IllinoisTimes

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Tales from the Vault: Behind the Scenes of Fashioning Illinois.

BULLETIN BOARD | Animal Protective League

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

BULLETIN BOARD | Animal Protective League
Join the Animal Protective League (APL) during July for an entire month of adoption events and fun virtual activities. You can enter a photo of your pet in the Online Christmas Costume Contest or join in the virtual Cool Down with Dogs celebrity fundraiser.

LIVE MUSIC

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LIVE MUSIC
Angel Brown’s Smooth ‘N Blue Duo.

Celebrate carefully

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Celebrate carefully
By Tom Irwin
Welcome to July 2020, and more specifically, the Independence Day holiday weekend. What a shame that when July 4 actually falls on a Saturday, we happen to be in the midst of a global pandemic disrupting our scheduled funin-the-sun daily lives.

Bacon salvages Left

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Bacon salvages Left
By Chuck Koplinski
Kevin Bacon has been around quite a while, so much so that we take him for granted. His solid, understated approach, a “don’t just do something, stand there” technique that makes him a worthy successor to Clint Eastwood in that regard, is one that is often overlooked.

Savory kimchi pancakes

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Savory kimchi pancakes
By Peter Glatz
We’ve been living in our converted school bus for two months and I have to confess it’s been quite a challenge trying to figure out how a family of two adults and a Jack Russell can live a rich and full life in a downsized minimalist environment.

After Lincoln left Springfield

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

After Lincoln left Springfield
By Cinda Ackerman Klickna
On Feb. 11, 1861, when Abraham Lincoln stepped onto the train in Springfield for what would be a 13-day journey to the nation’s capital, America was “on the verge of a precipice,” as a French visitor observed. Ted Widmer tells the story of the grueling and dangerous journey in his masterful book, Lincoln on the Verge.

Reinventing police

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Reinventing police
By Bruce Rushton
The federal court docket in Springfield shows few lawsuits alleging police brutality. Crime has gone down during the past decade, according to federal databases compiled with data supplied by local police departments.

The chef has left the building

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The chef has left the building
By Rachel Otwell
Augie Mrozowski was at an awards ceremony when the announcer described a chef who was the son of immigrant parents and who began his storied career as a 14-year-old. Huh, he thought. Sounds familiar. To his surprise, within moments, hundreds stood to applaud him.

Questioning Statehouse statues

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Questioning Statehouse statues
By Rachel Otwell
The Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Springfield is no stranger to controversy. “The placement is a complete insult to his legacy. The way it’s maintained has been completely demeaning,” said Dominic Watson, head of the Springfield Black Chamber of Commerce.

The 1½-story Lincoln home to be rebuilt

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The 1½-story Lincoln home to be rebuilt
By David Blanchette
The association has launched a $400,000 fund drive to acquire land in the 600 block of Eighth Street between Edwards and Cook and to design, construct, landscape and furnish an accurate replica there of the original one-anda-half-story, six-room Lincoln family dwelling.

LETTERS

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LETTERS
I was given a 30-year prison sentence and over $200,000 in fines for nonviolent cannabis offenses. I was a young white male, hauled off to prison to serve nearly 15 years before being released in 2016. I am currently at Stanford University, making use of my second chance, and many have used my situation as reasons for policy change.

Dark money super PAC attacks Pritzker

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Rich Miller
Called “Failed,” the ad heaps criticism on the governor for the toilet scandal, increased gas taxes, increased taxes on cars and allegedly giving a “huge” pay raise “to his politician buddies.” It also goes after his administration’s response to massive unemployment.

What whites in Springfield can do for racial justice

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Mike Lang
Enough is enough. This familiar refrain from African Americans, who for generations have lamented the repeated deaths of their brethren at the hands of law enforcement personnel, have been joined in recent weeks by a diverse chorus of mostly young people across the globe.

Of crises and fireworks

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Of crises and fireworks
By Bruce Rushton
From challenges come triumph, that’s always been the American way, ask Frank Capra. The Great Depression ended with a world war, which brought in a new era of unprecedented prosperity, Jim Crow and Emmett Till notwithstanding. We got over Vietnam, more or less, if not George W.

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Send us your events! Deadline: 5pm Fri..

SCIENCE | Bright stars and constellations

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

SCIENCE | Bright stars and constellations
Join John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy and physics, for a virtual summer star party. Martin will give tips for finding planets, bright stars and constellations in the early summer evening sky.

