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New Americans sworn in at Old State Capitol
More than two dozen people sat quietly and attentively in the Old State Capitol building waiting to take their oath…
Public invited to Mayor’s Awards for the Arts
Thirty-one individuals, organizations and businesses will be recognized for their contributions to the arts at the 2026 Mayor’s Awards for…
Inaugural Festival of Wreaths downtown
The inaugural Festival of Wreaths, presented by Horace Mann and managed by Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Illinois Department of…
Head West Sub Stop now takes SNAP
Some participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can now use their benefits to purchase prepared food from participating restaurants,…
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
Illinois Times hosting regional spelling bee
Illinois Times will host a regional spelling bee in February, giving students from central Illinois a chance to compete with…
Petersburg family donates ledger to ALPLM
A business ledger acquired by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum sheds new light on Lincoln’s early days as…
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…
Empower All Abilities Conference
The 18th Annual Empower All Abilities Conference will be held Saturday, Nov. 14, bringing together families, caregivers, community members and…
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opinion
Chicago suburbs vote overwhelmingly Democratic
You may recall that after the March primary I took a look at the results and made the obvious conclusion that the Chicago suburbs…
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…
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.…
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…
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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
Fifth Force rules at regional trivia bowl
There is nothing trivial about Twin City Trivia, an annual competition that challenges trivia teams across central Illinois to match their wits and collective wisdom…
Wild Horse Nine one of year’s best films, Being Huemann a story of courage
Horse a touching examination of friendship Workplace relationships can be tricky. Sometimes personalities clash and it becomes a chore showing up each day, having to…
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…
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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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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.
