Jet-set architecture? In Springfield?
Much in the way that human corpses become food for the worms, dead eras become food for TV producers. Few of us who lived through the 1950s and early ’60s actually lived jet-age lives but it was fun watching others do it in commercials and movies,...

Race tensions at the turn of the century
After the Civil War, some blacks began to migrate north, looking for better job opportunities and living conditions. But despite the gains of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, many blacks in the North had no money, few possessions and limited skills and education.

Airline fee fleecing
This is happening to millions of airline passengers who’re discovering that the advertised price of a ticket is not the half of it. Beaucoup fees have been added, charging us for items that previously were (and still should be) free.

LETTERS
FORCE OF NATURE The Republican national frontrunner, D.T., is a force of nature. That may sound good, but allow me to list a few natural forces: Tornados, blizzards, deluges, droughts, pestilence, disease, volcanic eruptions and tidal waves. All these natural forces are powerful and destructive.

Record spending in campaign against McCann
Benchmark polling taken months ago showed McCann (R-Plainview) had a voter approval rating of about 70 percent. Sen. McCann “really was everywhere” in the district, attending events all over the place throughout his tenure, the Rauner official admitted.

POT, KETTLE, BOTH BLACK
Fans of the salacious in Springfi eld are no doubt acquainted with Springfield IL Exposed, the website that shames people by posting mug shots of purported prostitutes and posting nude or nearly nude pictures of people too unsophisticated to realize...

JOHN LEWIS ON SCREEN
In October of last year, Brookens Library at UIS, as part of its ongoing “One Book” program, hosted a personal appearance by civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, D-Georgia, who had just published the second volume of his graphic novel-memoir March.

Budget crisis hurts disabled living outside Illinois
Keith is one of 44 people with developmental disabilities whom Illinois sent to live in Wisconsin during the 1990s. Now, Illinois’ lack of a state budget threatens those out-of-state dependents’ care. The Illinois Department of Human Services is scrambling to prevent the dependents from being kicked out of their group homes.

Fired city officer sues, claims bias
Loren D. Pettit, who was earning more than $72,000 a year when he was terminated in June 2014, was the first officer in the history of the department fired for using drugs.

Teenage statesmen
Last weekend, high school teens filled the roles of legislative assistants, lobbyists, senators and representatives of the Democrat and Republican caucuses in the Illinois General Assembly, bringing their own set of bills to be heard in the Illinois Statehouse.

Tully monster mystery solved
The discovery puts the Tully monster, which is only found in one spot in Illinois and nowhere else on earth, into an entirely different phylum on the taxonomic tree than researchers expected. It also potentially makes the Tully monster an evolutionary ancestor of humans.

Art for Abe’s sake
Each year the cover of Capital City Visitor,.

Garden for life
I have vivid memories of wandering through the thousands of tomato plants that were grown on my great-grandfather’s market farm. Lima beans were a delicacy in our family.

Cooking Lithuanian for the ultimate comfort food
I don’t eat horseshoe sandwiches – or pony shoes, for that matter. My vote for the world’s best comfort food is kugelis, a Lithuanian grated potato casserole, copiously topped with a mélange of melted sour cream and sautéed onions, bacon and bacon drippings.

Intelligent script grounds Justice
Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is investigating the origin of a brand of ammunition that has never been seen before. She doggedly pursues this as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) sets out to do an expose on Batman, something his editor Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) opposes.

PUB CRAWL
Meth Dealer, Perfect People, Souls, Seeing Red, Shame, Barbarian, WARRS.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Matt Poss Band
For more than a decade, this band of musical brothers from the Effingham area have pounded the pavement and graced the stage to bring their proven and provocative mix of country, bluegrass, rock and blues to the masses.

Blues club turns 30
Our breaking news is the celebration show commemorating the 30-year anniversary of the Illinois Central Blues Club. The celebratory concert is on Saturday, March 26 at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Meadowbrook and Iles, in the same building that houses Casey’s Pub.

THE CALENDAR
Mar 25-26, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Fri- Sat. Seen on BET, “Last Comic Standing” and more. $13, $15. donniebscomedyclub.com. Donnie B’s Comedy Club, 3455 Freedom Dr., 391-JOKE..

LECTURES | 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner for public service
See a presentation by Mitch Pugh – a Riverton native, UIS alumnus, editor of Charleston, South Carolina’s The Post and Courier.

NATURE | The colors and scents of spring
Enjoy the Springfield Park District’s 43 rd annual showcase of spring flora, available for viewing daily between now and April 3. More than 800 Easter lilies, hyacinths, tulips and narcissus will be on display amid lush, tropical foliage at the Washington Park Botanical Garden Exhibition Hall.

CLUBS & MEETINGS | Socialize for a cause
The Springfield Social Club is a philanthropic group that aims to provide social, cultural, altruistic and networking opportunities to local professionals of all ages. The club was formed in 2007 by Dave Martin and Jenny Waldinger. Springfield Social Club gatherings are held monthly at a local bar or restaurant.