Cover Story
Collaborating with ICE
This story was reported and produced by Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom in Chicago that investigates issues of equity and justice in the court system, in collaboration with The Intercept. Minutes after Riverton police officer Brad Herzog ran 31-year-old Daniel Torrez Perez’s name through a law enforcement database one night in April 2025, his phone…
Building a community where systems work together
Effectively addressing homelessness requires our community to do more than solve individual crises. We have to build deeply connected systems of care with the whole person in mind. In many communities, physical health, mental health, behavioral health and homeless services function as mostly isolated systems of support, leaving people to figure out how to navigate…
Peaches, pears or apricots?
What is it about either or all, that sparks your interest or desire? What impact does each or either have upon your gustatorial delights? What impact does each or either have upon your digestive processes? In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed the matter of distinguishing the real from the unreal. He specifically focused…
Democrats differ over campaign funding flap
My associate Isabel Miller and I told subscribers earlier this month that Democrats for the Illinois House had been suddenly cut off from the Democratic Party of Illinois’ lucrative postage discount program, which can save as much as a third to a half of campaign postage costs. Afterward, an extraordinary interaction occurred between the executive…
The Weight is thoughtful and compelling, Uprising lacks heart
Physical and emotional burdens drive compelling Weight On April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102. This step toward righting the floundering U.S. economy dictated “the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates” over the amount of $100 was now forbidden. The reasoning behind that was this act was leading…
Solution
We were loaned a lovely temporarily vacanthome for our stay out west, but we addlepatedadults had forgotten to retain the key, so we werelocked out. Rather than break a door or a double-glazed picture window we tried this solution: wesent our three-year-old, well instructed, crawlingthrough the cat hole. We watched as he emerged,found his way…
Letters to the editor 9/17/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. WRONG PRIORITIES We need more people to turn their useless turf grass into native habitats that support life (“Prairie problems,” Aug. 19). Shame on the city of Springfield and the neighbors who reported this. Shelley…
Prevention is a shared responsibility
As a practicing pediatrician and president of the Sangamon County Medical Society, I have serious concern about the Aug. 10 executive order targeting routine childhood vaccinations. I addressed vaccine policy in March 2025, and the evidence remains unchanged: vaccines are among the most thoroughly studied and safety‑monitored interventions in medicine. They protect the vaccinated child…
Doing the job
We live in dread of the robot brains, haunted as we are by our exchanges with chatbots that are smarter than any actual person we’ve ever known. More perfect AI is likely to make obsolete jobs by the millions. (On the upside, that will include lots of dreary jobs that talented and ambitious people don’t…
Beat the frost
Pepper production is reaching its peak at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign. Our walk-in cooler is filling up with a brilliant display of red, yellow, green and orange capsicums. Even though we are currently experiencing a September heatwave that feels more like July, we know cold weather is around the corner, and one…
Music to remember in September
We’re showing definite signs of the summer slowdown as fall comes up fast with regular outdoor gigs disappearing and inside shows picking up speed, while the final flashes of the festival season roll on by. Let’s take a look. Thursdays hold on tight with Boone’s booking Skibbereen in the beer garden (weather permitting) for a…
The much-maligned Mary Lincoln – revisited
Fans of Mary Todd Lincoln, rejoice! What? You are not a fan of Mary Lincoln? There are no Mary Lincoln fans? In fact, Mary Lincoln has had bad press since the mid-19th century. Much of this can be traced to half-truths and outright lies promulgated by Abraham Lincoln’s third law partner, William H. Herndon, other…
Learn more about Pillsbury Mills
As Pillsbury Mills continues to be demolished, interest remains strong in the complex that employed thousands of Springfield residents. Here’s a chance for local residents to learn more. In this event hosted by the group Moving Pillsbury Forward, curator and artist Robert Mazrim will sign souvenir copies of his new book, Pillsbury Abandoned: Art &…
Leaving a legacy
Seven charitable organizations that help women in need have received a total of $1.21 million in grants from the newly created Justice Benjamin K. Miller Charitable Fund. Justice Benjamin K. Miller was the first Springfield native on the Illinois Supreme Court, serving from 1984-2001, and was chief justice from 1991-1993. Miller was highly respected in…
The most well-staffed data center in Illinois?
If all ‘projections’ go according to plan, Sangamon County could have the most well-staffed hyperscale data center in the state. The CyrusOne data center slated for Talkington Township in southwest Sangamon County is expected to have four main buildings that convert 1.8 million square feet of farmland into the foundation for racks of computer servers…
19th Street rail project options reviewed
Springfield residents reviewed displays explaining the options for the 19th Street rail corridor improvements during a Sept. 9 open house at Washington Middle School. Linda Douglas-Williams said she attended to educate herself after hearing plans over the years for proposed changes. “We have done studies, and studies and studies,” she said. And, it’s really about…
