Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What Springfield’s top fire rating means for your neighborhood coverage

Spotted on the Springfield calendar: Coffee with Friends

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Sunday September 20th Patch AM
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Hey hey Springfield! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What Springfield's top fire rating means for your neighborhood coverage
  • How 45 new east-side homes could reshape Springfield's housing options
  • What 400 farmers learned in two packed days in downtown Springfield

Also on today's calendar: Amigo the Devil and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do an island and the letter "t" have in common? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: An afternoon t-storm; humid, with a high of 82 and low of 62 degrees.
  • Monday: Cooler with a t-storm or two, temps: high: 67, low: 57.
  • Tuesday: Rather cloudy, a shower; cool, with a high of 64 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Springfield keeps top fire protection rating after review (sj-r.com) — Springfield's fire protection just earned top marks again, with the Fire Department retaining its elite ISO Class 1 rating after a detailed 2026 review. Recent investments, including adding Station 13 and relocating Station 8 west, improved response times for many west-side neighborhoods and help keep insurance risk — and potentially premiums — lower for Springfield residents.
   

2. Nehemiah Expansion breaks ground on 45 new homes on Springfield's east side (capitolcitynow.com) — Forty-five new homes are about to rise on Springfield's east side as Nehemiah Expansion launches the next phase of its long-running affordable housing effort. Local leaders say demand is intense, with hundreds on the waiting list, and hope these high-quality houses will replace vacant lots and substandard housing while giving more Springfield families a safe, stable place to call home.
   

3. Strip-Till Conference Delivers Lessons Learned from the Field & Mind (no-tillfarmer.com) — Downtown Springfield's President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and BOS Center just hosted more than 400 farmers and ag experts for the National Strip-Tillage Conference, filling halls with sessions on soil health, nutrient management, and equipment. Local attendees heard practical tips from nationally known speakers and learned that next year's conference will move to the Quad Cities, after two packed days of networking and research updates here.
   

4. Tree companies donate services at Camp Butler National Cemetery (illinoistimes.com) — Springfield-based tree companies joined crews from Champaign and Bloomington this week to remove hazardous trees and plant new ones at historic Camp Butler National Cemetery near Riverton. Volunteers donated thousands of dollars in skilled labor, improving safety and preserving the grounds where more than 25,000 veterans and family members are buried, with several Springfield businesses pitching in food and supplies.
   

5. Community Foundation hires grants manager (springfieldbusinessjournal.com) — A familiar face from Sen. Tammy Duckworth's Springfield office is stepping into a key role at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. Tobias Lewis will now manage local grants and scholarships, working closely with nonprofits, students, and community partners to connect Springfield-area donors with impactful projects and educational opportunities.
   

📸 Around Springfield

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • For the blues music fans out there, I thought you might enjoy this cover of a solo from the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan, from his song "Empty Arms" off of his posthumously released "The Sky Is Crying" album.
    Check it out and have an awesome and safe weekend! God bless you! (Nextdoor Franklin Park Estates)
  • Update!
    Owners Found! Loose Dogs are in my backyard, they have no ID on them. Anyone know who's they are before I call someone. One is brown the other is… (Nextdoor The Oaks)
  • Babki posted a job opening for Part-Time Game Tester in Springfield. Apply here.
  • Springfield Urban League Inc. posted a job opening for Finance Assistant in Springfield. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Springfield here.

Ok Springfield! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: They are both in the middle of water. (Thank you Curt K. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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