Lovelace found not guilty
After two hours and 20 minutes of deliberating, a jury found Curtis Lovelace not guilty in the murder of his wife, Cory. In an emotional mix of jubilation and sorrow, the verdict was the final destination to an odyssey that began 11 years ago. On Feb. 14, 2006, the body of Cory was discovered in…
Lovelace takes the stand in his own defense
The second the defense called Curtis Lovelace to take the stand, chatter emanated from a courtroom gallery that has been all but silent throughout this murder trial. Walking a thin line between vindication and conviction, Lovelace testified about his relationship with his first wife, Cory, her death and the investigation that lead to his…
Garden day in Lincoln
On Saturday, join the University of Illinois Extension Logan County Master Gardeners for an event honoring Russel Allen, a charter member of the Logan County Master Gardener volunteer program. Russel Allen Garden Day will showcase gardening presentations along with displays by local plant and gardening organizations. Featured topics will include hydrangea pruning and care, square…
Bowls on a stick
I have written often in the past about tourism development in Springfield. The topic is a hardy perennial – not because there are always new things to say, but because there are always new reasons to say the old things again. The newest new reason is the “wow” park being contemplated for the Y block…
The chicken and the egg
Those who say that we ordinary people can’t have any effect on today’s corporate behemoths should check out two breakthroughs last year by a group the establishment has long derided as somewhere between wacko and criminal: animal rights activists. Members of groups like the Humane Society get demonized, outlawed, sued and jailed by agribusiness interests…
Rauner and sugar both unpopular here
According to a recent poll, Gov. Bruce Rauner is a whole lot less popular than a one-cent-per-ounce state sales tax on sugary drinks. The poll of 800 registered voters taken Feb. 15-20 for the American Heart Association found that Rauner is backed by just 32 percent against an unnamed Democrat, who would receive 47 percent.…
Letters 3/9/17
CORREX In the March 2, 2017, article, “The vanishing Statehouse press corps,” Tara McClellan McAndrew misstated that the Illinois News Network, which the Illinois Policy Institute describes as its “independent project,” provides audio for free. The Network provides copy for free. Clarification: After the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate denied the Illinois News Network…
My visit with the Carters in Plains
Plains, Georgia…Six former and current presidents are alive today, but there’s only one you can meet, get photographed with and visit his new solar farm. Jimmy Carter, the only president who taught Sunday school while in the White House, continues to teach at 10 a.m. almost every Sunday at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains,…
Editors Note 3/9/17
It is now looking increasingly unlikely that Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly will come up with a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. After Gov. Bruce Rauner withdrew his support from Senate negotiations on a “grand bargain,” the governor has called on Democrats to propose more spending cuts, after proposing none of his…
Born jesterday
I’m a 27-year-old guy and I’m not very funny. I know women like a guy with a sense of humor, so I was interested in these “Flirt Cards” with funny messages that I saw on Kickstarter. You write your number on the back and give the card to a woman you’d like to meet. Good…
Body, mind and spirit
Visions by JDR is pleased to host their Eighth Annual Holistic Fair on March 11-12, at the Illinois Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. This rejuvenating and healing event features a plethora of community practitioners focused on promoting health and wellness with a variety of demonstrations, services and products. See demonstrations of yoga, tai chi,…
Broadway in Springfield
Experience the longest-running American musical in Broadway history March 13-14 at Sangamon Auditorium. Now in its 20th year on Broadway, Chicago: The Musical has garnered six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards a Grammy, and thousands of standing ovations from audiences all around the world. The 1975 Broadway musical, with a score by Fred Ebb, choreography…
A troubled life
Daniel Rogers wasn’t dealt an easy hand. He was a roofer cursed by bipolar disorder. His father is an alcoholic with acknowledged mental problems. Rogers’ mother reportedly has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a nursing home across Carpenter Street from where her son lived with his father in a ramshackle house. Rogers, 27, was alternately…
Lovelace murder trial heats up
As a former Adams County assistant state’s attorney and center for the University of Illinois football team, Curtis Lovelace is accustomed to playing offense. Now, he’s playing defense as prosecutors attempt to convict Lovelace of murder in the 2006 death of his wife, who was found dead in bed on Valentine’s Day. It’s proven a…
Museum preserves memory of Civil War veterans
A museum in Springfield curated by direct descendants of Civil War veterans strives to honor their ancestors’ memory. Located at 503 South Walnut Street, the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW) Museum allows visitors to study the lives of soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Artifacts in the museum come from…
Lawmakers try to consolidate local governments
State lawmakers have recently proposed legislation that would facilitate consolidation of local governments. The effort is the latest attempt to reduce Illinois’ high number of local government units to improve local efficiency and reduce costs. Illinois ranks the highest in the nation in the number of local governments, with a total of 6,963 units, which…
SOHO 2.0
On the heels of the announcement by SOHO Music Festival founder Eric Welch of plans to end the popular annual charitable event after 12 years (See “SOHO No Mo?”in IT, March 2, 2017), a few of the festival’s former directors have announced a new nonprofit to put together “The Legacy of Giving Music Festival” (L.o.G. …
HOORAY FOR THE CHAMBER
Never let it be said that Chris Hembrough, president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, is a man who doesn’t put his money where his mouth is. After reading a recent Illinois Times story on efforts to increase participation in advanced placement courses in Springfield School District 186 (“Reaching high,” Feb. 16,…
Jackman finds the humanity in Logan
It comes as no real surprise that director James Mangold draws comparisons between the X-Man character Wolverine and the classic Western gunfighter Shane in his latest film, Logan. Among all of the outcasts he’s rubbed shoulders with in his long comic book history and the various mutant movies he’s appeared in, Logan has come off…
Early Irish music
With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Friday in 2017, our celebration of all things Irish and Celtic stretches for more than a week. Since the long-running St. Patrick’s Day Marching Band Parade held downtown always happens on the Saturday before March 17, the parade this year falls on March 11 (the earliest date it…
The Emerald Underground
Our longest-running Celtic-influenced band continues performing like nobody’s business during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Springfield, albeit with a new lineup in action. Though the band seems to evolve annually, the music remains a constant, with a flair for taking old Irish songs and making them new again plus covers of songs by The…
Simple healthy meal prep
I had a transformative experience recently. I was standing in my late wife Julianne’s teaching kitchen next to my daughter (and fellow IT food columnist) Ashley Meyer and longtime friend Chef David Radwine. Before us was CrossFit Instinct’s Longevity class, a roomful of folks ranging from 50 to 80 years old who work out together…
first 100 days poem # 3
first 100 days poem # 3 hurray, hurray, let’s trumpitfor our brave new world! we can dump mountain tops into streams again we can use all the coal we can mine and all the oil we can pump or buy from a maybe terrorist regime whee! free enterprise is back we can all relax and…
