Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch gave added meaning to the phrase “winning ugly” during the early morning hours of May 29. I’ve never seen anything like it, so let’s take a look ..read more

Ward 5 alderperson citied for 'abusing' state time through personal phone calls, political work Lakeisha Purchase took part in meetings and phone calls unrelated to her job at the Illinois Department of Transportation for almost half of the time she was supposed to be working during an 18-month period in 2021 and 2022, a state report says. Purchase, 35, a former Capital Township trustee and the Springfield Ward 5 alderperson since September 2021, quit her job as an IDOT supportive services specialist on July 5, 2023, after 14 years with the department ..read more

Dead provides unique portrait of courage Viggo Mortensen’s modest The Dead Don’t Hurt attempts to provide another perspective on western heroism, putting its female protagonist front and center, focusing on the unsung trials she and her brethren had to face ..read more

Now that we're officially past the Memorial Day weekend and we've had our first rainout night (last Friday) of regularly scheduled outdoor gigs, I believe we can safely welcome the summer season. From here until the cold days hit again, it's fairs, festivals, homecomings, shindigs, burgoos, beer gardens, wineries, barbecues and more along with our normal indoor performances, all set to fill our days and nights with fun, food, frolic and oh, that live music ..read more

Artist in the Park Fridays from May 31 to Aug. 30, noon to 1 p.m ..read more

Unopened garlic flower buds have delicate, sweet flavor "Have you got your garden in yet?" It's a question I'm often asked in springtime and I'm never quite sure how to respond because there's never really a point when my garden is "in" or "out ..read more

SangamonLink, the county history website, celebrates 10 years Want to know when Springfield got its first snowplow? Or find a reference to a relative ..read more

It was only early this month that we became aware that this governor had any interest in the vacant lot across from his Springfield house. Before that, the Y Block was a Springfield project, which had absorbed plenty of local planning and design ideas, if not consensus or funding ..read more

Anticipating growing market share, Chris Stone opens facility to produce cannabis-infused beverages The small-scale, $8 million marijuana cultivation center expected to open in June on Springfield's northeast side would be the largest site of its kind in the state, and perhaps the nation, to produce beverages infused with cannabis and hemp oil. So says Christopher Stone, a Springfield-based cannabis entrepreneur and managing partner of CoPack Industries, 3451 Lumber Lane ..read more

PRESERVING HISTORY Martha Miller is a Springfield treasure ("Growing old gay," May 16 ..read more