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🌱 Patch AM: What downtown Springfield shop owners are planning after a strong holiday

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What's up Springfield! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What downtown Springfield shop owners are planning after a strong holiday
  • How Springfield volunteers are fighting record holiday-season hunger year-round
  • Will Illinois’ power grid keep up with AI-fueled data centers?

Also on today's calendar: The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Springfield, IL.

Find out what's happening in Springfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Springfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 59 and low of 41 degrees.
  • Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 59, low: 55.
  • Sunday: A little rain, with a high of 61 and low of 15 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!

📰 News we're reading

1. Small businesses reflect on holiday season success and future plans (newschannel20.com) — Downtown Springfield shop owners say this holiday season ended on a high note, even after weather and closures disrupted key shopping days. Wild Rose Boutique and Gallery and Daisy Jane’s report strong late-December sales and are now planning collaborative events, like quarterly downtown crawls, to keep Springfield residents visiting and supporting local businesses all year.
   

2. Local groups tackle year-round hunger with holiday efforts (newschannel20.com) — Springfield families facing food insecurity are turning in record numbers to the Salvation Army of Springfield and the Central Illinois Foodbank, which stress that hunger doesn’t end after the holidays. Both organizations say volunteer turnout is improving and they’re grateful for strong support from Springfield and surrounding communities, while reminding residents that donations and volunteer help are needed all year.
   

3. As regulators warn of impending energy shortfalls, capacity prices rise (fordcountychronicle.com) — From Springfield, state regulators are warning that Illinois could face electricity shortages and higher power bills within the next decade as fossil fuel plants retire and data centers’ energy use soars. A new report and recent legislation outline plans for more storage, renewables, and grid planning, while consumer, environmental, and manufacturing groups clash over how fast to decarbonize and who should pay.
   

4. HSHS St. John's Hospital hosts free holiday gift store for parents of pediatric patients (wcia.com) — Families with children spending Christmas at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield could pick out free, volunteer-wrapped gifts from a special “Santa’s Workshop” set up just for them. Community-donated presents, holiday pajamas for pediatric patients, and themed onesies for NICU babies helped bring some hometown comfort to Springfield families facing a tough holiday in the hospital.
   

5. Central Illinois communities spread holiday cheer through acts of kindness (newschannel20.com) — Springfield families joined Fire Station 6 for holiday story time and tours while Springfield police officers delivered Christmas gifts to local families through their Rookies with a Cause program. The story also spotlights similar acts of generosity by Riverton, Sangamon County, and Champaign first responders and community partners, all working to brighten the holidays for Central Illinois children in need.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Found a dog on the 2200 block of East Monroe.
    Came in my house when I opened my front door. It has a collar but no tags. Looking for the owner. (Nextdoor Jaycee Park)
  • There is an orange backpack next to the road with what looks like clothes sticking out of it.
    If anyone recognizes it, it's close to the corner of Yale Blvd and Wellesley (Nextdoor Harvard Park)
  • Performance Food Group Company posted a job opening for Merchandiser in Springfield. Apply here.
  • Veterans Staffing posted a job opening for Production Operations Controller (Data Processing Specialist) 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: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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