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Policing the police
Metro East officer Jerame Simmons Jr. was the first officer to lose his badge in a new discretionary decertification process…
Empower All Abilities Conference
The 18th Annual Empower All Abilities Conference will be held Saturday, Nov. 14, bringing together families, caregivers, community members and…
Terry Farmer’s legacy lives on
Terry Farmer, a well-known Springfield photographer and longtime supporter of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School and local charities, died Nov. 7…
When truth is stranger than fiction
Dan Greaney, a longtime writer and producer for “The Simpsons” who humorously predicted a Donald Trump presidency, is now running…
COVER STORY
Policing the police
Metro East officer Jerame Simmons Jr. was the first officer to lose his badge in a new discretionary decertification process after the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board alleged he didn’t have a valid high school diploma and lied about it on job applications at police departments. But the full picture of the former…
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News
Habitat for Humanity kicks off 127th house
Felicia Thomas got through a few words of her prepared remarks before emotion madeher stop. As she dabbed a tear…
County budget overview for 2027
Following committee sign off last week, the Sangamon County Board approved its 2027 fiscal year budget at its monthly meeting…
Judge dismisses county’s first data center lawsuit
Circuit Judge Adam Giganti tossed the county’s first data center lawsuit Nov. 6 before the trial stage, writing that the…
Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens holds ribbon cutting for greenhouse
The Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens (EPNG) held a ribbon cutting Tuesday to announce the opening of its 240-square foot greenhouse…
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Additional resources for students
Gov. JB Pritzker has not said whether he plans to opt Illinois in to the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which officially launches Jan.…
Letters to the editor
CITY AT FAULT During Mayor Mike Houston’s term an abandoned building ordinance was passed. Code violations result in an escalating registration fee requirement. If…
Process to select next House speaker underway
Four House Democrats who were instrumental in drafting and circulating a letter last week that successfully called for a new Illinois House speaker issued…
Letters to the Editor
GOOD MEMORIES We lived a block over on David Street in the early 1970s and we would walk over to this location for groceries…
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Food and drink
Three ideas for that Thanksgiving feast
Putting together a big Thanksgiving feast can quickly become both pricey and complicated. However, with strategic planning and a few…
Aligot is a favorite in France
Last autumn, my wife, four family members and I had the good fortune of staying in a restored 16th-century farmhouse…
Great Halloween recipes with minimal fuss
Halloween cookery can range from playfully autumnal to murderously macabre. From festive pumpkin crostini to bloodied witches’ fingers and ghoulish…
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Music
November music to remember
Like it or not, this weekend finally brings seasonal-like weather, but that’s OK for us music partakers…
“Songs for All Ages” at UIS
Local singer-songwriter Tom Irwin will be performing “Songs for All Ages – A Sensory-Friendly Event” at 6:30…
November music-making
Here we are, as promised, back with a Now Playing for the first full weekend of November…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
True Story, I Swear!
We named the barn cats after Mother’s friends; we got the names off her envelopes. One day a long black cat streaked by me, she…
Opening doors, creating opportunities
One of my favorite quotes is, “Believe there is good in the world. Be the good.” Every day, I have the privilege of seeing that…
The parable effect: interrogating assumptions at the farmers market
Downtown was just warming to sunrise as Sister Elyse and I unloaded the contents of the van onto the sidewalk at Fourth and Adams streets:…
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Best Of Springfield 2026 Intro
LINK TO ARTICLES 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. This year, more people voted…
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