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Early voting opens: View the 2026 Capitol News Illinois Election Guide
Early voting is open in Illinois and election authorities can begin mailing ballots to voters. Capitol News Illinois is once…
Candidates face off at forum
The Committee of Springfield Illinois, a nonpartisan group, held two debates on Sunday, Sept. 27, bringing together candidates for the…
Local officials tackle election misinformation
Election officials sought to address election myths and disinformation during the Citizens Club of Springfield forum held at the Hoogland…
Bus Stop bar back on track after flooding
The grand opening of a new bar at the corner of Fifth and Monroe in downtown Springfield was set for…
COVER STORY
Fall Home and Garden 2026
Fall is a great time to tackle yard projects, such as planting bulbs for a spring payoff or potting herbs and other plants you can move indoors for the winter. It’s also helpful to being making plans now for your spring home improvements, so whether you’re dreaming of an outdoor kitchen or updating part of…
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NEWSLETTER
News
Springfield researcher awarded SIU’s 2026 Inventor of the Year
Springfield-based microbiology researcher Andrew Wilber, a director of cell biology and hematology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, was…
Data Center Revolt bus tour stops in Lincoln
Data centers have become a hot-button issue for virtually every politician in the country as proposals for the hyperscale server…
Mental Health Board picks executive director
The Sangamon County Mental Health Board chose a Springfield native and nonprofit leader to fill the executive director position at…
Pritzker establishes AI cabinet amid calls for greater regulation
Gov. JB Pritzker is setting up a new group within state government to explore more regulations for artificial intelligence as…
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Previous Issues
opinion
Welch should apologize to Benton’s former staffer
Last month, House Speaker Chris Welch told WGN political editor Tahman Bradley during an interview, “I’m going to apologize for making her feel uncomfortable.”…
Letters to the editor 9/24/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. POOR CONDITIONS The open…
Democrats differ over campaign funding flap
My associate Isabel Miller and I told subscribers earlier this month that Democrats for the Illinois House had been suddenly cut off from the…
Prevention is a shared responsibility
As a practicing pediatrician and president of the Sangamon County Medical Society, I have serious concern about the Aug. 10 executive order targeting routine…
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Food and drink
Glorious gratins
A gratin, according to the late chef Julia Child, is simply a preparation in which the top of a sauced…
Beat the frost
Pepper production is reaching its peak at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign. Our walk-in cooler is filling up…
Slow cooker apple butter
Subtle hints of fall have begun to appear in spite of this month’s sweltering start. There’s a tinge of gold…
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Music
Radioactivity to play Dumb Records, Black Sheep turns 21
The acclaimed, nationally-known punk band Radioactivity will perform at Dumb Records this Thursday, Oct 1. The veteran…
September music ending
As our September comes to a close for weekend doings, fall is in the air and October…
Sonic spontaneity returns to UIS
The Get Free Music Series, presented by the music program of University of Illinois Springfield, is the…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
MacMurray Foundation supports FCA mission trip
The MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association has awarded a 2026 community grant to the Jacksonville Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes, helping support the organization’s annual…
Haley Williams interview
Haley Williams, co-founder of The Culture Experience, talks about why she started the project and what she hopes it will become. At the heart of…
Dispose of hazardous waste properly
The city of Springfield’s Public Works Department, in collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, will host a voucher-only residential Household Hazardous Waste Collection event…
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Best of Springfield®
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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.
