Cover Story
Teaching Jewish traditions
With his distinctive beard, long black coat and hat, Mendy Turen has been mistaken for a Lincoln impersonator and even an Amish farmer. But he is a Hasidic rabbi serving Springfield as part of the Chabad movement, a subsect of Judaism that stresses traditional worship, adhering to strict dietary and cultural rules and experiencing the…
Sam McCann says he may plead guilty to federal charges
Former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann says he is considering pleading guilty as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve charges that he illegally spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds. McCann, 52, a former Republican senator from the Macoupin County community of Plainview, represented the 50th Senate District, which includes…
A fatal encounter
The body of a 36-year-old nurse remained in a Springfield hotel room for more than two days after her fatal overdose. During that time, the woman’s boyfriend, Loren Letz, 40, who admitted to taking drugs with her on Jan. 18, used her car and debit card to make more than $500 in withdrawals from her…
A true WW II story, Three is a cry for help, Barry engaging once more
Mincemeat a fascinating WW II story Gripping and fascinating, John Madden’s Operation: Mincement recounts an unusual mission undertaken by the British during WW II, one that saved thousands of lives. Curiously, a corpse was the centerpiece of this outlandish scheme. The time is 1943 and the Nazis are expecting the Allied forces to invade Italy.…
Editors note 5/12/22
Canada by rail, a 2,775-mile journey from Toronto to Vancouver, impresses a traveler with the vastness of our neighbor’s wilderness and wildlife. But those who fall in love with the beauty, the bears and the elk, learn next that, however plentiful, these too are fragile, threatened by global warming and the pressures of people. The…
Angst over abortion
Planned Parenthood of Illinois expanded the number of days surgical abortions were offered in Springfield in March as part of an ongoing effort to prepare for the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. After taking that step and others to increase capacity statewide in recent years, Planned Parenthood officials said they…
girls@ART
More than 100 works of art created by Girl Scouts in all types of media will be on display in the H.D. Smith Gallery at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, May 18-22. Girl Scouts throughout central Illinois, from kindergarten through high school, were invited to participate in this first-time event. In addition to art…
Because of you
Love poem by Vera Wardner My mother wrote this to my father, their first spring shortly before their marriage. Because of you This year, because I know you, Spring is lovelier than it ever was before; The skies more blue; Strange magic in the swelling buds That hold new life. And on this day I…
Letters to the editor 5/12/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- OFFENSIVE BILLBOARD On May 4, we walked into work at the Family Guidance Center to see this billboard directly outside our facility. Personally, I have witnessed how it has affected my colleagues and the work…
A time to celebrate and serve others
Several central Illinois Baha’i communities gathered with friends and co-collaborators in Springfield over Mother’s Day weekend to mark the launch of an effort by Baha’is worldwide to engage with others in a spirit of service and unity. The ultimate aim of Baha’is is to foster humanity’s spiritual and material growth and to work with others…
Cut out corporate welfare
Illinois’ 20-year dalliance with Boeing came to an end this month, with the corporate behemoth announcing that it is picking up and moving from Chicago to a Washington, D.C. suburb. It was a shameful relationship from the start. Taxpayers at the local and state level paid the airplane manufacturer $60 million to move its corporate…
Mama’s Day a tribute to playwright’s mother
Springfield has long championed community-based and what’s known as grassroots theater. We are now seeing a resurgence of such theater performances after a long COVID pause. It has caused me to reflect and wonder, what is it about these community projects? What brings these people together? Donna Jefferson’s theater journey has been a long trajectory…
A lesson in good taste
It is commonly accepted that our tongues have taste receptors that allow us to perceive five primary taste modalities: salt, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. To this list, some food scientists have added a sixth taste known as kokumi. The first four tastes are pretty straightforward – the last two less so. The word umami…
Let there be May music
We have festivals and flings, gigs and gatherings, blues and more blues, along with a bunch of other exciting things going on this weekend in Springfield’s music entertainment scene. Come along with me to see what we can find to do with ourselves this lovely May weekend in 2022. Let’s kick it off with a…
St. Andrew’s Society
According to some accounts, heavy athletic competitions similar to those practiced in Highland games originated in ancient Ireland. Sometime in the fourth or fifth century the games jumped the over the water to Scotland where the tradition endured. By the 11th century, Scottish men competed in the games to prove they had what it took…
Irvin’s campaign plays to both sides
Almost every weekday since the beginning of February, the Richard Irvin campaign has sent at least one press release to reporters about a host of issues, from crime to taxes to corruption to former House Speaker Michael Madigan to, well, you name it. Last week, however, the Irvin campaign was conspicuously silent for 24…
Forged art
Blacksmith is a fairly broad term that is often used to describe the crafters of many types of smithery – artist blacksmiths, industrial blacksmiths, metalworkers, silversmiths, welders, machinists, knife makers, gunsmiths, farriers. This weekend, blacksmiths will gather at Clayville to share stories and make metal parts the old-fashioned way. They will demonstrate their talents and…
UIS faculty approves new contract, avoids strike
Annual salary increases of 2% to 3.5% are part of a new four-year labor contract ratified by University of Illinois Springfield faculty members retroactive to the 2021-22 academic year. “I was glad,” Kristi Barnwell, president of UIS United Faculty-Local 4100, told Illinois Times. “We’ve got a contract that is stronger than our previous contract.” Ratified…
