By Teresa Paul Springfield ICON (Inner City Older Neighborhoods) held its first fundraiser and second annual Good Neighbor awards on Dec. 7. “The organization began in 2009 and was an outgrowth, in part, of the protest over the increased railroad traffic on Third St.,” said Carol Kneedler, chair of Springfield ICON. The protest caused a […]
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Little log home builders on the prairie
By Roberta Codemo James Mlinar first fell in love with log cabins when he was a kid after he and his family stayed in one while vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado. “They’re part of our history,” he said. Having always enjoyed building things, he jumped at the opportunity to help his brother build his log […]
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Local school districts in transition
Low-income students increase in outlying areas, hold steady in District 186 By Catherine O’Connor In this first installment of a two-part project, SBJ examines the results of a study of public perceptions of Springfield’s Public School District 186 in contrast to real statistics on the number of low-income students throughout Sangamon County. Next month, part […]
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New construction booming in medical district
By Rhonda Buckhold The sounds of heavy construction and the rapidly changing landscape are a testament to the growth of the health care industry in Springfield. Carpenter Street, the main artery of the medical district, is the most visible area of in-process new construction. The district covers approximately one square mile, bordered by Madison Street, […]
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Nudo continues to grow under new ownership
By Roberta Codemo Nudo Products, Inc. has a long history dating back to 1954 when the late Sam Nudo, Sr. and his brother founded Economy Awning and Tile Co. Sam and his wife, Wanda, purchased his brother’s share of the business in 1962 and began manufacturing laminated products with the help of their sons. Today, […]
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A franchise with its ups and downs
by Job Conger Ram Talluri is CEO and managing director of Lead IT Corporation, an international company which has recently announced plans to open two Sky Zone franchises. Sky Zone is a California firm which has patented “the first all-trampoline walled playing court” concept and currently operates 170 such courts, including two already in Illinois […]
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A force awakens in Lincoln
By Catherine O’Connor The historic train station in the city of Lincoln is experiencing the latest of several makeovers in its 105-year lifespan. Improvements as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) High Speed Rail (HSR) track upgrade on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor have led to a depot renovation project now underway that will […]
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What’s new for 2016?
By Sarah Delano Pavlik Although we still don’t have a budget, you may be surprised to learn that the Illinois legislature and the governor have passed many new laws for 2016. Here are some highlights. Child Custody. The words “custody” and “visitation” are being removed from Illinois statutes. Instead of awarding custody and visitation, a […]
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How does Springfield stack up with other cities?
Guest editorial By Mike Waldinger American Institute of Architects The above is a question that comes up often, as I have the good fortune of working for the American Institute of Architects, which shares exemplary community development work driven by design firms far and wide. The impetus for these projects isn’t just for show. Civic […]
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Hy-Vee Market Grille
By Thomas C. Pavlik, Jr. I’d guess that when most people think of a grocery store it’s not as a dining destination, but rather a place to get food to make meals elsewhere. And despite having multiple business lunches there since Hy-Vee opened, I never thought about reviewing it – after all, it’s just a […]
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Business news
Illinois Stewardship Alliance awards Golden Beets to pioneering local food practitioners Illinois Stewardship Alliance is pleased to announce the 2015 Golden Beet Award winners. The Golden Beets, now in their 5th year, are a series of awards created by the Alliance in order to highlight progressive local food practices and recognize the people who are […]
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Sangamon CEO to swim with sharks
By Brant Mackey The 2015-2016 Sangamon CEO program is pleased to announce Sangamon CEO versus Sharks, a showcase of small group businesses that CEO students have been working on during the fall semester. In seven different groups, the Sangamon CEO students will present a business pitch of their ideas to local business investors from the […]