“You’ve always got respect down here”
In the wake of a fight with a 19-year-old man who had insulted him, Springfield police officer Samuel Rosario returned to the scene and took responsibility. Rosario was greeted like a friend by Robert Humes, who shortly beforehand had accepted the officer’s invitation to engage in fisticuffs, according to body camera footage obtained by Illinois…
Inmate dies after suicide attempt
A Sangamon County jail inmate has died after an apparent suicide attempt. Tiffany A. Rusher, 27, was rushed to St. John’s Hospital after she was found in her cell at 3:45 p.m. on March 18, according to the Sangamon County sheriff’s office. She was placed on life support and died on Thursday. The sheriff’s office…
Editor’s Note 3/30/17
Other than that, Jackie, how was the conference? If you tried to email Springfield Housing Authority executive director Jackie Newman earlier this week, you received this automatic reply: “I am currently out of the office at the NAHRO Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. listening to HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson explain why this administration is…
“CHIPS” a Bland Reboot
Each big screen adaptation of a television show gives credence to the notion that Hollywood is out of ideas. And while some do wind up being worthwhile (the post-modern 21 Jump Street, the Oscar-nominated The Fugitive), more times than not, these reboots fall flat (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle or Bewitched anyone?), bland retreads that rely…
Slow Burn Shopper a Thinking Person’s Ghost Story
Maureen Cartwright is haunted. Whether it be by the spirit of her dead twin brother, something troubling from her past or mental illness is open to debate. The fact that she’s aware that something’s amiss may help her come to terms with her belief that she’s a medium. That her former sister-in-law and a couple…
Projecting a better image
At first I assumed that Jesse White was trying to goose sales of specialty plates to top off his budget. Why else would an Illinois Secretary of State oblige the drivers of his state to adorn their cars with the new standard State of Illinois passenger car license plate that looks as if it was…
Real news
A decade ago, some barons of the media establishment designated themselves America’s official arbiters of political truth. One of their tools is PolitiFact, a project of the Tampa Bay Times and several other major newspapers, which issues an award for the year’s most outrageous falsehood. Last year’s election was infested with so much disinformation and…
This is basically fraud
I’ve been going to Statehouse committee hearings longer than I care to remember – something like 27 years. Last week, however, was the first time I can ever recall having to fight back tears during a hearing. The House Appropriations General Services Committee heard testimony last week from Kenea Williams, a state employee who works…
Letters to the Editor 3/30/17
RIDGELY VILLAGE HALLHistory is the essence of our city. So, what sense does it make to wipe out a facet of Springfield’s rich history by destroying another of our historic buildings and adding to our city’s unsightly sea of useless vacant lots? Most who have seen the old Ridgely Village Hall and Jail at…
Don’t let down guard on health care
One of the common plot devices of horror films is to have a climactic event where a threatening evil is defeated. The triumphant characters breathe a sigh of relief, begin putting their lives together and then, BANG! The supposedly vanquished terror unexpectedly raises its ugly head again in a final effort to overcome the forces…
Recycled play day
The Illinois State Museum hosts Super Saturday events from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Every Super Saturday event features themed activities for children ages 5 and up and their families. April’s theme is “recycled play day” and features activities designed to encourage children to reduce, reuse and recycle.…
Celebrate the “Father of Springfield”
Join the staff of the Elijah Iles House on Saturday, April 1, from 12-4 p.m., for a triple-header birthday celebration featuring cake, ice cream and drinks in honor of Elijah Iles, who is often referred to as the “Father of Springfield” due to his crucial role in Springfield’s early development. While the party is named…
Processing loss
If your child has lost a loved one, consider sending them to the partial-day Kids Good Grief Camp on Sunday, April 2, sponsored by Staab Funeral Homes. The supportive and fun camp is geared toward ages 6-12 and held every spring at Erin’s Pavilion in Southwind Park. The Kids Good Grief Camp offers children an…
Loot conquers all
