Although I am a Brit, I have lived very nearly half of my life in the United Sates. Having links to both sides of “The Pond” it is often a joy to see controversial issues and how they are analyzed and discussed in landscapes, Great Britain and the...

Once again our fi nal edition of the year, Dec. 27, will be dedicated to “Remembering the lives they lived,” with stories of area residents who have died during 2012. We are asking readers to contribute by sending us 300 words on someone they loved and lost during the year.

Having long enjoyed the sweet life, the end was a bit bitter, for the dearly departed’s estate had been mercilessly plundered in recent years by unscrupulous money managers. This left 18,500 surviving family members in dire straits.

IN PLAIN SIGHT James Krohe’s article, “Flatland into flatscapes,” (Nov. 29) is a fine testimonial to Harold Gregor, his inventiveness and his influence on several generations of Illinois artists. The article might have been more illuminating had Mr. Krohe traced the major influences in Mr.

Five years ago, most Illinois House Republicans, including House GOP Leader Tom Cross, voted against a bill which would’ve allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain state driver’s licenses. The conservative rhetoric against the legislation was very harsh.

Macoupin County good, everyone else bad. That’s the assessment of the Illinois Policy Institute when it comes to government transparency in counties in western and central Illinois.

Senate Bill 282 narrowly passed the Senate by a vote of 30-27 on Nov. 28, but it must still face a House vote and obtain the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn before becoming law. The Senate vote was mostly along party lines, with every Republican senator opposing the bill and all but a handful of Democrats supporting it.

The plaintiffs are demanding that the Illinois Pollution Control Board require Clinton Landfill, Inc., a subsidiary of Area Disposal Services in Peoria, to get a permit from DeWitt County to operate a chemical disposal site at the company’s landfill.

Seven state workers in Springfield could lose their jobs at the end of the year as regulators scramble to cover the increasing cost of overseeing doctors in Illinois. That’s because the fund that pays for doctor regulation and discipline is expected to dry up this month, forcing the layoff of 18 regulatory workers total in Springfield and Chicago.

It’s a proposal that’s floated around the Capitol for years. The Senate in 2009 approved a bill that failed in the House two years later by four votes. Now, proponents are back, and in full force, with national players sending troops to Springfield to lobby legislators.

Soon students dressed in the 8 a.m. class uniform of track pants and sweatshirts begin to trickle through the door. As each enters the room, the fedora man walks over and introduces himself with a handshake. Before long the entire room is a din of chatter and tapping laptop keys.

What happens when Daisy’s ball is destroyed? When all the lights go out? When a family must flee their homeland? Adventure happens, that’s what – and so does discovery, learning and joy. Buy a child and book and ask to share an hour. Here, a few of the recent best, for tots, teens and you.

Each week throughout the season, find fun holiday activities here. Also, see The Calendar page 29 for more holiday happenings..

The purpose of Central Illinois Foodbank is to collect donated food and grocery items from growers, manufacturers, processors, distributors and retailers for distribution to charitable agencies serving people in need. The Foodbank, established in 1982 by a coalition of churches, distributes more than 8.

The time is 2008, the setting is New Orleans, and the citizens of the United States have just been informed they’ve been screwed. President Bush is on television, trying to reassure the masses that our economy will rebound, while up-and-coming presidential candidate Barack Obama is touting the notion that by working together, we can all succeed.

Further down are personal letters, ledgers, then clippings from newspapers and farm journals. There are even two bound master’s theses about a model Beloit, Wis., dairy farm. Well, that explains all the portraits of cows! It would be nice, you think, to know about the people in the photos.

Deutschland may not be “über alles,” but German Christmas traditions are deeply ingrained in American yuletide celebrations. Many are centuries old, such as festooning the house with evergreen boughs, a practice dating back to the Middle Ages (perhaps even longer, to pre-Christian times) and which eventually led to decorated Christmas trees.

Frank Trompeter Quartet Jazz Nights.

With the full intent of blending Irish and American folk music in song, Mark Butler (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Don Wright (vocals, five-string banjo), Mark Hudson (vocals, upright bass) and Katie Heilman (vocals, fiddle) became Mulligan Munro.

Our friends out at Boondocks, the new happening club on Dirksen Parkway (where Rockin’ Robin used to be located) recently established a blues time from 3 to 6 on Sunday afternoons. Dec.

to public. Donnie B’s Den, 625 E. Saint Joseph Street, 679-5620..

Springfield Ballet Company’s 38th annual production of The Nutcracker.

Written by the great American humorist David Sedaris, the play follows one out-of-work actor who decides to become a Macy’s elf to pay the holiday bills. During his tour of duty as Crumpet the elf, he learns what it takes to juggle tots and tottering Santas during a painfully festive time of the year.