State Sen. Doris Turner and Yale Law School lecturer Jorge Camacho joined the Massey Commission at the BOS Center in Springfield, May 19, to discuss legislative updates and new reform recommendations for Sangamon County. The commission, formed in response to last summer’s shooting death of Sonya Massey by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, has […]
Newsletter – Main
Posted inOpinion
A screen-based childhood harms kids
Ten years ago, while teaching fourth grade at Glenwood Elementary School in Chatham, I embarked on a novel website: Mystery Location. Through Mystery Location, my class joined a class in California via Skype. Each class gave geographic clues to the other as to our locations. It was so exciting! The activity embodied the true wonder […]
Posted inNews
Future of Wyndham is uncertain
It may be many months before the Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel can reopen. The 370-room, 30-story hotel at 700 E. Adams St. in downtown Springfield was damaged by internal flooding on March 27 and has been closed since then. An initial estimate from the Wyndham’s owner that the hotel would be closed for up […]
Posted inOpinion
State prepares for reduction in federal dollars
The U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee released its recommendations for budget reconciliation early last week. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office projected that, if implemented, at least 8.6 million Americans would lose their Medicaid coverage during the coming decade. That translates to well over 300,000 Illinoisans. In addition, the CBO projected that […]
Posted inNews
From blight to benefit
What Jacksonville needs most is a few more good homes, and that’s the aim of a new development in the center of the city that will turn dilapidated properties into new single family residences and brownstone-type condominiums. A partnership has been formed between local developer Rabbi Rob Thomas, his wife Lauren Thomas, and Springfield-based commercial […]
Posted inNews
Food reform failure
M.J. Kellner’s royal blue and golden yellow semitrucks are a common sight throughout central Illinois. Every week, the wholesale food company delivers thousands of pounds of grocery items to state-owned facilities, including prisons, mental health centers, rehabilitation institutions and veterans’ homes. The company boasts that many of its customers are within a 100-mile radius of […]
Posted inWatch Public Meetings
Council questions Helping Hands, cheers Fifth Street Renaissance
Springfield’s council meeting focused on two major funding decisions for local supportive services, with council members pressing for details on how $1.1 million in ARPA funds would be used by Helping Hands of Springfield. Concerns about leadership, staffing and community trust took center stage, while the organization’s director pledged a new direction. In sharp contrast, […]
Posted inNews
Illinois Times is now a Report for America Newsroom
Illinois Times has been selected as a Report for America newsroom, allowing us to hire an additional full-time reporter starting in July. This position is partially funded by a grant of $25,000 for the first year – we are expected to raise $35,000 from community support to cover our share of the reporter’s salary. Before […]
Posted inNews
UIS faculty union seeks new round of bargaining
The UIS United Faculty union (UIS-UF) officially filed a demand on April 14 to bargain with University of Illinois Springfield administration for a new contract. There are 152 faculty members represented by the union, which is part of University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Local 4100. A press release from UIS-UF calls the latest demand “a […]
Posted inNews
Jacksonville biomedical company has worldwide reach
Tucked away on the north edge of Jacksonville, surrounded by farm fields, sits a large facility where a small team assembles the Sensory Sentinel, a game changer in the field of biomedical research. “It’s the only instrument like it in the world,” said Dr. Jeremy Turner, founder and CEO of Turner Scientific and former faculty […]
Posted inNews
Charting her course as a “Big Tent” Republican
A little-known candidate seeking the Republican nomination for Richard Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat says the GOP needs to adopt a “big tent” mentality that encourages bipartisan cooperation and prioritizes substantive solutions over partisan rhetoric. Pamela “Denise” Long, 52, a longtime contributor to Newsweek and Real Clear Politics, is leveraging her experience as a journalist, political […]
Posted inOpinion
Keeping Medicaid healthy
For 60 years, Medicaid has provided essential health coverage for millions of Americans, ensuring that low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities and children receive the care they need. Yet, policymakers in Washington are considering hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to this essential program. Such a deeply flawed proposal must be rejected – not […]
