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Opera lady
She lived nearly her entire life in a Bates Avenue house worth $240,879, according to county property records, which her parents bought during the Great Depression. Probate files show Brissenden, 86 when she succumbed to heart failure, had more than $93 million in investment and bank accounts.

Here’s how to conquer climate change
Scientists agree that to forestall dire climate consequences, total carbon emissions must be stopped by 2050, and one-half eliminated by 2030. There is only one way to make quickly such gigantic reductions of emissions: place an increasing tax on carbon fuels and let market forces take over creating cheaper, non-carbon replacement fuels.

Pritzker has an extensive agenda
Behind his strong, quote-worthy rhetoric, however, were three concrete proposals: 1) A ban on legislators being paid to lobby; 2) Disclosure of conflicts of interests and punishment for non-compliance; and 3) Forbidding legislators from becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office.

LETTERS
We then read and hear about Tim Mapes, Kevin Quinn, Rep. Luis Arroyo, Michael McClain, Sen. Martin Sandoval, Rep. Jack Franks and Ald. Ed Burke. Don’t leave out Jesse White, Candace Wanzo and the Jesse White Community Center that cost us over $11 million..

What’s wrong with roses?
The modern story of rose production also comes with a dark side. In Kenya, conditions for workers, the majority of them women, have long been a concern of human-rights activists. Sexual harassment, underpayment and overwork are reported as common problems.

Diocese cracks down on transgenderism
“A person cannot change his or her gender,” according to the guidelines. “Just as it would be pastorally reckless to provide weight-loss resources to a visibly gaunt anorexic who thinks she is overweight, it is equally reckless to encourage someone with gender dysphoria to undergo hormone treatment and/or genital mutilation.

Group pushes for gender parity at SIU School of Medicine
Prakash is an associate professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, where she teaches about infectious diseases. She also founded and directs the university’s Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science (AWIMS), which takes aim at gender discrimination and harassment in those fields, which experts say is widespread.

Uneven playing fields
The district, no later than the 2022-23 academic year, will provide equal athletic opportunities for boys and girls in the district’s middle and high schools, under the agreement reached last month with the U.S. Department of Education, which identified several concerns in a Jan.

Little Love Stories
Millions of words have been written on the subject of love, whether in books, poems, plays or songs. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked Illinois Times’ readers to share their own love stories with us, but in 100 words or less.

Fondue says, ‘Fond of you’
For Valentine’s Day, the most romantic day of the year, perhaps nothing says “I love you” more than a romantic, candlelit dinner for two.

Birds never takes flight
Cruelly, Yan and Hodson give us a ray of hope as the film gets off to a rousing start with our heroine – Robbie again having the time of her life – dealing with a broken heart as the Joker has unceremoniously dumped her.

Is there a trickster in the house?
This show is what storytelling is all about: absorbing, captivating, emotionally connected and powerful. And fun for all ages. With codirector Ann Opferman, Gil has achieved a remarkable accomplishment in assembling and coaching a large, talented intergenerational cast.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Tad Derek O’Brien
Try experiencing something different this week and take a live listen to a classical guitarist, arranger and composer instead of the usual offerings. A Springfield native, Tad Derek O’Brien started his musical journey at age 13 with lessons from the late guitarist Tom Lewis, who obviously instilled a lifelong love of learning music in young Tad.

LIVE MUSIC
Casey Cantrall and Tricia Giacomini.

Valentine music time
It’s the second Thursday of the month, and of course that means a “Music at the Museum” concert. February’s delight, as booked by series producer Chris Vallillo, is the Nathan Taylor Trio, a hot acoustic threesome doing sparkling versions of classic roots songs, Delta blues, early New Orleans jazz and Nathan Taylor originals.

THE CALENDAR
Beyond The Beanstalk: You Don’t Know Jack.

HEALTH | Freedom from smoking
By becoming a Freedom From Smoking® facilitator you can help make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by tobacco addiction and lung disease. You will learn how to conduct sessions and group activities, what challenges may arise and how to handle potential roadblocks.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Saucy poetry and such
Tucked away in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s vaults are love letters, Valentine’s Day cards, romantic books and beautiful pictures from Valentine’s Days past. Join ALPLM manuscripts curator Christopher Schnell as he discusses changing attitudes about love, romance, dating and relationships using material from the 19th and 20th centuries.