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Seeking justice for an innocent man, posthumously
On Saturday, April 28, the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) will honor retired Lt. Paul Echols from the Carbondale Police Department for his persistent quest for a posthumous exoneration of Grover Thompson, now 22 years after the innocent man died in prison.

Guns, guns and more guns
The good news is, they didn’t get nearly as many folks as hoped, predicted or feared. The daily rag put the number at 100, which seemed about right, and they came from all over the state to wave “Don’t Tread On Me” flags and act like homemade militias aren’t weird.

Learning from DeMarco
She didn’t dwell in the media limelight, yet she’s one of our country’s everyday people who consistently works to make a positive difference in all they do, accomplishing so much more good than the bulk of politicos and other sparklies who are perpetually in the public eye.

LETTERS
IMMIGRATION EDUCATION I’ve known Rosanna Pulido (“The anti-welcome lady,” Fletcher Farrar, April 5) since her entry into the struggle to restore sanity to our immigration policy, and I think it is grossly unfair to say that she considers immigrants and refugees to be “illegal aliens.

Past is likely prologue with state budget
But that prediction – along with other predictions some Republican legislators are making about stuff like the possibility the Democrats will try to jam through a half-year budget – ignores one of the most significant legislative events of the past several years: The 2017 bipartisan overrides of Gov.

Chickening out
Cavan Sullivan and his family have a grain farm in Petersburg and recently decided to expand their business by opening Petersburg Processing, a poultry processor. As a processor, Sullivan also markets the chickens he processes, having developed relationships with various distributors who then deliver and sell to consumers in Chicago and St.

WRIGLEY FIELD IS A BUILDING?
By the state’s 200th birthday on Dec. 3, voters will have chosen 10 favorites in 20 different categories. The most recent category was Illinois’ top 10 buildings, with voters crowning Wrigley Field, longtime home of the Chicago Cubs, as number one, with Springfield’s Dana-Thomas House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in the number two position.

ABE AND HIPAA
It’s contained in one of two books from way back that list the dearly departed who are buried in the historic cemetery. The books, being old, were not pristine, and so the cemetery board made plans to restore them, with the money coming from the cemetery’s private foundation that helps pay for cool stuff.

You’re in Abe’s Army now
Walkers, race walkers and runners of all fitness levels are cordially invited to participate in Abe’s Army, a 12-week program that trains participants to walk, run or race walk the Abe’s Amble 10K, Springfield’s premiere 6.2-mile road race held annually on the last day of the Illinois State Fair.

SEIZED
Acting on a tip, Springfield cops last July 26 served a search warrant at a Black Avenue home near Fairview Elementary School, finding a dozen marijuana plants in full bud and 33 others less far along. Possession of between 20 and 50 plants is a Class 3 felony, punishable by probation or a prison sentence as long as five years.

Theatrical exorcism
As the title suggests, the play’s content is self-referential, concerning itself as much with philosophical notions about literary creation and performance as with conventional elements of plot and presentation.

Aioli or eughhh?
Increasingly, we seem to live in a world divided. Folks seem to fall firmly on one side of the proverbial fence or the other: conservatives versus liberals, paleo diet versus plant-based diet, Cubs versus Cardinals and so on. We are a society of strong opinions.

I Feel Pretty’s execution fails its message
Renee (Amy Schumer) is a young woman who constantly struggles with her weight and appearance, doing all she can to be what the fashion magazines tell her she should be.

Varying the venues
Readers of this column know we spend a good deal of our time listening to live music inside the bars, but rest assured, my friends, many other venues host live music on a regular basis. From churches to historical sites and theaters to parks, the music rolls on all around us.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Mr. Opporknockity
Back for one more reunion show that celebrates 21 years of togetherness, Mr. O still rules the roost in the local “original music with a few covers” category. After a strong showing in the late 90s and early to mid 00s, including winning Illinois Times’.

PUB CRAWL
Kendell Marvel’s Honky Tonk Experience featuring Ray Scott.

THE CALENDAR
Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Celebrate and protect Mother Earth
On Saturday, April 21, enjoy an afternoon of fun, learning and entertainment during the 26th Annual Earth Awareness Fair. This event, hosted by the City of Springfield’s Office of Public Works, will occur from 1-5 p.m.

BULLETIN BOARD | End sexual violence
On Saturday, April 21, show your support of ending sexual violence and raising awareness of sexual assault in the Springfield community during “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes: The Men’s March to Stop Sexual Violence.

MUSIC | Come, hear the word
Come together with your community and sing praise to God during the Ben Culli Hymn Festival on Sunday, April 22.