Just about seven years ago, I moved here from Texas to find out whether I could still do journalism. I had worked for major mainstream newspapers in Dallas and in Anchorage (yes, Alaska),
Just about seven years ago, I moved here from Texas to find out whether I could still do journalism. I had worked for major mainstream newspapers in Dallas and in Anchorage (yes, Alaska),
The first time Renatta Frazier heard about massive grave robbing at an Alsip cemetery, she didn’t give it a second thought. A tiny village on the southwestern tip of Chica
Mark Jennings spent more than 20 years serving his country in the U.S. Army Airborne. When he retired around 2002, “Sarge,” as he was known, enjoyed gardening, cooking out and
Two years ago, Todd Green was happy with his Blackberry. Or so he thought. Then he went to his son’s basketball practice, where another dad hanging out in the bleachers was showing
It’s been less than three months since Jonathon Monken became director of the Illinois State Police, but already he has jolted the agency. Which is sort of what troopers were hoping he would d
I now believe there will be peace in the Middle East. I also believe that the Illinois legislature will someday ratify a budget before the fiscal year ends, and Dick Cheney will appear on
From the kitchen table where he was eating supper with his family, Jeff Hart saw the clouds change direction. They rolled east, then shifted suddenly west, like they had just de
You’ve seen these guys before. OK, maybe not this specific trifecta of testosterone, but you’ve undoubtedly seen guys just like them, clowning around on the sidelines at the f
A few years ago, someone in the Chicago public school system came up with a brilliant way to help Riley Higgins, who was then about 3 years old and living in Springfield. Why would anyone
Ask Deidre Lockhart how tall she is, and she will tell you she’s just under 5-foot-10. You don’t even have to verbalize the follow-up question. With a tone that says “I ge
I love the New York Times. I quote it so often my kids think I don’t know anything I didn’t read there. So naturally I was drawn to the long piece in May’s Vanity Fair on NYT publish
I love the New York Times. I quote it so often my kids think I don’t know anything I didn’t read there. So naturally I was drawn to the long piece in May’s Vanity Fair on NYT publish
A plain white pitcher, a bowl, a broken plate and a whiskey bottle from the mid-to-late 1830s are among the finds from Floyd Mansberger’s digs on the block where the Abraham Lincoln
When U. S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu met with the FutureGen Alliance on Monday to discuss whether to proceed with a large-scale coal gasification demonstration plant near Mattoon, he fa
When I first heard about the new Crime Stoppers drug dumpster, I found it amusing. A trash dumpster, welded shut, painted orange, is stenciled with, “A suspected drug house is in thi
As America looks around for someone to blame for the current economic mess, bankers are the easiest target in sight. “No one wants to hug a banker,” reads a recent Newsweek hea
It is a sad and sickening sound, that of another good reputation gurgling down the drain. Only a few weeks ago, Roland Burris was remembered as a trailblazer in Illinois politics, who had
Georgina Blair died last week at 92. When I visited in her home on the family farm in Virden a few years ago, she showed me this picture of her and her father with one of his prize mules,
People are so ready to be relieved of the Bush presidency, and to end the Iraq war, that Barack Obama could have said anything, or nothing, in his inaugural address and it would still be
At this business meeting of homeless people, some of the speeches are long and rambling, but that’s no different from many of the church and professional meetings I sit through regu
The national economic crisis brings a sense of foreboding to a small city like Springfield. Sometimes the nation’s worst weather bypasses here; the coasts get the hurricanes, fires a
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce board of directors approved a resolution at their Aug. 30 meeting to support a countywide investment in educational facilities. This support is in line with
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce board of directors approved a resolution at their Aug. 30 meeting to support a countywide investment in educational facilities. This support is in line with
When you’re competing against the clock for the Grand Prize, you may not win, but at least you’re entitled to your previous winnings.Not so with the Equal Rights Amendment. Congress gave w
Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals went viral on the Illinois College campus early in 2010. At least eight faculty members read it, and many others read about it. A Spanish professor pau
Back to school means seeing friends, catching up and wearing new clothes, which is fun and exciting for kids. But for parents, back-to-school shopping, planning and scheduling can be stressful. If you
Affordable family fun. Like many American families in this economy, that’s what we were looking for this summer. Little did I expect that our journey would begin in our 9-year-old son’s cl
While vacationing in Flagstaff earlier this month, I was heartened to discover that if the new, repressive immigration law takes effect in Arizona today, that fair city won’t be snooping at shoe
Springfield’s 2008 remembrance of the 1908 race riots attempted reconciliation toward the city’s legacy of racism and hate. Despite those efforts, 2009 revealed another chapter in this leg
I am the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 19th District. I first ran for Congress in 2004. A part of my platform at that time looked 20 years into the future toward the construction of commute
The Gulf oil spill has laid bare a series of shortcomings in the government’s ability both to prevent and to respond to such a crisis, and the result is spiraling public frustration. But it migh
For the second consecutive year, the Illinois General Assembly has confronted the state fiscal crisis by “passing the buck.” Last month, the legislature passed a General Funds budget for f
