Always chasing rainbows

Springfield prepares for its second gay pride celebration

Don’t-ask-don’t-tell is gone. Civil unions are the law of the land in Illinois. The president, who three years ago declared June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, s

Chipping away

Board upholds findings against lawyer

Run to remember a special veteran

When Brian McMillen walked into her office at Lincoln Land Community College in 2002, Jenny Gietl knew there was something special about him. McMillen had just returned from his second year of active

Action Now protests federal budget cuts

Group says it’s confused about Johnson’s vote

A group of 15 to 20 individuals and members of Action Now gathered outside Republican headquarters in Springfield May 10 to protest and question the decision making of U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson.  Joh

Write wingers

While the mainstream press cuts back, conservatives step in

Necrophilia is legal in Illinois, and the legislature is cracking down.Who knew?The Belleville News-Democrat and St. Louis Post-Dispatch in February broke the news that state Rep. Daniel Beiser, D-Alt

Attorney general questions Macoupin mine permit

Concerns come as Foresight Energy announces IPO

While one of the state’s largest coal-mining companies prepares to go public, state regulators are examining whether one of the company’s mines near Carlinville has a proper pollution perm

How will retirements affect Springfield?

Lawmakers vote to keep supermax prison open

Panel’s 3-7 vote against Tamms closure isn’t final word

A panel of state lawmakers voted last week to keep the state’s “supermax” prison open, but the costly facility’s ultimate fate rests with the governor.

Coal curriculum

What is the state teaching children about coal?

Illinois is a coal state – the eighth-largest producer of coal in the nation at 33.2 million tons in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Illinois Geological Survey estimates Il

Should Illinois release old and costly inmates?

In 2010, Illinois prisons held 223 C-Number inmates who had been there for more than 30 years. These inmates were a part of a sentencing scheme from a different era.C-Number inmates are prisoners who