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Seeing flaws in our heroes
No one can deny Bryant was one of the great athletes of his generation and died much too soon. But it is also undeniable that a 2003 sexual assault charge is part of his legacy as well. Almost none of the tributes I saw following the helicopter crash mentioned the rape allegation.

Transcendental Springfield
Last week wasn’t the first occasion that Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter and Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder have met at Citizens Club. Last year, they bristled over Capital Township. This time, they talked about accomplishments and what’s in store for 2020.

New Senate president off to a good start
Hard feelings remain. Some Senators apparently just up and lied to Lightford about whom they were supporting. But Lightford will remain Majority Leader and her supporters in Senate Democratic Leadership were protected. Harmon made peace and he has time to work things out before he has to run again in less than a year.

LETTERS
The upcoming hearing for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) optimization project is a major opportunity for the Illinois Commerce Commission to create valuable improvements to Illinois’ role in the broader energy industry and create job opportunities here at home.

ALL YOU CAN EAT
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Leavenworth, this week became the latest in a long string of Illinois pols who’ve sinned after years of – as they are inevitably prone to say – serving constituents whom they profoundly regret disappointing. We’re neither disappointed nor surprised by Sandoval’s guilty plea to bribery charges.

DNA backlog: “We walk among murderers”
He said funding for a new forensic science lab to replace an old, outdated facility in Will County, along with the implementation of new robotics technology, will help speed the process as well. Still, he said that building might be up to two years from construction even beginning.

Going home
On Jan. 1, his first grandchild was born – near the end of his third state prison term for selling cocaine, this one a 15-year bid. Dean prefers that the girl’s name not be published. Then, the state advanced his release date.

Fermentation nation
Even though I’ve been living away from Springfield for the past 10 months I still get text messages out of the blue from my former CrossFit coach Mike Suhadolnik. Mike is an audacious crusader obsessed with helping older people reclaim wellness in the second half of life.

Welcome a four-legged family member with care
(Family Features) Bringing home a new pet can be exciting and heartwarming. Before you get caught up in the excitement of adopting a pet, however, it’s important to do a bit of homework and have conversations to ensure you’re choosing a lifelong fit for your family.

Ritchie back in comfort zone with clever Gentlemen
It’s obvious that everyone cast in a Ritchie movie is having a good time, relishing the edgy characters they’re assigned to bring to life as well as the cleverly crude dialogue that’s uttered with delightful abandon.

A parable for impeachment week
Bohlen, from Springfield, is retired from a career in and around state and local government that included being a budget analyst, a prosecutor, the legal counsel for a taxpayer group and a state public utilities commissioner. In 2009 he wrote Boomerwalk.

Open mics and more
I’m referring to those odd little things called open mics or open jams happening on the off days of our ever-flourishing music scene. I know of at least three open mics ongoing for years and a couple more that are going steady with no signs of stopping.

LIVE MUSIC
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | After School Special
When it comes to doing the duo, this twosome of Aasne Daniels and Jerry Setnicky (both on acoustic guitar and vocals) dig into the popular music of the last several decades to do “acoustified” versions of rock and pop songs by artists such as Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Smashing Pumpkins and Britney Spears.

THE CALENDAR
Master of Ceremony Justin Carter from WICS-TV, music provided by Debbie Ross, accompanied by Mark Gifford. Lunch served at 11am. Donations for luncheon welcome. Free. Jacksonville Community Park, Jacksonville, 1201 S. Main, 217-370-0948..

MUSIC | The Stradivariuses of the mandolin world
The mandolin orchestra was extremely popular at the turn of the 20th century. A uniquely American musical contribution, it has been largely relegated to history books and rare early recordings. Lloyd Loar was a musical virtuoso and acoustic engineer, who was born in Cropsey and grew up in Lewistown.

FAITH & PHILOSOPHY | Finding your nontraditional interfaith identity
No matter your profession or faith, in order to develop and sustain a collegial and productive work environment, it is important to understand your own faith-based beliefs, and to be aware and understanding of the faith-based beliefs of your peers in the field in which you work.