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Pillsbury redux
Recently an inmate, Chernis was mastermind of illegal salvage operations at Pillsbury Mill on Springfield’s north end.

Confessions of a white man
I’m a 48-year-old white man who grew up as a military brat and was lucky to experience different cultures as I grew up. I’ve never used the phrase, “I’m not racist, but…” but I might as well have.

LETTERS
On behalf of the Springfield Inner City Older Neighborhoods (ICON), I thank the Springfield City Council on their recent ordinance change that levies increasing levels of fines for repeat offenders who fail to fix problems before going to administrative court (“Cleanup time,” June 11).

City council considers cop commission
The civilian commission, which is supposed to consider complaints from citizens, last met about a year ago, according to Kelvin Coburn, commission chairman, and has considered two cases in the past four years. The problem, he says, is publicity: People don’t know that the commission exists, so few complaints are filed.

Awareness through art
Michelle Smith wasn’t reacting to the police killing of George Floyd when she first began a series of drawings titled “Just Let Me Breathe.” But unfortunately, the work is increasingly relevant. And Smith just won a national contest with one of the pieces.

BEHIND ON UTILITY BILLS
City Water, Light and Power says it’s seeing an increase in past due balances “so the utility is working to help those customers in hardship.” In the midst of the pandemic, disconnections have been suspended through July.

MEETING IN THE MIDDLE
Informed sources say that deadlines for the State Journal-Register’s print edition will be moved from 4 p.m., darn early for a daily newspaper delivered in the morning, to 7 p.m. That’s better, but still a far sight from 9 p.m., which the deadline had been until June 1.

FINE TIME
The Springfield City Council on Tuesday approved a measure instituting fines for folks who don’t fix code violations until the last minute. The city has been dismissing fines for people issued citations who show that the problem was fixed before administrative court dates.

Jerome keeps questionable cop
Public officials in Jerome don’t want to talk about the village employing a police officer who quit the Riverton Police Department after a video caught her looking the other way while a fellow officer head-butted a suspect in a drunken driving case inside the police station.

GOING ABOVE and BEYOND
The people, places and things we relied on to get us through while we stayed home. We’ve all had to adapt to a new way of life, mostly on short notice.

Springfield comes together
To track the success of a Facebook group created to help families in need during the pandemic, its creator suggests you check out the “thank you” section. There you will find an outpouring of gratitude from those who have received an array of items and support.

When life gives you preserved lemons. . .
When we lived in the old Spaulding Orchard farmhouse, we were running three refrigerators and three freezers, usually all full. My late wife would buy, process and freeze produce by the bushel.

Last of the live streams
Welcome one and all to mid-June in central Illinois and our take on what’s “Now Playing” in the live music arena. First, let us thank all the folks still on the front line fighting the coronavirus in whatever capacity and extend our heartfelt condolences to those who’ve experienced pain firsthand from disease-related experiences.

LIVE MUSIC
217 Black Restaurant Weekend with Kapital Sound.

THE CALENDAR
Fred Britenstine Memorial Car Show/Virden Car Show.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Celebrating freedom
Dating back to 1860s, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were free.