Everything old is new again, Part 1
Alert readers of the news will have noted the kerfuffle about the salaries being paid by Illinois’ new governor to his senior staff, in particular the 100 Gs being paid to equip Mrs. R with a chief of staff to help her discharge her non-existent duties. Like most news of this sort, it isn’t very…
King Rauner wants carte blanch trust
Gov. Bruce Rauner has met with dozens of state legislators both individually and in small groups since his election. By all accounts, every meeting has been cordial and he has scored lots of points with legislators who aren’t accustomed to this sort of gubernatorial attention. Until last week, that is, when he had the Senate…
A murder mystery set in the Quad Cities
Rock Island Lines, by Dean Klinkenberg. Published by Travel Passages, 2014. 258 pages. Rock Island Lines, by Dean Klinkenberg. Published by Travel Passages, 2014. 258 pages. Reading mystery novels on a regular basis brings to mind the observation that “it’s not the wand that pulls the rabbit out of the hat, it’s the magic of…
The taming of the spew
This guy I’m dating usually texts back when I text him. But sometimes, like last night, he doesn’t write back. And I’m just texting stuff like “How was your night?” – not “OMG, I miss you.” His not responding feels so disrespectful. I want to read him the riot act. – Deeply Upset Unfortunately, it’s…
Law-makery
Curses, foiled againBritish police investigating the theft of tools and a shower stall from a home remodeling project in Crawley arrested Ryan Marsh, 18, after he returned to the job site and tried to sell the items back to the contractor. (Britain’s Crawley News) Police looking for the man who beat up a woman in…
GOP gang of Supremes attack Obamacare
Look out – the Supreme Court’s black-robed gang of far-right ideologues are rampaging again! The five-man clan is firing potshots at Obamacare – and their political recklessness endangers justice, the Court’s own integrity, and the health of millions of innocent bystanders. In an attempt to override the law, these so-called “justices” have jumped on a…
The hills are still alive
Salzburger Nokerln PHOTO BY TOURISMUS SALZBURGA/WIKI This month marks the 50th anniversary of an extraordinary number of notable events. There were the three historical Selma-to-Montgomery marches in Alabama. An outgrowth of the Selma Voting Rights Movement, the marches highlighted the obstructions faced by Southern blacks in registering to vote and had a major influence on…
Ward 2 candidates support residency requirement
Candidates for alderman in Springfield’s Ward 2 say they would fight for a residency requirement and to make sure their ward gets a fair share of money from video gambling. The two candidates survived a six-way primary in February and now face off in the April 7 general election. Springfield NAACP president Teresa Haley and…
Sweeping up ‘broom closet’ gambling
PHOTO BY RANDALL HILL/TNS You can find them in gas stations, golf courses, restaurants, liquor stores and even a TV repair shop. More than 19,000 video gambling machines had spread across the state by the end of 2014, turning thousands of businesses and other establishments into what one lawmaker calls “mini casinos.” Now, he’s trying…
Business fun, despite its flaws
Vince Vaughn as Dan Trunkman in Unfinished Business There are some films that get past your better judgment. These are called “guilty pleasures,” movies that you can’t really defend from a critical point of view yet you enjoy despite the fact that you know you’re watching isn’t what is usually labeled “good.” We all have…
Night at the museum
Night at the museum If you enjoyed the Illinois State Museum’s First Friday events in 2014, you will love 2015’s Second Fridays. It’s the same location, same concept, held on the second Friday of the month to honor the second year of this popular event. The first Second Friday will feature live bluegrass music by…
Letters to the Editor 3/12/15
WISHING HOUSTON WELL I can’t understand why the “shredgate” issue, in the news for 18 months, suddenly became again newsworthy a week before the election. To my recollection, nothing has come out to directly implicate the mayor, who, as (former WICS anchor) Vince DeMentri should know, cannot comment on any ongoing investigations, nor any personnel…
Back on the roads again
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER W. HOLMES – INSTAGRAM @CHIGUY79 It is unclear exactly where Illinois’ new CEO wants to take this state, but we have indications in his proposed budget how he would like us to get there. If approved, his budget would spend slightly more of the public’s money on motorcycle safety and on new…
Who will solve the mystery?
