Cover Story
Springfield grapples with increased crime
Antwaun Readus Sr. started to choke up at the podium as he described how he has been called upon to use his barbering skills to prepare as many as 10 Black adolescents and young men for casket viewings after they became victims of violence. “Do you know how hard it is to sit here and…
Be thankful for your problems
That most American of holidays has arrived. And, even though the merchants would have us believe that holiday is Christmas, it’s actually Thanksgiving. In many homes throughout the country, the day will be celebrated in the grand tradition of feasting, football and family feuds! Others will pause to reflect on the blessings they enjoy, for…
New federal lawsuit challenges Illinois abortion protections
A conservative Catholic legal group is suing Illinois over a landmark state law enshrining a “fundamental right” to abortion care and requiring insurance companies to cover abortion and other reproductive health care. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 21 in federal court in Chicago by the Thomas More Society, seeks to prevent the state from requiring insurers…
Sangamon County target of DOJ investigation
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office is under investigation by the U. S. Department of Justice for civil rights violations, but the probe may go beyond the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights probe will investigate the sheriff’s department, but also Sangamon County Central Dispatch and the county itself. The…
Wicked and Gladiator 2 have more visuals than plot, Piano Lessons examines the past
Dazzling Wicked a bit of a slog Judging from the reaction of the audience at the screening of Wicked I attended, fans of the musical sensation will likely be pleased by Universal’s $150 million adaptation. Every cent of the budget is on the screen, as it is one of the most visually dynamic films you’re…
Frank Vala helped fund recorder’s race
It is being called the closest countywide race in the history of Sangamon County. Republican Frank Lesko edged out incumbent Josh Langfelder, a Democrat, by a mere 31 votes out of 98,217 ballots cast. “To think that almost 100,000 ballots were cast in a countywide race for Sangamon County recorder, and for it to be…
New look for Town and Country Shopping Center
The Town and Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard may be on the brink of being transformed into an upscale apartment complex and retail area. The Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission is slated to consider the proposed transformation of the strip mall in the 2300 to 2500 blocks of MacArthur Boulevard on Nov. 20. The…
Preserving our Union
I recently learned that several counties are hoping to leave our state. While this seems legally dubious, the sentiment behind this move concerns me as an Illinoisian and I take it seriously. I am a relatively new resident of Illinois and Springfield, but I have a lot of love for this place. I love the…
House Speaker Chris Welch addresses changes needed
Just about nothing happened in the first week of veto session in the House and the Senate. The Democratic legislative leaders are still trying to figure out what their members want to do in the wake of Republican President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory and whether that can be done. Whether that action starts in the second…
Family music and more
Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green – no, wait a second – it’s much too early for that song. Let’s please get through Thanksgiving first, which is nearly as late as it can be with another week remaining before Turkey Day happens. Then we can plunge into all the hoopla surrounding the…
Former Pillsbury employees to gather for photograph
Former Pillsbury employees and family members are invited to “One Last Group Photo” at the Pillsbury Mill site. Moving Pillsbury Forward is moving ahead with requests for proposals on both remediation and demolition of site structures now that all compliance reviews have been completed. The image will be taken in front of the employee names…
Letters to the editor 11-21-24
DON’T DEMONIZE OTHERS Stop blaming Kamala Harris. She did her job. Joe Biden did his. Big donors made their choice by pulling out funds from the DNC. They pulled the plug on 2024. Democrats that voted not just for the president, but for all down-ballot races, will be what saves this country. The GOP is…
All my love
All my love In 8th grade we were learning the difference between writing a business letter and a friendly letter. A classmate signed his friendly letter “with all my love.” He read it aloud and our teacher insisted he could not give anybody all his love. She said, “Not for your mother, father? Grandparents? This…
The elegant, underestimated pear
Although apples and pumpkin spice often dominate autumn’s culinary scene, pears are arguably one of the season’s most elegant yet often underestimated fruits. Perhaps because they’re so willing to ripen on the counter, quickly transforming from crunchy and crisp to meltingly soft. Indeed, pears are the only orchard fruit that is not ripened on the…
A playwright’s prediction
In a divided, dystopian America, science is outlawed, books are burned and freedoms are stripped away. If any of that sounds a little familiar, that’s the point. This unsettling reality is brought to life in Doctor Vonyich and Her Children, a powerful and poetic play by Leanna Keyes. Set in a future that feels eerily…
Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra performs Sunday, Nov. 24
On a Sunday afternoon, Jacobsen Woollen, director of the Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra, gently conducts 45 young musicians with patience in the Grant Conservatory of Music and Dance. This is in preparation for their Nov. 24 concert at the University of Illinois Springfield’s Performing Arts Center. Their “HQ,” as Woollen called it, is a beautiful…
