Cover Story
The Pet Issue 2022
People love their pets, and rates of pet ownership have only increased since the pandemic began, with 70% of U.S. households now including at least one furry friend. It’s an appropriate time for our first Illinois Times’ pet issue, which includes tips on getting your dog to behave in public, what to do about that…
Spongebob celebrates Muni’s return
Springfield’s Muni Opera is back after two silent summers, and the first show is a celebratory musical, SpongeBob Squarepants, which opened last week and runs thru June 5. This 2017 musical is based on the popular children’s animated series that has been running since 1999. I asked my nine-year-old great-nephew, Archer Adkins, about the TV…
It runs in the family
As Father’s Day approaches, I find myself contemplating the veterinarians in my life. You see, I’ve been blessed with two veterinarians – my father and my wife. Growing up, I was always “Doc Reeder’s boy.” Together, we would ride from farm to farm across Knox and Warren counties. I observed and helped with countless surgeries.…
Keep pets safe this summer
Sun’s out, pup’s out, Illinois Times’ readers! Buddy the Cavachon here to discuss some important health and wellness tips to help you make your pet’s summers safe and comfortable. Pet owners know that high temperatures and sweltering sunlight can be uncomfortable, but let’s take a moment to stop and think about how the dog days…
That outdoor cat may already be home
The shy ones slink around your shrubs, the longtime residents stroll leisurely through your yard and the tame ones arrive promptly at mealtime every day. They are all community cats, a label for unowned felines — either tame or feral (wild), living outdoors. And chances are, that healthy outdoor cat is just where he wants…
Vanishing veterinarians
It’s been slightly more than two years since we began experiencing shortages of groceries, toilet paper and other essentials. A shortage of a different kind has been building since long before the pandemic, and it’s reaching a critical level – the shortage of veterinarians. Jelena Peterson, hospital administrator at Laketown Animal Hospital, said, “The shortage…
Taking your pup out in public
The dog days of summer are almost here. Balmy days and abundant sunshine beg for leisurely walks in the park, al fresco dining and browsing the farmers market. For many, these quintessential summer activities just wouldn’t be complete without their canine companion by their side. Indeed, many local businesses and activities in the area are dog-friendly.…
Homemade pooch treats
Homemade dog biscuits are a fun project for owners and a delicious treat for their fur-babies. True, there are hundreds of different varieties on store shelves, but many are filled with cheap ingredients like chicken byproducts and other foods that can cause flare-ups for allergy-prone pets. “Wheat, corn, chicken and beef are the big four…
The Lucky Horseshoes come to town
“People will come, Ray,” intones the mysterious character played by the actor James Earl Jones in the film Field of Dreams. “They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d…
June music blast
Maybe you folks are getting tired of me blabbing about how much live music is happening in the area right now, but then again, after two years of little or nothing, perhaps the excitement still lingers. Also, it’s kinda what I do, you know. Either way, I’m on the side of the more the merrier…
Cost of Statehouse renovation higher than estimated but within state’s budget
The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well over the $170 million that was originally estimated. “Despite…
Legacy of Giving
The stages are ready, bands are booked, food trucks are warmed up and beverages are chilled. The Legacy of Giving Music Festival returns with everything you love and more. The two-day event is packed with over 60 acts on five stages, food, vendors, arts and crafts, and activities for kids such as inflatables and face…
Editors note 6/2/22
A campaign ad by Rodney Davis has hit a new low in Republican Party politics. In the TV commercial, Davis portrays his opponent, Mary Miller, as advocating compassion toward illegal immigrants. The spot is convincing because it shows actual footage of her saying that if we know an immigrant in need of help we should…
The Watcher is slick, but muddles the ending; Bob’s Burgers a pleasant distraction
Watcher can’t stick its ending Is Julia being paranoid or is she simply feeling out of place? Having moved to Bucharest with her husband – a native of the country who’s landed a job with great potential- she’s had a hard time settling in. Grappling with the language, unemployed and without any friends, feelings of…
“Paper terrorism” comes to Springfield
Sangamon County’s top prosecutor and two of his assistants have filed a civil lawsuit to stop what they describe as harassment from a member of the right-wing, anti-government “sovereign citizen” movement. And the Illinois Attorney General’s Office on May 25 filed a felony charge against the Springfield man named in the suit, Derick L. Turner,…
Rodney Davis and Mary Miller both tout support of Trump
Rodney Davis and Mary Miller are battling to see who can out-Republican the other in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District. Both are incumbent Republican members of Congress who find themselves facing each other after the Illinois General Assembly redrew district boundaries. Whoever wins the June 28 primary is all but guaranteed to win in November in…
Letters to the editor 6/2/22
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. —- FIX DCFS What would you do if your child had been lost for 180+ days (“DCFS keeps teenager locked in psych ward,” May 19)? Perhaps you would be blasting social media, local news and…
kentucky coffee tree poem
the news is so terribly terrible I won’t write about it instead I’ve found my daughter’s high school biology “leaf collection” here are leaves asked for: paw paw, witch hazel, chinquapin oak, bladder nut, burr oak, lombardy poplar, osage orange, etc. etc. it took all fall, was a bad assignment for the leaves, supposed to…
Anti-violence efforts gain support
The long Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and is perhaps best known in Chicago as the beginning of its long, hot season of gun violence. The morning-after news coverage typically notes that the holiday “was the most violent weekend of the year so far,” or some such thing. You’ve probably seen…
