Springfield leaders and thinkers say where we’re going, and where we ought to go Article and photos By David Blanchette The state’s bicentennial observance gives Illinois residents the chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in the past 200 years, but it also asks what the state will be like in 2218. Things will [...]
Construction projects underway all over town BY MICHELLE OWNBEY One sure sign of spring is construction projects taking shape all over town, and with the City of Springfield issuing commercial permits worth more than $26 million dollars in the first quarter of 2018, there are plenty of them in progress. Not surprisingly, most of the [...]
Springfield’s food trucks are learning to navigate city regulations BY SCOTT FAINGOLD “Last summer, the Illinois Future Farmers of America asked us and AZTCA to come set our food trucks up on the south side of the convention center for an event there,” said Randy Twyford, owner and operator of the Twyford BBQ food truck. [...]
They won’t catch up with the coasts. But microbreweries catch on here. By David Blanchette Just eight years ago there were none in Springfield. Now there are five operating microbreweries in the capital city area with a sixth soon to open, and don’t be surprised if you see more in the coming years. Craft beers [...]
Aruna Mathur Aruna MathurPHOTO/ Terry Farmer Photography, Inc. BY ROBERTA CODEMO Giving back to others is a common theme that is woven throughout Aruna Mathur’s conversation. When she was a small child in India, her mother taught her to give to others. She said that the difference between animals and humans was that [...]
By Rachel Johnson The current trend in Springfield is for businesses to relocate to the west side, but bucking that trend is the Brown, Hay and Stephens law firm. The oldest law firm in the state of Illinois, BHS has been at the corner of Fifth and Adams streets since 1858. An original tenant of [...]
By Rachel Johnson Fifty years ago on April 11, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, making it illegal to discriminate in renting or selling property based on race, color, religion or national origin. Illinois and Chicago, in particular, were key areas struggling for equality at the time. With the swell of immigrants [...]
Family-owned Emerson Press of Divernon has deadlines to meet By David Blanchette Many things have changed during the 50 years that Emerson Press has been in business. But two things have remained the same – it’s still a family-owned and operated business, and there are still deadlines to meet. Leonard Emerson operates the business that [...]
By Scott Faingold Few would disagree that the 55-year old YMCA building at the corner of Fourth Street and Cook in Springfield has seen better days. Addressing this, a plan was unveiled at a well-attended March 13 meeting of the Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association at Third Presbyterian Church to replace the old facility with [...]
By David Blanchette A Pleasant Plains brother and sister had big ambitions 65 years ago when they founded what became one of central Illinois’ largest agricultural businesses. “Early on I decided we wanted to be the General Motors of the fertilizer business,” said 91-year-old Glen Brandt, the co-founder of BRANDT. “But I never dreamed that [...]
