Cover Story
Spring Home & Garden 2022
As the weather warms up, it’s a good time to think about ways to refresh our home and yard. This year’s Spring Home & Garden issue has tips on decluttering (yes, even if you live with kids), suggestions on planning your garden so you’ll have enough to can and enjoy this winter, ideas for pollinator…
Charlie Kirk coming to Springfield
The Sangamon County Republican Central Committee hopes to follow up on record-breaking attendance at last year’s Lincoln Day Dinner with this year’s April 19 event featuring national conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk, 28, a Chicago-area native and Eagle Scout, has said he is dedicated to “win the American culture war.” Raised in Wheeling, Kirk…
Gumbo z’herbes
Fat Tuesday marks the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before beginning the Lenten ritual of self-sacrifice and fasting. In South Louisiana, Catholics go to Mass on Ash Wednesday, give up meat on Fridays and make small sacrifices until Easter to signify their piety and atone for the excesses of Mardi Gras revelry. The…
Music blooms
As we hit mid-April, the bands are busting out all over and the music blooms forth like a magnificent magnolia tree and those darling daffy daffodils. If you can’t find something to your liking this weekend, well I don’t know what to say, other than, wait until next week because there’s probably going to be…
Father Stu has good intentions, nothing Fantastic about these beasts, Moon Knight is a fresh take
Scattered Stu rights itself If good intentions were the basis for entering cinematic heaven, then Rosalind Ross’ Father Stu would earn a place at the top of its firmament. Unfortunately, I won’t be judging it in such lofty terms, and as such, it falls a bit short of movie perfection. A passion project of its…
A tradition returns
A 30-year tradition returns as an ecumenical group of Springfield faith communities reconvene for Good Friday Way of the Cross. The two-hour prayerful walk, which begins in front of the state Supreme Court Building, commemorates Jesus’ passion and its connection with the sufferings of injustice experienced by God’s people in our world today by war,…
Editor’s Note 4/14/22
If the Biden administration had gotten the U.S. military involved in a shooting war over Ukraine, Americans would be protesting by now. Instead they are solidly behind President Biden’s non-military strategy, which includes calling out Vladimir Putin as a war criminal and, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” Diplomacy is energized. Economic…
State budget passes with last-minute additions
Last year’s state budget talks were dragged into the bitter fight between the Senate and the House and the governor’s office over a massive bill to regulate carbon-based power plants. As a result, the House hurriedly and angrily jammed an appropriations bill over to the Senate before it could be fully checked for accuracy. Both…
Insurance reform proposal fails
State Rep. Sue Scherer asked fellow lawmakers April 6 to vote for legislation she said would protect patients harmed by the contract dispute between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic. Scherer, D-Decatur, whose 96th House district includes parts of Springfield’s east side and eastern Sangamon County, was unsuccessful in securing passage…
Springfield celebrates Earth Month
April is Earth Month, and April 22 marks the 52nd annual Earth Day. In celebration, the city of Springfield is cosponsoring two events: April 23, Earth Awareness Fair, Henson Robinson Zoo, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 1100 E. Lake Shore Dr. Family-friendly educational event with hands-on activities, art, workshops, games and free admission to the zoo. Hosted…
A journalist and a political candidate
After decades of covering candidates for public office, journalist Terry Martin has decided to become one. Martin, executive director of the Illinois Channel, is seeking the Republican nomination for the 13th Congressional District. The district, which snakes its way from East St. Louis through Chatham, Springfield and Decatur to Champaign-Urbana was drawn by state lawmakers…
Progress for Pillsbury site
The site of the former Pillsbury factory on Springfield’s northeast side could be leveled and developed for future residential, industrial or commercial use – maybe even become a solar farm – in the next five years or more. Those are among the hopes of Moving Pillsbury Forward, a Springfield nonprofit that recently acquired the 18-acre…
my mother’s school
my mom went to grade school in chicago, near north side I think it was called carl schurz may still be there the principal came to the first grade every monday morning gave the class a poem to memorize he’d return on friday to hear the students recite the poem he did the same with…
Letters to the editor 4/14/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- WRONG IMPRESSION In the last month, I sat with my husband as he called Gateway to get help with his substance-abuse disorder. I watched him cry and look scared as they told him he…
We need more workers, not more walls
Is the current inflationary crisis due to the policies of President Joe Biden, or are they in part the result of four years of anti-immigration policies enacted by former President Donald Trump? Economists tell us that one prominent factor fueling current inflationary pressures on the economy is a lack of workers. Unemployment is low. There…
No transparency for state budget process
Illinois politicians talk a lot about transparency but rarely practice it – even amongst themselves. State budgets are negotiated behind closed doors between whomever is governor and legislative leaders. Sometimes members of the minority party are included, but other times, such as this year, not so much. This month, once a budget agreement was reached…
Growing your own food is like nature’s magic show
Gardening and canning both saw a resurgence in spring 2020 when families were home due to the pandemic and looking for activities to keep themselves busy. Gardening and canning had such a revival that seed suppliers were selling out and canning supplies were in high demand. The last time there had been a shortage of…
Decluttering when you live with children
I don’t know if it is the byproduct of spring cleaning, knowing that summer break is around the corner or that I have been binging “The Home Edit” on Netflix, but I am ready to declutter my house – particularly my kids’ items. As all families with young children know, kids often go through toys…
Planting a pollinator garden
One out of every three bites of our food, including fruits, vegetables, chocolate, coffee, nuts and spices, is created with the help of pollinators, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pollinators include not just bees, but birds, beetles, butterflies, moths, bats and more, and are an important piece of food creation around the world.…
Growing fruit for the home gardener
While farmers markets bring us fresh, local fruit in season, and grocery stores bring us everything else, nothing beats the taste – or the carbon footprint – of a freshly plucked fruit from the backyard. Growing fruit in the backyard is easy, even for those without a green thumb. First things first, what do you…
