Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan. President Donald Trump signed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4, making sweeping changes to social services programs, […]
Newsletter – Main
Posted inNews
High school student writes bill to prevent opioid deaths
A high school student wrote legislation that could save lives in Illinois. The bill, which has passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature to become law, would require all public libraries in Illinois to carry naloxone, which saves people during opioid overdoses. Her bill also calls for library staff […]
Posted inOpinion
Stop undervaluing conservation
For the second year in a row, the state of Illinois has chosen to underfund the backbone of its conservation infrastructure. This year’s state budget once again provides only $4.5 million in operational funding for the state’s 97 soil and water conservation districts – comparable to levels from the 1990s. It represents a 48% cut […]
Posted inNews
Zach Adams joins Illinois Times, Springfield Business Journal
Zach Adams will join the staff of Illinois Times and Springfield Business Journal as a digital media coordinator, effective July 14. Adams is the owner of 1221 Photography and has done freelance work for IT and SBJ for the past several years. He said he has been interested in photography since high school, but began […]
Posted inArts & Culture
In pursuit of justice: A personal reflection
Hello, my name is Diana Elshref. I want to thank Illinois Times for allowing me an opportunity as a board member of Faith Coalition for the Common Good to share my story and the outstanding work that the FCCG is doing in the community. My passion and journey have always concerned civil, social and racial […]
Posted inOpinion
Pritzker’s new running mate is “The Chosen One”
Christian Mitchell has had strong detractors ever since Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle elevated the young Black man out of obscurity and backed him for the Illinois House in 2012. Preckwinkle chose her trusted aide Mitchell over appointed Rep. Kimberly du Buclet, D-Chicago. Preckwinkle’s move upset a lot of people in that part of […]
Posted inNews
Chelsey Farley tells her story
Chelsey Farley burst into tears while speaking with a reporter almost 10 months after a motorcycle she was riding on collided with a car driven by a recently retired Springfield police officer. Farley, 32, cried as she explained why she was wearing a medical boot to stabilize the lower section of her left leg. She […]
Posted inNews
Innovate Springfield moving to Horace Mann building
University of Illinois Springfield has pivoted from plans to open its new “Innovation Center” in a three-story building downtown and now will rent space for the center three blocks east, on half of the third floor inside Horace Mann Educators Corp.’s headquarters. A rental contract, finalized between UIS and Horace Mann in recent days, will […]
Posted inNews
Springfield City Council passes amended TIF ordinances
The Springfield City Council passed two ordinances amending existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts last night, putting an end to a weeklong debate. The ordinances each passed 9-1, with Ward 7 Ald. Brad Carlson as the dissenting vote in both cases. The ordinances will make $800,000 available for use with no match requirements in the […]
Posted inOpinion
Revitalize Robin Roberts Stadium
On June 26, I sent the following letter to the Springfield Park District board of directors. I am writing to you with a profound sense of urgency and concern regarding the current state of Robin Roberts Stadium – a facility that should be a source of pride for the city of Springfield, especially as we […]
Posted inNews
Mental health is a community responsibility
“It is not ‘them,’ it is ‘us,’” Jill Steiner said, addressing an audience at Hoogland Center for the Arts last Friday. She asked attendees to approach the morning’s discussion with listening and empathy. “Put aside the belief that it’s just ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps,’ ‘get over it,’ ‘move on,’ or ‘it’s just that […]
Posted inNews
Remembering Henry Stephens, Springfield civil rights activist
Henry Stephens, a Springfield resident and civil rights advocate in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was celebrated in two poems by Carl Sandburg. Now he is memorialized with a historical marker, which the Illinois State Historical Society officially unveiled June 17 at the Springfield Transportation Hub, on the southwest corner of 11th and Washington […]
