James Hausman, owner of The Gold Center in Springfield, has been awarded $21 million by a federal jury in Seattle after suing a cruise ship line for injuries sustained when he was struck in the head by an errant automatic sliding door. Hausman, his wife Carol and their daughter were near the end of a […]
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Posted inOpinion
“Mr. Robot” a thought-provoking, harrowing ride
Rami Malek is Elliot Anderson in “Mr. Robot.” Photo courtesy USA Network Who hasn’t dreamed of exacting revenge against an evil so obtrusive and dominating that it seems untouchable? That’s the driving force behind “Mr. Robot,” a new show that premiered on USA Network in May. The season finale is scheduled for tonight, after […]
Posted inOpinion
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
We have a confession to make. Illinois Times has been an office divided for the past several weeks. We know you’re all wondering what topic could possibly be polarizing enough to divide a newspaper that has been on the central Illinois scene for 40 years, so we’ll just tell you: The subject is hot dogs. […]
Posted inOpinion
Will the REAL Pat Yeagle please stand up?
On Aug. 10, the Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation announced the winners of its “Illinoisan of the Day” promotion, honoring people around the state who have made contributions to Illinois through “service activities, educational projects, and/or youth programs supporting agriculture; and have an affiliation with state and/or county fairs in Illinois and show their true […]
Posted inNews
Sheriff’s deputy loses in court
U.S. District Court Judge Sue Myerscough has ruled that Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Travis Koester used excessive force against a Springfield woman and falsely arrested her during a 2011 traffic stop. In her federal lawsuit against Koester and the county, Tamara Skube claimed that the deputy had no reason to twice deploy his Taser, then […]
Posted inNews
Keeping it Downhome
NIL8 on stage at Downhome 2014. This year they perform on Saturday at 11pm at the 7th Street Stage. Photo by Seth Adams Photography The Downhome Music, Beer and Art Festival is in its fifth year and things are going like gangbusters. “It’s just grown exponentially for us,” says Downhome founder Josh Catalano. “We had […]
Posted inOpinion
Summer reads:
As it happens, the next two items on my summer reading list are “Going Clear” by Lawrence Wright, the controversial tell-all about the Church of Scientology; and “Zone Theory” by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which was just released today by Grand Central Books, and is subtitled “7 easy steps to achieve a perfect life.” […]
Posted inNews
Living in Isolation
For 23 hours a day, a roughly five-by-ten-foot concrete box is what Aaron Fillmore calls home. He’s been living in a room like that for the past 15 years. That’s according to a lawsuit filed last week by the Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) against the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). It claims Illinois turns […]
Posted inOpinion
A Springfield railroad watch comes home
One of the most fascinating pieces of Springfield’s history is, at least to me, the Illinois Watch Company. Renowned in its day for accurate and beautiful watches, the company operated in Springfield under a succession of different monikers from 1869 (or 1870, depending on the source) until 1932. I’m lucky enough to own a piece […]
Posted inMusic
TONIGHT: Free all-star Bedrock show at Bar None
Robert Ellis will perform tonight at Bar None FOR FREE Robert Ellis’s second album Photographs was named one of the top 50 albums of 2011 by American Songwriter magazine. Matt Vasquez’s band Delta Spirit has had music prominently featured on both Friday Night Lights and Sons of Anarchy. Nashville’s Johnny Fritz (The Artist Formerly Known […]
Posted inNews
A band on the brink
Looming at home in Southtown. Left to right: Brandon Carnes, Jordan Fein, Jessica Knight, Mitch Baker. ALL PHOTOS BY PATRICK YEAGLE “I’ve always maintained that culture starts at home, in local communities, through creative interaction. Revolutions always come up from the grass roots, not top-down through corporate hierarchies.” – Bruce Pavitt, founder of Sub Pop […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Music from Looming: “Output”
Ahead of tomorrow’s cover story about Springfield band Looming, click on the link below to check out this exclusive performance video – a composite of footage shot both in their practice space and at this summer’s SOHO Festival. The song is called “Output” and it will appear on their upcoming album “Nailbiter” to be released […]
