BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL Molly Berendt was 23 years old when she started the program that would change both her life and the lives of Springfield’s homeless children. Beginning as a ministry at Douglas Avenue Methodist Church, the Compass program – now Compass for Kids – sought to support homeless children at Dubois Middle School. [...]
The owners of Cooper's StrEATside Bistro, a popular food truck in Springfield, are opening a new permanent location. The new Cooper's Alleyside is opening at King Pin Lanes, 3115 E. Sangamon Ave., on April 20. Kendra Cooper, who runs the food truck with her husband Justin, says a brick-and-mortar restaurant has always been their goal. They [...]
Capital City Home Improvement LLC 7460 Rolling Oaks Drive, Riverton 414-2304 Owner: Shannon C. Hessler House of Bouncers 8150 Cascade Rd., Rochester 306-3561 Owner: Zac Geist, Aaron Geist KLC Turf Pro 5438 Forrest Lane, Sherman 299-7727 Owner: Pamela Kent Rainbow Massage Spa 348 Williams Lane, Chatham 481-6769 Owner: Miaomiao Liu Just the [...]
Corey Faucon, left, is chef and owner of Long 9 Junction. By Patrick Yeagle A new "chef-driven" restaurant opened downtown on Monday. Long 9 Junction is a gourmet eatery on Springfield's Old State Capitol Plaza, offering fresh bread and roasted meat as part of its menu of New American cuisine. Chef and owner [...]
By Patrick Yeagle Chris Stone knew from the start that it would all work out. And even if it didn’t, he wasn’t afraid to fail. Stone is part owner of HCI Alternatives, Springfield’s first medical cannabis dispensary, which marked its first year in business this month. Opening the shop was a risk, Stone says, but [...]
By Monica Stabile A comparison of standardized testing results by the Springfield Business Journal shows traditional public schools outperformed charter schools on average in the 2014-2015 school year. Meanwhile, charter schools and school choice programs nationwide may see a boost in funding if President Donald Trump’s budget is approved by Congress. The push to expand [...]
By Patrick Yeagle For all the talk about the Millennial generation, one thing is clear: young people’s participation in philanthropy is crucial to the well being of nonprofits. Nowhere in Springfield is that better understood than at The Hope Institute for Children and Families, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with a new campaign [...]
On March 13, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School named Kara Rapacz as its next principal and its first lay principal. Katherine O’Connor, president and interim principal of SHG, said the school examined several qualified candidates from around the nation, but Rapacz, who currently serves as assistant principal, was clearly the best fit. “This is an exciting [...]
By Patrick Yeagle Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County will assume large item pickup service in April under a new agreement with the City of Springfield. The Springfield City Council approved a contract for the service with Habitat for Humanity on March 21. Lance Morgan, director of Habitat's ReStore, says the organization already has box trucks [...]
A prominent Springfield developer is proposing a new apartment complex on the city's west side. Courtney Joyner, owner of Joyner Construction Services Inc., is seeking approval for a 204-unit development to be named Pleasant Park Apartments. The development would be located at 4700 Ash Grove Drive and include 17 apartment buildings with 12 units each. [...]
