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Winter Guide 2024
Our annual Winter Guide has tips on the best board games for all ages and stages, what to do when you’re feeling more ho-hum than festive and a look at a questionable Christmas commutation from a former Illinois governor, plus details on all the downtown festivities, an expanded calendar of holiday activities and more. Related…
SAFE-T Act is a double-edged sword
Sean Grayson will remain in jail at least another 35 days because of a ruling Dec. 3 by the 4th District of the Illinois Appellate Court. In an unsigned order, the Springfield-based 4th District said it will give State’s Attorney John Milhiser until early January to appeal the Appellate Court’s Nov. 27 order calling on…
State watchdog uncovers at least $7.2M in PPP fraud by state employees
A state watchdog has identified at least $7.2 million in fraudulent claims and more than 275 instances of misconduct by state employees accused of bilking a federal program designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, the Office of the Executive Inspector General has been investigating allegations that state employees fraudulently claimed Paycheck…
Sean Grayson likely to be granted pretrial release
Unless the Illinois Supreme Court steps in, Sean Grayson will be released from custody on Dec. 6 while he awaits trial for the July 6 murder of Sonya Massey. Grayson, 30, had been ordered detained by Circuit Court Judge Ryan Cadagin since the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy was arrested and indicted by a grand…
Letters to the editor 11/28/24
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. — AN UPHILL BATTLE Five months ago, my cat café – my dream – was destroyed by a fire. Our original space at 413 E. Adams St. was more than a business to me, it…
Kansas City in the winter
Stepping onto a glass floor with hundreds of red poppies below, winding through exhibits of artillery and getting a feel for life in the trenches are part of what makes the National WWI Museum and Memorial a powerful experience and a must-see stop in Kansas City, Missouri. So are museums dedicated to art, jazz, Negro…
Head downtown for the holidays
The sidewalks of downtown Springfield will be busy again when the excitement of the holiday season returns with a whirlwind of activities and shopping during the Old Capitol Holiday Walks. The festivities begin on Saturday, Nov. 30, during Small Business Saturday. You’ll find downtown storefronts of locally owned businesses, restaurants and bars beautifully decorated in…
The joys of reading and shopping
When my husband and I moved from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Springfield in 2001, we were relieved to see that, although it is a smaller city, Springfield had a number of bookstores. There was Barnes & Noble, of course, but also B. Dalton, Waldenbooks and Chapter One, a small independent shop in Fairhills Mall. In addition,…
A Christmas commutation
On Dec. 20, 1900, then-Illinois Gov. John Tanner granted clemency to seven prisoners. Five were boys; four had stolen chickens and one had “attempted criminal assault.” Two were adult male murderers. One was a cop who killed a colleague while arguing about the Spanish-American War over after-work drinks. The other was a laborer who admitted…
Family fun for a cold winter day
Winter’s cold and dark days are upon us. All of a sudden, we are temporarily stuck indoors, and kids are complaining of boredom. Before you turn on the television and download yet another streaming subscription service, have you considered breaking out a board game? Board games offer opportunities to teach turn-taking, communication skills, strategy and…
Ho ho hum
The twinkling of lights, snowflakes lightly falling outside or paper snowflakes taped to windows, the smells of fresh gingerbread baking, adorning presents with ribbons and bows, invitations to celebrations of the season – for some, these are beloved parts of the holiday season. For others, this time of year can bring up trauma, exacerbate mental…
A long-silent hotel comes to life as art
Robert Mazrim is doing it again – turning what some see as simply old, abandoned buildings and spaces into a medium for art and a window to the lives of people who once lived and worked there. This time he is partnering with Leah Wilson and the Kidzeum, installing a contemporary art exhibit at 414…
History of the Cliff Hotel
Initially a boarding/rooming house, the Cliff House/Cliff Hotel operated between ca. 1910 and 1960 and by 1965 was abandoned. Florence and George Atkinson were the longest-serving proprietors, operating the hotel between 1915 and 1949. (George died in 1923.) Architect Bruce Ferry acquired the building in 2006. He restored the façade and cleaned the interior, preserving…
Thanks for giving music
