The do’s and don’ts of selling a home

When it comes time to prepare a home for sale, there are a number of quick and affordable fixes that can help seal the deal, while some so-called improvements may sink a sale.When it’s time to...

Thursday, April 13, 2017 12:14 am

Spring has sprung

Here’s what to do around the house

By Cathy Hobbs

Spring is an ideal time to make sure everything is in working order. From checking your home’s vital equipment such as water heaters and furnaces to replacing windows, there are some items that shou...

Thursday, April 6, 2017 12:11 am

Where history offers hope

The Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum

By Tom Irwin

On Monument Avenue, next to the main entrance of Oak Ridge Cemetery, the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum sits in view of the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site. Th...

Thursday, March 30, 2017 12:12 am

Abe art

By Scott Faingold

Each year the cover of Capital City Visitor, published by Illinois Times, features a portrait of Abraham Lincoln by a central Illinois artist. In 2017, for the second year in a row, we dec...

Thursday, March 23, 2017 12:10 am

Museum comeback

Illinois State Museum reopens with a plan to revitalize

By Scott Faingold

The Illinois State Museum, founded in 1877, reopened its doors on July 2, 2016, after being closed for nine months due to budget cuts at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The closing...

Thursday, March 16, 2017 12:10 am

The proud history of St. Pat’s Parade

Preserving family traditions while supporting downtown for 33 years

By Tom Irwin

Last Saturday, March 11, thousands of green-clad parade watchers of all ages gathered in downtown Springfield at the “Craic O’ Noon” to experience the St. Patrick’s Day Marching Band Par...

Thursday, March 9, 2017 12:10 am

A troubled life

Police killed Daniel Rogers, but did he have to die?

By Bruce Rushton

Daniel Rogers wasn’t dealt an easy hand.He was a roofer cursed by bipolar disorder. His father is an alcoholic with acknowledged mental problems. Rogers’ mother reportedly has Alzheimer’s...

Thursday, March 2, 2017 12:11 am

The vanishing Statehouse press corps

In an era of mainstream news cutbacks, ideological media step in

By Tara McClellan McAndrew

In the 1980s and 90s, when state government coffers appeared to be overflowing and the political parties worked together, the Statehouse press corps numbered in the 40s. Its size made “Illinoi...

Thursday, March 2, 2017 12:10 am

Precision beef bulls

At Illinois Beef Expo, DNA testing lets bull buyers ‘look under the hood’

By David Blanchette

The Annual Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale on Feb. 23 during the 29th Illinois Beef Expo was pretty predictable. And the genetic testing that made that predictability possible was good new...

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 12:12 am

Thinking outside the stereotype

District 186 students experience a dynamic cultural awareness program

By Scott Faingold

On Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 6 and 7, at Erin’s Pavilion, Springfield Public School District 186 held a series of unprecedented sessions addressing the subject of “cultural relevance,” popu...