News | Thursday, January 10,2013

City approves benefits for civil-union partners

But secrecy remains

After a delay caused by a court setback, the Springfield City Council has extended health benefits to civil-union partners of municipal employees.But the council’s action might still be illegal

News | Thursday, January 3,2013

Tied up at the moment

Cuffed priest granted leave

By Bruce Rushton

Rev. Bernard Thomas Donovan at St. Aloysius Church in Springfield makes a 911 call to request help escaping from his handcuffs.

News | Thursday, December 20,2012

No joking matter

Police sued after cops laugh

By Bruce Rushton

A Springfield man has sued officers from Springfield and Jerome, claiming that police used excessive force while arresting him a year ago.A police microphone captures officers Michael Brown and Chance

News | Thursday, December 20,2012

The sky’s the limit

Airports are cash cows, except for Grandpa’s Farm

By Bruce Rushton

As the nation hurtles toward a fiscal cliff, the Illinois Department of Transportation has released a study showing that airports are economic catalysts.The study’s authors, it seems, have never

News | Thursday, December 20,2012

Firearms, medical pot and gay marriage, oh my!

Illinois could soon change drastically

By Patrick Yeagle

When Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield early next year, they’ll face three issues more divisive than even the ongoing pension battle. But like the pension issue, these battles have

News | Thursday, December 13,2012

Kids at the margins

Springfield steps up to help homeless children

By Patrick Yeagle

They live in hotels, cars or even at campgrounds. When the winter wind blows, they’re the children who don’t have coats. When it’s time to take a quiz, they’re the children who

News | Thursday, December 13,2012

Can I get a witness?

After witness doesn’t get to testify, city loses case

By Bruce Rushton

There are more questions than answers in the wake of an arbitrator’s decision rescinding the termination of a City Water, Light and Power employee who cut down a relative’s tree on city ti

News | Thursday, December 13,2012

Rats!

Henson-Robinson Zoo gets a fascinating new species. It’s not a panda.

By Bruce Rushton

Imagine being impervious to pain, immune to cancer and darn near immortal.Then imagine, as one scribe once put it, looking like a penis with buck teeth.That is the conundrum of the naked mole-rat, the

News | Thursday, December 6,2012

Tax transparency or competition killer?

Senate passes corporate tax disclosure bill

By Patrick Yeagle

Illinois would make public the tax data of publicly traded companies under a bill passed by the state Senate last week, but business interests say the move would put some companies at a competitive di

News | Thursday, December 6,2012

Not so fast

Chemical dumping at Clinton challenged

By Bruce Rushton

A consortium of local governments stretching from Urbana to Bloomington is suing a Peoria-based waste company in hopes of killing a hazardous waste landfill near Clinton in DeWitt County.The plaintiff