Where to get tested
Those seeking testing for COVID-19 have a number of options in Springfield. Memorial and Hospital Sisters Health System offer tests — though ask that patients coordinate a visit in advance. Meanwhile, two relatively newer sites in town offer testing at no cost, and without an appointment (though one prefers that appointments are made.) We list…
Governor announces regional plan
Barbershops, hair salons, manufacturing centers and offices may reopen in Sangamon County and other central Illinois counties sooner than other parts of the state under a regional approach to the pandemic announced today by Gov. JB Pritzker. The governor today announced a regional approach that divides the state into 11 sectors, with five phases used…
Magic bullets
ShotSpotter says that its gunshot-detection technology reduces gun violence and saves lives. But critics of the California-based company say it’s an expensive proposition that does little if anything to fight crime. The Springfield City Council on Tuesday is set to consider an ordinance that would pay ShotSpotter nearly $840,000 over three years to operate company-owned…
Sangamon County cases reach latest peak
“The morale has been challenging. It’s shocking,” Sangamon County Department of Public Health director Gail O’Neill said of the situation at a nursing home in Sherman. Earlier this week, the most county cases in a single day were announced – more than 40. Most represented people at the nursing home. “It’s disheartening and sad,” said…
Restrictions relaxed in new stay-at-home order
A new stay-at-home order issued by Gov. JB Prizker that takes effect today is looser than the one that expired at the end of April. Boating, so long as no more than two people are afloat together, is allowed. Nurseries and garden centers can open, as can pet grooming establishments. Some state parks will reopen.…
Half’s charm makes it a winner
So much of the success of a movie relates to how well the audience likes the characters. Plot holes, wild circumstances and non-sensical acts can be forgiven if we relate to the people involved and come to share their hopes and dreams. The desire to see appealing characters find the happiness we cannot, may cause…
Six figures of trouble
After Candace Wanzo was walked out of the secretary of state’s office, where she was a supervisor in the vehicle licensing division, investigators with the inspector general’s office searched her office, plus storage areas, and found more than $155,410 in uncashed checks and money orders made out to the state. That was three years ago,…
Spring Home & Garden 2020
Most of us are spending a lot more time at home these days, so perhaps you’ve been compiling a list of projects you want to tackle. Our annual spring Home & Garden issue offers tips on decluttering and minor home projects you can tackle yourself or ideas for spending that stimulus check to spruce up…
Home fixups on a budget
Spring is finally here and it is prime time for home projects. Since you have been looking at the inside of your home for more than a month, it’s likely you have come up with some ideas to give your home a facelift, make it more enjoyable, or maybe even prepare it for sale. Perhaps…
Beauty contests
When it comes to does-he-or-doesn’t-he, I don’t trust Gov. JB Pritzker. Then-and-now photos tell the tale: Does this look like someone who hasn’t had a haircut since barbershops closed in March? Nearly a month ago, the governor declared that he’d sworn off barbers for the duration: “I’m going to turn into a hippie at some…
Home and Garden directory
Apple Barn 2290 E. Walnut St., Chatham 217-483-6236 applebarn.net Seasonal flowers, perennials and garden supplies. Archer Creek Landscaping 7025 W. Iles Ave., New Berlin 217-502-0089 archercreeklandscaping.com Landscaping services, outdoor kitchens, garden beds, lighting and containers. Artisan Stone 2475 Peerless Mine Road, Springfield 217-697-8433 artisanstoneproducts.net Offering walk-through displays in a park-like setting to view the available…
Editor’s note 4/30/20
When a southern Illinois Republican state representative got a court to exempt himself from the governor’s stay-at-home order, Gov. JB Pritzker didn’t have to get all mad. The governor played into Rep. Darren Bailey’s hands by calling the cheap political stunt a “cheap political stunt.” He then rushed the State of Illinois into appellate court…
Time to declutter
Time is usually the biggest factor limiting our ability to declutter, but one of the silver linings of the COVID-19 epidemic is that we finally have time to do big projects. So tackle the garage, the basement or overflowing closets. The steps to decluttering and then organizing are the same for large projects and small.…
Get ready for the fall surge in corona cases
Various governors and the president are pondering what to do during the current COVID-19 pandemic regarding ending social distancing and opening up the economy. There is a lot to learn from studying the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic. What do we need to focus on if restrictions are relaxed? First some facts: The 1918 flu hit…
