La Bamba closes, African restaurant to take its place
Diners will no longer be able to get a burrito as big as their head, but a new restaurant is already in the works for the former La Bamba space. The Mexican restaurant at 1731 S. MacArthur Blvd. closed over Easter weekend, due to what owner Ramiro Aguas referred to as staffing issues with that…
Building permits April 10-April 16
ARG SPSPRIL001 LLC has obtained a commercial remodel permit for an interior build out at 3231 Veterans Parkway. The contractor is Doyle Construction Co. and the project is valued at $450,000. ILCARRICOSIX LLC has obtained a commercial remodel permit for an interior build out at 2427 Stevenson Dr., Suite D. The contractor is Schuster Construction…
Versona to close as of April 29
The Springfield Versona, an apparel, jewelry and accessories store, is closing as of April 29. A sign posted on the front of the store, located at 2841 S. Veterans Parkway in White Oaks Plaza, asks shoppers to patronize the Woodfield Mall store in Schaumburg instead. The Cato Corporation, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a…
HAE’s Bakery & Coffee Shoppe to open second location
HAE’s Bakery & Coffee Shoppe hopes to have a second store open in time for the one-year anniversary of its first brick-and-mortar location in October. “This opportunity arose faster than we had expected; we just jumped on it and away we went,” said Chris Benad, who owns the business along with his wife, Amy. The…
Joel Oschwald joins First Bankers Trust Company as market president
Joel Oschwald has joined First Bankers Trust Company as market president in Springfield. First Bankers is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Bankers Trustshares, Inc., headquartered in Quincy. In this role, Oschwald will be responsible for all staff, operations, growth and profitability of First Bankers in Springfield and the surrounding areas. He will office at the…
Traci M. Krause will serve as the next chancellor of St. John’s College of Nursing
Traci M. Krause will serve as the next chancellor of St. John’s College of Nursing in Springfield, beginning May 29. She replaces Dr. Charlene Aaron, who has served in that role since 2016. Krause has spent the last decade of her career within Minnesota State Agencies, most recently as the dean of the School of…
Building Permits April 3-April 9
Washington Prime Group has obtained a commercial remodel permit for 2765 S. Veterans Parkway for remodel of an existing Lenscrafters space. The contractor is Nextore and the project is valued at $110,000. Union Baptist Church has obtained a commercial roofing permit for 1405 E. Monroe St. The contractor is Sunley Roofing Inc. and the project…
Investments today can benefit generations to come
By Nicole Anderson If the age-old adage “they grow up fast” is true, college expenses will be here before you know it. Planning ahead for post-secondary education expenses may be something you’re thinking about, but you don’t know where to begin. No worries. Here’s an easy-to-follow guide to creating a savings plan that will take…
Noonan True Value to shift from retail operations to rental business
A third-generation family-owned company is preparing to rebrand as Noonan True Value shifts from retail operations to focus primarily on its rental business. “We’ve been thinking about this for the last few years and working with a consultant,” said Matt Noonan IV. “What’s our growth? What’s our future look like?” Noonan said with home remodeling…
Ugly Restaurant & Bar, a Turkish grill, to open on Wabash Avenue
A new restaurant that is unique both because of its cuisine and its name is preparing to open in the former Dew Chilli Parlor space on Wabash Avenue. Owner Ersen Yildirin said his wife, Tuba Yildirin, came up with the name Ugly Restaurant & Bar for their Turkish grill at 2312 W. Wabash Ave. “My…
Building permits March 27-April 2
STEVE ZHAO received a commercial remodel permit for 1754 Wabash Ave., Suite B for an interior remodel. Contractor is Steve Zhao and the project is valued at $100,000. ADAM KOHLRUS received a commercial fence permit for 2805 W. White Oaks Dr. Contractor is Amco Fence and the project is valued at $5,000.
Q&A with Josh Sabo
By David Blanchette Josh Sabo was born and raised in Georgia and moved to Springfield to finish college while completing an internship at Central Baptist Church. He later became the youth pastor and then the lead pastor, spending 15 years with the church before accepting a job as the first executive director of the Heartland…
Fact or fiction: Is Bob Evans on Stevenson Drive permanently closed?
Since March 25, posts on various social media sites have questioned why the Bob Evans at 3050 Stevenson Dr. is closed. Initially, a sign posted on the door indicated it was a temporary closure for maintenance and repairs. While there was speculation the closure may have been the result of an inspection the week prior…
Maribis holds ribbon cutting for new location on Denver Drive
Maribis of Springfield held a ribbon cutting on Friday, March 31, for its new location at 2451 Denver Drive, just off North Dirksen Parkway. The freestanding building previously housed an AT&T store. Maribis had been located in nearby Grandview since January 2017. When the store first opened, it was one of two medical-marijuana dispensaries in…
Li’l Willy’s BBQ Smokehouse closing, two new restaurants in the works for Conns
Li’l Willy’s BBQ Smokehouse is closing after two-and-a-half years of operations at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and South Grand Avenue, but Conn’s Hospitality Group already has two other restaurant ventures in the works. Friday, March 31, will be the last day of operations for Li’l Willy’s. The building at 916 South Grand Avenue West…
Virtual conference on the latest in employment law
The Central Illinois Chapter for the Society for Human Resource Management (CIC-SHRM) will hold its annual legislative conference on Tuesday, April 25, from 8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. to share what’s new in employment law. This half-day educational event will be held virtually and is open to both members and non-members. Topics covered will include the following:…
Building permits March 20-March 26
SOLON LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 3410 Hedley Road for a build-out for USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Contractor is Joyner Construction Services Inc. and the project is valued at $50,000. JOYNER REAL ESTATE received a commercial remodel permit for 2312 Wabash Ave. The contractor is Ersen Yildirin and the project…
Madison Furniture closing with the retirement of owner Court Dickason
After 91 years in business, Madison Furniture Company is closing with the retirement of owner Court Dickason. His grandparents, Charles and Ruth Madison, founded the businesses at 1104 South Grand Ave. East in 1932. Dickason’s mother, Janet Dickason, became the manager in 1967 and ran the business until he returned from the service, although Court…
Building permits – March 13-March 19
Building permits – March 13-March 19 Lorenco % BJ Salons INC received a commercial remodel permit for 3055 Professional Drive. Contractor is Michael Concrete Inc. and the project is valued at $89,000. 1 Stop Holdings LLC received a commercial remodel permit for 2800 W. Washington St. Contractor is Tom Holinshead and the project is valued…
The Taco Joint relocating, The Burger Joint to take its place
The Taco Joint will be relocating soon, but the Mexican restaurant isn’t going far. Owner Hector Lopez is in the process of renovating the former Rally’s building at 710 South Grand Ave. East, which has already been repainted with the bright colors of The Taco Joint, located just five blocks west in the parking lot…
Scooter’s Coffee opening second location on Wabash Avenue
Just three months after opening the first Springfield location, Scooter’s Coffee will have a second store at 1740 Wabash Ave., an outlot of the Chatham Square shopping center. Franchise owners Marcus and Lauryn McGlasson are Pleasant Plains residents who opened their first Scooter’s location in Taylorville in 2021, followed by a store at 2935 Clear…
