The Salvation Army Family Store on Wabash Avenue will be closing later this month,but Captain Matt McCluer, corps officer with the Salvation Army of Sangamon County,said the organization hopes to reopen the store in a new Springfield location. The thrift store’s last day in business at the 1762 Wabash Ave. location will be Oct. 24.McCluer […]
Columns
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Dutch Bros coming to Springfield
Another national coffee chain will be making its Springfield debut with the planned opening of a Dutch Bros coffee shop on North Dirksen Parkway. The new Dutch Bros will be located at 2343 N. Dirksen Parkway, the former home to Hickory River Smokehouse. Adam Bell, a partner with Core Acquisitions, said the coffee shop should […]
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Expensive contract clauses nobody reads
Most business owners spend hours negotiating the purchase price of a business. Then, after all that effort, they’ll sign a contract without reading half of it. We see it all the time – the first few pages, which generally set out the basic business terms, get everyone’s attention. The remaining pages become legal stuff, fatigue […]
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Providing Daily Bread
Anne Daly spent 40 years as a registered dietitian. Six months into her retirement, she wanted to fill her schedule with something that fit her interests. One evening while watching the local news, she saw a clip about Senior Services of Central Illinois’ need for volunteers for its Daily Bread program. “I knew immediately this […]
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6 St. Café
Although I’m hopeful that the soon-to-be-constructed apartments at the former Sangamo Club, the eventual influx of office workers at the Armory and the future BOS Center expansion will lead to greater dining choices downtown, right now the pickings, as they say, are a bit slim. But one reliable choice, which may not be on your […]
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Is the problem time management – or yes management?
I’ve never met a leader who told me they needed another hour in the day. What I hear instead is that we’re overwhelmed, overcommitted and struggling to keep up with competing priorities. Our calendars are packed, our inboxes are full, and the list of things we intended to accomplish somehow remains untouched. Most of us […]
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Springfield researcher awarded SIU’s 2026 Inventor of the Year
Springfield-based microbiology researcher Andrew Wilber, a director of cell biology and hematology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, was recently named SIU’s 2026 Inventor of the Year for his work on developing gene therapies for rare blood disorders such as sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Wilber, who has a doctorate in molecular genetics, […]
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A Q&A With Carolyn Austin
Carolyn Austin is the CEO of AgeLinc, the Area Agency on Aging for Linconland. Austin, 56, said she does “a little bit of everything” for the agency, handling the grants management, much of the marketing and other high-level duties. She is also the vice president of the Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Austin […]
Posted inBuilding Permits
Building permits – Sept. 21 to Sept. 27
Chad Clem received a commercial accessory structure permit for 4905 Rodger St. Contractor is Hard Surfacing and the project is valued at $1,800. Barry Kelley and Marcia Kelley received a commercial permit (new construction) for 3313 Old MacArthur Blvd. Contractor is Kelley Construction and the project is valued at $998,000. PC Motel Ventures LLC % […]
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A transition for The Railyard
Seeking to spend more time with their growing family, Tim and Emily Lewis are stepping back from managing The Railyard — the outdoor food venue they have operated since February 2025. Brad Martin, who runs Oakview BBQ in one of the four food-vendor shipping containers at the Railyard, will be taking the reins at the […]
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New bookstore will support community organizations
Cathy Strukely and Tricia McGann are turning the former Fifth Street Flower Shop location into a Christian bookstore, with the goal of spreading kindness and providing financial support to other community organizations. The friends, who met in a church community group, are opening Kindness + Co. at 739 S. Fifth St. “One of the things […]
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Bus Stop bar back on track after flooding
The grand opening of a new bar at the corner of Fifth and Monroe in downtown Springfield was set for Aug. 28 but had to be scuttled when a water main broke and flooded the entire block of Monroe between Fourth and Fifth streets the night before. Undeterred, the owners of The Bus Stop have […]