Cover Story
A desert for mental health care
Long waitlists to obtain mental health care may shorten if supporters of a mental health board are successful during the March 17 primary election. A wide range of community leaders, along with every hospital and health care organization in Sangamon County, have voiced support for the referendum that would use revenue from a limited sales…
Independent campaign expenditures rise
Independent campaign expenditures have skyrocketed this year in state legislative races. All of these numbers were current as of 4:20 p.m. Friday, March 13, when I finished writing this column. Independent expenditure committees are not allowed to coordinate their spending with candidates, ergo the “independent” label. As with the federal level, they are also not…
“Seam to Shining Seam” Quilt Show
More than 400 colorful quilts, along with other quilt-related items, will fill the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on March 20 and 21. The 2026 “Seam to Shining Seam” show features quilts made by Springfield-area quilters who are part of Q.U.I.L.T.S – Quilters United in Learning, Teaching and Self-Improvement. Now held every two…
New owner and plans for Town & Country Shopping Center
Town & Country Shopping Center has a new owner, who says he plans to make about $5 million in renovations at the site on South MacArthur Boulevard and begin the work in the next 30 days. “I think it has a lot of potential,” Trent Overhue of Springfield, Missouri, told Illinois Times on March 9.…
The end of an era
For 116 years, St. Patrick Catholic School has been an educational cornerstone on Springfield’s east side – a small school with big ambitions for the children it has served. At the end of this school year, its classrooms will fall silent. School leaders announced this month that St. Patrick Catholic School, founded in 1910, will…
Editor’s Note
Mandy Eaton, the president and CEO of Memorial Health, said Wednesday, March 11, the hospital system is working to increase access to outpatient mental health care, “but there are gaps” in the care system. Those gaps “shift pressure” to the emergency room and law enforcement. Dr. Ted Clark, an emergency room physician and vice president…
Letters to the Editor
MY HEART IS DOWNTOWN I’m encouraged to see the hearts downtown. Let’s keep that spirit alive by generating local economic growth versus economic growth for non-local corporations. As a reminder, the rest of the country remembers us for some of our more progressive times in history: freeing slaves during the Underground Railroad, being the home…
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
St. Patrick’s Day Parade | Sat., March 14, noon | Downtown Springfield | stpatsdayparade.com HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Conns to lead 42nd annual parade This weekend, thousands of green-clad revelers are expected to turn out for this popular event to celebrate everything Irish. Court and Karen Conn are the grand marshals. This year’s theme is “A…
Primaries for contested County Board seats
There are two contested races for the Sangamon County Board in the March 17 primary election, one each on the Republican and Democratic ballots. Incumbent Republican David Mendenhall faces challenger Samantha Auby in District 3, while Democratic incumbent Sam Cahnman is opposed by Miguel Valente in District 18. Mendenhall vs. Auby Both Republican candidates for…
St. Pat’s parties on
As we continue to march along through the times, the time has come to celebrate the Irish connection with another St. Patrick’s Day parade and party. With the big green show on Saturday, our entertainment scene gets in on the “ceilidh” (just say KAY-lee and don’t look at the spelling), along with plenty of other…
