Good morning, Springfield.

Splash Kingdom water park will open at Knight's Action Park on May 23 with a Community Tuesday promotion that offers $13 off a day pass for a $3 donation to support local charities.

The park will also host a blood drive on June 12 that gives donors a free pass.

The Old Capitol Farmers Market opens its 27th season tomorrow at Fourth and Adams, featuring about 80 vendors, live music, kids activities (and a bag giveaway) from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Springfield's PrideFest is scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at the Y-block.

The festival has a parade starting at 11:30 a.m. from the corner of Fifth and Allen, live drag shows, musical acts, food vendors, and a family-friendly children's area.

Rising gas and grocery prices are straining shoppers across central Illinois — gasoline nears $5 a gallon while daily costs climb, and economists warn that budgets may tighten as summer approaches.

Construction continues on the $42.6M Library Commons at UIS, which will offer study areas, tutoring, advising and career services in a 55,000 sqft facility.

Funded by Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois plan, the building is set to be complete by spring 2027.

Auburn held signing day on Thursday afternoon, May 14, when seven student athletes committed to college programs with track and field, baseball, and wrestling signees joining Akron, Bradley, Illinois College, and Eureka College + reporters interviewed each athlete after their commitments.

On Wednesday, May 13, environmental advocates gathered at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass the Power Act, which would require tech companies to pay for their own energy costs, boost project transparency and protect drinking water—ensuring community voices are heard.

Illinois earned a high-performance ranking for emergency preparedness from Trust for America's Health in a report that evaluated 10 key indicators — incident management, patient safety and health surveillance, a result the Illinois Department of Public Health said reflects strong readiness for future challenges.

IDPH warns warmer weather boosts bites from mosquitos, ticks, and bats.

Residents should use repellent, secure screens and promptly call animal control if a bat enters a home—helping prevent West Nile Virus, Lyme disease and rabies.

Birdie is a 2-year-old black Lab mix available for adoption at the Animal Protective League (1001 Taintor Road) in Springfield.

The shelter is open every day from noon to 5 p.m. for meet-and-greet visits.

WWE will perform in Springfield on Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of Springfield Center; tickets go on sale May 20 at 10 a.m. with prices starting at $50 and VIP experiences available.

After Glenwood won the Central State Eight track & field meet yesterday, seniors Colton Ladage and Larry Wills discussed their title and postseason plans — noting how the victory sets the stage for upcoming contests.

Eight athletes officially committed to college teams at PORTA on Thursday morning.

The signings included sports such as cross country, track, baseball, golf, & wrestling at local colleges.

Highland Cow Paint Night with Ashley Blake

2-4 p.m. — Harvest Market — No cost info provided — Unleash creativity as you paint a quirky Highland Cow masterpiece under expert guidance.

Paint with Ashley Blake

6:30-8:30 p.m. — The Library - Pizza and Sports Bar — Cost covers materials — Enjoy a creative night painting a whimsical library gnome with guidance from Ashley Blake.