Viola quit after sexual harrassment, misconduct substantiated
Joe Viola resigned last month as principal of Rochester Intermediate School after the school district substantiated allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against him, according to district records. According to records released in response to a state Freedom of Information Act request, the Rochester School District substantiated allegations that Viola engaged in sexual harassment and…
Langfelder campaign gets $10,000
Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder has reported receiving $10,000 in contributions for his reelection campaign, with $7,500 coming from Carol Zerkle, wife of corporation counsel Jim Zerkle, and businesses owned by the city’s lawyer. Four contributions, all in $2,500 increments, were received Monday, according to records at the Illinois State Board of Elections. Besides Carol Zerkle,…
SJ-R cuts sports editor
State Journal-Register sports editor Todd Adams was laid off last Friday in what one source says was an economic move. Adams’ departure came two days after SJ-R newsroom employees, plus editorial employees at the Peoria Journal Register and Rockford Register Star, were offered buyouts. Workers have until today to sign up for buyouts. Adams joined…
Don’t let the door hit you
Newsroom employees at the State Journal-Register are being offered buyouts, with the prospect of layoffs on the horizon. The buyout offer from GateHouse Media, the paper’s corporate owner, was made Wednesday, with employees told they have until Monday to volunteer to be let go. Under a newsroom collective bargaining agreement, employees who accept a buyout…
Brandon Santini
Some say the future of blues harmonica is in the hands (and mouth) of this St. Louis-based, Memphis-taught, North Carolina-raised, trailblazing, hard-working and particularly charming, harmonica front man. For over 15 years he’s traveled extensively from Egypt to Europe and all through the United States, blowing his brand of harmonica blues. Over the past few…
Inspect this
Gant says he doesn’t deserve a ticket for this roof: “You can’t make a person repair or replace a roof that’s not leaking.” Photo by Bruce Rushton The night before Thanksgiving, I accompanied my neighbor Connie to a meeting of the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission. The city had gone ga-ga over her backyard fence,…
Pushing a progressive agenda
A lobbyist who works for a business-related organization asked me a question the other day that I’ve been hearing a lot lately: “Who’s going to be the stopper now?” He meant, who in the legislative process can be counted on these days to help derail bills which are deemed hostile to business interests? Before this…
Letters to the Editor 03/07/19
GOLDEN RULE FOR PETSThere is so much disturbing in Greg Largent’s response to the allegations regarding mistreatment of Sangamon County Animal Control’s dogs by a new kennel attendant (“Trouble in Puppyville,” Feb. 19). According to the article, the new kennel attendant previously worked in a slaughter facility. Mr. Largent’s response to the alleged mistreatment of…
Editor’s Note 03/07/19
“As goes journalism, so goes the community,” the Feb. 26 panel on the state of Springfield news media, is set for rebroadcast on NPR Illinois Monday at noon and 7 p.m. It’s worth a listen, with comments from representatives of Newschannel 20, NPR Illinois, Illinois Times (me) and the State Journal-Register. Most interesting was Jason…
Former U.S. attorney shares lessons he learned
I offered to write some articles for Illinois Times about criminal justice, because I have some concerns, and because I suspect that many readers also have concerns. I plan to look at a series of questions, including “What causes violence?” “Can we reduce violence?” “Are we safe?” “Are we smart?” “Are we fair?” And the…
19th Annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater
The Friends of the Chatham Area Public Library was founded in 1986 and is a volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to supplement the library’s annual budget for materials and programs and supporting literacy initiatives in the Chatham community. Along with other activities, the group sponsors the teen and adult summer reading programs, provides…
A conversation to die for
If you are interested in drinking tea, eating cake and discussing death, an opportunity for you to do so is forthcoming. The Chiara Center is hosting a Death Café on Tuesday, March 12. As strange as such a gathering might seem, the objective is to increase awareness of death in order to help people make…
Traveling while black
Imagine taking your family on vacation or traveling to visit out-of-town relatives, but not knowing where you would be able to stop to eat, use the restroom or spend the night. For decades, that was the reality for African-American travelers throughout the United States. Many of them traveled Rt. 66 through Springfield, Illinois. Jim Crow…
Old State Capitol needs paint
It’s a bird, it’s a plane… No, it’s paint flaking away from the upper reaches of the Old State Capitol. While state legislators decry crumbling roads and bridges, less noticed is the Old State Capitol, where wooden columns beneath the dome are in obvious need of love. Twice in the past five years, the state…
City treasurer race
Incumbent city treasurer Misty Buscher, who defeated current mayoral candidate Frank Edwards for the position in 2014, is being challenged by newcomer Jennifer Notariano. “Whether you’re the treasurer, alderman, mayor or city clerk, you’re never going to make 100 percent of the people happy,” Buscher said. “You have to make a decision, and never is…
TODD GREEN, HOTELIER
He’s not Donald Trump, at least not yet, but local auto dealership magnate Todd Green made a splash this week by announcing that he’s gone into the hotel business, acquiring Portfolio Hotels and Resorts, an Oakbrook-based hotel management company that runs 15 hotels in seven states. The company has been rechristened Core Hotels and Resorts…
NEW METER CONDOMS
The only thing more aggravating than using Springfield’s coin-op parking meters – who carries change anymore – is not being able to use them when they’re covered by red “No Parking” bags. Sometimes, there’s a good reason: There’s construction going on. Sometimes, not so much: There will be a good reason tomorrow, when the festival/parade/concert…
Offbeat Captain Marvel a pleasant surprise
As the ambitious 22-movie cycle that Marvel Films initiated 11 years ago winds down, it seems right to pause for a moment to reflect on how groundbreaking this undertaking was. This series has brought in more than $17.5 billion at the global box office. Let that sink in. Other studios have attempted to duplicate the…
March on music
When (yes, I wrote when, not if) the weather breaks, there is going to be a happy party bursting with warmth somewhere. Let’s just keep dreaming of those hot and sweaty outdoor music events on the way in a couple months to get through these last few wintry weekends. Could there be a better way…
archival poem #1
1921 letter, to his son, my father, a freshman at Northwestern University, from his father, my grandfather: “Your detailed letter received. Iliked it very much in that it told exactly what you were doing but it displeased me greatly that you were doing as you are. I am not going to write a lecture, you…
Immigrants and women moving humanity forward
During his appearance at the Oscars, activist chef and Nobel Peace Prize nominee José Andrés spoke of “the understanding and compassion that we all owe to the invisible people in our lives – immigrants and women – who move humanity forward.” In recognition of International Women’s Day, held every year on March 8, this week’s…