Pesto pandemico
After weeks of homeschooling, discombobulated grocery shopping, and what felt like an endless winter, the novelty of staying home to stymie the spread of a novel virus has thoroughly worn off. Our household has begun to settle into a new sort of normal. Lunch has turned into the main meal of the day around here,…
Media must do better in covering the crisis
The First Amendment to the US Constitution prevents government intrusion on journalists’ rights to tell their stories and your rights to read or watch or listen to them. But that means things can get messy. Some reporters can make everyone else look bad. “There are no bad questions,” is something I learned growing up. But…
Month of May(be) music
As we enter our seventh week of talking about live music without public performances, it’s so appropriate to be starting the month of May. And that’s only because I’ve referred to it as the month of Maybe for years and now May is very much a maybe month. To give proper intellectual credit, Jim Schniepp,…
A May Day tradition
During the heyday of Edwards Place, many people celebrated the ancient spring festival of May Day. The festivities included dancing around the maypole, singing, crowning the queen of May, and cake. Some also practiced the more modern tradition of giving May baskets. The small, handmade baskets were filled with sweets or flowers and left anonymously…
archival poem #31: Uncle Trever writes Jackie
we could play favorite – how about sounds one of my very favorites is “practicing” – I grew up listening to my mom playing piano my sisters practice violin I didn’t just like my sisters’ pieces but all of it – scales ševík’s bowing exercises the repetition over and over of a hard passage till…
Letters to the editor 4/30/20
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. GOOD GOVERNING In the early days of his candidacy for governor, I had an opportunity to meet with JB Pritzker about his position on violence against women issues. What impressed me that day was not…
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
It was a stark sight. On Sunday night, the steps of the Abraham Lincoln statue, in front of the Capitol, were aflame with nearly 2,000 candles. Each candle represented a person in Illinois who died after being infected with the new coronavirus. Scott McFarland organized the vigil. The District 186 board member started the Springfield…
BAD JUDGMENT
What do you do if you’re a federal judge who’s been removed from hearing criminal matters because you got caught sending emails to former colleagues at the U.S. attorney’s office about things you shouldn’t be discussing, including a case over which you’re presiding? If you’re U.S. District Court Judge Colin Bruce, you make campaign contributions…
Groceries to go
Not everyone has the privilege of paying extra for grocery delivery. But health experts are telling us, especially those older and the immune compromised, to limit public exposure. So many are turning to online shopping for pick-up and delivery options. “Online grocery currently comprises a small portion of grocery overall but is on a rapid…
Springfield’s ERA battle stars in new TV series
“I’d like to burn you at the stake.” Considered a mother of the women’s liberation movement, Peoria native Betty Friedan spoke those words to Phyllis Schlafly during a 1973 talk show appearance and subsequent debate at Illinois State University in Bloomington. Schlafly’s name still elicits a strong reaction in Illinois and national politics. Love her…
The buzz on urban bees
Urban beekeeping is a growing trend. It may seem odd to many to keep bees in an urban area, but bees in cities are actually more likely than rural bees to survive the winter as well as Colony Collapse Disorder (the main culprit of bee decline). This is due to the more varied diet and…
Victory gardens
In unsettled times, people often turn to gardening, not only to provide for peace of mind, but also the sense of security that growing one’s own food can nurture. A backyard garden can create a place of tranquility and calm, putting hands into earth and observing biological life going about their animal ways free of…
Easy updates you can do yourself
So you’ve been dreaming of updating your home, but the cost of new flooring or a kitchen remodel doesn’t fit your budget? Don’t despair. There are lots of ways to revitalize and update your home without breaking the bank. Check out these simple updates and fixes that will give your home a fresh new look,…
Authentic Bull one of year’s best
On par with The Florida Project and Lean on Pete, Annie Silverstein’s impressive debut feature Bull is a bracing examination of modern poverty, a sympathetic look at those trapped by circumstances out of their control, forced to live a life where few options for advancement exist, an existence that ultimately becomes void of meaning or…
