David Metcalf grew up in and around MacMurray College. His father was a long-serving faculty member at the east- side Jacksonville institution, and his great-great-grandfather was one of the college’s most successful presidents. When it came time to pick a college to attend, Metcalf naturally chose MacMurray. But there won’t be any more Metcalfs attending […]
Cover Story
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Suicide in solitary
Tiffany Rusher spent four months in a cell the size of a small bathroom. Then, she killed herself. The list of Rusher’s diagnoses over the years was long. Depression. Antisocial personality disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Bipolar disorder. Schizoaffective disorder. Borderline personality disorder. With a history of self harm dating as far back as 2014, Rusher […]
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Keeping the lights on
The numbers are undeniable. City Water, Light and Power has seven power generators that combined can produce 724 megawatts of electricity. On top of that, the municipally owned utility can import 325 megawatts from the grid. It’s more electricity than Springfield has ever used or likely ever will use, and it is not cheap. Three […]
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The essentials
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry In April, we began to ask readers to share stories about the workers they love who are on the front lines, fighting this pandemic. When we get to the other side of this […]
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Politics and powerlessness
Last July 22, nearly 20 public officials and social service agency providers gathered in a conference room at Scheels, the sporting goods store with a big aquarium, to talk about the homeless. It was a special board meeting of the Heartland Continuum of Care, a consortium of public and private agencies required by the U.S. […]
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Redefining home
Nearly everyone loves an immigrant success story. For five years, one successful immigrant has been working to inspire the young people of Sangamon County to become involved in the economic development of their community. Sitting at a corner table inside Pease’s at Bunn Gourmet, Nabih Elhajj shares the journey that brought him from the country […]
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Springfield’s living black history
“In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care […]
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Little Love Stories
Millions of words have been written on the subject of love, whether in books, poems, plays or songs. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked Illinois Times’ readers to share their own love stories with us, but in 100 words or less. The responses encompass not only romantic love, but stories of family members, dear […]
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On target
Ben Thompson grew up on a farm near Buffalo, 15 miles east of Springfield, and graduated from Tri-City High School in 2001. He was a farm boy who knew how to use a gun and a bow and enjoyed all kinds of sports. A talented multisport athlete, he participated in soccer, basketball and track. However, […]
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Going home
The new year has been kind to William Kent Dean. On Jan. 1, his first grandchild was born – near the end of his third state prison term for selling cocaine, this one a 15-year bid. Dean prefers that the girl’s name not be published. Then, the state advanced his release date. He was freed […]
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New year, new you
Some people start the New Year with gusto, resolutions firmly planted, determined to make big changes. Often the goals relate to health and fitness. Some prevail. Many do not. If that is you, go for it. But, if New Year’s resolutions aren’t your thing and you aren’t totally committed to what seems like a lot […]
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Far from home
Ted likes to say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was 17, doing well at a college prep boarding school in Indiana, when a classmate went on a violent rampage while high on a combination of potent drugs. When cops searched that classmate’s phone, they found that Ted had fulfilled […]
