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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Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Spring Home & Garden 2020
Most of us are spending a lot more time at home these days, so perhaps you’ve been compiling a list of projects you want to tackle. Our annual spring Home & Garden issue offers tips on decluttering and minor home projects you can tackle yourself or ideas for spending that stimulus check to spruce up […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Pandemic rocks the capital city
The influenza outbreak of 1918 brought the nation to a standstill, and the Springfield area was not immune. One hundred two years ago, the United States was swept into a global influenza epidemic that was called “one of the worst natural disasters in history.” As many as 50 million people died around the world, while […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Overcoming trauma
The first time I met Dana Pfeiffer she picked the place. It was near her home in Pleasant Plains, a combination coffee shop slash auto detailer that employs people with disabilities to help them learn job skills. She wore a bright red hoodie. She was impossible to miss. The moment I stepped inside, she turned […]
Posted inNews
Better beef
Healthy red meat from buffalo hybrids. More cows being put out to pasture. Raising beef cattle as the antidote to climate change. Welcome to the modern world of the beef industry, where consumer demand and environmental concerns are driving the way that many Illinois producers raise, market and sell their animals. It’s a continually changing […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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. […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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, […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
