You would think that the one inarguable fact about Illinois is that it is a Midwestern place. Walt Hickey, a writer for Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight, commissioned a web poll of self-identified Midwesterners that asked them which states they believed make up that region.

For me and so many others of my generation, the minimum wage was just the first of many rungs on a career ladder. But too many workers today find themselves running in place on a treadmill – stuck in low-wage jobs without real opportunity..

My father, W.F. “High” Hightower, was a populist. Only, he didn’t know it. Didn’t know the word, much less the history or anything about populism’s democratic ethos. My father was not philosophical, but he had a phrase that he used to express the gist of his political beliefs: “Everybody does better when everybody.

CITATIONS DON’T ADD UP I take a more aggressively skeptical view than does Samuel Johnson of Springfield of Deputy Police Chief Dennis Arnold’s contention that having more officers patrolling the east side due to the higher call frequency produces more traffic stops (“Black and white,” Patrick Yeagle, Aug.

He and his campaign also seemed grumpier last week. “Pat Quinn is not the folksy, bumbling fool he’d like us to think he is,” Rauner growled on Monday. On Tuesday, Rauner’s campaign barred some college journalism students from his press conference and Rauner himself refused to even have a word with them afterwards.

has gone into foreclosure. PNC Bank fi led the foreclosure lawsuit last month in Cass County Circuit Court. Presuming the bank prevails and gets title to the home, it may face a challenge fi nding a buyer for the house that was the scene of one of the most infamous killings in recent central Illinois history.

Roosevelt Pratt, owner of Fashion CITY Afrique at 414 E. Monroe in Springfield, is relocating his business to St. Louis. He plans to open his new store on Washington Street in downtown St. Louis in early November.

“Some individuals felt judged in their congregation whereas others have had many friends leave the church due to unfriendly or unwelcoming experiences,” researchers wrote in the study released last week by the diocese, which commissioned the survey out of a concern over decreasing attendance at Mass for at least a decade.

William Guyer, 51, says he originally became homeless after his mother was diagnosed with an advanced case of cancer. Guyer took a leave of absence from his job at the time to stay with her in Kentucky and care for her until her death. When he returned, he found his apartment trashed, with most of his belongings lost or stolen.

The ultimate indignity for Chaplin’s everyman character comes when he is put on an assembly line that includes a mechanized contraption that force-feeds workers as they work.

Last year, he announced that “Amazon Prime Air” (pictured above) is in the works – a fleet of drones to deliver goods, gizmos and gadgets to premium customers within 30 minutes after placing their must-havenow orders. And that’s only phase one of his grand automation machination.

Small local retailers are used to being the little guys in a market full of giants. First it was the “big box” chain stores like Wal-Mart and Target that siphoned customers and profits from “mom-andpop” shops with the allure of endless selection, abundant parking and impossibly low prices.

Through much of its storied history, The Washington Post has been a proud truth-telling newspaper of national importance. From exposing consumer rip-offs and environmental horrors, to the Watergate scandal that consumed Dick Nixon’s presidency, the Post has practiced Journalism with a capital J.

Okay, that last one may not be an annual rite of the season for you, but in recent years it has been for me, as well as my castmates and a loyal group of fans who attend every year.

Crisp fall temperatures have arrived, as welcome now as was the first warm spring breeze after a frigidly hellish winter. Even when daytime temperatures rival those in mid-August, the heat isn’t as oppressive, the humidity is lower and pleasantly cool evenings come quickly.

In the last decade, Liam Neeson has seemingly taken every script that’s come his way. He’s been forthcoming in his reasoning as, since the tragic death of his wife Natasha Richardson, he’s freely admitted that the best way for him to cope with this is to keep busy.

When Jacksonville blues musician Robert Sampson plays at Casey’s Pub this Thursday, come see the talented performer and say, “Congratulations” for winning yet another berth to the International Blues Challenge this February in Memphis. It’s your time, Robert.

The hole was dug for the Koffin Kats back in 2003 near Detroit, Michigan, when Vic Victor (lead vocals, upright bass) hooked up with longtime friend Tommy Koffin (guitar), then added Damian Detroit (drums) to begin the long adventure.

Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending events..

International Route 66 Mother Road Festival and Car Show returns to Springfield, Sept. 26-28. More than 80,000 folks are expected to filter downtown to see more than 1,000 cool cars and listen to some rockin’ live music. The festival kicks off Friday night at 6:15 p.

Bomke’s Patch brings you something a little dark in a good way: a corn maze at night seeped in 80s music. The Patch offers four opportunities to walk the maze under the stars, Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 10-11. Inclement weather may cancel the event. Those under age 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

Every once and a while a musician seemingly pops into the public’s view and immediately captures their hearts. Sarah Jarosz is that sort of musician. Looking younger than her 22 years, playing the mandolin as if she’s been doing it even longer, Jarosz is like everyone’s daughter or sister, sweet, but with a drove of talent to boot.