LIVE MUSIC

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

Music rolls on

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Music rolls on
By Tom Irwin
This has most certainly been a wild roller coaster ride over the last few months and the ups, downs, ins, outs and around the bends are still happening for sure, on many levels.

Homemade ice cream

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Homemade ice cream
By Ashley Meyer
On the last official day of this discombobulated school year, I glanced out the window at my daughter, swinging in the hammock suspended over her treehouse. She was engrossed in a novel and looked utterly peaceful, and yet still I felt a twinge of sadness as I watched her.

Spy: An unexpected delight

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Spy: An unexpected delight
By Chuck Koplinski
I can sense your eyes rolling right now, dear reader, and I completely understand. The script by brothers Erich and Jon Hoeber is nothing but a pastiche of trite, tired ideas and even the most talented thespians wouldn’t be able to breathe any life into what is obviously nothing but a quick cash grab at the box office.

In her words: Khoran Readus

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

In her words: Khoran Readus
By Rachel Otwell
Khoran Readus puts the “active” in activism. In 2019 she took a job with Sojourn Shelter as a Sangamon County court advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. Previously she spent more than 15 years as a domestic violence advocate for the Sangamon County state’s attorney.

Making history

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Making history
By Rachel Otwell
As demonstrators continue to plea for justice for people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Juneteenth was marked differently this year. Many say its unofficial status is proof that, collectively, we need to do a better job of acknowledging our roots.

Capturing stories of life in Illinois

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Capturing stories of life in Illinois
By Karen Ackerman Witter
This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

The problem is policing

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Mary Frances
Police reforms won’t work, Vitale begins. He then presents a history of modern policing from an international perspective. Policing in the United States evolved from repressive colonial models used by other countries, particularly England.

Innocence Project client freed

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Rachel Otwell
Onsrud was convicted of killing his four-month-old son in 2007. The child was born prematurely and the Illinois Innocence Project said the death was a result of health issues. The infant had become unresponsive while in Onsrud’s care.

Visions of an anti-racist education

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Visions of an anti-racist education
By Rachel Otwell
The sentiment that schools do a poor job of telling the true history of racial oppression is not new, but calls for change have been amplified in recent weeks. This comes as demonstrators across the country call for widespread reforms in the wake of more police killings of Black people.

LETTERS

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LETTERS
Yes, according to Jesse White’s spokesman, our secretary of state was highly offended that Candace Wanzo allegedly stole over $340,000 from his office (”Six figures of trouble,” April 30). Well, Mr.

Politicians resume fundraisers

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Rich Miller
As Illinois slowly begins the reopening process, some state legislators have decided to start hosting in-person fundraisers. For the past few months, most legislative incumbents and challengers have abandoned fundraising.

Another take on the injustice of looting

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Dout Kamhholz
We’ve all read about powerful gangs barging in where they had no right to be, eager to grab all they could and escape to turn a profit on their booty. Rivalries among these gangs can rise to warfare. First Holland challenged Portugal’s monopoly. Soon Scotland, Sweden and Denmark joined the looting of West Africa.

Drug money

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
It is, boiled down, an attempt to prove that the government can do better than the free market. There are too few pot shops and growers for too many customers, which has led to high prices, both for recreational users and imbibers with cancer,...

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Fred Britenstine Memorial Car Show/Virden Car Show.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Celebrating freedom

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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.

LIVE MUSIC

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

217 Black Restaurant Weekend with Kapital Sound.

Last of the live streams

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Last of the live streams
By Tom Irwin
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.

When life gives you preserved lemons. . .

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

When life gives you preserved lemons. . .
By Peter Glatz
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.

Springfield comes together

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Springfield comes together
By Rachel Otwell
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.

GOING ABOVE and BEYOND

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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.

Jerome keeps questionable cop

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
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.

BEHIND ON UTILITY BILLS

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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.

FINE TIME

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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.

MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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.

Awareness through art

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Awareness through art
By Rachel Otwell
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.

City council considers cop commission

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
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.

LETTERS

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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).

Confessions of a white man

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Cory Meyer
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.

Pillsbury redux

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

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

LIVE MUSIC

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Find more details and gigs in our online calendar at illinoistimes.com..

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Images of Lincoln Memorial Garden photography contest.

BULLETIN BOARD | Go anywhere. Learn anything.

