A Moment of Community, and a Final Glimpse of a Familiar Figure         Photo by Alan Look Photography Some images take on new resonance with time, and this quiet community gathering—people standing together under the Rainbow PUSH Coalition banner, calling for justice for Jelani Day—now carries a deeper emotional weight in light of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s passing. What was once a simple documentary moment has become a subtle reflection on aging, legacy, and the realities of public life. In the photograph, Reverend Jackson is not the polished, commanding figure many remember from his earlier decades. For much of his public career, he was known for an immaculate presence—tailored suits, crisp lines, a look that matched the precision of his oratory. Here, though, he appears more vulnerable. His hair is neatly combed, but his clothing sits differently than it once did, looser in some places, tighter in others, as if the careful attention that once shaped his publ...

  LeRoy Makes a Statement in Rivalry Win Over Heyworth       Photos by Alan Look Photography Rivalry games rarely need extra fuel, but with the end of the regular season looming and postseason positioning very much in play, Friday night’s boys varsity showdown between  LeRoy and the Heyworth Hornets  had the feel of something bigger than a typical February game. The Hornet Nest was buzzing well before tip. A larger-than-normal crowd filled the gym, bolstered by families of young cheerleaders who packed the stands ahead of their halftime performance after a pregame cheer camp. The energy was real, the noise constant, and the stage set. The junior varsity contest did little to foreshadow what was coming. Heyworth controlled the JV game comfortably, opening the bench with more than two minutes remaining and rolling into “everyone plays” mode well before the final horn. Then the varsity teams took the floor—and everything changed. From the opening possession, ...

 There are nights when college basketball feels less like a game and more like a declaration. Illinois’ 84–44 win over Northwestern was one of those nights—authoritative, methodical, and just theatrical enough to feel inevitable by the final media timeout. This was not chaos basketball. This was control. From the opening stretch, the Illini dictated tempo, space, and tone, bending the game into their preferred shape and never letting the Wildcats believe they could escape it. If Howard Cosell were hovering somewhere above the hardwood, he might have called it what it was: a mismatch revealed in real time, with clarity bordering on cruelty. At the center of it all stood  Keaton Wagler , whose impact went well beyond the obvious. Wagler played with a kind of composure that quiets a building before it electrifies it—steady decisions, sharp movement, and a presence that made Illinois feel older, wiser, and always a step ahead. His fingerprints were everywhere the game tilted Illin...