Cover Story
The last Illinois Stories
Mark McDonald’s greatest professional reward is knowing that people enjoy the product he produces. “When I go to the grocery store and people say ‘I love your show,'” McDonald said, “that makes it all worthwhile. I love that.” McDonald has been the only host of the Public Television series “Illinois Stories” since its inception 19…
Inmates wait for mental health treatment
The Sangamon County state’s attorney wants the Illinois Department of Human Services declared in contempt of court because of months-long delays by DHS in accepting jail inmates who need mental health treatment before they can stand trial. Department officials say the COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for an “unprecedented backlog” of about 150 people sitting…
Candidates for 13th Congressional District square off
The sometimes stark differences in views among candidates seeking the Republican and Democratic nominations for the new 13th Congressional District seat were on display at a public forum June 7 in Springfield. When it came to issues ranging from the minimum wage to gun policy, the economy, health care and abortion, Republicans Regan Deering and…
Jesse Reising runs for Congress
Jesse Reising is the man with the resume – and he wants the world to know it: High school valedictorian, Yale undergrad, Harvard Law and now candidate for Congress at age 32. Sitting at a picnic table in Decatur’s Central Park on May 20, he opined on why he is seeking the GOP nomination for…
New law provides $700 million for nursing home staffing
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation May 31 that will pump an additional $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes, provided they use that money to increase staff and wages in their facilities. “This is truly a game changer,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony at a Chicago-area nursing home. “…Together we’ve delivered a victory for…
Pritzker endorses Rep. Yingling’s primary opponent
The state’s political world may have been shocked, but I doubt many in that world were surprised at the level of vitriol in Rep. Sam Yingling’s, D-Grayslake, press release last week which claimed he’d been “attacked” by Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker’s “offense” was endorsing Yingling’s Democratic primary opponent, Mary Edly-Allen, in the race to replace…
A youngster suddenly alone
A Victorian-era novel is next on stage as Theatre in the Park at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site is back producing outdoor theater after a two-summer absence. The show is A Little Princess, based on the 1905 children’s book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, opening this week, running June 10-12 and 16-18 at 8 p.m.…
Jingle jangle June
June bugs, June weddings, Henry and June, “by the light of the silvery moon” in June, and even Lassie’s TV mom, June Lockhart, give us a lot to think about as the sixth month of the year comes along. But here at Now Playing central we consider mostly music. So let’s take a gander at…
Make beets better
According to a recent survey, beets are the second most disliked vegetable in Am erica, second only to turnips. Even the Obamas hate beets – so much that they insisted that no beets were to be planted in the White House vegetable garden. Yet beets are one of our most nutritious vegetables and are extremely…
New Jurassic World is a rehash, Hustle predictable but enjoyable, Crimes of the Future is familiar
Dominion’s familiarity breeds indifference Jurassic World: Dominion goes out of its way to replicate the past, calling back to so many seminal moments from the franchise, the sense of déjà vu will likely be a recurring sensation among viewers. However, there are benefits. The presence of fan favorites Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum…
Editor’s note 06-09-22
This year’s primary campaign demonstrates again how much the Illinois governor’s race has become a battle of big money. The multibillionaire Ken Griffin is heavily backing Republican governor candidate Richard Irvin, while Richard Uihlein, apparently only a multimillionaire, is supporting the other Republican front-runner, Darren Bailey. JB Pritzker, the billionaire Democratic governor, is not only…
Bundles of Joy
See a need. Take action. That’s what Dr. Meredith Havey Volle did when she realized that many low-income parents lack resources for clothing for their newborns. As a new mother, she saw firsthand the disparity among families. As an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at SIU School of Medicine specializing in pediatric primary care, she…
letter from Paul, old friend
letter from Paul, old friend when we were kids yes we played a lot of monopoly but mostly I remember lying in a cot on the porch of your lake cottage telling ghost stories in the dark I’d never dreamed I could make up a gruesome tale as I went along, even less I’d like…
Letters to the editor 06-09-22
DOESN’T ADD VALUE Indoor storage units will not add to the value of the neighborhood (“Town and Country Shopping Center sells to Miami developer,” May 25). I see the article states that (Ward 7 Alderman) Joe McMenamin was told they were doing storage units and he was all for this. To revitalize the neighborhood, we…
