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All rise! Drug court offers help and hope
Nearly 30 years ago, the first treatment court opened its doors with a simple premise: rather than continue to allow individuals with long histories of addiction and crime to cycle through the justice system at great expense to the public, use the leverage of the court to keep them engaged in treatment long enough to be successful.

The governor and the press
The governor’s ability to turn scandal into something worse is what fascinates and appalls. The state screwed up by failing to promptly tell residents, their kin and employees that an epidemic had broken out in the summer of 2015.

Trump’s new war
Generalissimo Trump is personally directing the hostilities in this assault on – surprise – the U.S. Well, obviously not every American. He’s specifically mounting a war on our country’s poor people, though he euphemistically calls it a war of liberation.

LETTERS
I strongly disagree with the high court’s decision based in a states’ rights argument. I too believe in states’ rights, but this is not the issue in this case. The real matter at hand is whether the American people have a God-given right to be protected by the federal government from thievery, which is what the corporate gambling interests are.

With him, around him or through him
The budget passed last year over Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto was not a “good budget” because the governor’s budget office wasn’t directly involved. Legislators simply don’t have the expertise to pass a good budget without the governor’s help.

Selling Lincoln
Shortly after the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation closed a 2007 deal to buy a trove of Lincoln artifacts for $23 million, the nonprofit foundation signed an agreement with the state-owned presidential museum aimed at ensuring relics would be forever in public hands.

Digging the state out of the hole it’s in
The forums are collectively entitled “Election 2018: Seeking Solutions” and the Springfield event was moderated by NPR Illinois news director Sean Crawford with panelists Jim Edgar, (Illinois governor, 1991-1999); Donne Trotter, (state senator,...

Disrupter for governor
If State Senator Sam McCann from the Macoupin County community of Plainview was unpopular with the powers that be in Springfield before, he became a virtual pariah following his April 19 announcement that he would form the Conservative Party and become the third candidate for Illinois governor.

The best time of the food year
This Saturday is the opening day of the Old Capitol Farmers Market (OCFM). I’ve had the day circled in my calendar for weeks now – I feel like a little kid counting the days until her birthday party.

For good or ill, Deadpool 2 delivers more of the same
One of the secrets to the success of the character Deadpool is that he is the ultimate vicarious instrument. Much like Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, he says what we’d like to say and responds to crises in a violent, straightforward manner. These characters are not handcuffed by the social niceties most of us feel compelled to obey.

May music flowers
Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s the rain; more likely it’s both or neither, but whatever is going on, the music always starts to bloom around this time of year.

World Affairs Council makes global issues local
WACCI, affectionately pronounced “wacky” by its members, hosts a speaker series with recognized experts on a wide range of topics of global importance with local impact. WACCI is one of more than 90 councils that are members of the World Affairs Council of America.

Bringing the world into the classroom
Layne Zimmers discovered there is so much more to this area of the world when she was selected as a Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Fellow and had the chance to spend eight days with photographers, naturalists and storytellers on the Islands in September 2017.

PUB CRAWL
Sarah Schneider with Bruce Williams.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Jesse W. Johnson Band
Originally a resident of Springfield before relocating to Champaign, Jesse W. Johnson then moved to Chicago, where he made a splash as the frontman and songwriter in Jet W. Lee, a band that successfully recorded and toured nationally.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | No H8, no labels
On May 19, Springfield Pridefest, the gayest celebration in town, returns for another year. The festivities kick off with a parade at 11:30 a.m., beginning at Fifth and Allen streets, leading north up Fifth Street to Jackson Street, and entering the Pridefest grounds via Capitol Street for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon.

THE CALENDAR
Books & Authors Poets in the Parlor and Open Mic.

FILM & TELEVISION | Movies in the Park
Bring your friends, families, blankets and lawn chairs to the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon on Friday, May 18, and settle in for a showing of Disney’s Coco,.

BOOKS & AUTHORS | Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Attend a book signing and presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Garrow on Tuesday, May 22, in honor of his book Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama..