Cover Story
Little Love Stories
She was right I was not sure about the future, but she was, and it has been wonderful. I was reluctant to have children, but she said I would love it. She was right! I did not want to travel and do adventurous things. She told me to get over myself and enjoy it. She…
What pandemic?
Renovations at the State Capitol are expected to begin this summer and could cost as much as $170 million. Legislators and the governor’s staff will be moving out of the Capitol and into the nearby Stratton Building, according to the Capital Development Board, which plans to pay a contractor more than $1.8 million to fix…
Constance Ann Panichi
Constance “Connie” Ann Panichi, 69, of Springfield, passed away Friday, February 12, 2021 at Memorial Medical Center. She was born May 11, 1951 in Pittsburgh, PA to Edward and Wanda (Remley) McAllister. Survivors include one daughter, Allegra (Lee) Barlow of St. Charles, MO; one son, Bernard McAllister of Springfield; mother, Wanda McAllister of Pittsburgh; one…
Milhiser resigns as U.S. attorney
John Milhiser, U.S. attorney for the central Illinois, has resigned at the request of the new president. “When I accepted this position, I knew this day would come,” Milhiser said in a written statement. “My plan was simple — to do my best each day to make our community a safer, better place, until I’m…
Mardi Gras and Valentines
Bonjour, my music friends, and welcome to the year when Mardi Gras nearly coincides with Valentine’s Day. We are celebrating in a somewhat different fashion in 2021, but things are looking up. There is hope at the end of the tunnel, as a friend prone to beautifully mixing metaphors said the other day. Even with…
Planning and planting
Being able to reap the rewards of a successful garden takes planning and an organic garden even more so. While temperatures this week are in the mid-teens and the balmy days of summer are just a dream, it’s actually the perfect time to start thinking about what steps you need to take to harvest fresh,…
Go Scorpions
At nearly six feet tall and topping 300 pounds, Dameon Johnson is big. And he thinks big. For years, the former Springfield High School lineman pleaded. Can we scrape together $60,000 or so for a feasibility study to help create STAR Village, a $300 million sports complex with outdoor ballfields and indoor playing areas and…
Your date night options
Pfeiffer a luminous ex-pat If there were ever a film that succeeds thanks to the charismatic turn of its lead performer, it’s Azazel Jacobs’ French Exit, an adaptation of Patrick DeWitt’s novel that rests firmly on Michelle Pfeiffer’s shoulders. It goes without saying that she’s more than capable of bearing this load as a New…
Editor’s note 02-11-21
With so much else going on, Abraham Lincoln seems almost forgotten on his birthday this year. A few brave Republicans are trying to rescue his party from Trumpism, and the president from Springfield is still the one most quoted in House and Senate speeches, but we’ve gotten so used to Lincoln he rarely awes us…
Young writers put fears aside to write This I Believe
Let me start off by saying, the thought of writing this 700-word piece somewhat scares me. Yep, that is right, it scares me. Both our son and daughter are excellent creative writers. Surely it is a trait they inherited from their father. My most recent writing to date has been composing a few thank you…
Is vaccinating legislators now a good idea?
The immediate partisan reaction to the governor’s reversal on whether legislators should be allowed to be vaccinated during Phase 1B was fairly predictable. “Governor Pritzker is prioritizing young healthy felons and Springfield politicians over high-risk adults,” the Illinois Republican Party seethed. However, no such press release was issued the week before when Republican US Rep.…
Letters to the Editor 02-11-21
SENATORS, DO THE RIGHT THING As grown-ups, you probably did not read the article about the attack on our democracy in the New York Times Magazine for kids. But you should. Here are some excerpts: “When Donald Trump was president, he told a very big lie. And he told it many times. He said he…
Lyle Bennett Lenkart
Lyle Bennett Lenkart, 56, of Springfield, died at 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at St. John’s Hospital. Cremation will be provided by Butler Cremation Tribute Center. Memorial Gathering and Ceremony: Family will receive friends from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2021, at Butler Funeral Home, Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St.,…
New juvenile center to keep youth closer to home
Renovations are underway at the Lincoln Development Center in Lincoln. State officials say after being closed for nearly a decade, the future Illinois Youth Center will keep youth closer to family and spur economic activity. The new center will take approximately two years to complete, according to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and partners.…
Clean Energy Jobs Act reintroduced
Following the admission in court by utility giant Commonwealth Edison to a yearslong bribery scheme, lawmakers are reintroducing the Clean Energy Jobs Act in the 102nd General Assembly with an increased focus on holding utility companies accountable. The Clean Energy Jobs Act, or CEJA, which was introduced in 2019, is an overhaul of the state’s…
Doris Turner fills Senate seat vacated by Andy Manar
In a unanimous vote on Saturday, Feb. 6, Doris Turner of Springfield was chosen by Democratic Party officials to represent state Senate District 48, which includes all or parts of Springfield, Decatur, Taylorville and Litchfield. The seat was vacated by Andy Manar earlier this year. State Sen. Doris Turner is a lifelong resident of the…
Love and communism
Richard Gilman-Opalsky is a radical on the prairie. He came to teach at University of Illinois Springfield from New York City, where he earned a Ph.D. from The New School. He said upon graduating, he realized most universities were not keen on hiring political theorists and philosophers, and were “even less interested” in hiring ones…
SCHOLARSHIPS RELIEVE STRESS
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is accepting applications for this year’s DCFS Scholarship Program. The scholarships allow “youth to concentrate on their studies and prepare for their futures without the stress of worrying about how they are going to pay for school,” Illinois DCFS acting director Marc D. Smith said in a…
POLITICS
We confess ourselves confused. How can Ward 3 Ald./state Sen. Doris “Huey Long” Turner hold two offices at the same time? After being picked to replace former Sen. Andy Manar over the weekend and being sworn in for her state gig, Turner on Tuesday participated in the Springfield City Council committee-of-the-whole meeting. As of press…
Happy new year
It’s time to celebrate the Lunar New Year and 2021 is the Year of the Ox. In Asian communities around the world, families come together and celebrate over food. Though I don’t have Asian roots, I love Asian cuisine, and though we’re not holding big family gatherings during the pandemic, I still like to celebrate.…
Roosevelt Leon Turner Jr.
Roosevelt Leon Turner Jr. 55 departed this life on Tue., Feb. 2, 2021, at St. John’s Hospital. Roosevelt was born Nov. 1, 1965, the son of Lillian Kirkwood and Roosevelt Leon Turner Sr. in Little Rock, Ark. Funeral Services are Fri., Feb. 12, 2020. Visitation at 9-10 a.m. and service at 10-11 a.m. Ruby Funeral…
