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Stop wrongful convictions
Case in point: In Oct. 1997, Julie Rea Harper was indicted in Lawrence County for the murder of her 10-year-old son, Joel. A good indication that it might be a wrongful conviction case was that the murder, which happened three years earlier, was not immediately solved.

Sacred documents
At my age, “constitutional issues” usually involve medicine, not the law, if only because the other kind are so complex that thinking about them makes my head hurt. A boyhood reading of The Great Rehearsal: The Story of Making and Ratifying the Constitution of the United States.

Obama walks in the wrong direction
As part of his odd and demeaning determination to hug up America’s avaricious corporate powers, President Obama walked across Lafayette Square on Feb. 7 to enter the imperial gates of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and show deference to the business establishment.

LETTERS
This is perhaps the most important Springfield mayoral election in generations. Central issues this time are bean counting and professional management. None of the other ideas that you and I might like to talk about will matter unless we can get a competent mayor to manage the city.

Stop wrongful convictions
The other reason, as in Julie’s case, was to avoid Supreme Court Rule 416, requiring the appointment of two capital-qualified attorneys. These were the reforms that the court adopted to prevent the conviction of an innocent person facing the death penalty.

Outspoken Topinka isn’t shy about budget cuts
After losing the 2006 governor’s race to Rod Blagojevich, voters this last time around may have tried to make it up to her by casting more votes for Topinka than she’d ever received before. She lost just two counties and performed way better in Cook County than any statewide Republican candidate, including U.

ACCESS 4 UPDATE
for more than a year now, but the channel’s producers aren’t giving up. In December 2009, Comcast shut down the production facility where the producers once created their shows, and the City of Springfield eventually took over broadcasting.

Death penalty fight not over
Saying the death penalty repeal bill was “rushed through” the General Assembly, state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale and state Rep. Dennis Reboletti of Elmhurst, both Republicans, announced legislation on Feb. 15 to put capital punishment in Illinois to a public vote, urging Gov.

Road hazard
A Springfield woman who allegedly hit and killed a man and who has numerous traffic violations was still driving legally until recently. Her license was revoked after Mothers Against Drunk Driving notified State’s Attorney John Milhiser of the young woman’s pending charge of “aggravated DUI.

Founders of new east-side youth center split
Leannette Black, Charles “Muhammad” Strickland, Elmer Perkins and Matt Blakey officially founded the Progressive Youth Foundation and Athletic League in July 2010, when they filed incorporation papers with the secretary of state’s office.

MacArthur may be considered for TIF district
The MacArthur Boulevard Business Association may start to see the fruits of its labor as soon as Feb. 23, when the final master plan is unveiled for development along the corridor from South Grand Avenue on the north e nd to the new interchange at Interstate 72 on the south end.

Will the next mayor please step forward?
Every candidate has ideas for what they will do when they are elected mayor. Spend more wisely, they say. Encourage business growth, develop the medical district and bring in more tourists. Get rid of unneeded political hires and look for inefficiencies in city government.

Will the next mayor please step forward?
Still, ideas seem to be lacking in this election. The candidates seem to agree on almost everything: the city needs to court new businesses, rebuild infrastructure and be more transparent. They all agree that the consolidation of Springfield’s railroads should happen on 10th Street instead of Third Street.

Make your own pizza sleepovers
Although I haven’t read the book, I’ve seen reviews and articles, and heard Chua interviewed. She espouses exceptionally strict parenting that seems repressive to many. It’s a style used by her Chinese immigrant parents, one that she’s used with her two daughters.

Valentine, a poignant look at lost love
We flock to romantic movies because they provide us with an idealized look at what we all want love to be. All obstacles are overcome, characters reveal their true natures to one another and are accepted and the couple in question lives happily ever after.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Legendary Clampetts
They hail from the Springfield area, they’ve been around for ages and stake the claim of being “just the best damn unknown rock-n-roll band in the land.

PUB CRAWL
Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

Saturday February 19
Give To The Winds, More Than Conquerors, Hello Destroyer, Dreams May Fall, We Are History.

Zydeco welcomes Mardi Gras
Back in August of 2010 Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers dropped into town for a concert and fundraiser hosted by Tim Kodyra of Meatsmack to benefit Jimmy “the Meatman” Weinheoft. The fun in the sun show out at the lake was such a rousing success Tim signed them up for a return visit, this time in a different season and location.

THEATER
Funnier than funny, the musical takes place at a lingerie sale in New York City’s Bloomingdale’s. Four strangers come together over a black lace bra and some mature girl talk.

THE CALENDAR
Robinson-McNeese reads Hughes’ and Lindsay’s poetry. Ragtime-style piano music by Brock Gwaltney. Reception follows. Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site, 603 S. Fifth St, 217-524- 0901..

THE CALENDAR
Hinder w/ Saving Abel, My Darkest Days, Kopek.

Music
Classical guitarist Francois Fowler performs Feb. 19 at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church for the Springfield Classical Guitar Society.

Art & Architecture
Ten 5 Art Gallery Opening Exhibition.

MUSIC
Rock band Hinder comes to the Prairie Capital Convention Center on Monday, Feb. 21. You probably heard these guys on the radio with their hit single, “Lips of an Angel.” The band proclaims their new album, “All American Nightmare,” is harder rock and comes from a more personal place.

THEATER
Matthew T. Dearing (Mitch Albom) and Barry Weiss (Morrie Schwartz) play the leads in the moving drama Tuesdays with Morrie. Tuesdays with Morrie.

THE CALENDAR
Sangamon Valley Group of the Sierra Club.

Citizens Club of Springfield Policy Breakfast
assistant. Springfield Center for Independent Living, 330 S. Grand Ave. West, 217 523-2587 v/tty..

PUBLICNOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS IN PROBATE In the Matter of the Estate of: John C. Cisna, deceased. Case No. 2010P656 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to Claimants of the Estate of John C. Cisna, deceased. Letters of Office were issued on November 22, 2010, to Gloria Cisna, Executor, whose attorney is David R.

NEWS QUIRKS
After breaking into the same house he’d broken into eight months earlier, John Finch, 44, found himself trapped, according to police in New Castle County, Del., because the homeowner had changed the locks in the meantime so that a key was required to open the door, even from the inside.

RIGHTS. Dated: February 9, 2011
said Plaintiff against you and other defendants, praying for the foreclosure of a certain Mortgage conveying the premises described as follows, to wit: LOT 70 IN SOUTHLAWN, FIFTH PLAT. EXCEPT ALL COAL, MINERALS AND MIN- ING RIGHTS HERETOFORE CONVEYED OR RESERVED OF RECORD.

AMY ALKON
I’m a 56-year-old married woman, and as far as I can tell, I’ve been happily heterosexual all my life — until recently. For the past year, I’ve been thinking about a woman until I can no longer think about anything else.