When your daughter pauses from her texting to ask, “Mommy, what did Voltaire mean when he wrote that the perfect is the enemy of the good?” – she might – simply drive her down
When your daughter pauses from her texting to ask, “Mommy, what did Voltaire mean when he wrote that the perfect is the enemy of the good?” – she might – simply drive her down
Mayor Tim Davlin early this month announced his appointments to the City of Springfield’s new Citizens Infrastructure Review Board, intended to obtain citizen input and guidance in prioritizing
Dave Bakke, who usually observes the world from the upper slopes of the State Journal-Register, the other day looked at it from an even higher vantage point – the cenotaph that stands on the edg
The American public tends to be ignorant of any history that hasn’t been the subject of a TV series, and so it was no surprise when market detectives hired by the national YMCA found members of
Illinoisans often feel like a space traveler who, having intercepted the TV signals that escaped from Earth a generation ago, sees the past when it was still the present. On July 20, authorities annou
“Springfield,” wrote the St. Louis Republican 120 years ago, “offers a pleasant retreat during the hot summer months to those living in the cities of the South.” This is perhap
We can all be grateful that when a heavy bomber visits our city, it is an occasion for a family outing. In June the “Sentimental Journey,” a restored B-17 Flying Fortress, spent a couple o
First, the public confession. “My name is Milorad Blagojevich, and I’m a shopaholic.” Next comes the recovery, and the book recounting how he hit bottom – a landing cushioned b
The foundations of Springfield institutions will crack and sway. Structures long thought impregnable will topple; a long-familiar landscape with be altered beyond recognition. No, it is not the convic
It is a rare human being who does not enjoy being read to. The soothing tones of the mother at the bedside, reading us to sleep, the soothing tones of the politician, reading from a teleprompter, read
THANK A BUILDER While our local media outlets often cover the many contributions made by our community’s working men and women, I hope that for Labor Day we can highlight the efforts of a part
THANK A BUILDER While our local media outlets often cover the many contributions made by our community’s working men and women, I hope that for Labor Day we can highlight the efforts of a part
COAL ISN’T THE ANSWERThe Taylorville coal plant [see “The dirty business of ‘clean coal,’” by Rachel Wells, Aug. 19] costs are high both in terms of government bailout mo
WHO’S THE BACKUP?Today’s IT mentions The Who was at the State Fair in 1968 [see “The Grandstand: 50 years of entertainment at the Illinois State Fair,” Aug. 12]. They were actu
{image-9079} SHARE THE TRACKSWhile the author of “Slower than a speeding bullet” [by James Krohe Jr., Aug. 5] makes salient points about the competing concerns of passenger versus fr
PUPPY LOVEThanks for the wonderful article on the wonderful work that Wade Kammin is accomplishing [see “Sit, stay, go,” July 29]. Being a puppy raiser is a task much like raising a child.
OPEN BIRTH RECORDSNo state has ever guaranteed, by law, the anonymity of relinquishing parents [see “Birth records opened, but not enough,” by Jackson Adams, IT, July 15]. But all states d
BAGWELL’S BUCKSTim Bagwell wants to go to Congress and spend money [see Guestwork, July 15]. He envisions expanded rail carrying manufactured freight, but fails to identify or suggest how Illino
PREVENTION EDUCATIONThis is an excellent article [“Gaining on drunk drivers,” by Jolonda Young, July 8]. However, there is a key piece that is missing – alcohol prevention education.
RETIREMENT AGERecently, U.S. Rep John Boehner, House minority leader, said that he thought we should raise the retirement age to 70 in order to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This raising o
BREAK THE CHAINI am writing about an issue that has gone unaddressed for too long — that of the perpetually chained or penned, so-called “outside” or “backyard” dog. Ther
Congress finally passed a moderate reform package to tighten regulations on the banksters of Wall Street. Of course, the banksters howled, protesting even the meekest of reforms – but the packag
Congress finally passed a moderate reform package to tighten regulations on the banksters of Wall Street. Of course, the banksters howled, protesting even the meekest of reforms – but the packag
Congressional Republicans have spent the first two years of the Obama administration as the rock-solid party of “no,” “uh-uh,” “no way,” “forget about it,&rdq
With BP’s well capped and CEO Tony Hayward exiled to Russia, perhaps you thought that surely there will be no additional revelations about BP to enrage you. But now comes this: prison labor.åIn
Oh, them wild and naughty bankers! What in the world will those rapacious rapscallions of Wall Street do next? Just recently, we learned from Kenneth Feinberg, the government’s special investiga
The Shirley Sherrod Story started innocently. It was a beautiful anecdote of redemption and personal growth, which she related last year at a meeting of the Georgia NAACP. The story told by this
Like ugly on a toad, banker greed just can’t be rinsed off, no matter how much regulatory soap you use. Last week, Congress enacted new rules to govern America’s huge banks, thus com
The good news is that America’s economy continues to grow. The bad news is that most people’s personal economies continue to shrivel. The June report on jobs glows with the happy news that
On the Fourth of July, we celebrated Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Madison and all the other great men who created our democracy, right? Not exactly. The founders did create the framework for a democrat
If scientists were to compare the DNA of Republican congress-critters and of oil corporations, I’ll bet they’d find that they match perfectly. After all, the two species have identical pol
Few people today call themselves populists, but I think most are. I’m not talking about the recent political outbursts by confused, used and abused tea-bag ranters who’ve been organized by
