School funding reformers want local sponsorship
For parents like Shatriya Smith of Springfield, equitable school funding for K-12 students is a must. As a result of budget cuts and a school funding formula many call unfair, Smith’s daughter will have to repeat the sixth grade. “This has been a difficult year,” Smith said. “Last year, my daughter was doing great in…
Auditor general confirms federal probe
Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino Illinois auditor general Frank Mautino has confirmed that he’s under investigation by the U.S. attorney. Confirmation came Thursday afternoon via an email sent by Ryan Keith, a public relations specialist hired by Mautino, after Illinois Times today reported that former campaign workers who had worked for the auditor general while…
Repreive for historic Ridgley village hall
Jeremy Mann stands in front of the 1885 building he’s trying to save on Peoria Road in August 2015. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A 131-year-old building on Springfield’s north side won’t be torn down after all – at least not yet. That’s because a Sangamon County judge vacated his earlier order of demolition for the…
Summerguide calendar
May Jacksonville Farmers MarketMay 19-Oct 27, 7am-12pm Tue-Thu. Every Tue-Thu through October. jaxfresh.org. Lincoln Square, Jacksonville. Thursday StoriesMay 19-Aug 25, 10:30am Every Thursday. For kids of all ages and their parents. Free. lincolnlibrary.info. Lincoln Library, 326 S. Seventh St., 753-4900. Illinois Products Farmers MarketMay 19-Aug 25, 4-7pm Every Thursday. Shopping, health and wellness information, special…
Reading, writing and baseball
Rod Buffington, trip coordinator for Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park, is third from left. Pictured with him are Hector Luna, Richard Robinson and Fredbird. PHOTO BY JIM HERREN PHOTOGRAPHY Soon area baseball fans will head south for local Rotary clubs’ 14th annual literacy fundraiser baseball games in beautiful Busch Stadium. Springfield-based watercolor quilt…
Playing the suckers
Kenneth C. Griffin PHOTO BY PAUL ELLEDGE Homeopathy figures prominently in the annals of medical quackery. It is based on the idea, or rather the hope, that “like cures like,” meaning that a disease can be cured by whatever produces similar symptoms in healthy organisms. Homeopathy has been relegated to the fringes as medicine but…
What does it mean to ‘gig’ American workers?
Jim Hightower PHOTO BY LARRY D. MOORE Pouty, whiney, spoiled-bratism is not nice coming from a four-year-old – but it’s grotesque when it comes from billion-dollar corporate elites like Uber and Lyft. The two internet-based ride-hiring brats call themselves “ridesharing” companies but that’s a deceit, for they don’t share anything – their business model relies…
Funding K-12 is harder than it looks
PHOTO BY ALAN SOLOMON/TNS We saw some examples last week of why school funding reform is so difficult to accomplish in Illinois. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin appeared with Gov. Bruce Rauner at Lyons Township High School, which is in Durkin’s district. Durkin pointed out to reporters that the school would lose $1.9 million in…
Letters to the Editor 5/19/16
The Springfield City Council hosts the city’s first CWLP public process meeting on Thursday, May 19, 6:30pm, at the Springfield City Council chambers. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE ILLINOIS CLEAN JOBSThanks to Pat Yeagle for covering the Illinois NAACP’s “Just Energy Policy” roundtable at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club on May 5. The NAACP…
Editor’s note 5/19/16
It’s beginning to look like Gov. Bruce Rauner and Speaker Mike Madigan will be spending another summer cooped up in the Statehouse, but the rest of us plan our time better. With the 72-page Illinois Times Summerlong Summerguide in hand, we can pick from hundreds of good things to do. We’ll order tickets for Hamlet…
Popsicles for breakfast
On April 29, 1944, my mother was admitted to Memorial Hospital in Springfield where I was born. I was the first in my line to be born in a medical facility. There is a house up on Salt Creek in Menard County where my father was born. As was my grandfather. And my great grandfather.…
Unplug and play outside
School is almost out for summer! Celebrate by unplugging your electronic devices and playing outside with the Springfield Park District, genHkids, Springfield YMCA and Hy-Vee. While the day’s activities are primarily geared towards elementary and middle-school age children, they are fun and appropriate for all ages. Featured games include traditional playground sports such as tug-o-war,…
Comedy + wine = fun
Treat yourself to a bit of fun this Thursday evening, complete with wine, snacks and laughs as Hill Prairie Winery hosts comedian Jay Harris for one very funny show. Jay’s accolades include being selected as a finalist in the 2008 “Zaniest Comedian in Chicago” competition. Jay has also been awarded last place at the Seattle…
Fresh Prince of Bel-Stare
PHOTO COURTESY AMY ALKON Amy Alkon My boyfriend “loves women.” When we’re out, he’ll check out and comment on every hot girl. I get that he’s just “appreciating their beauty,” but it makes me feel really bad – angry and insecure. How can I get him to stop? Why does he need to do this?…
Bursting with Pride
Photo BY BRUCE RUSHTON Celebrate “the gayest day in central Illinois” by attending the sixth annual Springfield PrideFest on Saturday, May 21, from noon to 10 p.m., on Capitol Avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets. The free street festival contains something for everyone including a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music by some of Springfield’s most-loved…
SOHO Music Festival
Photo COURTESY SOHO MUSIC FESTIVAL What started as a community outreach project in 2005 has grown to include a two-day outdoor street festival which features live music, vendors, food and kids’ activities plus a 10K walk/run and a PDGA-certified disc golf tournament. The 11th annual SOHO Music Festival will occur June 3-4 while the 10K…
International Carillon Festival
This summer, attend a different kind of music festival, one without the high ticket prices, long lines, dirty facilities and drunks. Substitute the serenity of Washington Park, the company of friends and family, and five nights of al fresco music performed by five of the world’s most talented carillonneurs. By definition, a carillon is a…
Levitt AMP Jacksonville Music Series
Remember last year when we asked you to vote for Jacksonville in the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Award contest? Your votes paid off, as the city of Jacksonville was selected as one out of 15 finalists for a $25,000 grant to produce a free and family-friendly concert series in a neglected public space. All…
Bring on the bacon
On July 22 and 23, Downtown Springfield, Inc. and Isringhausen Imports plus other festival sponsors will transform downtown Springfield into a bacon-lovers paradise for the second year in a row during DSI’s Bacon Throwdown II. While the possibility of future food “Throwdown” events is strong, this is likely to be the last bacon-themed Throwdown, so…
Insane Inflatable 5K
This summer, get pumped for a wacky obstacle course unlike anything central Illinois has seen before. The Insane Inflatable 5K bounces into Centennial Park on Saturday, Aug. 6. Race waves begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue every 15 minutes through 11:30 a.m. The traveling race will land in 115 cities during its 2016 tour, 40…
A hiker’s paradise
The 2.25-mile-long River Trail at Rock Springs Conservation Area and Nature Center features a variety of habitats including woodland forest, river bottoms, meadows, hills and more. PHOTO BY NAN BULLI You don’t have to leave central Illinois to have an enjoyable, authentic hiking experience. This summer, get close to nature and have fun with friends…
Can we just ride worry-free?
