HOW ABOUT A HOME?

The crash of the U.S. housing market was no fun for anyone. Foreclosures put millions of people out of their homes and the resulting economic crash was felt around the world. But the bright spot is th

SUMMER FOOD

School’s out for summer, and that means kids from low-income households across the city may not get enough to eat. But thanks to federal aid, public schools around the nation can offer summer fo

FEEDING THE MASSES

The Central Illinois Foodbank used to have to turn away volunteers – not because they weren’t needed, but because the Foodbank’s old facility on Moffat Avenue couldn’t accommod

GUNS ON HOLD

While the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill last week allowing concealed carry of firearms, don’t break out your holsters just yet. The bill still requires approval by Gov. Pat Quinn, who

LEADING LOCATION

Go ahead and complain about having nothing to do while you’re in Springfield, Chicagoans. We’ll just smile and nod as we think of you sitting in traffic for an hour. That’s because w

ART PROGRAM NEEDS FUNDING

Springfield’s Lanphier High School is one of many schools suffering from cuts to its art program. Lanphier’s Art Department has been cut for the upcoming school year. With a supplies budge

STATEHOUSE TAN BAN

Having successfully pushed for a ban on tanning for teens under age 18 within Springfield, Ward 5 Alderman Sam Cahnman continued his push into the Illinois Statehouse. On Monday, the Illinois Senate v

GOODBYE, COMPUTER

What do you do with that old computer that can’t handle the newest games or that old scanner you’ve used a total of four times in the past decade? In past years, most people probably would

DUI DEATH MEMORIAL

Danny Dapron Sr. hopes his son’s needless death can yield some positive results with the posting of a road sign memorial in his son’s honor. On the night of Aug. 8, 2010, Danny Wayne Dapro

WASHINGTON PARK WOODPECKER

If you’re enjoying the early morning coolness with a stroll in Washington Park, don’t be alarmed if you hear a metallic rat-a-tat nearby. It’s just a woodpecker who likes to sit atop

Guilty as charged

How Christopher Harris got caught

Christopher Harris couldn’t have asked for better breaks.Not even a ninja could expect to slay five people with a tire iron and walk away without a scratch, especially not in a cracker-box house

Metaphors and murder

Closing arguments have it all

Lawyers argue Johnny Cash and forensics as case goes to jury.

The end is near

Defense rests, prosecution roars

The alleged love of Christopher Harris’ life didn’t show up in court on Wednesday to testify on behalf of the man accused of murdering her family.

Backdooring it

Defense maneuvers around setback

Tuesday morning started poorly for the defense in the murder trial of Christopher Harris.

Taking the stand

Prosecution pounds Harris

It is always a risk for a defendant to take the stand in a criminal proceeding. Christopher Harris showed why on Friday.

The curtain closer

Prosecution's case likely done

A murder trial has something in common with a fireworks show. In both cases, eye-catching flares – or witnesses – grab attention early on. Then a certain rhythm sets in.

The right to remain silent

But Harris didn't shut up

As a murder suspect, Christopher Harris was less than astute.

Tabitha survives, lawyers duel

Prosecution nears end of case

Photos of Tabitha Gee’s head were bad enough. But CT scans of the toddler’s shattered skull after she was beaten with a tire iron and left for dead were, if anything, worse.

Mistrial winds

Prospects of early end raised

Twice now, the prosecution has stumbled. Twice the defense has acquiesced, allowing proceedings to continue without strenuous objection despite opportunities to demand a do-over.

A booty call after a blood bath

Harris acted normally after slaughter

Christopher Harris may or may not have beaten the Gee family to death with a tire iron. But the sight of blood and battered bodies didn’t interfere with his libido.

Planning a better Springfield

The Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission maps the future

No little girl tells her parents she wants to be a zoning analyst when she grows up. The job is figuring out whether a local government should allow proposed changes to a piece of property, which soun

Fatherless Day

Dads claim they’re not deadbeat but beat dead

While many dads celebrate Fathers Day, many others are struggling to develop and maintain a relationship with their children. Illinois Fathers is a network of non-custodial parents and grandparents en

State goes easy on coal mines

Mining permit renewed despite history of pollution violations

What do you get if you’re facing millions of dollars in fines for water pollution over the course of a decade?If you’re the Springfield Coal Company, you get your permit renewed by the Ill

Sundial marks a century of Rotary

Area clubs celebrate 100 years of service

Springfield’s Rotary Clubs are bringing a human sundial to Southwind Park. Located between Erin’s Pavilion and the Great Lawn, the Rotary Sundial Garden will feature a solar module shaped

Convicted by a jury of his peers

Calvin Christian goes to court

Springfield’s most notorious traffic scofflaw or victim of police persecution – take your pick – had his day in court Monday and came away guilty as charged.But Calvin Christian III

Senate passes ‘Obamacare’ bill

Implementation of health insurance reforms awaits House vote

The confusing world of health insurance could get a lot easier for Illinoisans in October, when the federal government opens a public health insurance marketplace here. The state would only get to tak

State won’t pay to defend rogue prosecutor

No reimbursement for state’s attorney who allegedly framed two for murder

A former state’s attorney who allegedly framed two men for murder won’t have his legal defense costs reimbursed by Illinois taxpayers, thanks to a unanimous decision handed down last week

New sex ed law would require the full story

The days of sexual education emphasizing only abstinence may be over.Legislation headed to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk would require schools to provide more information on contraception and disease co

Fracking bill draws harsh criticism in Statehouse

Protestors claim deceit over controversial drilling process

In the formerly quiet towns of western North Dakota, there are new strangers arriving every day. New housing is being erected at a breakneck pace, and newfound wealth is flowing quickly into the rolli

Oil wells not so well

Edinburg couple soured on oil production at their farm

Paula Cook has had it with oil. She and her husband, Jim Cook, live on the 65-acre farm Paula’s ancestors owned 100 years ago. Located outside Edinburg, about 20 miles east of Springfield, the f

News Quirks 06/13/2013

Curses, foiled againFederal agents tracking a man who claimed he was selling 700,000 stolen identities identified Nathaniel Troy Maye, 44, as their suspect after a witness informed them he received a

News Quirks 6/6/13

Curses, foiled again• Looking to steal copper wiring to sell as scrap, Dalton Newhouse and Charles Raymond Norris, both 22, used rifles to shoot down high-tension power lines in West Virginia&rsq

News Quirks 05/30/2013

Curses, foiled againu  A man ordered coffee at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through in West Haven, Conn., but when he pulled up to the window, he got out of his vehicle, announced a robbery and s

News Quriks 5/23/13

Curses, foiled again• Authorities charged Carolyn James, 55, with assaulting her 96-year-old mother in Dickson City, Pa., after a neighbor recorded James slapping the invalid woman on the back an

News Quirks 05/16/2013

Homeland insecurityObjecting to the bipartisan immigration bill, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, declared that radical Islamists infiltrating the United States “are trained to act Hispanic.&rd