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A ferry for the mentally ill
Limping carefully, the young woman in the faded blue scrubs and hooded sweat shirt put one sock-covered foot in front of the other, from the hospital room doorway to the wheelchair in the hall. It was as if she were crossing a bed of hot coals, but could not run, forced to feel each excruciating footfall.

Faith, hope and statuary
The vandalism being perpetrated in Washington, D.C., it turns out, is not confined to the nation’s finances. Perhaps you read of the House subcommittee that met in March to hear arguments against the design of a proposed Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial near the National Mall.

The truth about the U.S. Postal Service
For the past several months, the laissez-fairyland blogosphere, assorted corporate front groups, a howling pack of congressional right-wingers and a bunch of lazy mass media sources have been pounding out a steadily rising drumbeat to warn that our postal service faces impending doom.

LETTERS
LARGER ETHICS It was nice to learn U.S. Reps. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, and Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, don’t use campaign contributions to enrich themselves. But the accolade from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington came at an awkward time, as the U.

A ferry for the mentally ill
The small sound came from beneath the hood again, and this time it swelled louder. I reached in and took her feet in my hands, first one then the other, and gently swung her legs out of the door. She put her feet on the asphalt of the parking lot, grabbed my hand, firmly, with a strength she’d not before shown, and pushed herself up out of the car.

Jesse White reflects on the mess he made
I’ve been pretty rough on Secretary of State Jesse White lately. I have no regrets about it, and I believe I had good reason to put the onus on him to correct his mistake of appointing state Rep. Derrick Smith to the Illinois House last year. Smith, of course, was arrested earlier this month on federal bribery charges.

Milton still in the making
“I talked to the board,” said Milton, who last year was a finalist to become superintendent of the Little Rock School District in Arkansas but withdrew his name from consideration. “I’m from Rochester. I know the board members. … I’m not a candidate for the job.

Study: Consolidate education offices
Last year, Quinn cut from the state budget more than $11 million meant to pay the salaries of the regional superintendents and their assistants.

Too many laws?
Senate Bill 3681, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, creates the Board of Legislative Repealers, which would be tasked with determining whether any of Illinois’ many thousands of statutes are “unreasonable, unduly burdensome, duplicative, or onerous,” or conflict with other laws.

Senate votes to widen ban on private prisons
Illinois could soon have a new privately run jail. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants a new privately run detention center in Crete, just south of Chicago, to house illegal aliens, and the Illinois Senate passed a bill last week to stop it..

Bills would require ID to vote
A similar bill, Senate Bill 3750, would require the State Board of Elections and local election authorities to create a system of voter registration ID cards with a picture of the voter on the card. The bill would require a voter to present the ID card before voting.

Springfield filmmaker champions social issues
“Springfield is an excellent place to make films because you don’t have a lot of the obstacles that you have to deal with in larger cities like New York and Chicago,” Conner said. “Sponsors and businesses are more likely to work with you in this type of atmosphere.

A museum divided
The institution is not accredited, and American Association of Museums in 2010 found shortcomings ranging from an inadequate disaster preparedness plan to a governance structure with potentials for conflicts of interest. There is tension between the institution and its private fundraising foundation.

Jeff finds meaning in the mundane
The event that prompts Jeff (Jason Segel) to rouse himself from his comfortable situation is a wrong number. A stranger calls, asks for Kevin and promptly hangs up after he’s informed no one by that name is at that number.

Author and activist honored as ‘Defender of the Innocent’
Scott Turow is one of the foremost courtroom fiction writers in America. Millions have read his books or viewed adaptations of his works. But Turow does more than write about fictional courtrooms. He uses his literary pulpit to speak out on important contemporary legal issues.

Entrees for your Passover Seder
So begins the first night of the most widely observed and important events on the Jewish calendar, Passover. Passover lasts for seven days. As with Easter, the exact date varies with the vernal equinox, but always takes place in spring. This year, Passover begins on Friday, April 6.

Illinois’ first black legislator
In 1877, Illinois became the first state in the Midwest and only the second state in the north to send a black man to its state legislature. That man, John W. E. Thomas, was Illinois’ first African-American legislator and he had a special relationship with Springfield.

April-ling along
Now that all the May flowers came out in March, those April showers may have to find something else to do. Regardless of the weirdly warm weather, the music marches on as we see some new venues opening up and interesting music adventures popping up all over town.

PUB CRAWL
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Ben Samples aka SAMPLES
Killinoize Productions of Springfield and Subsequent Vibes of Bloomington began a music series at Bar None several months ago and the success of the venture points to the growing popularity of electronic dance music in the capital city.

THE CALENDAR
Benefits Central Illinois Foodbank. Donnie B’s Comedy Club, 2937 W. White Oaks Dr, 391-JOKE..

ART | Impressionistic colorings
Steinhaus will be in attendance. The artist’s watercolors capture the ambiance, vistas and details of cityscapes, landscapes and portraits. He has evolved from a realist to an impressionist painter over the last three years, primarily through the use of color.

THE CALENDAR
Widga, ISM curator of geology. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St, 785-0037..

FILM | Premiere weekend
The Route 66 Drive-In opens for the season this weekend with four shows playing on both Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7. Hunger Games.

THE CALENDAR
College of Law and Southern Illinois University School of Law. 206-7989. Crowne Plaza, 3000 S. Dirksen Pkwy..

FOOD | Literary eats
It’s free to enter and free to sample the entries. Lincoln Land Community College Library invites you to participate in its Edible Book Festival. Create your best book or book-related item out of food. Use your imagination and make a cake or sandwich or sushi or cheese display and give it a fitting name, such as, The Scarlet Cheddar.

PUBLICNOTICES
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEV- ENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RUBY J. SWANEY, Deceased NO. 2012-P-119 DEATH AND CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given to claimants of the Estate of RUBY J. SWANEY, Deceased.