Nobody expects a free meal from a restaurant. So what’s with wedding guests who think it’s acceptable to give no gift or just $100 from two people? My understanding is that you are supposed to “cover your plate” – the cost of your meal (at least $100 per person). If you can’t, you shouldn’t attend.…
Abe art
Each year the cover of Capital City Visitor, published by Illinois Times, features a portrait of Abraham Lincoln by a central Illinois artist. In 2017, for the second year in a row, we decided to hold a contest as a way of finding the best, freshest Abe possible, while offering exposure to local talent. This…
Art at the Pharmacy and Black Sheep
The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space’s most recent group exhibit,, which had a two-evening opening this past Friday and Saturday, is entitled “Bio-Region.” According to promotional material, the show’s theme is “how every person explores the creativity of their unique space.” As usual, each member artist in the Springfield-based group interpreted the common idea in…
Lincoln on leadership
Lincoln on Leadership for Today: Abraham Lincoln’s Approach to 21st Century Issues. By Donald T. Phillips, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In his first nationally televised one-on-one interview, Donald Trump invoked the name of the president often quoted by Republican occupants of the White House. “I can be the most presidential person ever, other than possibly the great Abe…
Cubs and Cards face off at ALPLM
For generations, fans of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals have drawn battle lines throughout central and southern Illinois. Thanks to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), fans of both teams have the chance to proclaim their allegiances. The “Cubs vs. Cardinals: The Rivalry” exhibit opened at the ALPLM March 24. Pictures…
Pot of gold
In a desperate push to fix the state’s budget woes, some legislators want to legalize marijuana as one way out of the fiscal mess. Joint bills introduced in the House and Senate in January proposed that adults over the age of 21 can buy up to 28 grams of marijuana for $50 an ounce. The…
Reviewing Lincoln
Faced with budget and staff reductions at the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is asking an ad hoc group of outside experts for recommendations. One goal is to expedite online publication of documents either written by or read by Lincoln. “It is time to begin sharing this valuable…
HELP WANTED
Do you need a job? If so, Collectors Roadshow in Sugar Land, Texas, is looking for a few good men and women. “This is a unique opportunity to earn an excellent salary,” a recent Craigslist help-wanted ad reads. “Positions available immediately.” Employees will be paid between $600 and $750 per week, plus weekly bonuses as…
ICON ENDORSES DICENSO
Members of Springfield ICON (Inner City Older Neighborhoods) met on Monday, March 27, and voted to endorse Kristin DiCenso for Ward 6 Alderman over opponent Martin Fruchtl, to replace the position vacated when former Alderman Cory Jobe moved out of the city. “I think Kristin has experience beyond just Springfield,” said Carol Kneedler of Springfield…
Same old approach grounds Life
I have to wonder who at Sony Pictures gave the green light for Daniel Espinosa’s Life. While it is a well-made movie and features good work from its fine cast, the derivative nature of the story pretty much assures the viewer that few to no surprises will be had. Adding to its woes, screenwriters Rhett…
March music into April
This has always been a favorite time of the year for me, partly because of the promise of April (say what you want, T. S. Eliot) and somewhat due to the fun of April Fools’ Day. So in celebration, I’m seeing one of my songwriting heroes in person on Friday when Kris Kristofferson plays The…
Andy Logan and the O.C. 75s
If you’ve got a hankering for some electric blues, rock or psychedelic, guitar-based music, look no further than Andy Logan and the O.C. 75s. Mr. Logan, along with John Hussey, his comrade in the 80s for the Geffen-signed band Little America (remember “Walk on Fire?”), plus Brian Glass on drums and vocals, proceeds to play…
finishing my barn book vol 4:
our old barney had a “moon eye”– glassy white hence its naming –after much research I found thisto be an acute iridocyclitis of horsesinvading one or both eyes it subsidesonly to recur at intervals of varyinglength and usually ends in blindnessthe cause is uncertain some associateit with leptospirosis it doesn’t appearto be contagious – maybe…
There’s a new wrap in town
Diet fads and gimmicks generally don’t interest me. I’m immediately suspicious of any diet that suggests removal of an entire food group, and I tend to steer clear of low-fat or reduced-calorie versions of foods that are inherently rich and delicious. I made a personal decision long ago that a life without bread, pasta, cheese…