The Farewell Ride, black and aluminum glass-sided coach Harley-Davidson Road King Trike conversion, offered to avid bikers by Butler Funeral Homes in Springfield. PHOTO COURTESY OF BUTLER FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATION TRIBUTE CENTER For bikers like Phil Cornell, longtime motorcyclist, a fun summer is a safe summer. “I do this because I love to ride,”…
I thirst, therefore I am
The classic recipe calls for dark rum, but amber works fine for a Dark and Stormy. PHOTOS BY PATRICK YEAGLE Ahhhh – the summer cocktail. Both refreshing and teasing, the perfect elixir for summer’s dog days evokes a happier time of spring, with cherry blossoms bursting and everyone’s team with a chance to win the…
Revel in the great outdoors with a summer race
Dave Hupke (left) and Andy Look paddle a canoe Hupke built. The pair won the Wooden Boat category in the 2015 Abe’s River Race. PHOTO BY DAN WILLIAMS There’s something timeless and pure about pushing the limits of our bodies while surrounded by the majesty of nature. It satisfies that primeval urge to test our…
Summer shows
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee appears at The Hoogland Center for the Arts May 20-22 and May 27-29. Central Illinois is the place to be for family-friendly summer shows. New Salem’s Theatre in the Park The Dixie Swim Club June 3-5, 9-11. A comedy about a reunion of five lifelong female friends who…
Summer concert roundup
Grunge fans might want to take a trip to The Peoria Civic Center for a show by Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell on July 11. Photo by Jeff Lipsky COUTRESY OF THE ARTIST To paraphrase Martha and the Vandellas, summer’s almost here and the time is almost right for dancing in the streets. Here’s a handy guide…
Pay up
Awarded $300,000 by a federal jury last week, Vincent Trimble is due for release next year. A former inmate of Taylorville Correctional Center last week won a $300,000 verdict against a prison doctor with a history of lawsuits alleging poor care that resulted in at least one previous six-figure payout. Vincent Trimble, who is now…
A dead issue
Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington Gov. Bruce Rauner last week appointed the first state Coroner’s Training Board that will be in charge of training coroners and others involved in death investigations. Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who last year sponsored the bill that created the board, said that he believes the new board will both improve training…
Mautino campaign workers subpoenaed, source says
Auditor general Frank Mautino Campaign workers for Illinois auditor general Frank Mautino while he was a state legislator have received federal grand jury subpoenas, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The source who confirmed the federal investigation spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly discuss the…
Challenging ‘junk science’ in arson case
A Naperville man is asking a judge to overturn his murder conviction on the grounds that the prosecution’s case was built on junk science. William Amor spent the last 21 years behind bars for the death of his mother-in-law in a 1995 condo fire that investigators ruled as arson. His exoneration bid hinges on convincing…
Flawed Monster a timely diatribe
George Clooney as Lee Gates in Money Monster. Photo COURTESY TriStar Pictures There’s no question that Jodie Foster’s Money Monster is a manipulative exercise, one meant to incite viewers’ ire where the current disparity between the haves and have-nots is concerned. It’s a grandstanding affair that proudly displays its liberal views, one that makes no…
Local likings
The LoveHogs slip into Brewhaus on Friday with Los Injectors and the Cold Stares. You hear a lot (or at least I do) about the burgeoning and flourishing Springfield music scene. People talk about how musicians play well together with excellent, diverse and progressing musicianship. This weekend especially seems to be jam-packed with some of…
Brandon Santini
When he was 15 years old, this North Carolina native bought a harmonica after asking his mom to take him to a music store, and, as they say, the rest is history. Several years ago Brandon Santini moved his music game to Memphis, adding the North Mississippi and Delta-blues feel to his Piedmont style. After…
Pensions running dry
CARTOON BY CHRIS BRITT
Chef’s guide to the farmers market
PHOTO BY DAVID HINE The first farmers market day is one of my favorite days of the year. For me it signifies that summer has finally arrived. The glorious, slightly wild flavors of the market’s first few weeks compel me to strip away any extraneous flavors or richness and look for ways to prepare the…
When the Prodigal Returned
This week’s poem is by guest poet John Knoepflewho began this poetry spotin IT fourteen years ago. sad moosin the barn
