Cover Story
More girls accuse detective’s son of sexual abuse
The girls were 14, 15 and 16; Zane Merreighn, the adult son of a Springfield police detective, is charged with sexually abusing them, and their parents say area law enforcement failed to adequately protect their daughters. Merreighn, the 22-year-old son of detective Jennifer Oglesby Mack, was arrested Oct. 26 on charges of sexually abusing a…
Cardinals pitching ace Wainright to visit Springfield Sunday
January and February are traditionally months when baseball fans look forward to the opening of spring training and the celebrated day when pitchers and catchers report to training camp. This year that enthusiasm is tempered by a lockout of players that threatens to jeopardize the early portion of the 2022 season. But for baseball fans…
Springfield Area Home Builders Association
Check out the latest trends in home building and remodeling at this year’s Springfield Area Home Builders Association (SAHBA) Home Expo. Local vendors will be in attendance to talk about new home construction, remodeling, flooring, roofing, siding, windows, garages and home furnishings. You can see the newest offerings and meet with local companies to get…
Editor’s Note 2/3/22
I was taken aback when President Joe Biden said he would appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Can he do that, just name a category then go find somebody to fit it? Isn’t that discrimination? Then again, maybe he’s the only one who could do it. A younger president might be too worried…
Mothers one of the best, Gilded is promising, leave Book on the shelf
Mothers one of Almodovar’s best I was speaking recently with a friend about the films of Pedro Almodovar, and we found it difficult to describe his work to someone who’d never seen any of his movies. Infusing soap opera elements into the stories of his troubled characters’ lives, there’s an air of magic about his…
COVID surge strains health care workers
Springfield’s health care workers say they are exhausted as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year. They say they’ve never seen more death, and they’ve fought politics that hindered efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus. Based on that experience, they say the public should temper any optimism about the latest drop in new COVID-19…
Apartment complex to get overhaul
Families looking for affordable housing will be the beneficiaries after state officials approved low-interest financing for $10 million in renovations at Pine Woods Apartments in Springfield, according to Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin. “This will be really attractive to folks who have a modest income,” McMenamin said after St. Louis-based Bywater Development Group received Illinois…
Plans for a downtown master plan
A revitalized and resilient downtown is a priority in The Next 10, A Community Visioning Plan for Greater Springfield released in spring 2021. The report identified the need for a downtown master plan that addresses a strengthened connection with the Mid-Illinois Medical District. Downtown Springfield Inc. (DSI) recently solicited proposals for a multidisciplinary planning effort…
Former Vibra Hospital sold
A Springfield developer has acquired the shuttered former Vibra Hospital of Springfield and says he plans to rent it to an undisclosed tenant involved in “ancillary health care.” Developer Chris Stone told Illinois Times he finalized the $1.43 million purchase from Pennsylvania-based Vibra Healthcare on Dec. 6 and plans to have the tenant move in…
Fancy Nancy illustrator donates artwork
An annual art show to raise money for Sangamon County foster children is stepping it up a notch and getting fancy. Fancy Nancy, to be precise. In early January, Illinois Times published a story about a local ministry, The James Project, hosting its sixth annual Artsy: An Art Fair for Kids in Care! to raise…
Tarantula attacks, Hades and Napoleon’s old violin
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra took to the Sangamon Auditorium stage on Saturday, Jan. 29, for “Incredibly Italian,” its first concert of 2022. The evening’s exciting and energetic program featured works by three notably non-Italian master composers – Mendelssohn, Schumann and Mozart – with the theme instead reflected in the content of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and…
Bored of the Rings?
I resisted reading Tolkien’s LOR – feared I’d not like it or I’d like it so much I couldn’t put it down but how could I refuse reading the greatest fantasy since Alice when as new teacher new college new class “fantasy literature” I was forced to tackle it: found I could both enjoy it,…
Letters to the editor 2/3/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- COMMUNITY SUPPORT I would like to thank Cinda Klickna for her wonderful column in the Jan. 13 issue (“Creating a culture of historic preservation”). Our community has certainly stepped up to help save the…
New ways to pass petitions
I’ve been fascinated by election petition-gathering season this year because of the adjusted primary schedule, the crazy omicron variant and the prevailing fear of crime, not to mention the awful weather. Petition season was always during the fall. But because the primary was moved to June 28, petition circulators now have to get out there…
Preferential treatment
Colleges should admit the most qualified applicant. That’s the way many of us were taught life is supposed to work. But we know it often doesn’t. The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up the issue of university admissions in its upcoming term. It will look at the admission formulas used by Harvard University and University…
Lincoln Library is overdue
In spring of 2021, I made a commitment. In my postage stamp yard, I planted rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries and lily of the valley. Any gardener knows that these are plants which take time to establish and that bring reward for years to come. It was a way to renew my commitment to Springfield and Lincoln…
Get to know farro
I doubt that I’ll ever become a true-blue vegetarian. I just love bacon, a simple roasted chicken and a nicely seared steak way too much to totally eliminate animal protein from my diet. But I am convinced that a predominantly plant-based diet is what I should be working towards. To that end, I’m always looking…
Hello February music
What with the predicted snowstorm this week, who knows what will happen, especially dealing with the aftermath of wintry precipitation. But let’s proceed as if our weekend is balmy and bright with plenty of live music going on, but be prepared for cancellations. Let’s get right to it when Charhm, one of my all-time favorite…
