It’s dark while I’m seated in the front passenger side of a Springfield Police Department squad car. I feel my voice box drop into my stomach to stay for a while as a handcuffed male suspe]]> Henrik Rasmussen calls himself a “Springfielder by choice.”A native of Denmark, Rasmussen moved his family to Springfield in 2009, seeking opportunity, freedom and space to innovate. Now a]]> Momentum is already building for just the change prescribed earlier this week when Enos Park, a historical but declining Springfield neighborhood, unveiled its redevelopment strategy. The master plan ]]> Though a bill to end the death penalty in Illinois awaits only the governor’s signature, proponents of capital punishment are calling instead for a public referendum on repeal.Saying the death p]]> Untitled Document Two hundred workers could soon lose their jobs if Precision Products, a leading manufacturer of lawn and garden equipment and the largest employer in Lincoln, i]]> General state aid, mandated programs and pre-kindergarten funding have been and should remain top education priorities for the state as it muddles through yet another budget process with record-breaki]]> Certain Illinois inmates have started to receive early release credits under administrative rules adopted this month by the Illinois Department of Corrections. The move follows a state law passed last]]> This week’s meeting of Springfield City Council had the air of a lopsided baseball game. Aldermen threw a series of breaking curve balls, and the mayor went down swingi]]> Labor unions are continuing negotiations over legislation backed by Gov. Pat Quinn that would lift collective bargaining rights from current high-ranking state agency workers and legislative liaisons,]]> As many as 20,370 low-income households in Sangamon County could qualify for a free cell phone and 60 minutes of free monthly talk-time, according to a spokesperson with TracFone Wireless, Inc., a nat]]> Karen Zangerle dials the number and waits expectantly as a young man answers with a gentle tone. Zangerle explains that her husband has lost his job and the family won’t be able to pay an upcomi]]> As Illinois lawmakers debate a bill to increase registration requirements for sex offenders under a federal mandate, reform advocates say it would cost the state too much. They say many other states h]]> Although times are difficult for social services in Illinois, a statewide advocacy group thinks that it is still possible to positively affect the lives of children. Voices for Illinois Children, a no]]> An Illinois prisoner can accrue tens of thousands of dollars in child support debt while incarcerated because of Illinois child support laws.This, according to Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago, is counte]]>