Cover Story
Running against racism
The age of 33 is widely known as the Jesus year. It’s the age Jesus is considered to have ascended from his earthly body after crucifixion. As many have noted since, it’s also the age in which some adults start to get serious about their life’s purpose. Nattalyee Randall, who turned 33 in November of…
State announces $250 million ‘Back to Business’ grant program
The state announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses in the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns. The program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden, and it includes specific set-aside amounts for certain uses. Those include…
Why we don’t need another replica historic place
The recent announcement that the Abraham Lincoln Association (ALA) wants to reconstruct the original one-story version of the Lincoln home needs a more thorough vetting than the publicity coming from the ALA. It’s time to put some perspective to the need for another replica building to tell the Lincoln story. Springfield already has the most…
Editor’s note 08-05-21
Our writer’s lead paragraph in the article on this page sent me fact-checking. Springfield’s racial income disparity is the worst in the nation? That’s what Governing magazine concluded in its 2019 series that analyzed 2017 census data, and apparently nobody has challenged the accuracy of the analysis since. This newspaper published an article from that…
Black leaders outline solutions for economic inequity
Black residents of Springfield face income disparity that is greater than any other metro area in the U.S., according to an investigation on segregation conducted by Governing magazine and published in January 2019. Springfield is also among the most segregated third of U.S. metro areas between Black and white people, the investigation said. The Governing…
Shelter delays
Frustration is rising as plans for a proposed homeless shelter in Springfield continue to stall. At its July 27 meeting, the Springfield city council voted to put off a decision regarding a plan for a homeless shelter at the former Salvation Army building at 221 N. 11th St. While considering an ordinance to put in…
Statewide COVID-19 ICU bed usage jumps 15 percent overnight
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 jumped by more than 13 percent from Sunday to Monday night, Aug. 2, while intensive care bed usage jumped 15 percent as the delta variant of the virus continued to cause a surge nationwide. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 1,107 individuals with COVID-19-like illness were hospitalized as of Monday…
Artists sing and dance to promote vaccinations
Artists throughout Illinois are using their creative talents to encourage people to get vaccinated. Through an initiative of Arts Alliance Illinois, invited artists of all genres are receiving stipends to design powerful messages in unique formats. The Springfield Area Arts Council (SAAC), a member of Arts Alliance Illinois, is a local partner. Sheila Walk, SAAC…
Salt can transform summer produce
Salt can do more than add flavor and sparkle to recipes and fresh summer produce. Thanks to the power of osmosis, salting and draining fruits like cucumber, zucchini or tomatoes can have a transformative effect on the finished product. Foods with a high water content often benefit from an extended period of salting because it…
First health fair for food workers
Luminary Kitchen and Provisions hosted its first restaurant industry health and wellness fair July 26 at Luminary restaurant. The event brought food service and hospitality workers together with health care providers and representatives from various branches of Memorial Health Systems as well as Flow Yoga and the American Cancer Society. This was an effort to…
August arrives
Hot diggity dog, here we are in the first full weekend of August 2021. While we’re all still dealing with the consequences of a full-blown pandemic as we navigate through slight upticks in infections from variants and such, let’s see what’s ahead on the ticket for this week. There’s nothing like a good Thursday of…
Letters to the editor 08-05-21
FUND TRAINING PROGRAM If civic organizations can keep the pressure on the city council to stay on track and keep this program funded for the long haul (“Constructive learning: Job-training program to improve lives and blight,” July 29), this will be a wonderful opportunity for young people in our community to learn a well-paying trade…
Be patient with Knight, Ted Lasso scores and Lorelei tries hard
Sumptuous Knight requires patience One of the most unique films to hit the screen in quite some time, David Lowery’s The Green Knight is a dense, deliberate movie seemingly made for a very narrow audience, namely scholars of medieval literature and experts on the King Arthur legend. Be that as it may, it still proves…
