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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.

Ride to Remember 9-11 is a memorial procession that begins at Hall's Harley Davidson on Dirksen Parkway and ends at the Illinois State Capitol. Diane Hughes spoke with Community Voices about the event that commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. All vehicles are welcome to participate at the procession that departs at 5 p.m. and spectators are welcome as well.

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) spoke with Community Voices about the symphony's upcoming season. Dr. Yona Stamatis, the Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Illinois Springfield, sat down with ISO Executive Director Trevor Orthmann and Music Director Ken Lam to talk about the season, the other programs the symphony offers and how soloists are selected for performances.

Jessica Gale is the owner of Our Town Books in Jacksonville, Ill. The store offers new and used books as well as novelty items. Gale spoke with Community Voices about the store's history and its special events.