Cover Story
Tough choices at Memorial Health
Illinois Times has learned Memorial Health’s recently announced layoffs totaled about 300 – with 120 involving people in leadership positions – and that the cuts will save the Springfield-based health care system an estimated $40 million a year. The new information, expanding on an earlier statement from the nonprofit system that said there were “several…
Food grapes are here
As I stepped outside early this morning the shot of air that greeted me was cold and crisp, a welcome indication that the seasons are beginning to shift. Now that we’re in the homestretch of summer, chilly mornings are giving way to warm afternoons and our gastronomic focus has switched from sweet corn and blueberries…
Traditional, German and under the dome music
Things are rolling right along as we travel through 2023, heading toward the autumn season. Soon enough the outdoor festivals will cease and winter will be upon us, so let’s not tarry and get to what we got going now. One of the finest, most fun and fellowship-connected festivals in the area, in my humble…
Chicago Teachers Union president takes heat for private school
The last two Chicago mayors took some news media heat for not sending their kids to public schools, as did Chicagoan Barack Obama when he pushed for education reforms. So, this particular issue is obviously not out of bounds in that city and nobody in public life there should expect otherwise. Chicago Teachers Union president…
Sharing penny candy
When going to the corner store as a child, seeing kids sharing penny candy was often the norm. It was the norm for some to not purchase school pictures, field trips or buy new school clothes because of a lack of money. Attending great summer camps, having plenty of snacks, birthday parties and buying items…
Unjust sentencing
Sen. Dick Durbin says he’s working to undo an injustice that he believes he and others helped create more than 30 years ago. During the height of President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs, Durbin and other members of Congress voted to increase the penalty for possession of crack cocaine far beyond that of its base…
Editor’s note 09-07-23
We can hope that peace in Ukraine will become an issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential campaign. So far, the Ukraine war has the support of the left side of U.S. politics, with growing opposition from the right. But as the military stalemate continues, as the death toll mounts and dollar costs grow, U.S. support…
More motorcycle fatalities
A rash of motorcycle accident fatalities this summer has left area bikers calling for greater vigilance from other motorists as well as better training in their own ranks. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, four people on motorcycles have been killed in Sangamon County so far this year. In 2022, no local motorcycle deaths…
Grants support urban farming
Agricultural groups in Sangamon and Morgan counties have each received $60,000 grants from the National Association of Conservation Districts to advance urban agriculture and conservation efforts in Springfield and Jacksonville. These are the first projects of this type to be funded by the association in Illinois.The grants will help to demonstrate how community-based farming can…
Prayers Poem
Prayers Poem: At the lake we kids slept on the porch rather didn’t sleep but told stories till one said, “We’ve forgotten our prayers!” Then we all fell silent while prayers were repeated rapidly in our heads till all four said ‘coup’ meaning we were done and could resume our play…recently I asked my sister…
Letters to the editor 09-07-23
VOLATILE WEATHER The bio identifying the author, Don Hanrahan, tells the reader all they need to know about this longtime opponent of Hunter Lake (“Say no to Hunter Lake,” Aug. 24). We’re currently facing volatile weather conditions nationwide like we’ve never seen, and it’s not out of the realm of possibilities we have a severe…
The banality of evil
As I walked through the lobby of the University of Illinois’ Veterinary School, I looked at the photos of graduates lining the walls. Of course, I was drawn to the images of two people: my father and my wife. But sandwiched between their classes of 1960 and 2001 was another image that had a nearly…
Cake much more than a rom-com, Equalizer 3 more than standard action film
Cake a rich examination of friendship Trish Sie’s Sitting in Bars with Cake proves to be a surprisingly deceptive film. A movie that has the appearance of, and is being promoted as, a charming rom-com, it takes an abrupt turn during its second act to become a heartfelt examination of the endearing bond of friendship,…
