LATEST NEWS
Additional candidates join city council race
Monday was the last day to file candidate petitions to appear on the ballot for the April 6 municipal elections,…
Bill McCarty joins Springfield mayoral race
William McCarty filed his candidate petitions Monday to join the Springfield mayoral race, the last day of the municipal filing…
LLCC Police Department swears in newest “pawfficer”
The Lincoln Land Community College Police Department officially welcomed its newest “pawfficer” as Everest, the college’s outreach and therapy dog,…
City council member calls for transparency
Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano received an expenditure report for the Springfield Police Department on Friday after voicing her frustrations…
COVER STORY
Local election coverage
From congressional races to contested Sangamon County Board seats and the sheriff’s race, here’s a look at who’s on the Nov. 3 ballot locally. We also have an overview of the landlord registry referendum that Springfield voters will be asked to consider. Sign up for our daily digital newsletter to get timely information about local…
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Local community news from around the country
NEWSLETTER
News
Candidates seek Springfield city clerk office
The current Springfield city clerk is not seeking another term, leaving the seat open for either a government veteran or…
Illinois regulators move to bring video gambling under self-exclusion program
Problem gamblers seeking to avoid the temptation to gamble can ban themselves from most of the state’s gambling offerings, from…
High school students try their hands at being lawmakers
Dozens of high school students from across central Illinois recently got the chance to find out what it’s like to…
Data centers are reshaping electricity demand
Around 150 people gathered in University of Illinois Springfield’s Brookens Auditorium Oct. 21 to learn more about the environmental impacts…
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Previous Issues
opinion
Small town elections are important
For weeks, candidate ads have dominated television viewing. Text messages and phone calls are nonstop. Yard signs are popping up like my late season…
Observations of an immigrant court observer
I consider Chicago my hometown. My entire family was raised on Chicago’s south side and I grew up in a southeast suburb called Dolton,…
Letters to the editor 10/22/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. SUPPORT SECOND AMENDMENT She…
Ethics laws and good advice
The Legislative Ethics Commission Chair said last week that the LEC will meet soon and discuss whether to recommend changes to state ethics laws…
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Food and drink
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…
The secret to tender meat
With soaring grocery prices, I’ve been passing up the expensive, well-marbled T-bone steaks for more affordable proteins. Top-notch ingredients will…
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…
> More Food and Drink
Music
Falling into October music
As we fly on through October like autumn leaves in a fall breeze, the festivals are finished,…
Mid-October music making
As we move away from a warm October and head into more seasonal weather, some cool events…
Hardcore sax and drums
The Get Free Music Series, presented by the Music Program of University of Illinois Springfield, continues its…
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Pardons and forgiveness
However perceived by men, the matter of “pardons” involve actions done which are considered personal, social, political and/or legal. Such actions involve something done which,…
HISTORY This Week podcast and historian Jonathan White to visit ALPLM
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will welcome the History Channel’s official podcast and renowned historian Jonathan W. White for a live taping of…
Public art installed on Executive Mansion lawn
Chicago-based artist Bob Faust’s Ways & Means participatory public art initiative has been installed on the lawn of the Executive Mansion. He describes it as…
> 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.