Death of a Doornail – A Murder Mystery Dinner Join the Springfield Theatre Centre March 13-15 and 20-22 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts for an interactive fundraiser dinner benefitting the STC. For an unknown reason, Albert Doornale, an esoteric millionaire, has invited his closest friends and family to his estate. Upon their arrival,…
‘Modern family’ law is not modern enough
Senate Bill 57 recognizes today’s “modern family” by allocating parenting time and decision-making between both parents (see “Lawmakers move to update divorce, child custody law,” March 5). But the proposal fails to recognize current realities of dual-income households by omitting a similar provision for allocating each parent’s financial obligations to support their children. Senate Bill…
St. Pat’s party
Skibbereen plays Robbie’s, Friday evening, March 13, 5:30 to 7:30pm and Floyd’s Thirst Parlor, Saturday morning, March 14, 8 to 10am. Of all the designated drinking events on the American calendar, none contains the unabashed sanction of society more than the Irish celebration known as St. Patrick’s Day. Thanksgiving Eve may now be the official…
The Emerald Underground
The Emerald Underground Of all the Celtic-influenced bands now in the Springfield area, The Emerald Underground was the first on the scene way back in 2002. Then called Stone Ring Circle, the group debuted 14 years ago at Marly’s Pub during the St. Pat’s Day Marching Band Parade. This Saturday’s performance continues the tradition at…
Head to the Quad Cities to quadruple your fun
Visitors to the John Deere Pavilion in Moline can climb aboard several pieces of machinery, including a massive combine, to experience the feel of handling the company’s showcase pieces. The pavilion also houses a collection of antique tractors and PHOTO BY BRENT BOHLEN Trivia question: Where can you find links to General Custer, the U.S.…
MICROWAVE JUSTICE
Testimony lasted barely three hours, the jury was out less than an hour and Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Travis Koester emerged victorious Tuesday from a lawsuit in which he stood accused of wrongfully tasering Paul Mariconi during a 2009 bar fight. Mariconi, the owner of the bar on Toronto Road, claimed that he was trying…
Rising child poverty makes it a bad time for budget cuts
PHOTO BY Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel/TNS One in four children in Sangamon County lives in poverty, according to one group warning of dire consequences if Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts are implemented. On March 5, Voices for Illinois Children released its annual Illinois Kids Count report, detailing a sharp increase in poverty among families with…
A man with many jobs
One-Man Band Bonanza This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, join host Evan Mitchell and The Garbage Shop for a celebration of one of the world’s oldest art forms – the one-man band. The first two nights of this first-time event will feature regional, national and international acts. Performers include Ghostwriter from Texas, Sleepy Eyes Nelson from…
bovis poem #3
bovis poem #3 I know you have been on tenterhooks to hear the names of prize bulls well I won’t keep you waiting any longer Green Notch Segis Ginger was pretty good Highland Caesar Lochinvar didn’t live up to his name neither did Tidy Burke Fobes but Dorothil Colantha Lucifer now there was a bull…
CLERICAL ERROR
Bishop Thomas Paprocki this week summoned reporters to refute a recent suggestion made by Survivors Network Of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) that pedophile priests from Chicago might have been assigned to the Springfield diocese in the 1990s. SNAP’s evidence? Six pedophile priests, back in 1993, had a phone number that rings to a Litchfield…
In his own words
PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Having finished third in the Feb. 24 primary, Mayor Mike Houston is finished as mayor. But he isn’t categorical about running for elective office in the future, nor is he shy about defending his record as mayor, both this time around and for two terms from 1979 to 1987, when he…
Editor’s note 3/12/15
Every two years the Public Affairs Reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield reminds us of its impact on the world of journalism by inducting successful graduates into the Bill Miller PAR Hall of Fame. Bill Miller was director of the 40-year-old program during its first 19 years, followed by Charlie Wheeler, former Sun-Times reporter,…
