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Holy Week 1865
On Palm Sunday, April 9, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, signaling the death knell for the Confederate cause that wilted away in the coming weeks.

Powerful forces
That man Trump, who relishes catastrophe, has done his part to unleash it on the planet by trashing the Obama Clean Power Plan to decarbonize the electricity generation industry.

Activism is the only hope of restoring America’s democratic principles
Follow me from downtown Austin, Texas, to the eastern edge of Travis County, turn onto Hog Eye Road and go a short distance where you’ll come on a giant sign saying “welcome.

LETTERS
The people of Illinois (including his own party members) understand that his stance on the budget is wrong, misguided or, at the worst, stupid. His recent political ads show the extent of his misguided efforts and lack of understanding of state governance.

Our dishonest debates
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign blasted out an email last week telling supporters that newly announced billionaire Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker wants to raise the state income tax to more than 5 percent, which, the campaign claimed, would be “Higher than it was under Pat Quinn.

A presidential chat
Since arriving in Springfield, Lowe has overseen a shakeup at the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project and watched the governor issue an executive order that will make the ALPLM, now a division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, a standalone institution beginning July 1.

DEFENDERS OF THE INNOCENT
The 10th annual Illinois Innocence Project Defenders of the Innocent gala will be held Saturday, April 29, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. Featured speakers will be Yusef Salaam, Salaam’s mother, Sharonne, and Charles Palmer.

BULLSEYE
For the second year in a row, shooters from the Illinois Army National Guard have taken top honors in the All-Army Small Arms Championship held at Fort Benning, Georgia. The annual event is held to develop shooting skills as well as determine the best marksmen in military units that range from National Guard outfi ts to regular Army to ROTC outposts.

Democrats push for minimum wage increase
Two bills were introduced to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 per hour. Rep. Mary Flowers-D, Chicago, sponsor of an immediate $15 per hour minimum wage increase, said people should have a livable wage..

Recording studio revamp
“It’s a great day,” said B.J. Pearce, studio manger of Southtown Sound. “We really have a lot going on for us right now.

Preserving internet privacy in Illinois
Known as the Right to Know Act, the legislation would require that internet service providers who retrieve personal data of individual customers through the internet must inform those customers that the service providers are collecting their information.

Waging war on gender wage gap
A bill introduced by Rep. Anna Moller, D-Elgin, would require that employees cannot be paid less than what their coworkers make due to their gender. The measure may be beneficial for Illinois financially in the long run.

Contest fosters love of nature
A wildlife photo contest in Girard goes all out on teaching students to embrace nature photography. In its fifth year, the Robert L. McKemie Award for Photographic Excellence in Outdoor and Wildlife Photography, held at North Mac High School, has developed into an anticipated attraction.

Spring Home and Garden Calendar
Springfield Jaycees Annual Lawnmower Clinic.

Plan, plant, prune, repeat
On March 7, 1929, visionary Harriet Knudson, known as Mrs. T. J. Knudson, hosted a meeting of Springfield residents at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel to establish a club dedicated to creating beauty and conserving the city’s wildlife and natural resources.

Decoding the secret language of flowers
“Flowers can represent everything from friendship to true love,” says Rhonda Ferree. “For example, chrysanthemums show friendship. Gardenias represent secret love. Give a primrose to say, ‘I can’t live without you.’ Lilies, a traditional wedding flower, convey chastity, innocence, and purity, while Stephanotis shows happiness in marriage.

The mystery of rhubarb
As the season warms up, many gardeners begin looking forward to their first rhubarb harvests. Although it was first cultivated in central Asia more than 2,000 years ago for its medicinal properties, rhubarb is best known today as an ingredient in our early-summer pies.

Intergenerational gardening
“Gardening is classified as a life skill because it not only allows you to grow food for yourself and family, but it also incorporates many skills such as math, reading, science, and even history,” says University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Bruce J.

Are you bogged down by clutter?
For this 30-day challenge, we’re going to show you how to do something about the kind of clutter that holds you back and give yourself the best chance to be happy, healthy and more productive. Whether you have too many junk drawers in the kitchen or entire rooms in your home that are simply unmanageable, there is a better way.

The do’s and don’ts of selling a home
When it comes time to prepare a home for sale, there are a number of quick and affordable fi xes that can help seal the deal, while some so-called improvements may sink a sale. When it’s time to put your home on the market, there are some defi nite do’s and don’ts.

Spring has sprung
10. Replace windows. Doors and windows that may be old or improperly installed create a draft all year round. Especially in the warmer months when you will be looking to be able to properly open and close windows, making sure they are fully functioning and operational should be on your spring checklist.

The Radon Lounge keeps concerts on the down-low
For the past five years, the Radon Lounge has been hosting an impressive variety of local and touring bands, averaging one show per month. However, like a post-millennial speakeasy, anyone wanting to attend a concert at Radon is obliged to contact the venue via email or social media, simply to discover where it’s located.

Easter on a spit
At the south end of the land that is now Panther Creek Country Club sits the historic 1860 Spaulding Orchard farmhouse, my home for the last 35 years. What was once one of Illinois’ largest apple orchards and asparagus farms is now stately houses and rolling fairways.

Style a safe retread
However, as far as spectatorship is concerned, this remake of the 1979 caper movie with George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg serves as a prime example of how audience expectations have deteriorated along with the studios’ willingness to cater to them.

Feast or Easter
Blues opens up the week when those brilliantly bluesy MojoCats take on the Thursday early evening slot at the Curve Inn. Next week they kick us off again with a show at The Alamo for the James Armstrong Presents event. Both shows start at 6 p.m.

PUB CRAWL
Good Times and Company, Alex and the XOs, Terra Tara.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Baaad Boyz
Bandmates Tony Young (vocals), Marcus Taylor (drums), Charles Foxx (bass), Jerry Cole (keyboards) and John Virgin (guitar) are known for getting funky on old-school stuff by Rick James, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Prince, but that ain’t all that these BBs do.

THE CALENDAR
BOOKS & AUTHORS Cataloguing Gratitude.

NATURE | Identify flowers, trees and shrubs
Bask in nature this Saturday by enjoying a seasonal wildflower hike at Lincoln Memorial Garden. The guided walks, led by garden volunteers, are an enjoyable way for visitors to explore the Lincoln Memorial Garden grounds while learning how to identify the garden’s wildflower blooms, flowering trees and shrubs.

CAREGIVING | Keeping seniors safe
Wandering is a possible symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias experienced by many senior citizens. Learn about the triggers behind and how to help prevent senior wandering on Tuesday, April 18, during a seminar hosted by Home Instead Senior Care and Mill Creek Memory Care Facility in Springfield.

HEALTH | Knowledge is power
The University of Illinois Springfield is encouraging community members to take charge of their health on Wednesday, April 19, by attending a health and wellness fair at the University of Illinois Springfield’s Recreation and Athletic Center, sponsored by UIS Health Services and Campus Recreation.