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Stellar! Stellar!
UIS wants to be everything it can be in spite of the General Assembly, so it has launched a four-year, $40 million fundraising campaign, “Reaching Stellar: The Campaign for the University of Illinois Springfield.

Springfield needs action on economy
I have some experience with economic development efforts in Springfield. This backstory lends credence to my cynicism about why the new economic development corporation, formed in response to the economic development study commissioned and recently released by Sangamon County government, is destined for failure.

Trump’s wars
So, President Trump makes what was to be a condolence phone call to the young widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of the four American soldiers killed on a military patrol in Niger – and all of a sudden, the White House explodes in yet another political conflagration and a new burst of presidential lies.

LETTERS
To be clear, every football player that took a knee for justice during the National Anthem had strong knees. Their knee bowing is a symbol of every knee that will boldly bow to our Lord Jesus. When men kneel boldly, every earthly force of power is null and void.

That’s not too much to ask
The decision came the morning after an “open letter” was published on Facebook by women who work in and around the Statehouse and who claimed: “Misogyny is alive and well in this industry.” The letter has roiled Springfield in a manner that I’ve never seen before.

Two black eyes
First came a damning report commissioned by Sangamon County, whose hired consultant, tasked with figuring out ways to improve the local economy, put in writing what pretty much everyone knows but won’t say in public: The metropolitan area, and Springfield in particular, is a tired place run by retreads who are more talk than action.

Man struck by traffic pillar sues city
According to his lawsuit, Andrew Schanze suffered brain damage, broken facial bones and permanent disfigurement when he grabbed the metal pillar, commonly called a bollard, to steady himself while dismounting his bicycle to retrieve belongings that had fallen to the ground near the intersection of South Sixth and East Adams streets.

Will the last person leaving the courthouse turn out the lights?
The largest reduction is in traffic cases other than driving under the influence charges. There were 26,000 fewer traffic citations processed by the circuit clerk’s office last year than in 2008. Driving under the influence cases are also down sharply, particularly in the past two years, as are misdemeanor cases.

Symphony season starts in style
Saturday evening marked the start of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 25th anniversary season, as well as the debut of new ISO music director Ken Lam. The season kicked off with a varied program, beginning with a short piece by an area composer and climaxing with a spirited Tchaikovsky symphony.

Author, storyteller, teacher, friend
Jacqueline Dougan Jackson’s notes, her extraordinary memory and her gift for telling stories, paint a vivid narrative of agrarian life in the first three-quarters of the 20th century. Her writing is colorful, intricate, funny, heartbreaking and informative.

Film festival promises plenty of kicks
It may come as a surprise, even to selfprofessed area movie buffs, that since 2002 Springfield has played host to its very own international film festival, featuring screenings of a juried selection of features and shorts from around the country,...

1 ST ANNUAL BEST OF SPRINGFIELD PARTY
Hundreds of people turned out for the inaugural Best Of Springfi eld party at the BOS Center on Thursday, Oct. 26. It was 1985 all over again, and there were many celebrity sightings, including Flavor Flav and his crew, Prince, MC Lyte, the Blues Brothers, Slash, Brett Michaels, and not just one, but two, MC Hammers.

High schoolers race for business success
Who would rise early to get to a class at 7:30, leave at 9 to spend a full day at school, return in the evening and even weekends to fulfill requirements, while also finishing homework, participating in sports and other extracurricular activities,...

Not just what to eat, but when Intermittet fasting produces amazing results
I was talking with my bandmates during our break the other day about the death of Tom Petty, Gregg Allman and all the other music heroes we have lost in the last year. The conversation morphed into a discussion of our own health statuses. One member is dead, one is undergoing chemotherapy, one had a bypass and two members had stents placed.

Humor over heroics dooms bloated Ragnarok
Where the Marvel Comics movie universe is concerned, the Thor films have always been treated like the redheaded stepchild. Fans seem to tolerate them as a necessary evil needed to move the overall MCU storyline along, as no one I am aware of has ever pointed to Thor.

Whatever Productions and open mics
Last Saturday night was a special moment in Springfield culture and music history. At the Curve Inn, before the Loops played a crazy good Halloween show, folks honored Len Trumper of Whatever Productions.

PUB CRAWL
Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at www.illinoistimes.com.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Hooten Hallers
A trippy trio from Columbia, Missouri, the Hooten Hallers are all about being different from your average Americana group.

THE CALENDAR
Paint movie posters and other images inspired by some of the worst movies ever made. $15 members, $25 non. springfi eldart.org. Springfi eld Art Association, 700 N. Fourth St., 523-2631..

ART & ARCHITECTURE | Attack of the B-list movie posters
Enjoy a fun evening out while celebrating some of the worst movies ever made. On Friday, Nov. 3, join the Springfield Art Association for a “Canvas and Cocktails” event where attendees can paint movie posters and other images inspired by their favorite B-list movies while watching a B-list movie.

MUSIC | Elvis is in the building
Elvis impersonator Joseph Hall will make a triumphant return to the Legacy Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. The talented 33-year-old performer has been paying tribute to Elvis Presley since 2006, and received rave reviews on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” from Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan in 2008.

ARTS & ARCHITECTURE| Learn the art of figure drawing
Hone your figure drawing skills each week by attending The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space’s weekly open studio figure drawing sessions, held Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The sessions are open and available to anyone with an interest in figure drawing.