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

BULLETIN BOARD | Go anywhere. Learn anything.
When they had to close their doors to their patrons, they did not skip a beat and immediately began to offer ways to help us continue to discover our world, connect with others and get inspired. While some libraries have begun to open some inhouse services to their patrons, they still have online activities planned throughout the summer months.

Jumping into June music

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Jumping into June music
By Tom Irwin
Here we go a-recovering from a necessary (I truly believe) shelter-in-place order, and as we work to make it all work out the best we all can, you can feel the release that live music allows performers and listeners to experience.

Nighy salvages a spotty Sometimes

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Nighy salvages a spotty Sometimes
By Chuck Koplinski
Nighy is Alan, a successful tailor who has a passion for Scrabble. It would perhaps be a stretch to say he’s obsessed with the game, but not by much. He has no problem hustling unsuspecting players when the opportunity presents itself and if there’s a spare minute, you can be sure he’s studying word variations or vocabulary from other languages.

Four fine black-owned restaurants

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Four fine black-owned restaurants
By Ashley Meyer
Black-owned businesses are cornerstones of Springfield’s culinary heritage. From beloved establishments that have been passed down through the generations to fresh, new upstarts, these restaurants nourish Springfield’s soul.

Closure

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Closure
By David Blanchette
David Metcalf grew up in and around MacMurray College. His father was a long-serving faculty member at the eastside Jacksonville institution, and his great-greatgrandfather was one of the college’s most successful presidents. When it came time to pick a college to attend, Metcalf naturally chose MacMurray.

Cleanup time

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
Ralph Hanauer would hit offenders with fines even if they clean up their acts before administrative court dates. Too often, Hanauer and other aldermen say, cases are dismissed with no fines when property owners hit with citations show that whatever landed them in court was rectified prior to appearances before a city hearing officer.

Hundreds march in Taylorville

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Hundreds march in Taylorville
By Rachel Otwell
Chadwick Workman attended his first demonstration less than a week before organizing his own. Like many young adults, he’s been moved to act in the wake of another highly publicized police killing of a black man.

Officials in Springfield join protests

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Officials in Springfield join protests
By Rachel Otwell
It was a hot weekend, with temperatures rising to the 90s, and there’s still a pandemic. And yet, hundreds marched again in Springfield. On Saturday, June 6, Jaala Smylie stood before a crowd outside the Capitol building, having successfully coordinated another large rally.

LETTERS

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LETTERS
The survey that asked Sangamon County residents how they felt heading into Phase Three of the governor’s reopening plan included a question about when you would feel safe, which seems odd (“Will Springfield come out?, June 4).

Working in solidarity

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Working in solidarity
George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade are only the most recent names added to a long list of black men, women, and LGBTQI people who have become victims of racial violence. It is not a struggle that is new for today. It is a burden and pain felt since the founding of the United States of America.

Con air

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Con air
By Bruce Rushton
Marks provided credit card numbers and cash and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods while Brown chartered planes, according to a grand jury indictment issued last week. Prosecutors say that he once went shopping for a tiger.

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The Fantastic Jones Family 48th Anniversary Virtual Concert.

BULLETIN BOARD | Community education program

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

BULLETIN BOARD | Community education program
Lincoln Land Community College’s community education program is offering 10 free, noncredit online classes from now until June 30. Once signed up, participants can complete these courses at their own pace within three months.

Green drives hope for the future

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Green drives hope for the future
By Chuck Koplinski
Much of what we hear about the environment these days is doom and gloom. The ozone layer is hopelessly damaged and depleted, the greenhouse effect is not being curbed, deforestation is a scourge that continues unabated and the disposal of waste is a continuing challenge.

LIVE MUSIC

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

June music jangles

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

June music jangles
By Tom Irwin
As we begin to see gigs return to venues following safe and sound practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there is a palpable sense of pressure releasing. It’s a reminder of all the good live music does for our sense of well-being and for our being sensible, as well.

Symphony embraces technology

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Symphony embraces technology
By Scott Faingold
Suddenly the ISO was faced with having to cancel 2020’s final two performances – and all other programs, including the popular Concert For Kids, which had been set for April – in compliance with federal and state pandemic guidelines.

Japanese comfort food

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Japanese comfort food
By Peter Glatz
According to a report published last month in ResearchAndMarkets.com, the market for dishwashing supplies is expected to grow by 275% as a consequence of everybody eating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suicide in solitary

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Suicide in solitary
By Bruce Rushton
With a history of self harm dating as far back as 2014, Rusher was serious about suicide. In 2017, she succeeded while in the custody of the Sangamon County jail.

