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Taylorville Republican Rodney Davis has decided to run for a sixth term in congress rather than seek his party's nomination for governor next year. What does that mean for the GOP heading into the election?

Brian Su collects watches from around the world. In 2019, he opened Sangamon Watches with his business partner Tyler McKay. Su spoke with Community Voices about the history of Illinois watch making and the watch collections sold at Sangamon Watches, which draw inspiration from American history.

Michael Burlingame, professor of History and Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield follows up his book on Mary Todd Lincoln and her marriage with Abraham, An American Marriage, with this book looking as how Lincoln's relationships with African-Americans influenced his racial views, The Black Man's President.

Will Hoecker owns Papo's Cafe and Omar Romero runs it. They spoke to Community Voices about the restaurant and their approach to serving fresh food quickly. Hoecker also shared his experience owning other restaurants, and how Papo's Cafe supports other businesses in the community.

In 2020, First Night Springfield, the annual downtown New Year's Eve celebration, went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the in-person event returns to the Hoogland Center for the Arts, where it will showcase various performances and arts groups. Sheila Walk, the executive director of the Springfield Area Arts Council, spoke to Community Voices about the event that will also feature fireworks to help ring in the new year.

The primary is still half a year away, but the 2022 Illinois governor's contest is starting to heat up. There were reports this week that Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is considering a bid. The Republican field already has four candidates who have announced, but there is speculation Irvin would gain financial backing from billionaire Ken Griffin.

What is the future of journalism amid a challenging time for many news outlets?

This week, we ride along with a school bus driver to find out how a difficult job is even harder to do amid a shortage of those willing to transport kids.

It was an historic year in Illinois. Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was pushed out of his job amid a scandal. The state adopted new laws dealing with criminal justice and energy policy. Democrats approved new political boundaries. And while Illinois rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination program, the pandemic cast a shadow over the entire year.

As more hospitals report ICU beds are filling up, the holidays will likely see additional transmission of the virus as people gather. At the same time, the severity of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant remains unclear.