With an eye toward expansion, Southern Illinois School of Medicine plans to hire doctors to work in Illinois prisons, which are under pressure to improve health care that critics say amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. A mentally ill inmate has died from gastrointestinal bleeding two months after swallowing two sporks – a nurse determined […]
Newsletter – Main
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
Scientist in search of a spiritual higher power
A Spiritual Hypothesis: An Inquiry into Abnormal and Paranormal Behavior, by Daniel Punzak. 809 pages. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2017. Throughout recorded history, scientific minds have considered religious people to be superstitious. At the same time, those with spiritual feelings have considered science to be somewhat heretical. Now, Daniel Punzak, a Springfield resident, has published a […]
Posted inNews
Oncologist enters Springfield High Hall of Fame
Michael Vasconcelles graduated from Springfield High School (SHS) in 1981 and went off to Northwestern University, initially terrified he wouldn’t be able to hold his own. Nearly 39 years later, he returned to SHS for the first time since graduation and was inducted into the SHS Hall of Fame. At an assembly in the auditorium […]
Posted inOpinion
Opera lady
Phyllis Brissenden loved opera and parties. Photo courtesy of John Hayes “Heartland” and “Midwest values” can be loaded terms these days. And then there is Phyllis Brissenden, who died in December and recently landed in the New York Times when word got out that she left an estimated $45 million to the Opera Theater of […]
Posted inNews
Uneven playing fields
The Ball-Chatham Community Unit School District has agreed to make changes to middle and high school sports after federal civil rights investigators found disparities between athletic programs for boys and girls. The district, no later than the 2022-23 academic year, will provide equal athletic opportunities for boys and girls in the district’s middle and high […]
Posted inNews
Group pushes for gender parity at SIU School of Medicine
Last week three doctors presented to a crowded room at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield about measles. What was subtly remarkable was the makeup of the panel. All three doctors also happened to be women of color. “It’s refreshing to be able to serve on a panel of women on a topic […]
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
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 […]
Posted inMusic
Music moves us
As we travel through this old world, I think we can safely say music moves us in many ways and thereby, in many ways is a main mover of human emotion, carrying some spark that mends, muses and motivates. In other words, music is cooler than a popsicle or last Sunday night’s outdoor temps while […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Health opportunities
Tai Chi for beginners Mondays, Jan. 27-Mar. 30, 5-6 p.m. Tai Chi practice offers many benefits to improve your health, such as mental clarity, flexibility and muscle toning. This class can be adapted for all ages and stages of life. Tai Chi is also a movement form of meditation that harnesses the energy from our […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dolittle: A generic talking animal adventure
Silly me, in anticipation of Dolittle, I read Hugh Lofting’s Newbury Award-winning The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, the second book in his series about the veterinarian who can talk to animals. If possible, I always like to check out the source material of any big screen movie adaptation so I can see what similarities the […]