Venezuelan student shelters in Springfield

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Venezuelan student shelters in Springfield
By Karen Ackerman Witter
Sabrina Páez has a friendly smile, outgoing personality and is quick to engage in a lively conversation. Upon meeting her, it’s hard to believe she just turned 17. Páez has been attending Springfield High School since September as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student from Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Will Springfield come out?

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Will Springfield come out?
By Rachel Otwell
At Linda Renehan’s Springfield Vintage shop downtown, the values come easy. As does the conversation. Renehan loves to play “dressup,” styling anyone willing who comes inside. The business is a passion project. She said for some “micro” businesses downtown such as hers, “We’re just having fun and trying to survive and provide a service to Springfield.

PRAISE FOR PROTESTS

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

City council members and the mayor praised nonviolent protests against police brutality and the killing of George Floyd in Springfield in recent days. Several thousand people showed up for the events.

DEATH BY DEADLINE

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Last week’s demonstration outside the State Journal-Register, aptly, started nearly a half-hour late, as the paper’s newsroom staff and supporters protested a decision to move print deadlines from 9 p.m. (bad enough, considering the deadline was 11 p.m. not so long ago) to 4 p.

The show can’t go on yet

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The show can’t go on yet
By Rachel Otwell
Gus Gordon is surrounded by 80,000 square feet of mostly empty space as he begins to work out of the Hoogland Center for the Arts more in the coming days. The Springfield organization’s head had been largely working from home, as had other staff.

Springfielders say Black Lives Matter

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Springfielders say Black Lives Matter
By Rachel Otwell
It was far beyond what anyone had anticipated. Several hundred people drove together, their cars poured down Ninth Street and nearby roadways. They headed to the Sangamon County complex, the courthouse and jail. Vehicles were colorfully and creatively decorated with signs, many stating: Black Lives Matter.

LETTERS

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LETTERS
The “no mask, no restrictions, no stay-at-home order” rally organizers and protesters did not obtain permits for their protests at the Illinois State Capitol; were protesting in the streets and blocking traffic; were blatantly and proudly not wearing masks; and did not follow the six-foot social distancing order (“Masked hatred,” May 28).

Illinois begins to reopen, issues remain

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Rich Miller
That outbreak was acknowledged last Wednesday by the administrator of the Jackson County Health Department. The administrator told WSIU Radio that the unnamed southern Illinois church had been holding services in defiance of the governor’s stay-at-home order.

Documentation of my frustration

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By George Fehringer
April 22, 23, 24 – Put in eight complaints with Illinois Department of Employment Security and never got a response to one of them. Complaints are that no one was getting back to me on how to set up to certify. There was no email, no one answering the phone.

Silent night

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
At that point, the only looting that had happened was some sort of incident at Dick’s Sporting Goods, where a group of perhaps 20 people gathered in the parking lot yelling insults at five cops standing a safe distance away at the store’s entrance. That’s what a video posted on Springfield Leaks showed.

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The Fantastic Jones Family 48th Anniversary Virtual Concert.

MUSIC | Illinois Symphony Orchestra

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

MUSIC | Illinois Symphony Orchestra
MUSIC | Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

Live music lives

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Live music lives
By Tom Irwin
As we hit week number whatever-it-is of the shelter-in-place order, live music is back and truly live, and not just online. The calendar exploded this week with all kinds of inperson music at a good deal of local venues this weekend.

High Note familiar but entertaining tune

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

High Note familiar but entertaining tune
By Chuck Koplinski
While Maggie’s (Dakota Johnson) job title may be “Personal Assistant” she’s really nothing but a lackey to pop star Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), making sure to cater to her every need. However, she has bigger plans for herself and her employer as she hopes to one day produce an album for her.

Strawberry shortcake for real

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Strawberry shortcake for real
By Ashley Meyer
Strawberry shortcake is one of the most beloved desserts in the American culinary repertoire. Neither brief nor small, the cakes are named short because of the generous quantity of shortening in the dough.

Learning remote learning

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Learning remote learning
By Rachel Otwell
In mid-March, when Buffy Lael-Wolf realized in-person school was indefinitely postponed, she sprang into action. She knew her 10-year-old daughter, Nea, thrived on routine, and she wasn’t going to skip a beat. She felt her professional background had prepared her.

