Pack gun, get promoted

Captain set to advance

A Springfield fire captain who served a six-day suspension last year and agreed to counseling in 2015 is in line to become a battalion chief.Capt. Chad Bates is on the promotion list even though he wa...

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 12:08 am

Mother of dead inmate sues

Claims constitutional, ADA violations

By Bruce Rushton

The mother of a Sangamon County jail inmate who killed herself last year has sued the county and the state of Illinois, claiming that each entity failed to adequately address mental health needs.Tiffa...

Thursday, March 8, 2018 12:08 am

Reverence at The Pharmacy, revisionism at UIS Gallery

By Scott Faingold

Two very different art exhibits opened in Springfield last week, both dealing with the subject of religion and spirituality, but from contrasting angles. Arizona-based artist Angela Ellsworth’s...

Thursday, March 8, 2018 12:07 am

Prison mental health on trial

Prison culture, staff shortages blamed for problems

By Megan Swett

Care for the mentally ill in Illinois prisons may not be ideal, but it isn’t so bad that it violates constitutional guarantees against cruel and unusual punishment, according to the Illinois Departm...

Thursday, March 1, 2018 12:08 am

Future unclear for campus buildings

Benedictine has plans to take care of its students

By David Blanchette

The Springfield campus of Benedictine University will be sold and all local classes will be taught at other community sites after the conclusion of the 2018 spring semester, according to an anno...

Thursday, March 1, 2018 12:07 am

After 22 years, fire science sets convict free

By Scott Faingold

“You’re readjusting to just walking down the street, being in crowded elevators, things that everybody goes through all the time,” said Bill Amor, whose 1997 convictions on charges of arso...

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 12:08 am

Trouble brews in Democratic Party weeks before the primary

By Megan Swett

Illinois Democrats are struggling to find their balance following news that Speaker of the House Michael Madigan took three months to fire a staffer following an accusation of sexual harassment from a...

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 02:07 pm

Funds approved for economic development

But money isn’t everything

By Bruce Rushton

The Springfield City Council on Tuesday approved $250,000 for an economic development corporation, half the amount that Sangamon County, which is promoting the new group, has pushed for.“Two hundred...

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 12:09 am

DEMO demolished, but UIS Gallery going strong

By Scott Faingold

The DEMO Project art space on the grounds of the Springfield Art Association achieved its apotheosis this past Wednesday when the small house, still festooned with fanciful work by 17 artists in...

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 12:08 am

Oh, crappy day

City faces sewer repairs

By Bruce Rushton

Repairs to downtown Springfield sewers will cost between $31.7 million and $56 million, according to a recent survey of pipes, and that may only be a down payment.The $300,000 study financed by...