Don’t deny occupations to ex-offenders
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) released 29,962 prisoners in 2014, according to the department’s FY2014 annual report. Research suggests that the ex-offender’s biggest hurdle to reentry is convincing potential employers to overlook their past mistakes.

Vainglory
Some 30 years ago I was moved by the mindless boasting of the Republican blowhard in the White House to write this column, which appeared in the Prejudices series on Aug. 8, 1985. The presidential field at the moment offers us several others of the type, so I thought my reflection on male braggadocio is worth rereading.

How to make billboards uglier
Now, though, rather than billboards becoming human, we humans are becoming billboards. Literally. For the love of money, the National Basketball Association is transforming its chief human assets into advertising placards that run, dribble, leap, twist and dunk.

LETTERS
QUIT POINTING FINGERS I have heard the news reports – the ones that say the governor is blaming the legislature for the budget impasse – the ones that say the legislature is blaming the governor for the budget impasse. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to quit pointing fingers and go to work for the people of the state of Illinois.

Madigan, Rauner campaign to destroy
Madigan’s own Democratic primary race has been a good example. He posted yard signs all over his district urging his constituents to vote against “convicted felon Jason Gonzales,” and his cable TV and direct mail ceaselessly pounded home that very same message.

MCCANN THE MAN
Sen. Sam McCann won the hotly contested Republican primary race for Illinois’ 50th Senate district yesterday, earning 52.6 percent of the vote to challenger Bryce Benton’s 47.3 percent. The race was one of the most expensive ever in Illinois, with Republican Gov.

Poetry Out Loud
On March 11, Brooks beat out 15 other high school students from around Illinois to earn a slot at the national Poetry Out Loud competition. The Hoogland Center for the Arts hosted the competition last week, accommodating the high school students, their parents and academic supporters from schools across Illinois.

BEAUTIFYING HER BEAT
Springfi eld police offi cer Tami Walcher saw a problem last year and decided to fi x it. Walcher is the beat offi cer for Beat 500, which covers the area south of South Grand Avenue between Chatham Road and 11th Street, extending south to encompass Lake Springfi eld.

Court drama
These kids have seen a lot: broken families, violence, drug use, poverty and despair. Now they’ve seen something else – something they probably never imagined: the Illinois Supreme Court justices sitting unrobed and absorbed with interest in their lives.

Targeting autism
At least 100 librarians, teachers and parents from all over attended the twoday conference in Springfield, looking for tips and ideas to understand the needs of people with an autistic spectrum disorder, a condition which disrupts a person’s social and communication skills.

Inmate challenges faith-based rehab
Vonperbandt is currently incarcerated at Sheridan Correctional Center in northern Illinois, where he is serving a seven-year sentence for aggravated robbery. All inmates at Sheridan are required to attend substance abuse treatment, which is provided by Nevada-based nonprofit contractor WestCare Foundation.

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND ELECTED
All this and more appears on campaign disclosure reports filed by Illinois legislators, who are barred from spending campaign money on anything but expenses connected with political or government work.

Spotlight on Ice turns 40
This weekend, take a break from the taxes, leave the yard work, gather up the family and head to Nelson Center for the 40th anniversary Springfield Figure Skating Club celebration “Spotlight on Ice.” This year’s show promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Three easy pastas
Four years ago I bought a school bus and named her Bertha. I removed all the seats and outfitted her with sleeping bunks, a restroom, a dining nook, and a small, but fully equipped kitchen. Bertha and I love hitting the open road and traveling to food and music festivals.

10 Cloverfield Lane gets half the job done
Director Dan Trachtenberg gets things off to an intriguing start with a prolonged sequence done with no dialogue, simply a selection from Bear McCreary’s strong but subtle score.

St. Patty’s and beyond
Thursday, March 17 is the day designated as St. Patrick’s Day, and even though Springfield and other places may have celebrated with gusto last Saturday, many folks still call this the real deal. With the election primaries over and spring coming right around the bend, there are many reasons to celebrate this weekend.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Deep Lunar Blue
When a group calls itself an “American rock band from Springfield, Illinois” on their website’s homepage, you know they better mean it. Deep Lunar Blue has been setting a standard of original and classic rock jam music in the local scene like no one else does or can since 2009.

PUB CRAWL
Our Lady, Lume, Krelboyne, Hate Your Friends.

THE CALENDAR
Ted and Melissa Morrissey Reading and Book Talk.

BULLETIN BOARD | A clean slate
Learn how criminal records can be expunged or sealed during a Criminal Record Expungement and Sealing Seminar. The free event is organized and supported by the Springfield NAACP, Springfield Urban League, Springfield Race Unity Committee, Springfield Housing Authority and many other organizations.

BULLETIN BOARD | Understand computer security threats
On Tuesday, March 22, Lincoln Land Community College’s Capital City Training Center hosts a computer security and privacy protection seminar designed to help novice-to-expert users of technology understand potential cybersecurity issues.

MUSIC | Glee for free
On Saturday, March 18, enjoy a complimentary concert by the Glee Club of the Roxbury Latin School of Boston. Founded in 1645, The Roxbury Latin School of Boston, Mass., is the oldest boys’ school in America, priding itself on a long tradition of educating bright boys in grades 7-12 from various backgrounds and all segments of Boston.