Feature

Once upon a time, before hip-hop, rap, hot country and even rock in all its formats, jazz ruled as the cool and popular music of the day. Considered a justifiably fitting style for an expanding and thriving nation in the 1920s, the era even acquired the nickname of “The Jazz Age.” In the years following […]

Tax collectors in the Bible occupy the same social strata as sinners and prostitutes. The Beatles portrayed the taxman as a taunting, greedy parasite. And then there’s Janine Stroble. For 32 years, Stroble has been the tax collector in Springfield Township, home to 6,234 people who live in an area that stretches from Grandview to […]

All across the country, a new surge of grassroots activism is taking place, frequently spearheaded by citizens who had not necessarily been politically involved previously. Often growing out of social media contacts between likeminded people on politically oriented Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, these groups have sparked marches and rallies all over the country in […]

The fountain is gone. You can tell because a wide treeless dirt path, accented by a large mound of gravel, offers an unimpeded view of the empty space where it once stood. The north entrance is a stark vision of exposed steel beams, plywood construction doors, broken concrete and huge recycling bins brimming with discarded […]

“For some people, it is a life-changing event,” said Dr. John C. Martin, associate professor of astronomy-physics at University of Illinois Springfield, regarding the upcoming solar eclipse at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21. “I’ve been warned that once you experience a totality you’re going to want to start traveling to see more, because […]

 • Fifteen total eclipses have been recorded somewhere in the continental United States in the last 150 years. One that was visible as a partial eclipse in this area happened on Feb. 26, 1979. • Following the total solar eclipse of March 7, 1970, the American Association of Ophthalmology reported that 145 cases of burned […]

Danenberger Family Vineyards: “Soleil Noir – Solar Eclipse Bash” featuring six bands, food, souvenir wine glass and safety glasses. Begins 12 p.m., tickets available at dfv.yapsody.com/event/index/112861/soleil-noir-solar-eclipse-bash-dfv Carbondale-area events Moonstock Music FestivalWatch Ozzy Osbourne perform “Bark at the Moon” when he headlines this four-day music festival at Walker’s Bluff Vineyard in Carterville, Illinois, near Carbondale Solar Eclipse […]

Yeah, Roy so cool,That racing fool, he don’t know what fear’s about.He do 130 mile an hour, smiling at the cameraWith a toothpick in his mouth.– Jim Croce Before the evening’s first green flag at Macon Speedway near Decatur, Brandon Sheppard wipes down his race car. The vehicle looks more a cross between a Civil […]

Under a federal measure passed 30 years ago, the spent fuel from America’s nuclear reactors is supposed to be permanently buried out in the Mojave Desert, tucked deep under a mountain, far from any population center and easily guarded. In reality, though, that radioactive waste – tens of thousands of tons of it – is […]

“If you don’t want to come to Camp Compass, that’s too bad for you because we have a lot of fun here,” said Donovan, a fifth-grader attending the free six-week summer program serving low-income students from kindergarten to fifth grade Monday through Friday, administered by the nonprofit Compass for Kids at Ridgley Elementary School on […]

There is plenty of parking in downtown Springfield – that’s what the experts say. Parking downtown is a huge headache – that’s what a lot of people think. The truth lies somewhere in between. Yes, there may be parking nearby, but where, exactly? Once you find a space, can you also find change for the […]

Memorial. What a fitting middle name for Lincoln Memorial Garden. The founders of this gem on the shore of Lake Springfield envisioned a living memorial to honor Abraham Lincoln and his association with Springfield. They succeeded in creating a garden reflective of the landscape that would have been familiar to Lincoln, and many generations of […]