This year marks the 50th anniversary since President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs. The U.S. continues to reckon with the failed “tough-on-crime” policies that have led to harsh treatment, over-sentencing and the disproportionate incarceration of people of color. Meanwhile, service providers in central Illinois say the best way to keep people struggling with […]
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Posted inArts & Culture
House divided
Hear the name “Lincoln” and you see the man splitting rails, say, or on a debate platform towering over Stephen A. Douglas. Few recall the soon-to-be president being shooed out the front door of his house in a hail of potatoes. But that image of Lincoln was as valid as the others, as we learn […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A guide to Juneteenth
As Juneteenth becomes more widely recognized beyond the Black community, there are an increasing number of activities and events happening in Springfield. For the first time, we’ve put together a guide to Juneteenth, and explained some of the history and culture behind the holiday, so all may join in the celebration of emancipation. We invited […]
Posted inNews
A senator’s life story, full of firsts
Ladda Tammy Duckworth’s life is full of firsts. The 53-year-old junior U.S. senator from Illinois is the first Thai American woman and the first person born in Thailand to be elected to Congress, and is the second of three Asian American women to serve in the U.S. Senate. Duckworth is the first senator to give […]
Posted inNews
Born in a pandemic
Sydney Capers of Springfield, 25 years old, gave birth to her son, Phoenix, last November. She was an early childhood education major in college, and nannied for special needs children. She has since worked at preschools and plans to go back to teaching once her son is ready for child care himself. Phoenix struggled in […]
Posted inNews
The nuclear option
Years ago, opposing nuclear power was cool. A partial meltdown at Three Mile Island lit a nationwide fire in 1979, when an estimated 200,000 anti-nuke protesters flocked to New York for a demonstration six months after what remains the nation’s closest brush with nuclear energy catastrophe. Tens of thousands marched elsewhere. “If they can open […]
Posted inNews
New vision? Or new prison?
The Lincoln Developmental Center, first called the Illinois Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children, had a sordid history before former Gov. George Ryan closed it in 2002. Founded in 1877, it was an institution for developmentally challenged children and became the largest employer in Logan County. Ryan was pressured to shut it down by those advocating for […]
Posted inNews
Force to be reckoned with
It was the morning of Sept. 15, 2020. Jaala Smylie, 20 years old at the time, rented a room in her aunt’s home on the west side of town. Smylie’s aunt had woken up later than usual and didn’t want to be late to work. She asked Smylie to take her 10-year-old son, Smylie’s cousin, […]
Posted inNews
Destination Petersburg
Could Petersburg become the next Illinois destination community, like Galena or Grafton? A $3 million project funded by a local investor aims to take the Menard County seat a major step in that direction. A home-grown design and construction team is busily transforming the northwest corner of the town square into a multi-use showpiece with […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Spring Home & Garden
The housing market is booming, home remodelers and landscapers are in demand and a growing number of people have taken up gardening. With many people spending a lot more time at home during the pandemic, people are anxious to improve their living space, inside and out. Our annual Spring Home & Garden issue is filled […]
Posted inNews
Can cops say that?
Facebook posts by two Springfield police officers last year harmed police operations and community relations. That was the conclusion of internal affairs investigations by the city police department, as well as reactions from capital city activists working to improve the relationship between law enforcement and the people they serve. In a widely reported incident last […]
Posted inNews
Reimagining downtown
Jim Moll may not be the smartest man in Springfield, but the Hanson Professional Services engineer sounded like it during a public meeting held last week to discuss progress on a rail line under construction along 10th Street. The new line will replace tracks along Third Street. Moll’s been in charge of the $353 million […]
