News | Thursday, March 29,2012

Civil union adoption fight gets heated

Bill would exempt religious adoption agencies from law

More than nine months after Illinois’ civil union law took effect, state lawmakers are still arguing over what it means. That’s because of a controversial measure to exempt religious adopt

News | Thursday, March 22,2012

Elevating education

Can Springfield turn around its languishing public schools?

By Patrick Yeagle

Four years ago, a report on education in Springfield revealed some difficult realities about the city’s public schools. The report highlighted declining test scores, poor attendance, low graduat

News | Thursday, March 15,2012

Time to graduate?

Constitutional amendment would ditch flat income tax

By Patrick Yeagle

Illinois grapples with another round of difficult budget cuts, some lawmakers want to eliminate the state’s constitutional flat-rate income tax requirement, opening the door for what some

News | Thursday, March 15,2012

Ferreting out fraud

Fight against Medicaid abuse reaching critical mass

By Patrick Yeagle

It’s a crucial time for Illinois in terms of the state budget, but investigators say the state is at a turning point in another respect: fighting Medicaid fraud.Gov. Pat Quinn announced a state

News | Thursday, March 8,2012

Power company generates questions

Prosecutors alleged Tenaska paid former Oklahoma senator to influence bill

By Patrick Yeagle

A power generating company with plans for a major new plant in Illinois has been implicated in the corruption trial of a former Oklahoma senator convicted of bribery.During federal court testimony las

News | Thursday, March 1,2012

Man on fire

Burn survivor brings message of hope to Springfield

By Patrick Yeagle

J.R. Martinez says he used to worry that his appearance would frighten children. Now he proudly embraces the rippled burn scars that cover much of his face, hands and other body parts. In 2003, the fo

News | Thursday, March 1,2012

Masticating Medicaid

State lawmakers chew on $2.7 billion Medicaid cuts

By Patrick Yeagle

Illinois’ Medicaid program is in a hole, Gov. Pat Quinn said in his annual budget address last week, and state lawmakers must cut billions from the program to prevent that hole from swallowing u

News | Thursday, February 23,2012

Judge sides with Illinois Times on lawsuit

Orders city health committee to meet in public

By Patrick Yeagle

A Sangamon County judge has ordered a Springfield city government committee to hold open meetings following a lawsuit by an Illinois Times reporter.Bruce Rushton, a staff writer for Illinois Times, fi

News | Thursday, February 23,2012

Could redistricting lead to same-sex marriage?

Group targets civil union opponents for election upset

By Patrick Yeagle

Lawmakers who opposed Illinois’ civil union law in 2010 now face a renewed battle – this time for their reelection. “We want lawmakers to understand that if they oppose civil r

News | Friday, February 17,2012

Who are we adopting?

Parents say DCFS leaves them in the dark

By Patrick Yeagle

Tammy Herstad feels like a failure. A mother of three adopted sons and one biological daughter in the Chicago suburb of Bartlett, Herstad spends much of her time worrying about her adopted son, Adam.