Cover Story
Mass disagreement
The members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church have been anxious for weeks as their way of worship has come under attack from a powerful source – Pope Francis. Parishioners at the church on Springfield’s east side worship the way Catholics have for more than 1,000 years, in Latin. But what was once a ubiquitous rite…
186 Supt. Jennifer Gill warns of TikTok “challenges”
Students engaging in pranks at school is nothing new. But a new trend is apparently encouraging criminal activity. In a letter emailed to parents on Oct. 1, District 186 Supt. Jennifer Gill asked families to urge students not to participate in “challenges” circulating on TikTok that encourage physically hitting teachers and stealing school property. TikTok…
Illinois announces first $24 million in Back to Business grants
Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced the awarding of the first $24 million in “Back to Business” grants, a program funded with federal relief aid to help businesses recover and reopen from the pandemic. The announcement took place at a Mexican restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Mi Tierra en la Villita,…
Novel waffles
n the 150 years since the first waffle iron was patented, waffles have become a mainstay on American breakfast tables. Originally introduced to this country in the late 1600s by Dutch colonists, the very first waffle irons were two hinged plates at the end of long handles called reins that facilitated cooking over an open…
Political posturing
Politicians are peculiar creatures. They name parks, highways, airports and just about anything else that’s paid for by us after themselves. And if a politician rises high enough, a statue will be erected in the person’s honor. Statues are designed to be permanent. But politicians’ reputations are much more fluid. Six years ago, then-Illinois House…
Enjoy music galore
Hello, all you happy people. Let’s dig right in to see what there is to see and to hear this week in our hip and happening music scene. Thursday pops out right away as an exceptional night of local live music. We can start with Rogers & Nienhaus at the Curve Inn, as these two…
Fighting COVID callousness
During the early days of the pandemic, we all seemed to come together. Distantly, anyway. We stayed home to save lives. We taped up hearts and praised essential workers. Now – all these months later – many say they have never seen the country more divided. In Sangamon County alone, more than 270 people have…
Terrain Biennial opening event
Terrain Biennial is an international exhibition of site-specific art made for front yards, empty lots, balconies and porches. Artists repurpose those private spaces and turn them into public exhibition spaces to foster dialogue between neighbors and to also offer new perspectives for both the artists and viewers alike to experience. The 2019 biennial featured over…
We all have COVID fatigue
“Weary,” “Tired of it all,” “Over it,” are phrases that we all hear due to the pandemic and its constantly moving parameters. Changes have occurred in work settings, school participation, and social interaction due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and these adjustments have resulted in high levels of stress. The extended nature of the pandemic…
Fan appreciation concert
Riley Green, winner of the Academy of Country Music’s 2020 New Male Artist of the Year award, had been scheduled to play at this past summer’s Sangamon County Fair. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the show was canceled. As a gesture to show their appreciation to all their supporters, the good folks at the county…
Editors note 9/30/21
Why can’t Republicans get on board with raising the debt limit? Why can’t Israelis support Palestinians, and vice versa? Why can’t those who oppose abortion also support a woman’s right to choose? Some people refuse to get vaccinated because they take care of their health and immune systems. Some are quick to take medicines because…
A walk through Oak Ridge Cemetery
After a year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Sangamon County Historical Society will once again host the Oak Ridge Cemetery Walk on Sunday, Oct. 3. Eight Springfield notables will be portrayed. Each of the actors will make a 5-7-minute presentation telling the story of one buried nearby. Here are a few highlights of each:…
Mobsters, cops and farmers: Three movies worth watching
Rich Saints a gripping morality tale Did we need a prequel to David Chase’s seminal television series “The Sopranos”? I didn’t think so until seeing The Many Saints of Newark, a sumptuous, gripping tale about the generation of Jersey mobsters that came before Tony Soprano, the character popping up here as a teen played by…
Destined for demolition
The time between when a home becomes uninhabitable, dilapidated or derelict and when it is torn down can often take years in Springfield, a reality the city council will seek to correct as it considers recommendations in a recent report by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The city commissioned the study to find ways…
Cairo pins hopes on river port development
CAIRO – Anyone who has driven America’s interstate highway system is familiar with those standard blue signs near major exits indicating the services available ahead – fuel, food and lodging. Driving south on Interstate 57 in Illinois, approaching the city of Cairo at the state’s southernmost tip, most of the images on those blue signs…
Springfield’s independent films
A lone figure, head down, sits at a large dining room table. At the sound of the clapboard, the director announces, “Lights. Camera. Action.” Others slowly enter the room and take their seats at the table. There is chatter among the group, and then at one end of the table two discuss the time they…
Camp Care-A-Lot wins $25,000 State Farm grant
Camp Care-A-Lot is the winner of a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program, thanks to the many people who voted online. The grant will enable disadvantaged children in Springfield and central Illinois to participate in a one-week residential camp in 2022. The State Farm Neighborhood Assist program recently announced the 40 organizations…
“Go the Extra Mile 5K” honors frontline workers
The Springfield Rotary Club is honoring first responders and frontline workers with its inaugural “Go the Extra Mile 5K” race at 9 a.m. on Oct. 30 at Southwind Park. Runners and walkers are invited to sign up and name a friend, family member or community person who serves as the first line of defense in…
Finding fault with FOID
Even before the pandemic, Illinois State Police were not complying with the law when it came to processing gun permits in a timely manner, a report released Wednesday by the Illinois Auditor General said. In fact, in 2019, 52% of concealed carry applications were not acted upon within the period set by law – 90…
great depression poem #5
during the great depression my older sisters crossed the field to have a meal with the kids who rode in the school van that every day collected all us country kids my sisters returned in a kind of shock “We had only mustard sandwiches – that was ALL!” mother tried to explain the situation, these…
Letters to the editor 9/30/21
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- UNIQUE STATIONS? Is there anything so unique about a fire station in Springfield, Illinois, that instead of paying $750,000 to have three new ones designed, the city could not easily copy architecture already designed…
Teachers challenging state mandates
After well over a year of successfully fending off every legal challenge to his executive powers during the pandemic, it now appears that Gov. JB Pritzker might have reached the limits of his authority. The brick wall is the state’s decades-old Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which was originally designed to protect doctors and…
