mixes and livestock feed to spaceage electronics, and serves as headquarters for 12 nationally known insurance companies and more than 165 state, regional and national associations. Home to three major hospitals and a world-renowned heart-surgery institute, the community is also recognized as a leader in the health-care industry.

The top five employers in Sangamon County are the state of Illinois, Memorial Health System (5,200), the Illinois National Guard (2,700), St. John’s Hospital (2,566), and the Springfield Public Schools (2,019). Rounding out the top 10, in order, are the City of Springfield, the Horace Mann Co., the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield Clinic, LLP., SBC, and U.S. Postal Service. (Springfield Clinic, SBC, and U.S. Postal Service tied for the final spot.)

The top 10 private manufacturers in Sangamon County are Gatehouse Media, Inc. (newspaper publishing), DICKEY-john Corp. (electronic instruments), Honeywell/Hobbs Corp. (switches and shifters), E.L. Pruitt Company (sheet-metal ventilation equipment and pipe fabrication), Henry Technology (refrigeration components), Brandt Consolidation (nitrogenous fertilizers), Nudo Products, Inc. (laminated panels), Springfield Coca-Cola Bottling, Inc (soda), Bunn- O-Matic Corporation (hot drink brewers), and Simplex Inc. (automotive components).

Weather

The weather in Springfield is like that in much of the Midwest — it changes frequently. Average temperatures range from 70 to 80 degrees in the summer months and 30 to 40 degrees in the winter months, and swings from about 16 degrees in the winter to 87 degrees in the summer. The overall average annual temperature is 53 degrees. You can enjoy four distinct seasons in Springfield without extended periods of extreme cold or heat. The location of Sangamon County, midway between the Continental Divide and the Atlantic Ocean, offers a typical continental climate with cold, rather dry winters and warm, humid summers. The dog days of summer and cold winter days are offset by mild temperatures and beautiful conditions in the spring and fall.

Local government

Sangamon County is governed by a 29-member board whose members are elected from single-member districts. Each county board member serves a four-year term, with approximately half of the board elected in alternating two-year periods. The county also has nine elected offices, seven departments and six agencies or offices related to the county by special county tax levy or budgeting through the county board. Most Sangamon County government offices are located in the Sangamon County Building, 200 S. Ninth St. The sheriff’s department is located at No. 1 Sheriff’s Plaza, behind the County Building, linked by a walk-through. The entrance is on Adams between Ninth and 10th streets.

The city of Springfield is governed by a mayor and a 10-member city council, chosen by wards. The mayor and members of the council serve four-year terms. Unlike county elections, city elections are nonpartisan.

Voter eligibility

To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the precinct for 30 days before the next election. You may register in various places, including driver’s license facilities; the Departments of Public Aid, Public Health, and Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities; or in person at the Sangamon County Election Office, 200 S. Ninth St., Room 105 of the County Building. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Two forms of identification are required, and you must show proof of your name and