News | Friday, May 3,2013

Mayor reins in chief

Houston limits power to change contracts

Harris Murder Trial | Thursday, May 2,2013

Bloodbath in Beason

Murder trial begins in 2009 killings

Logan County state’s attorney Jonathan Wright was raging.With trial scheduled to start in just three weeks, defense attorney Daniel Fultz had tainted the jury pool by granting an interview to a

News | Thursday, May 2,2013

Ready, set, shred

City destroys police records

By Bruce Rushton

Springfield city council members want answers about the shredding of dozens of police department disciplinary files last week. This comes in the wake of an unexpected change in policy that shortened t

News | Thursday, May 2,2013

City sued again

Springfield faces lawsuit over police records

By Bruce Rushton

The destruction of more than 70 Springfield police internal affairs files has landed the city in court. Calvin Christian, a city resident who has twice sued the city in recent years seeking in

Profile | Thursday, April 25,2013

Keeping it real

Mbanna Kantako is still on the air

By Bruce Rushton

Mbanna Kantako is on a roll.From his rental house just off North Grand Avenue in Enos Park, the 54-year-old blind man talks about the advent of spring and the need to till the soil. He speaks of pollu

News | Tuesday, April 23,2013

Mayor plans fundraiser

Houston pledged one term

By Bruce Rushton

Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said he intended to be a one-term mayor when he ran for office two years ago.“My plan is to serve four years and actually deal with problems,” Houston told t

News | Thursday, April 18,2013

Not hog heaven

Former Cargill worker sues

By Bruce Rushton

A former worker at the Cargill pork processing plant in Beardstown has sued the company, alleging that she was fired after she complained that the company was packaging spoiled meat for sale.Tamatha H

News | Thursday, April 18,2013

The lion sleeps tonight, fitfully

Lawmakers target exotic meat

By Bruce Rushton

Forget arguments over pensions, guns, taxes and health care.Judging by a quick Google check, the biggest issue facing Illinois lawmakers this session is the scourge of lion meat purveyors, who are now

News | Thursday, April 11,2013

Criminal charges possible

Prosecutor probes tree cutting

By Bruce Rushton

Sangamon County state’s attorney John Milhiser is considering criminal charges against Springfield workers who cut down a tree on property owned by a relative of one of the city employees.&ldquo

News | Thursday, April 4,2013

Upping the ante

Jennifer Watkins faces jail

By Bruce Rushton

Jennifer Watkins, the erstwhile Ashland resident who won’t let her five-year-old daughter visit with the child’s paternal grandparents, may soon become a felon.Whether criminal charges wil