse, Boogeyman an effective thriller, De Niro nails About My Father
Spider-Verse dazzles Visually striking from beginning to end, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a truly incredible filmgoing experience that renders its animated world(s) in the kind of minute detail and vibrant manner that forces you to redefine your expectations of the medium and genre. And the while the visuals are eye-popping, the narrative proves just…
Editors note 6/8/23
Springfielders still mourning the decline of their daily newspaper can take heart, in a roundabout way, from news reports June 5 of the walkout by hundreds of journalists at about two dozen newsrooms owned by Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain. Gannett’s Illinois newspapers, which include Springfield’s State Journal-Register, did not participate this time, but…
Preparing for the centennial of Route 66
Preparations for the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026 include a master plan for development along the historic road in Springfield and the rest of Sangamon County to promote more overnight stays. The effort, being coordinated by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission with a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, is…
Council declines to take up landlord registry
The Springfield City Council refused to advance a measure out of committee that would require landlords to register their properties with the city. Among Illinois’ 10 largest cities, only Springfield, Naperville and Champaign do not have such a requirement. Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr., sponsor of the ordinance, said registration would make it easier…
Ron Dougan writes his brother #2 11/20/1959
I just bought the Obeck farm next door, 60 acres with a fair house with new roof and furnace and a decent barn. It cost 450 an acre. This seems an awful price when you compare the 92 per acre we paid for our farm and 90 dollars Gramp paid for the home…
Letters to the editor 6/8/23
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. POLITICAL GAMES It’s incredibly disappointing that a political game is being played with our library (“Fired library managers speak out,” May 25). The morale there already seems low, and I can only imagine how damaging…
A fine Fiddler at the Muni
Welcome to summer outdoor theater. We always ask ourselves why we perform outdoors (with challenges of mosquitos, heat, rain). We all admit, though, there is a kind of extra magic that goes with it. Summer outdoor theater has always been a festive addition and has been around for decades. For years, the major summer fare…
Butcher’s cuts make better steaks
When big box stores started putting local mom-and-pop shops out of business, our communities lost many experts and artisans. As local hardware stores, grocers and bakeries closed, we no longer had access to their knowledge and information. In the last decade, there has been a resurgence of locally owned artisanal businesses, including, thankfully, butcher shops.…
Exciting June music
Here we are rolling the old chariot along through June with a plethora of interesting and exciting music endeavors to fill your entertainment cup to overflowing. A little of this and a lot of that makes for a fine assortment in the upcoming weekend of live music, so let’s do the old look-see and find…
Tennessee Williams production is partly autobiographical
Imagine you and a sibling are actors in a traveling acting troupe. One day the group deserts you both at a dilapidated “state theater in a state unknown.” What happens next? That’s the scene for the partly autobiographical The Two Character Play by the great Tennessee Williams, who wrote it late in his career. The…
