Tiny homes have generated big discussion recently as the Springfield City Council tries to decide if it should provide financial backing for a resource center that would serve a planned east-side housing development for homeless veterans. As of press time the proposal by the city to commit $400,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds […]
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Q&A With Geoff Isringhausen
A Springfield native, Geoff Isringhausen is the dealer principal for Isringhausen Imports, a family-owned business located just a few blocks from where he was raised. He graduated from University of Illinois in 1982 with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for a petroleum pipeline company in Atlanta before joining his brother, Rob, who had […]
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Providing solutions in times of transition
When seniors get together and socialize, grandchildren are often a topic of conversation. So is commiserating that “our kids don’t want our stuff.” It’s common that homes are filled with a lifetime of accumulated possessions. Deciding what to do with it all is an issue for many seniors. And, the next generation typically doesn’t want […]
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Not ready for last call
Louie Manci doesn’t have much time for hobbies because he works seven days a week – at the age of 88. He owns his own bar and is the primary bartender, opening at noon every day and leaving when the last customer leaves. “I follow them out,” he says. Often that’s between 8 and 10:30 […]
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Reading to reclaim memories
Ten to 20 people sit in a semi-circle; in front of them a person opens a book and begins reading to the group. No, this is not a school classroom; it is an almost daily scene at Mill Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, located on the west side of Springfield. The group consists of patients […]
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A workforce development program for seniors
A new program has launched to help seniors reenter the workforce by training them as community health workers who can effectively share their own experiences with others. The HAP Foundation has partnered with AmeriCorps to bring the AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Program to Sangamon County. The HAP Foundation, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, specializes in hospice […]
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Businesses hoping to enter cannabis market face significant challenges
While Illinois’ cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry. Celebratory news releases have marked several industry successes in recent months – the state saw the opening of its 100th social […]
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Six east-side businesses receive grants
Six businesses were awarded $280,000 in grants by the Springfield City Council on Sept. 17 from the city’s share of sales taxes on adult-use cannabis sales. The unanimous vote on the allocations, which were part of the council’s “consent agenda,” came more than two years after the first round of allocations and after a September […]
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Stakeholders work on cannabis equity efforts
Medical marijuana patients can now purchase cannabis grown by small businesses as part of their allotment, Illinois’ top cannabis regulator said, but smaller, newly licensed cannabis growers are still seeking greater access to the state’s medical marijuana customers. Illinois legalized medicinal marijuana beginning in 2014, then legalized it for recreational use in 2020. While the […]
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CWLP announces exam dates for apprenticeship electrician positions
The City Water, Light and Power Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee is announcing its next round of 2024 exam dates for those interested in starting a career as an apprentice electrician at CWLP. The CWLP Electrical Apprenticeship program includes on-the-job training and coursework to provide knowledge and technical information related to the various positions offered. CWLP […]
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Hands-on mental health training
The recent revival of a program at Packard Mental Health Center that gives young doctors hands-on experience treating patients in a state psychiatric hospital will benefit the public in Springfield and throughout Illinois, supporters of the relaunch say. “This will help create that pipeline of future psychiatrists to serve both in our state-operated facilities and […]
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Illinois expanding Medicaid to nonmedical services
Many people enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program will soon be eligible to receive a host of nonmedical services that could improve their overall health, including housing and nutrition assistance, violence prevention services, and services to help them transition out of incarceration. Under a new policy that the Biden administration launched last year, state Medicaid programs can […]