COVER STORY
Back in business
When Illinois Times last wrote about environmental engineer Michael Keebler in August 2015, his situation was grim. The U.S. government had filed seizure notices for multiple assets, including his home, around the same time he was sentenced to five years in…
LATEST NEWS
Illinois mayors call on Pritzker to rethink flat local government funding
Local government leaders in Illinois are once again calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for their communities after Gov.…
Data center project moves forward
Opponents of a proposed $500 million data center in southwestern Sangamon County went away disappointed and angry but unbowed, while…
Urban League has ambitious development plans
“At a time when it’s easy to take a step back, the Urban League is stepping up.” Those were the…
An overview of Springfield’s finances
Several of Springfield’s city council members voiced concern that the city’s rate of spending could lead to future shortfalls, but…
Pritzker denies traveling on Epstein’s plane after Bill Clinton’s since-recanted testimony
Gov. JB Pritzker denied a since-recanted comment by former President Bill Clinton that Clinton thought the pair may have traveled…
A lucky shot
Eleven minutes’ worth. That’s all the 16-millimeter color film Alan Dater had in the canister of his handheld camera on…
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News
Police chief fights to keep license
After Leland Grove Police Chief Dan Ryan was arrested for domestic battery and driving under the influence earlier this month,…
Economic development efforts expand
A Black alderperson called a white alderperson racist, then suggested they settle their differences “outside.” Depending on your point of…
What does Gov. JB Pritzker’s nuclear energy executive order do?
During his recent State of the State and budget address, Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new direction for nuclear energy in…
Sean Grayson serving prison sentence, but state officials won’t say where
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, who was convicted last year of shooting an unarmed woman, has begun serving…
opinion
Hallucinatory campaigns
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you likely know that former President Bill Clinton seemed to say that he flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private…
Learning begins at home
Each year, Illinois Times publishes an article on the status of Springfield District 186 Schools. Across the district, teachers, staff and administrators give their…
Editor’s note 3/5/26
“Yes, we may be speaking to the choir,” said Dr. Kelly Hurst, a leader of the Massey Commission, to the March 2 quarterly meeting…
Letters to the editor 3/5/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Sangamon…
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Food and drink
How to make exceptional chicken stock
Freezers shouldn’t be packed more than 75-80% full to allow optimal airflow. Mine’s about 95-98% full, mostly with one-cup containers…
Crisp, flaky phyllo creations
Phyllo dough is one of those incredible back-pocket ingredients that’s smart to keep stashed in the freezer, right along with…
Chicken in wine
“Don’t look around. The leaves are brown. And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.” It’s a dreary, frigid…
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Music
March music is on
Here we go taking a stroll through the first full weekend of March, with a whole bunch…
February leaving
As we race through our last days of February, there’s a range of reactions and actions swirling…
February flying by
As we approach the last full weekend in February, I know it’s the shortest month, but sometimes…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Messy Bride never finds its footing, Protector a waste of time, money and talent
Bride a shambling mess of a movie In the interest of full disclosure, I need to say upfront that I’ve seen James Whale’s The Bride…
Ansar Shrine to bring back SOB Feztival
The annual Springfield Oyster & Beer Feztival will be returning this year at a new location and with a slightly different name, thanks to its…
A life well written
It is a rare male who, having achieved some success of the usual sort, can resist the conclusion that it must be because he is…
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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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