Cover Story
Springfield’s living black history
“In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care…
Man found dead in city building believed homeless
A man found dead early Sunday in a public bathroom at a city building that includes headquarters for the Springfield Police Department may have been homeless. Someone found the body of Nicholas Gipson, 33, shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday. He was discovered hanging in a stall and is believed to have died from asphyxiation.…
Mayor’s son arrested
Ryan T. Langfelder, son of Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, was released from the Sangamon County Jail this morning after being arrested by University of Illinois Springfield police on suspicion of driving under the influence, a misdemeanor, and possession of a controlled substance, a felony. The mayor’s son was pulled over shortly before 1:30 a.m. by…
Democratic candidates support Madigan stepping down
All six Democratic candidates vying to replace former Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) gathered for a candidates’ forum last week moderated by Laura Washington of the Sun-Times. Feigenholtz was recently appointed to the Illinois Senate. After their introductory remarks, Washington’s first question was: “How many of you think it’s time for Mike Madigan to step down…
SIU to provide prison health care
With an eye toward expansion, Southern Illinois School of Medicine plans to hire doctors to work in Illinois prisons, which are under pressure to improve health care that critics say amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. A mentally ill inmate has died from gastrointestinal bleeding two months after swallowing two sporks – a nurse determined…
hopeful song #1
rule of law is falling down falling down falling down DOJ is on the ground in our fair nation! take a barr and pick it up pick it up pick it up take a barr and pick it up, save our fair nation! a barr will only bash and bend bash and bend bash and…
Jambalaya for Mardi Gras
Those who have been lucky enough to experience true Cajun jambalaya, cooked slowly over a wood fire in a cast iron pot, studded with succulent nuggets of andouille sausage, shrimp and what folks down by the bayou call the “holy trinity” (diced pepper, celery and onion) know how deeply satisfying a dish it is. Born…
Letter’s to the editor 2/20/20
LETTERS We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to letters@illinoistimes.com. LITTLE PROGRESS ON HOMELESSNESS I’ve noticed that conversations and concerns regarding homelessness frequently change, as often as the weather moves from one extreme to another. Something else I recognize is our community’s inability to…
Scientist in search of a spiritual higher power
A Spiritual Hypothesis: An Inquiry into Abnormal and Paranormal Behavior, by Daniel Punzak. 809 pages. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2017. Throughout recorded history, scientific minds have considered religious people to be superstitious. At the same time, those with spiritual feelings have considered science to be somewhat heretical. Now, Daniel Punzak, a Springfield resident, has published a…
SCHOCKING
In a complaint made two years ago to the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Justice, federal prosecutor Tim Bass alleged there were grounds to believe that two colleagues in the U.S. attorney’s office in Springfield conspired with U.S. District Court Judge Colin Bruce, the presiding judge, to sabotage a corruption case against former…
Romance and bombast
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra returned to the UIS Performing Arts Center Saturday, Feb. 15, with a spirited Valentine’s Day-themed program entitled “Love Notes.” Things got underway with an enthusiastic performance of Richard Strauss’s 17-minute tone poem “Don Juan” (1888), introduced in amusing fashion by ISO music director Ken Lam, who illustrated each stage of the…
Oncologist enters Springfield High Hall of Fame
Michael Vasconcelles graduated from Springfield High School (SHS) in 1981 and went off to Northwestern University, initially terrified he wouldn’t be able to hold his own. Nearly 39 years later, he returned to SHS for the first time since graduation and was inducted into the SHS Hall of Fame. At an assembly in the auditorium…
Mardi Gras and more
Here we are at Mardi Gras time already with much more included in a week full of fabulous times, fun happenings and February at its finest. Shall we partake? Thursdays keep rolling on as a good night for live music and this week is no exception. Over at the Butternut Hut, Jeff Berendt (of The…
Will something be done about parking?
Downtown Springfield is jammed with parking problems. Shoppers and tourists complain about a lack of nearby spots, while study after study shows occupancy rates for spots remain low. Outdated meters only accept coins, and it’s getting harder to repair broken ones. The company that made them discontinued the model Springfield has and stopped servicing them.…
Mary Jo Curry Band
What can be said about Mary Jo Curry (vocals) and her band of Michael Rapier (guitar), Rick Snow (drums) and Chris Rogers (bass) that you don’t already know by hearing them play? Well, how about that the new CD just released this weekend has guest spots by some top blues cats, namely, Albert Castiglia, Tom…
Tap into some sweetness
The sugar maple tree is a Midwestern favorite enjoyed for its range of brilliant colors in the autumn and valued for its wood and sap. At this time of year, as the cold winter weather eases, sugar maple trees begin the process of turning stored starch into sugar. The tree’s sap is produced when the…
The abolitionist movement and the underground railroad
Discover how the abolitionist movement in Illinois played an important role in bringing slaves to freedom through the underground railroad. In celebration of Black History Month, Owen Muelder, director of the Galesburg Colony Underground Railroad Freedom Station at Knox College, will discuss how the abolitionist movement helped the underground railroad to become the first socially…
Super sounds of the Illinois legislature
Just before the shark attacks on Fourth of July weekend in Amity, music wafts over the beach from the transistor radio of Chief Brody, the cop hired to keep the village safe. “Maybe I hang around here, a little more than I should…” All these years later, there is no faster way to empty a…
Editor’s note 2/20/20
We who thought Blagojevich’s sentence was excessive are being pretty quiet now that the unpopular, but correct, decision has been made. The only other never-Trumper I know who feels this way, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, who is up for re-election this year, put it this way: “Former Governor Blagojevich betrayed the people of Illinois and…
Congress spends on wars, ignoring low-wage workers
The 2020 presidential election year should be an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions at the ballot box. Whether voters are able to express themselves about important personal issues becomes less likely with every passing month. Public opinion polls report that top public concerns are creating good jobs with good benefits coupled with health…
