Cover Story
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise 2025
It’s easy to make New Year’s resolutions to eat better, exercise more, drink more water and the like, but much harder to sustain by the time February rolls around. Our annual health and wellness issue has tips on breaking the habit of a sedentary lifestyle, beating the winter blues and using strength training to age…
Business owner arrested in murder-for-hire scheme
A man accused of putting out a $10,000 contract to have a Collinsville woman killed may find it difficult to fulfil his own contract with the city of Springfield – to raze 38 dilapidated houses. Sammy J. Shafer Jr. owns S. Shafer Excavating, a company based in Pontoon Beach that does work throughout the Metro…
‘Blatantly unlawful’ federal spending freeze sends state scrambling
State agencies, nonprofit organizations and a host of other entities that rely on federal funding were thrown into chaos Tuesday following the release of a White House memo that froze – at least temporarily – the distribution of all federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs. Late Tuesday, however, the Associated Press reported that…
Illinois schools prepare for immigration enforcement
The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging local school districts to adopt clear policies spelling out how and when their staff should cooperate with federal immigration officials carrying out enforcement actions or seeking information from school officials. The “non-regulatory guidance” on immigration enforcement actions was issued on Jan. 22, two days after President Donald Trump…
The rhetoric of hate
The lies that President Donald Trump tells about immigrants are powerful but hardly new. In times of uncertainty and change, immigrants have always served as America’s scapegoat for economic, international, religious and cultural insecurities. No matter how geographically or culturally different, immigrant groups have faced common stereotypes. At his inauguration, Trump used the old standby…
We are God’s partners and stewards of creation
In our religious traditions, we recognize that the reality of God and the nature of our relationship with the divine are a mystery that transcend the limitations of human speech. To impart a sense of God’s presence and to make that relationship closer and more immediate, however, scripture and liturgy employ images and metaphors that…
State braces for major deficits
The Illinois legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability recently released an eye-popping actuarial analysis of a union-backed pension reform plan. The analysis concluded that the proposal, House Bill 5909, would cost taxpayers almost $30 billion through the year 2045. And the annual state cost starting in Fiscal Year 2027, which begins in mid-2026, would…
Cory James Beebe
Cory James Beebe, 37, of Springfield, passed away on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Born on Oct. 17, 1987, in Champaign, Cory was raised the son of Jack R. and Sheila Z. Beebe. “I’m a long time traveling here below I’m a long time traveling away from home I’m a long time traveling here below To…
Presence, Flight Risk and Back in Action all popcorn films lacking depth
Technique trumps story in disappointing Presence Steven Soderbergh has always struck me as an artist who’s easily bored. His latest, Presence, is a Jekyll-and-Hyde exercise, an initially intriguing take on the ghost story genre that ultimately falls victim to its clichés. Shot with one camera, the perspective of the entire movie is seen through that…
City Council to consider changes to appointment process
After this month’s verbal kerfuffle over filling the city clerk position, Springfield City Council members may revamp how they fill future vacancies. And community activist Calvin Christian III has filed a lawsuit seeking to undo the appointment of Chuck Redpath to the clerkship. On Jan. 7, Redpath, a longtime Springfield alderperson, was appointed clerk by…
Lesko gives raise to his deputy recorder
Newly elected Sangamon County Recorder Frank Lesko tried but failed to give a former employee of his in the city clerk’s office a 15% raise to become his second-in-command. Both Democrats and Republicans on the GOP-controlled County Board’s Building and Grounds Committee pushed back on the proposed $80,000 pay level for Nicole Cunningham, and the…
Educators plan a brighter future for public schools
Vision 2030, a plan for the future of Illinois public education, aims to improve student safety, enhance post-high school success and ensure high-quality teachers in the classroom. Developed by a coalition of educators throughout Illinois, Vision 2030 works to foster students’ interest in their future and in education. Among the many improvements to Illinois education…
A pledge to improve
The Jan. 16 agreement between Sangamon County officials and the U.S. Department of Justice ended a federal race and disability discrimination probe of county government but failed to satisfy critics in the wake of the police-involved killing of Sonya Massey. Sheriff Paula Crouch said in a news release from the county that the DOJ review,…
Beat the winter blues
The wind is howling and snowflakes are dancing outside. The sky is monotone gray and there’s more than a foot of snow on the ground. The kids are restless and can’t wait to jump in the first snow of the year, but it’ll already be dark by the time they get out of school. The…
Age well with strength training
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something that helped burn fat, reduced the risk of developing disease and facilitated graceful, independent living well into old age? “Strength training really is the magic formula,” said Brigitte Cutler, a physical therapist in Springfield. Cutler explained that strength training boosts the health and functionality of mitochondria, the…
Break the sedentary lifestyle habit
Leading a sedentary lifestyle does not promote health. Though definitions vary, sitting for four or more hours a day is generally considered sedentary. Transitioning to a more active lifestyle can improve the outlook of many health conditions, including blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Always talk to your doctor before beginning…
Ditch the dramatic New Year’s resolutions
Did you set a New Year’s resolution for 2025? Are you still going strong, or have you slipped and already feel like a failure? If so, you can blame the Babylonians, who are thought to be the forerunners of resolutions, and then you can begin accomplishing goals in a manner that seems too easy to…
Doing what makes you happy is the most important thing
As the house lights went down, music from a favorite era filled the Hoogland’s Peggy Ryder Theatre. While the show is not a musical, the pre-show tunes like “Beautiful Girls,” “I’ve Got The World on a String” and “Goody Goody” had me singing along, filled with anticipation for this world-renowned play. You Can’t Take It…
All about the Natchitoches meat pie
My wife is a film buff. When we travel, she likes to visit locations where movies were filmed. We once camped at Dames Ferry State Park in Juliette, Georgia, so she could see the Whistle Stop Café, the site of Fried Green Tomatoes. While visiting her sister-in-law in Woodstock, we danced to the Pennsylvania Polka…
More music warmups
I started last week’s column with a nod to the chilly weather, but this week it’s downright frigid, to put it nicely. The good news is both last weekend and the upcoming one brings a warmup just in time for all the live music action. Let’s go scrape the frost from the music listings and…
Jr. Blues set for two-week home stand
Haven’t seen the Springfield Jr. Blues yet this season? This might be a good time as our hometown North American Hockey League team is on a two-weekend home stand at the Nelson Center. On Friday, the Jr. Blues (19-13) will play host to the Wisconsin Windigo (25-9). The Windigo, based in Eagle River, Wisconsin, are…
Editors note 1/23/25
The Bishop of Washington, D.C., got all the attention when she spoke truth to power, asking her listener to “have mercy on the people in our country who are scared” because of his threats. But in Springfield on Inauguration Day there were petitions and prayers just as strong. The Frontiers International Martin Luther King Jr.…
This fan letter came a while ago from Kitty
This fan letter came a while ago from Kitty A limerick for you (title given by writer) There once was a poet from Beloit, whose writing was especially adroit. She taught a long time; Her career, a good climb. Many writers did she anoint! 2025 Jacqueline Jackson
Letters to the editor 1/23/25
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. — SERVE THE CITY My tax dollars pay for these public servants, and they should be serving the city of Springfield (“SPD officers going to D.C.,” Jan. 2). Mayor Misty Buscher saw fit to give…
Secondhand clothes help you and the planet
Here’s a conversation starter: How many pounds of clothing does the average American throw out annually? According to Material Circular Economy, a sustainable materials journal, it’s 82 pounds. In 2018 alone, 14.5 million tons of textiles in the U.S. were burned or added to landfills, mostly clothing, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The…