Hey there, all you happy readers of Now Playing and Illinois Times, I’d like to say thank you, just for you being right here, right now, as part of our community. This week is Thanksgiving, of course, so I’m considering it a wonderful time and an excellent opportunity to say such things. We should also…
Editors note 11/28/24
It’s hard to adjust to the firehose of dysfunction emanating from the incoming administration, with one accused sex abuser appointee followed by another, followed by an unqualified appointee, and one FOX news host followed by another. It’s hard to keep track. Loyalty is the chief qualification, we’re told, and MAGA is a movement with a…
Winter events calendar
NOVEMBER Edwards Place Guided Tours Tuesdays-Saturdays, 1, 2pm. Through Dec. 21. A guided tour through the newly restored areas. See the authentic Lincoln courting couch from the parlor of the Ninian Edwards home where Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married. Springfieldart.org. Adults $5, children 10 and younger free. Edwards Place, Springfield Art Association, 700…
Helping the unhoused
Having a roof over his head at night when temperatures dip into the 30s is “way better” than spending the night outdoors at North Grand Avenue and North Fifth streets, Alfonso Bland says. Bland, 48, said he had been living and sleeping at a homeless encampment at the southeast corner of the Springfield intersection for…
Problems at Poplar Place
Dignitaries from Springfield and the state were all smiles during a recent grand reopening of Poplar Place, a formerly run-down rental housing complex for low- and moderate-income people on the city’s east side. But Katherine James, 52, a Poplar Place resident with physical disabilities, said the renovations – costing $46.5 million in funding and financing…
Equal pay for equal work
“This is a milestone accomplishment for people with disabilities across Illinois,” said Ryan Croke, first assistant deputy governor, of the state’s decision to end subminimum wage. On Nov. 21, the Senate took a bipartisan vote and passed legislation known as the Dignity in Pay Act, sending it to Gov. JB Pritzker for signature, who has…
Hemp growers push back against proposed new regulations
A legislative committee and the Illinois Department of Agriculture agreed recently to delay finalizing new regulations governing hemp production amid an outcry of protests from small, independent producers. Those proposed rules have been in development for at least two years. But the most recent draft, submitted in September, contained significant changes from earlier versions that caught…
Dairy Rhythms 1, The Barn
The barn is on slow-cow time; the loudest the scra-a-ape of the manure shovel as it follows the manure trolley which makes its trip around the barn ceiling; the fastest the brush-ush-ush of the clean up broom in water filled gutter with the lip of water flowing ahead in leisurely flood crest; and the barn when,…
Moana 2 finishes strong, Nutcrackers too predictable, Blitz turns out to be dull
Moana 2 overcomes shaky start Moana 2, which was initially destined for the Disney+ streaming service, has been spruced up a bit and is being released in theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. It’s a savvy move, what with moms and dads looking for something to do with their suddenly school-free children. Its success is as…
Quality, affordability and flexibility in online learning
When it comes to earning a degree or certificate or taking a class to help advance a career, are you one of the many adults looking for quality, affordability and flexibility to be able to pursue your goals? Perhaps you are managing full-time work or working multiple jobs, have family or other personal responsibilities, or…
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in Springfield
As the director of Innovate Springfield, the University of Illinois Springfield’s business incubator, I’m excited to share the momentum we’re building within our entrepreneurial community. Since joining iSPI in August last year, our team has worked to ignite Springfield’s startup scene with fresh, dynamic programming. Today, I’m proud to say we’re achieving that vision. Our…
Have Democrats forgotten the people in the middle?
In the wake of Donald Trump’s national victory and his losing margin dropping to 11 points in Illinois from 17 in two prior races, state legislative Democrats here have different views on how their party should proceed. Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, told my associate Isabel Miller last week that Illinois Democrats have “forgotten about…
Try this vegetarian dish for the holidays
Once upon a time, before my hair turned gray, my teenage children “kidnapped” me for my birthday and drove me up to Chicago for a Cubs game, followed by dinner at a Colombian restaurant. Our overly aggressive server, who reeked of cannabis, recommended the “combination” platter. My daughter, who was a vegetarian, requested a meatless…
