Jolie’s powerhouse performance grounds Maria
A bracing reminder of the power she brings to the screen, Angelina Jolie delivers a deeply moving performance in Pablo Larrain’s Maria, the director’s third biopic focused on a significant female figure of the 20th century. Much like Jackie and Spencer, this feature examines the withering effects of being consistently in the spotlight. Constant petty…
Fall veto session seems unlikely
For months now, Statehouse types have been talking about whether there’s a need for a fall veto session this year. The session is scheduled to run the two weeks after the November election. As one person put it, veto sessions are for things that the governor and legislators “have to do.” But with no gubernatorial…
United Way’s Week of Action ignites the future with community impact
This week, more than 200 volunteers from across Sangamon and Menard counties are coming together to “ignite the future” as part of United Way of Central Illinois’ Week of Action. With 22 impactful projects planned, local businesses and organizations have rallied their employees for a collective effort to strengthen the community through hands-on service. From…
Two new cochairs announced for Massey Commission
The Rev. T. Ray McJunkins says he will always back the Massey Commission, but the panel’s work to reduce racial divisions and restore trust in the police will go on without him as a cochair. He resigned the unpaid, volunteer post amid calls for his departure after a 24-year-old female former staff member of Faith…
George Clooney and Brad Pitt shine in meta Wolfs
There’s little in the way of substance to Jon Watts’ Wolfs, and that’s just fine. An exercise in post-modernism, the film is a running commentary on movie stardom and its trappings, featuring, arguably, the most popular actors of their generation, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Though they play “fixers,” in reality they’re just being their…
Businesses hoping to enter cannabis market face significant challenges
While Illinois’ cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry. Celebratory news releases have marked several industry successes in recent months – the state saw the opening of its 100th social…
Seeing crime in real time
Imagine being a police officer racing to an emergency at a school or business and being able to see what is happening inside the building while you’re driving to the scene. A new program adopted this year by the Springfield Police Department can transmit live images from security cameras across the city to computer screens…
Massey Commission off to a rough start
A prominent local minister has been asked to resign as cochair of the Massey Commission because of allegations that he groped Emma Shafer, a 24-year-old social-justice activist and organizer who died in July 2023. The Rev. T. Ray McJunkins, 61, who recently celebrated 22 years as lead pastor of Union Baptist Church, 1405 E. Monroe…
The Lifespan of a Fact examines what it is to be human
An exceptionally well-written article – sorry, essay – about the suicide of a 16-year-old boy who jumped from the observation deck of a Las Vegas casino has the potential to breathe life into a struggling magazine. The demanding editor-in-chief hires a millennial fact-checker to verify the essay’s content before publishing. The deadline is very tight,…
Summer of the Goat
I will remember the summer of 2024 as my Summer of the Goat. I’ve been boondocking in my converted school bus beside a goat barn and working at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery’s farm-to-table restaurant Caprae in Champaign. This job has been like a Willy Wonka golden ticket for a cheese lover. Our chèvre (which…
International Route 66 Mother Road Festival
International Route 66 Mother Road Festival Fri.-Sun., Sep. 27-29 Downtown Springfield Free 217-553-5271 Hundreds of street machines, muscle cars and hot rods are rumbling into the capital city for this annual, major car show. They will be followed by thousands of spectators for this weekend of family fun, live music and entertainment. The festival, in…
Unfolding lives
“When Jesus laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.” – Luke 13:13 The prophet Hosea (11:4) describes God as one who “bends down … to feed, to lift up and to hold.” Strength and flexibility are both necessary in the act of bending. We have a God who…
So long, September
Seems like it was only yesterday we were celebrating the end of August and waiting in line for September’s songs to commence. Now October is coming ’round the bend and our last full weekend of the ninth month is upon us. So let’s see what we have on the platter. Our friend and fellow musician,…
Marty Immel
Marty Immel, born on January 19, 1925, in Columbus, Ohio, passed away peacefully on September 2, 2024, in Pana, Illinois. A dedicated community leader, Marty served as the President of the St. John’s Samaritans and was the Vice President of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Women’s Guild, contributing immensely to the cultural and charitable life of…
Letters to the editor 09-26-24
DE-ESCALATE I think the Springfield Police Department would have been better off inviting the group they referred to as a mob into a conference room for a civil discussion (“Police, protesters clash at demonstration,” Sept. 12). De-escalation is always the best option. Evan Mahan Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes NEVER SATISFIED Why are “peaceful” protesters storming a public…
Bliss
Bliss My folks remodeled an old farmhouse a mile from the dairy when I was nine my cousin Paul architecture student was a laborer every noon the workers came down to eat dinner at our house then sprawled on couch floor lawn eyes shut for the rest of their break all but Paul he sat…
Tiny houses, big controversy
Tiny homes have generated big discussion recently as the Springfield City Council tries to decide if it should provide financial backing for a resource center that would serve a planned east-side housing development for homeless veterans. As of press time the proposal by the city to commit $400,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds…
