When the Illinois State Fair was first staged in 1853, country people went there to see other country people. Later, city people went to see country people. These days – well, I’m not sure what people go to see at the fair.

Ovarian cancer touches all women. It does not discriminate based on age, race or ethnicity. More than 22,000 mothers, daughters, wives and sisters will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. That includes more than 920 in Illinois.

And if you think corporate morality can’t go lower than that, how about gouging people on the price of a life-saving medicine in order to jack up the personal pay of a drug maker’s CEO? That’s the bottom level of grotesque immorality where Heather Bresch dwells.

Thank you for highlighting the many efforts of groups statewide who are enthusiastically preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood in 2018. (“Tardy party,” by Erika Holst, Aug. 11.

And the same goes for the Illinois Republican Party and Gov. Bruce Rauner, who accounts for 95 percent of the party’s total fundraising since Jan. 1. No way will that party deliberately say anything that is in any way contrary to the governor’s wishes..

Gov. Bruce Rauner, who previously promised voters he would bring his wellhoned business skills to get Illinois back on track, will be tested in coming months as he tries to fix a bad financial bet made more than a decade ago between the state and Wall Street banks.

A 12-year-old girl suffered a leg injury when Blue left his lane of travel and collided with a vehicle that was headed the opposite direction on Iron Bridge Road last January. The girl was a passenger in the vehicle that Blue hit. Testing showed that Blue had a blood-alcohol content of more than .

City Water, Light and Power is seeking a renewed permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to operate the Dallman Generating Station on Lake Springfield. IEPA took public comments on the permit at a hearing on Aug. 30, prompting several people to call for stricter rules on the power plant.

Design Ideas, a Springfield design firm owned by Sangamon County Board chairman Andy Van Meter, sued retailers Meijer and T.J. Maxx in federal court last year, alleging that the companies ripped off a copyrighted “Sparrow Clip” design. Sparrow Clips are colorful clothespins with the outline of a bird silhouette on top.

The forecast by the engineering firm of Crawford, Murphy and Tilly was based on worst-case scenarios, and with good reason. The city had just gone through a two-year dry spell that caused Lake Springfield to fall by a dozen feet.

Just because summer is drawing to an end and the kids are back to school does not mean that farmers market season is over. The Old State Capitol Farmers Market continues to run Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Oct. 31.

Eastwood wastes no time plunging us into the mental anguish felt by Sullenberger (an excellent Tom Hanks). Before the opening credits are done, we hear the sound of an aircraft in trouble, our first sight being the plane on a collision course with midtown Manhattan.

Wishing a happy birthday to Mike Burnett is first on our weekly to-do list. Hopefully you made it to Trails End on Wednesday, Sept. 7 to wish Mr. Mike a big “happy birthday.

Open Mic with Roger Whitsell and Bob Jemison.

Since the inception of this harmony-driven, original music acoustic trio of Micah Walk, Elizabeth Eckert and Dave Littrell, the attraction between audience and act was obvious and powerful. Also members of other local groups, these three created a world together that brought success not found in other combinations.

Sep 10-11, 10am-5pm Sat, 10am- 4pm Sun. Ranked in “Best 100 Art Shows in the Country” by Sunshine Artist magazine. 50 professional artists with artwork in a variety of mediums. Music, food, more. Free. Kids’ Place $1.50 per child. carillon-rees.org. 217-787-3532.

Soak up the last days of summer during the Springfield Park District’s nationally ranked art extravaganza featuring fine arts and crafts and live carillon music plus activities and programs for children. The two-day festival was founded 11 years ago by Rees Carillon Society member Barb Walker and attracts between 5,500 and 6,500 attendees annually.

If you love classic country music, don’t miss Classic Nashville Roadshow,.

See a prairie up close and learn interesting facts about tallgrass prairie ecosystems on Sept. 17 during Friends of the Sangamon Valley’s Run for the Prairie 10K, 5K and one-mile family fun run at Springfield’s 190-acre Centennial Park. The 6.2-mile, 3.