In November 2025, President Trump signed legislation to fund and reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. While many celebrated, Illinois hemp farmers were stunned. Buried in the legislation was a provision that fundamentally altered the federal definition of hemp, potentially making many hemp farming activities and products illegal once […]
University of Illinois Springfield
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Paving the way: How UIS champions first-generation college students
As the University of Illinois Springfield continues to grow and evolve, one student population stands out for its resilience, drive and increasing presence on campus: first-generation college students. These students are the first in their families to navigate the world of higher education – a journey that often comes with unique challenges. Our enduring mission […]
Posted inNews
IDOT spends $143,000 on zombie-themed seat belt ad
IDOT’s “Driving Dead” short film on seat belt use features an armored Mustang with a machine gun and actor Michael Rooker from the “Walking Dead” TV series about zombies. PHOTO COURTESY IDOT In a dusty, dimly-lit warehouse, a horde of zombies closes in two men with high-powered firearms trying in vain to escape through a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Monumental mileage
Springfield Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K Lace up those sneakers and bust out those energy gels; it’s marathon time! The second annual Springfield Marathon returns on Oct. 19, though runners will need to register no later than Oct. 18 at 4:00 p.m. The picturesque, mostly flat 26.2-mile race begins Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Runners start west […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Books in a box
The public is invited to a dedication of a new free library in Springfield on Sunday, Sept. 14. It is just north of McClernand Elementary School on Fifth Street at the home of Jacqueline D. Jackson, author and University of Illinois Springfield professor emerita of Creative Writing. Springfield School District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill will […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Come together
Classic Albums Live is coming to the Sangamon Auditorium, UIS, Friday, April 4, to perform songs from the Beatles classic album Abbey Road. That’s what the group Classic Albums Live does. Founded in 2003 by Craig Martin, the musicians perform the songs cut for cut, note for note, without “gimmickry and cheesy impersonations” as stated […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fighting poverty
An important documentary, Girl Rising, will be shown twice in Springfield, at Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church on March 9, and Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois Springfield, on March 11. The film was conceived by a team researching how to end global poverty that found that educating girls offers the highest return on investment in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Song and storytelling
Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble returns to UIS Studio Theatre Feb. 15 for a collaboration with University of Illinois Springfield faculty members that takes from the theme of the ancient Greek Muses and their influence over the arts and sciences. Known for their innovative chamber music programs, Fifth House Ensemble will play musical selections between the […]
Posted inNews
Batting a thousand
UIS athletic director Kim Pate (right) congratulates student-athletes who made the Dean’s List at a basketball double-header against the University of Missouri-St. Louis in February. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT SPRINGFIELD Three years ago, the athletic department at the University of Illinois Springfield faced criticism from several angles. Scandals large and small hinted at […]
Posted inNews
Judge rejects retrial in ‘shaken baby’ case
Pamela Jacobazzi A former day care worker accused in 1995 of killing an infant by shaking him was denied a retrial last week, dealing a rare setback to the Springfield-based Illinois Innocence Project. DuPage County Circuit Judge Robert Kleeman on Sept. 20 declined to grant a retrial to Pamela Jacobazzi, 58, who has spent the […]
Posted inNews
Abused wife freed from prison after 26 years
When the Springfield-based Illinois Innocence Project hosts its annual fundraising banquet this weekend, they’ll have a fresh victory to celebrate. Peggy Jo Jackson of Shelbyville was released from prison in Lincoln last week after serving nearly 26 years for a murder her brother admitted to committing. Gov. Pat Quinn approved Jackson’s clemency petition on March […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Eastern points
This Engaged Citizenship Common Experience Speaker Series at the University of Illinois Springfield is one you won’t want to miss to learn more about countries bombarding the news lately, particularly North Korea and China. The key challenges and opportunities presented to the U.S. by the historic rise of Asia will be discussed by Robert M. […]
