By David Blanchette/photos by David Blanchette One area college is completing its best-ever academic year with record enrollment, new majors and increased facility investments. Just over a mile away another college's board must decide if there is enough expected revenue to continue operating. This tale of two colleges is set in Jacksonville, where Illinois College, [...]
By Carey Smith/Photos by Sierra Smithers Springfield native Tiffany Mathis recently became the CEO and executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois (BGCCIL). Her passion and dedication are unmistakable. “I really love that I was able to work somewhere you can just be all in,” she said. Mathis was originally introduced [...]
By Dennis Thread How many times a day do you check the time? Under the influence of mobile phones, clocks are mere decorations and watches seemingly irrelevant. After all, the time is always there, insistently peaking at us from the top of our screens. But something strange has happened in the era of smart watches. [...]
By Lana Shovlin/Photos by Terry Farmer When I recently met with Sherry Barr in a secluded corner of a local coffee shop, the first thing both of us commented on was how strange it was that we couldn’t shake one another’s hand. We briefly spoke about how surreal life feels at this bizarre time. [...]
By Carey Smith Photos by Josh Catalano If you haven’t been to the Capitol complex recently, Andrea Aggertt, the new architect of the Capitol, would like to invite you to tour the Capitol and walk the campus. “There are going to be a lot of exciting things happening in the next five years,” she said. [...]
By Michelle Ownbey Three Twigs Bakery reopened Jan. 7 after a week-long holiday break which also allowed time for remodeling the interior of the store. It’s been a whirlwind year for Emily Lewis, who relocated to the former Free Press Coffee space at 1370 Toronto Road last January after previously occupying part of Custom Cup [...]
The new executive vice president for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois is only the third leader the organization has had in the past 41 years, but after only four months on the job at the organization’s Springfield headquarters she already sees “nothing but great opportunity for our Illinois architects.” Stacey Pfingsten is a [...]
Innovate Springfield helps take ideas from concept to completion Gordon Davis, co-founder of Whimsy Tea. Photo by Tim Klasinski, Foto-Graphics BY CATHERINE O’CONNOR For nine local start-up entrepreneurs, graduation night on Oct. 30 marked the completion of the Co.Starters program, a series of weekly three-hour intensive seminars presented through Innovate Springfield, [...]
ARTICLES AND PHOTOS BY DAVID BLANCHETTE For 99 years, MJ Kellner Foodservice has been a respected family-owned Springfield business. As the company enters its 100th year in operation, it is positioned to continue its growth and success, according to owner Bill Kellner, who is also the CEO and president. Vice president and COO Dave [...]
BY KAREN ACKERMAN WITTER Inspiring better health was the motivation for Rusty Jones and business partner Tom Bushkie to create a high-quality beverage as an alternative to sugary drinks. They founded hellowater in 2017 in response to their research, which revealed that nearly 40% of Americans are obese, affecting over 18 million children, and 97% [...]
