LATEST NEWS
UIS to demolish NPR Illinois headquarters
Plans to demolish the headquarters of Springfield’s public radio station and move the station elsewhere on the University of Illinois…
County approves contract with Mental Health Board
The Sangamon County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement Oct. 13 to provide administrative support for the newly formed Sangamon County…
County punts on “complicated issue” of whether to change monthly meeting time
The Sangamon County Board decided to punt at its Oct. 13 meeting on the idea of moving the board’s monthly…
Proposal for new Springfield police SUVs spurs heated debate at city council
An ordinance to approve the purchase of vehicles for the Springfield Police Department sparked a larger conversation about the city…
COVER STORY
Changing demographics in Beardstown
Young people bearing the flags of countries in Latin America and Africa, along with girls dressed in traditional folkloric skirts, walked under the banner of a Latino civic organization in the recent Beardstown Fall Fun Festival parade, although it may be the last time the longstanding group participates. Claudia Zabala, an ESL middle school teacher,…
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NEWSLETTER
News
Gail Simpson joins race for Springfield mayor
Voters will likely have two candidates to consider for Springfield mayor in the upcoming spring election, as a well-known figure…
Intricate Minds has new downtown location
Last year, overdose deaths in Sangamon County decreased for the first time since 2019. So far, 2026 is on pace…
First Presbyterian plans open house to celebrate renovations
After three years of fundraising and renovation, the First Presbyterian Church onthe corner of Seventh Street and Capitol Avenue in…
Erin Conley not seeking reelection to city council
Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley announced Sunday she won’t be seeking a third term on the Springfield City Council, leaving…
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Previous Issues
opinion
Welch budget comments raise eyebrows
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch raised some eyebrows after he attended a meeting in suburban River Forest to talk about the proposed “O’Hare Flyer”…
Letters to the editor 10/8/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. WHY SO NEGATIVE? Springfield…
Paid influencers and political ads
My associate Isabel Miller and I worked on a story last week about paid influencers in campaigns. We decided to look into it after…
Down the gardened path
Imagine pedaling happily along a paved path where murals and stand-alone art works distract you from the shabbiness or outright ugliness of Springfield’s backsides,…
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Food and drink
How to make homemade caramel
Making scratch-made caramel can be daunting. Between the intimidating prospect of boiling sugar and the risk of it seizing up…
Sweet starch science
In 2022, I worked in the research and development lab at Audrey Restaurant in Nashville. Our owner-chef, Sean Brock, and…
Glorious gratins
A gratin, according to the late chef Julia Child, is simply a preparation in which the top of a sauced…
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Music
Hardcore sax and drums
The Get Free Music Series, presented by the Music Program of University of Illinois Springfield, continues its…
Chicago Farmer to perform Oct. 16 at Arlington’s
Cody Diekhoff – aka Chicago Farmer – is a central Illinois-based singer and songwriter. He and Micah…
The giver of Springfield
The Springfield Choral Society will host a festival that honors a Springfield native, Julius Rosenwald, under the…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Maintaining our fervor in ordinary time
Today on the Jewish calendar marks the beginning of a new lunar month, the second month of the liturgical year. The month of Tishri, which…
Megan Stoller interview
From helping patients navigate cancer treatments to helping families tackle head lice, Megan Stoller has found herself in two very different worlds of healthcare. Recently…
A drive-through diaper giveaway
Laurel United Methodist Church volunteers will distribute free diapers to anyone in need on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 21, between 9:45 a.m. and…
> More Arts and Culture
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Best Of Springfield 2025
See the results Every year, we ask our opinionated readers to tell us about their favorite people, places and things in the Springfield area. Over the decades we’ve been doing this, we’ve continued to tweak both the process and the results issue to try to keep things fresh and interesting. While anything food-related typically dominates…
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We are dedicated to giving our readers a source of news and opinions on local politics, communities, culture and the arts. We have the Springfield area’s most comprehensive calendar of events – coverage of movies, dining, music, visual arts and the printed word. We offer stories you won’t find anywhere else on topics ranging from city and state government to marijuana to prison reform to education.
