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The Mother Road is a mother
Lesser thoroughfares such as Bourbon Street or the Champs Elysees are easy to find. But Route 66 is more like the Silk Road, an ancient path that hasn’t existed, at least officially in Illinois, since 1977, the year that Elvis died and White Oaks Mall opened.

Too many people in prison
Four decades ago, we began to create a new problem: mass incarceration. In 1974, Illinois had 6,000 people in prison. Now, Illinois has more than 40,000 people in prison.

Bad timing for Pritzker
According to the story, the federal probe started last October and appears to be focused on the now-infamous toilet scandal.

LETTERS
COLLEGE ATHLETES NOT ENTITLED TO PLAY As one of Brian Holzgrafe’s former players, who is now an NCAA D-I coach, I can see where Mr. Lozier could have it out for Coach Holzgrafe (“Tennis, anyone?,” April 25). The atmosphere in college athletics and vibe is now that anyone and everyone is entitled to four years of a scholarship.

THROWING GOOD SHADE
When Phil and Imogene Rebbe opened Rebbe’s Restaurant and Tavern in Petersburg in 1975, they didn’t know their first fundraising benefit for Brother James Court, a housing facility in Springfield for developmentally disabled men, would turn into an annual event.

Illinois is ‘one big pothole’
Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican who served from 1995 to 2009 in Illinois’ 18 th congressional district before serving as secretary of transportation under President Barack Obama, said an infrastructure bill is also a “jobs bill and an economic development bill.

State grants to park districts turned back on
For Hoffman Estates’ South Ridge Park, this year’s money will go toward adding a slew of new amenities, including a splash pad for children, a “ninja warrior” course for fitness training and an open air shelter to the mostly plain grassy area that borders the park’s pond.

Deadly encounters
In Sangamon County, just three people have been charged with drug-induced homicide since Illinois passed a law in 1988 allowing criminal charges for distributing a substance that proves fatal to the person receiving it.

Green garlic
Before garlic matures into the pungent dried bulb we buy at the grocery store, it spends its childhood as a delicate, lightly perfumed stalk known as green garlic or spring garlic. Garlic cloves are planted in the fall, hibernate over the winter, and emerge in the spring.

Five presidents and a funeral
Nixon died in 1994, his funeral brought together the four living ex-presidents, along with current commander-in-chief Bill Clinton to attend the funeral.

Unlikely duo Theron and Rogan score in Long Shot
Theron is Secretary of State Charlotte Field, a smart, ambitious woman laboring under a dullard of a president (Bob Odenkirk). He privately informs her that, if interested, he would endorse her for his soon-to-be vacant office, if she interested in a presidential run.

Maybe fun in May
In an interesting twist of venues, the acclaimed Tiny Desk Concerts, a national product of NPR Music, is now also a street festival hosted by NPR Illinois 91.9, this Friday at Sixth and Washington Street starting at 7 p.m.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Georgia Rae
This young woman, who won seven state fiddle championship titles (Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota), five state twin fiddle champion titles (Minnesota and Colorado) and is the 2016 National Twin Fiddle Champion, now comes to play for you.

LIVE MUSIC
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

THE CALENDAR
May 4, 11am-2pm Sat. In celebration of the church’s 14th anniversary. Food, games, and health screenings and consultations provided by SIU School of Medicine. Free. Fresh Visions Community Church, 1551 J. David Jones Pkwy, 217- 726-5988..

HISTORY | Standing on Her Shoulders
In 1919, Congress passed the 19th amendment which forbade states to deny the right to vote on the basis of sex and sent it to the states for ratification. Illinois was one of the first three states, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, to ratify the amendment just six days after it was passed.

CHILDREN'S CORNER | Autism Support of Central Illinois
Part of the mission of Autism Support of Central Illinois (ASCI) is to provide sensory-friendly events, grants, access to resources, support and educational programming for children with autism and their families. The services provided by ASCI are made possible by fundraising efforts and through donations.