Cover Story
A man on a mission in Athens
Who is Sameer Somal, and what has he been doing in Athens? The 43-year-old Pennsylvania resident, entrepreneur and Abraham Lincoln historian has been a frequent presence in the Menard County community in recent months. Somal is on the board of the town’s Abraham Lincoln Long Nine Museum, and he envisions transforming vacant and available property…
Becoming a billet
Ask a veteran hockey player about their parents, and they’ll often answer: Which ones? For players that had enough talent to play for a junior hockey team, such as the Springfield Jr. Blues of the North American Hockey League, there were their regular parents and their billet parents. New Jr. Blues defenseman Brady Anundsen, 17,…
Nominations open for 64th First Citizen Award Â
Nominations are open through Oct. 1 for the 64th Springfield Area First Citizen Award, and the recipient will be honored on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park.  The award recognizes individuals whose extraordinary volunteer service and commitment have made a significant and lasting impact on Springfield and surrounding communities. The Community…
Intervention
I was at the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factoryin Vermont. I saw a small boy about to losethe scoop atop his cone; he was holding ittipped. I caught the scoop as it fell, pressedit hard into his cone, straightened the cone,and sent him on his way. His parents neversaw how a major catastrophe was…
Letters to the editor 9/10/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. NEED A PLAN Nine days. That’s how long it’s been since a city-owned water main put five feet of water in the basements on Monroe Street — and the businesses hit hardest still don’t have…
Slow cooker apple butter
Subtle hints of fall have begun to appear in spite of this month’s sweltering start. There’s a tinge of gold layered into the trees and although the afternoons have been unbearably hot, there’s a crisp, freshness to the morning air. Our local apple harvest is just beginning, with early season gala and Sweet Maia apples…
September music rises
With Labor Day behind us, that means only four days of toil for you workers of the world, and that tells me maybe you can take the short week and make it into a big weekend of music. Let’s see what’s out there. Starting on Thursday, ‘cause that’s what we do, Motorheads presents Thursday Night…