The polio quarantine of 1949

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The polio quarantine of 1949
By Cinda Ackerman Klickna
Then, as now, the length of isolation was set at 14 days; people were urged to stay away from others and practice clean hygiene. There was a call for nurses to help with the increase in hospital patients. Some patients had to be given help with breathing, although through an iron lung rather than a ventilator.

Pandemic enforcement remains uncertain

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Bruce Rushton
Enforcement of Gov. JB Pritzker’s restrictions on businesses appears murky after an abbreviated legislative session that ended with lawmakers declining to pass anything that might give the governor the power of law to keep people apart amid pandemic..

MOW YOUR LAWN!

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Ralph “Bounty Hunter” Hanauer is working on an ordinance that would hit scofflaw property owners and perhaps tenants with fines for not keeping lawns and garbage in check. “I’ve been on a tear and sending in properties (to code enforcement) with grass that’s knee high,” Hanauer declared at this week’s city council gathering.

SUPERHEROES WEAR MASKS

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

These days, everyone can and should be a superhero. All it takes is wearing a mask when in public. That’s the message behind a new Kidzeum initiative. The children’s science and health museum in downtown Springfi eld is still closed to the public.

U of I prohibits faculty-undergrad relationships

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

U of I prohibits faculty-undergrad relationships
By Rachel Otwell and Mary Hansen
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved changes to its policies on hiring as well as faculty and staff relationships with students and subordinates. In an online meeting May 21, board members voted in favor of the two proposals without discussion.

LETTERS

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

LETTERS
By Rich Miller
The leaders interviewed in Rachel Otwell’s article (“Moving Pillsbury forward, inches at a time,” April 23) are the same leaders who haven’t been able to move Pillsbury forward in decades. What’s missing is a city advisory council. This group of appointees from each ward could meet monthly to offer the city recommendations on how to move forward.

Covering politics with no public access

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Rich Miller
I’ve been writing about Illinois politics and government for 30 years. Like many of my more experienced colleagues, I’ve developed an extensive list of sources and contacts that I can reach out to. I can also watch General Assembly floor debates and many committee hearings on the internet.

Entitlement at the Statehouse

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Scott Reeder
On at least one occasion I saw a Chicago-area lawmaker drunk in the House chamber to the point she barely was coherent. Interestingly enough, she was a social conservative who courted the religious right and was known for the anti-abortion legislation she would sponsor.

Masked hatred

Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Masked hatred
By Bruce Rushton
Last week, I headed to the Bank of Springfield Center, not for the spectacle within as the state House convened, but for the madness surrounding. I had heard of protesters, with their swastikas and flags, but never had talked to any.

THE CALENDAR

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Microbudget Filmmaking in Central Illinois.

BULLETIN BOARD | Helping small businesses like yours

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

BULLETIN BOARD | Helping small businesses like yours
The coronavirus has hit small businesses hard, but SCORE’s mentors can help during this difficult time. SCORE is a national network of volunteer, expert business mentors that has been providing resources to business owners since 1964. As a nonprofit organization, it receives support from the U.

Close to live music

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Close to live music
By Tom Irwin
Welcome everyone, to another week of coronavirus life in lockdown. We send out our best to all at the forefront of the battle and to those directly in contact with the thing. From what news I have gleaned from reliable sources, we’ve done fairly okay in selfisolating and are headed toward some kind of post-pandemic world soon.

Knives sharp as lightning

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Knives sharp as lightning
By Peter Glatz
While living in France in the late 50s, Paul Childs recalled hearing his wife, Julia, cry out: “Goddamnit! I’ve never yet gone into a private French kitchen where the knives are sharp! How the hell do these people think they’re going to cook when...

Foot traffic

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Foot traffic
By Rich Saal
Not long after Illinois issued a stay-at-home order in March, my neighbor’s adult children were home, their college and work lives on hold for the moment. Almost every day they were on the driveway or in their yard playing soccer, shooting baskets or drawing chalk art with their younger siblings.

Paycheck Protection gives businesses a chance

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Paycheck Protection gives businesses a chance
By David Blanchette
Masked employees serve a steady stream of pick-up and carry-out customers now at Cafe Moxo in downtown Springfield, both old and new customers who come to the popular establishment to get their daily caffeine fix or take away a bite to eat.

Smokable hemp buds surface

Thu, 21 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Smokable hemp buds surface
By Bruce Rushton
Hemp, as opposed to cannabis, buds, grown under licenses issued by the state Department of Agriculture, have miniscule levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. On Craigslist and on its own website TwoBrothers.