Cover Story
Sexual assault survivor seeks justice
Dec. 3, 2019, is stamped in Betsy O’Brien’s brain forever; it was the date that she was raped by someone she trusted. For two-and-a-half years, O’Brien says she has been fighting for justice, and she is angry because she believes the Springfield Police Department did not diligently pursue her case. The term “rape” conjures up…
Art exhibit by two 1972 SHS grads
Two Springfield High School (SHS) graduates are presenting a pop-up art show at the Springfield Art Association (SAA) in conjunction with their 50th high school reunion Sept. 23-24. Ann Kozeliski (Tallahassee, Florida) and Jeff Schewe (Chicago) are both award-winning artists. The exhibit is open Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (700 N.…
Echoes of yesteryear
First there was the pandemic in 2020, then inclement weather in 2021, causing the Sangamon County Historical Society to cancel its Oak Ridge Cemetery Walk. But, this year, plans are set to once again welcome visitors on Sunday, Oct. 2. Actors, in period costumes, will portray eight Springfield citizens who made a difference to Springfield.…
similes poem #2
I’m sure I have written before about my dad talking with vivid similes but perhaps missed this particular one: in an old letter he writes to me that a certain farmer we both know “walks like a constipated meadowlark” 2022 Jacqueline Jackson
Letters to the editor 9/22/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- NOT A NICE GUY He may be a MAGA neofascist and secessionist, but what a nice Christian family man he is (“At home with Darren Bailey,” Sept. 15). Give me a break. Don Hanrahan…
GOP hammers Democrats as soft on crime
Four distinct attacks have been launched against Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic legislators in the past couple of weeks. 1) “The Scream”: If you watch Chicago TV, you likely saw a striking TV ad called “The Scream.” The ad featured surveillance camera video of a white woman being mugged in broad daylight by three men in…
Banned books can build bridges
As my parents walked down a street in China, a man sidled up next to my mother and asked if they had a Bible. In accented English, he explained that some Americans brought Bibles to give away in that Communist country. My folks were Illinois hog farmers who over the years visited their counterparts in…
My year of listening to pandemic stories
When COVID-19 turned life upside down in 2020, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum set out to capture memories of the pandemic through an oral history project called “Tumultuous 2020.” As head of the project, I spent the last year talking to Illinoisans about their myriad experiences as they weathered one of the most…
Wearable art comes alive
Recycled fabric, cardboard and plastic found new life on the runway at this year’s annual fashion show at The Pharmacy Gallery & Art Space. Some of the best creative talent Springfield has to offer was on display with dynamic style. “It has become a yearly tradition of the Pharmacy to have a fashion show,” said…
Appreciate pears
Pears are perhaps one of the most underrated fruits of the fall season. While apples and pumpkin spice may steal all the autumnal fanfare, pears are as delicious as they are versatile and nutritious. Popular varieties of pears available in most markets include Anjou, Bartlett, Comice and Starkkrimson, all varieties that will be tender and juicy…
Sam, SamJam, music for paws
Dive right on into our observations and distillations of the Springfield music scene to find what you can on our voyage of discovery and adventure. This week sadly brings mourning for a great friend and fellow musician in our small part of the world, along with an assortment of things to do involving live music…
Souped-up nostalgia
Whether you are a hot rod enthusiast or a classic car purist, you will want to be among the spectators lining the streets to catch a view of up to 2,000 street machines, muscle cars and roadsters rumbling into downtown Springfield Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Kicking off the 21st Annual International Route 66 Mother…
Rooting for Bandit; Don’t Worry Darling a smart sci-fi; Goodnight, Mommy is a mess
Duhamel delightful in Bandit During the 1980s, Gilbert Galvan Jr. set a rather ignominious record, one that he was actually quite proud of, despite the fact that he ultimately did not profit from it in any way. Having pulled off 57 consecutive bank robberies in Canada before being apprehended, he managed to net $2.4 million…
Editors note 9/22/22
Democrats don’t want serious debate before the November election about eliminating cash bail under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023. Gov. JB Pritzker hasn’t been helpful by just talking about making sure wealthy criminals can’t buy their way out of jail, and his opponent, Darren Bailey, worries only that local…
Few sexual assault cases lead to arrests, convictions
Whether looking at national or local numbers, the vast majority of reported rapes never result in an arrest. Nationally, 18% of all reported sexual assaults result in an arrest and about 7% are prosecuted. Illinois Times analyzed crime data the Springfield Police Department submitted to the FBI for 2019 through 2021. According to the data,…
Forgoing the funds
Despite supporting Medicaid rate reform that was signed into law this spring, most Illinois nursing homes haven’t applied for additional funding made available through the legislation to help them hire and boost pay for nursing assistants. And surprisingly, nursing homes with the highest shares of residents whose care is covered by Medicaid – homes that…
What happens when cash bail ends?
Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, cash bail will be abolished in Illinois. The measure that will eliminate it has been on the books since early 2021, giving the justice system two years to plan for the major overhaul of the state’s pretrial detention system. It’s also given time for the measure to become politicized to a…
