Cover Story
Juneteenth
This year is the 30th anniversary of the official Juneteenth celebrations in Springfield, although the holiday itself dates back to 1865. Locally, it has grown from a one-day event to more than a week’s worth of activities taking place citywide: live music, art exhibitions, panel discussions, presentations, kids’ activities and more. Organizations such as the…
No vote taken on Pritzker’s prison plan
For the last two decades, each time a governor has moved to close a large state-run facility like a prison or mental health center, a legislative oversight panel has voted on the plan. That changed on June 14 – at least for now – when only three lawmakers made it to Springfield for the Commission…
City compromises on liquor licenses
The six Springfield bars allowed to be open until 3 a.m. on weekends will see their closing times moved to 2 a.m. on Jan. 1 and beyond instead of the 1 a.m. closing that originally was proposed. Bars that were previously required to close at 1 a.m. will now have the option to stay open…
City may delay vote on 3 a.m. liquor licenses
The Springfield City Council member whose ward includes much of downtown hopes to delay a scheduled vote June 18 on whether 3 a.m. liquor licenses should be eliminated in favor of a 1 a.m. closing time. Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase – whose ward includes The Alamo, Clique, Celtic Mist Pub and The Gin Mill,…
Procurement problems at the Chicago Transit Authority
“What was supposed to be a simple storage warehouse for the Metra transit agency has now buried the nation’s fourth-busiest commuter rail system in a sinking money pit, the ABC7 I-Team has learned.” The Chicago broadcast station’s scoop last week is an almost perfect encapsulation of why northeastern Illinois’ mass transit fiefdoms need to be…
Inside Out 2 an instant classic, The Watchers shows potential
Inside Out 2 an imaginative, witty and insightful classic What has made the Pixar films the gold standard of modern animation is their ability to not only dazzle us with their imaginative visuals and tickle our funny bones with their unique characters, but their ability to push us toward introspection. Inside Out 2 achieves this…
Doctor wants to build apartments near medical district
People who live near a proposed three-story, 18-unit apartment complex on Springfield’s north side say the $4 million project would increase traffic hazards and otherwise detract from the feel of the residential neighborhood. “It’s just going to be more congested,” John Austin, 74, one of the neighbors, told Illinois Times. “The traffic’s going to be…
AI’s impact on art
An upheaval is emerging in the art world. Artificial intelligence, once confined to the pages of a sci-fi paperback, is now part of our daily lives and challenging our view of creativity. As AI-generated art begins to grace galleries, newspapers and music studios, both artists and techies find themselves at a crossroads. AI confronts our…
Teresa Haley carries on her work
Teresa Haley’s enthusiasm and energy were evident when she called on the federal government June 10 to include an archeological site near HSHS St. John’s Hospital in the National Park System in commemoration of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. “The time is now to take a stand,” the Springfield native told the racially and…
Increasing community offerings
The Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum is closed for an expansion project to create more space for authentic storytelling, interactive exhibitions and community building. When the museum reopens in the fall, visitors can expect a more engaging experience with improved digital content and interactive pieces. “When we reopen, I’m hoping it will be…
Springfield connections to the underground railroad
Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield is the resting place of several underground railroad conductors. Honoring these brave men – both Black and white – has been a part of the work of the Sangamon County Historical Society. At a recent meeting of the SCHS, information about five conductors who hailed from Springfield was shared as…
Letters to the editor 06-13-24
BIGGER PROBLEMS I find the brouhaha over fescue grass on Lincoln Avenue laughable (“Fight over fescue grass,” May 30). This photo is the house due west of Bernie & Betty’s restaurant on Spring Street. The front porch and front yard are as bad as the east side of the building. I ride my bike all over…
Analysis
Analysis Lake Lawn, at Delavan Lake, once had a long amusement pier with an odd assortment of booths. I went there with a group once and paid to have my handwriting analyzed by a wizened little guy. I wrote a sentence for him he studied it up and down, backwards and forwards, then he pronounced…
Realizing the past and reimagining the future
The nonprofit Juneteenth, Inc. was established four years ago by Springfield natives Shymeka Kerr-Gregory and Cherena Douglass to focus on preserving and continuing Springfield’s Juneteenth celebration legacy. “Juneteenth is the true Independence Day for all of us, and eradicating racism through education comes in many forms: arts and culture, history and sociology, music and entertainment…
More than just a party in the park
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill in 2021 to commemorate June 19, 1865, the date when the last enslaved Black people in the U.S. learned that they were free. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and it is celebrated in most cities and many smaller…
UIS School of Education partners with District 186 to ‘create magic’
In 2002, while working as an elementary school teacher, I frequently walked past the gymnasium and noticed a physical education teacher’s remarkable way of handling student behavior. She masterfully motivated students to buy into a team approach, where everyone looked out for each other and regularly “helped a friend.” The same students who challenged me…
As easy as pie
There are two gnarled old cherry trees on the south corner of our old family farmstead. I’m astonished every spring when they burst into bloom and that they’ve managed to survive another year without pruning, spraying or intervention of any kind. The crop of sour cherries is usually ready to harvest in mid-June, but the…
Juneteenth music and more
Welcome to the wonderful world of Springfield music as we see it through Now Playing eyes. This week is jam-packed with all kinds of things going on so let’s see what’s what and what’s where and when as well. Thursdays continue to be a hotbed of happenings with the Levitt AMP downtown music series leading…
A songwriter’s songwriter
Positively Summer Music Festival Sunday, June 16, 1-6 p.m. Long Bridge Golf Course 1055 Camp Sangamo Road 217-744-8311 Free In 2010, WFMT-Chicago named Ben Bedford one of the “50 most significant folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years.” Joining him on that list were Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Joni Mitchell – so, it…
