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Projecting a better image
At first I assumed that Jesse White was trying to goose sales of specialty plates to top off his budget. Why else would an Illinois Secretary of State oblige the drivers of his state to adorn their cars with the new standard State of Illinois passenger car license plate that looks as if it was designed by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development?.

Don’t let down guard on health care
One of the common plot devices of horror films is to have a climactic event where a threatening evil is defeated. The triumphant characters breathe a sigh of relief, begin putting their lives together and then, BANG! The supposedly vanquished terror unexpectedly raises its ugly head again in a final effort to overcome the forces of good.

Real news
Just as troubling as fake news is the media’s systematic omission of grassroots news that people could really use. What’s missing is real news of the ordinary Americans in practically every zip code who are finding innovative solutions to big problems that the elites do nothing about.

LETTERS
Most who have seen the old Ridgely Village Hall and Jail at Elizabeth and Peoria Road have a false perception of this historic building because all they see are ugly walls screaming out to be torn down.

This is basically fraud
Long story short, the company that supplied the oxygen tanks for Kobe dropped out of the state’s group health insurance system because the state isn’t paying its bills during our long governmental impasse and they wanted their equipment back. Ms. Williams testified last week that Reps.

ICON ENDORSES DICENSO
Members of Springfi eld ICON (Inner City Older Neighborhoods) met on Monday, March 27, and voted to endorse Kristin DiCenso for Ward 6 Alderman over opponent Martin Fruchtl, to replace the position vacated when former Alderman Cory Jobe moved out of the city.

HELP WANTED
Do you need a job? If so, Collectors Roadshow in Sugar Land, Texas, is looking for a few good men and women. “This is a unique opportunity to earn an excellent salary,” a recent Craigslist help-wanted ad reads. “Positions available immediately.

Cubs and Cards face off at ALPLM
For generations, fans of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals have drawn battle lines throughout central and southern Illinois. Thanks to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), fans of both teams have the chance to proclaim their allegiances.

Pot of gold
In a desperate push to fix the state’s budget woes, some legislators want to legalize marijuana as one way out of the fiscal mess. Joint bills introduced in the House and Senate in January proposed that adults over the age of 21 can buy up to 28 grams of marijuana for $50 an ounce.

Reviewing Lincoln
The ALPLM hopes to receive recommendations from the five-member group next month. The panel includes directors of digital publishing projects at universities and historical organizations in Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The effort comes as Daniel Stowell, the project’s longtime director who was removed late last year, fights for reinstatement.

Lincoln on leadership
In his first nationally televised oneon-one interview, Donald Trump invoked the name of the president often quoted by Republican occupants of the White House. “I can be the most presidential person ever, other than possibly the great Abe Lincoln, all right? But I can be the most presidential person.

Abe art
Go online to illinoistimes.com to see an image gallery of all of the entries for this contest..

There’s a new wrap in town
Diet fads and gimmicks generally don’t interest me. I’m immediately suspicious of any diet that suggests removal of an entire food group, and I tend to steer clear of lowfat or reduced-calorie versions of foods that are inherently rich and delicious.

Art at the Pharmacy and Black Sheep
The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space’s most recent group exhibit,, which had a two-evening opening this past Friday and Saturday, is entitled “Bio-Region.” According to promotional material, the show’s theme is “how every person explores the creativity of their unique space.

Same old approach grounds Life
On a rescue mission to retrieve a wayward probe containing soil samples and other materials from Mars, the members of the International Space Station quickly succeed in doing so, turning over all it contains to science officer Dr. Derry (Ariyon Bakare).

March music into April
This has always been a favorite time of the year for me, partly because of the promise of April (say what you want, T. S. Eliot) and somewhat due to the fun of April Fools’ Day. So in celebration, I’m seeing one of my songwriting heroes in person on Friday when Kris Kristofferson plays The Pageant in St.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Andy Logan and the O.C. 75s
If you’ve got a hankering for some electric blues, rock or psychedelic, guitar-based music, look no further than Andy Logan and the O.C. 75s. Mr.

PUB CRAWL
Owen and Dooley Present with Andy Logan and the O.C.

THE CALENDAR
Memorial’s Sharing Wishes Hospice Gala.

CHILDREN’S CORNER | Recycled play day
The Illinois State Museum hosts Super Saturday events from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Every Super Saturday event features themed activities for children ages 5 and up and their families. April’s theme is “recycled play day” and features activities designed to encourage children to reduce, reuse and recycle.

BULLETIN BOARD | Celebrate the “Father of Springfield”
Join the staff of the Elijah Iles House on Saturday, April 1, from 12-4 p.m., for a triple-header birthday celebration featuring cake, ice cream and drinks in honor of Elijah Iles, who is often referred to as the “Father of Springfield” due to his crucial role in Springfield’s early development.

CHILDREN’S CORNER | Processing loss
If your child has lost a loved one, consider sending them to the partial-day Kids Good Grief Camp on Sunday, April 2, sponsored by Staab Funeral Homes. The supportive and fun camp is geared toward ages 6-12 and held every spring at Erin’s Pavilion in Southwind Park.