We meet at a trendy little café on Main Street in Peoria on a cold, sunny Monday afternoon. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is on the campaign trail, and he has agreed to meet me to talk abou
We meet at a trendy little café on Main Street in Peoria on a cold, sunny Monday afternoon. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is on the campaign trail, and he has agreed to meet me to talk abou
The year 2008 went out with a big bang for Microsoft. On Dec. 31, a court in China’s southern city of Shenzhen convicted 11 people of violating national copyright laws for manufactu
In the old days politicians would slip preachers some hundreds under the table and preachers would deliver the flock on Election Day. It was borderline illegal, but at least it left the Cons
Untitled Document Rush Limbaugh and some myopic Democrats would have us believe that most if not all Republicans who have been voting in Democratic primaries are “dittohead
Untitled Document The International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization promised that more trade would help eradicate poverty and hunger. Food crops? Self-sufficiency
Untitled Document U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, destiny’s tot, recently suggested that blue-collar Americans are feeling bitter about their financial condition, and critics have
Untitled Document “Operation Chaos,” Rush Limbaugh’s campaign urging Republicans to vote for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in Democratic primaries, has been very ef
Untitled Document JANESVILLE, Wis. — When I talked with U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold about what the Democratic candidates for president needed to do to win the Wisconsin primary
Untitled Document Say what you will about the looming catastrophe facing the world as the pace of global heating and polar melting accelerates. There is a silver lining. L
Untitled Document A Stanford University computer scientist named John Koza has formulated a compelling and pragmatic alternative to the Electoral College. It’s called the N
A Virginia-based group that wanted to play in Illinois politics, but didn’t want to disclose its donors has lost Round One in what could be an extended court battle. The Center for Individu
A Virginia-based group that wanted to play in Illinois politics, but didn’t want to disclose its donors has lost Round One in what could be an extended court battle. The Center for Individu
Lots of people are having trouble getting their heads around the fact that Republican state Sen. Bill Brady may well be our next governor. This is, after all, a Democratic state.But it’s way pas
There is no doubt whatsoever that Republicans in this state have every reason to cheer and Democrats have all the reasons in the world to grumble.Republicans have a fired up, angry base that can’
Democrats throughout the country and right here in Illinois are pushing a two-pronged negative strategy to retain their hold on power in these uncertain times. The first is to do as much opposition re
Gov. Pat Quinn was in rare form last week as he attacked state Sen. Bill Brady before his Republican opponent had a chance to get his own licks in. Quinn was put in an extremely awkward position by hi
I was looking through Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign finance reports the other day and saw that he went way out of his way to list even the tiniest in-kind contributions.“In-kind” donatio
So, why did Gov. Pat Quinn close the gap with Republican state Sen. Bill Brady in Rasmussen Reports’ latest poll? There’s a one-word answer: women.Rasmussen’s newest poll had Brady a
I was talking to my mom on the phone last week and just as I was about to hang up she stopped me short and insisted that we talk about Gov. Pat Quinn’s bigtime raises to his top staff.If you&rsq
During the long, excruciating overtime state legislative session of 2007, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan complained that Gov. Rod Blagojevich had a habit of diverting high-level discussions aw
To many Illinois politics insiders, one of the more surprising aspects of this Rod Blagojevich saga is not that the former governor was arrested. Most of them knew for years that he was heading for bi
Untitled Document The Midwest is where it’s at — for corn and politics. Five Midwestern states — Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana — acco
Untitled Document The Midwest is where it’s at — for corn and politics. Five Midwestern states — Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana — acco
Untitled Document For the past week, Democrats have been beating their chests, declaring that their reclamation of Congress, as well as the majority of governorships around the n
One way to measure the difference between the candidates for Illinois’ 99th House District is paperwork. Let me explain: When Republican state Rep. Raymond Poe, R-99th District, visited the off
It has to be tough for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama — who’s been asked repeatedly whether he’s considering a run for president or would accept an invitation to be a vice presidential candi
With less than eight weeks to go before the November general election, Green Party gubernatorial long shot Rich Whitney has 6 percent support among likely voters, a Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll release
One year ago this week, Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped out New Orleans, one of the oldest, most culturally rich, poorest, and, indeed, important cities in America. In the weeks leading up to the anni
Before embarking on a five-nation tour of Africa last week, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed concern about the perception that he could deliver to the continent, as he told the Chicago Tribune, &ldquo
“They may be our color, but they’re not our kind,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, a loyal and longtime Democrat, of African-American Republicans during a television interview earlier thi
Israel’s consul general to the Midwest, Barukh Binah, traveled to Springfield earlier this week to discuss the newest war in the Middle East, which started with the capture of two Israeli soldie
