Rebirth of a rivertown

Signs of life in Cairo

Walking down the main business street in Cairo, Ill., it’s tempting to think that this spring’s floodwaters of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers were sent to put the languishing town out of

Holding Wall Street accountable in Illinois

Coalition wants to close Illinois tax loopholes for businesses

If corporations paid their fair share of taxes in Illinois, the state’s budget crisis would disappear, according to an advocacy group calling for higher taxes on big businesses.Make Wall Street

Sex offender board can’t manage sex offenders

New election district may benefit Springfield’s east side

Linking east side to Decatur provides urban representation

A new election map approved by the Illinois General Assembly could result in better representation for Springfield’s east side.Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner testified at a May 24 hearing of the Illin

Swim, bike, run for fitness and fun

Maybe it’s the obesity epidemic that has so many people worried about their waistlines. Or maybe it’s the ongoing recession that has people looking for low-cost extracurriculars. Whatever

Smart grid or smart grab?

Consumer advocates blast ComEd rate increases

The state’s largest electric utility is asking lawmakers for a series of automatic rate increases to upgrade infrastructure, but consumer advocates say it’s an unfair deal.Commonwealth Edi

Defenders of the innocent

Innocence Project marks 10 years by honoring key allies

It’s not every day that a serial killer helps a writer solve a crime, so when Diane Fanning, a Texas true-crime author, received a letter from convicted killer Tommy Lynn Sells admitting to a mu

Pair freed from prison, but still not in the clear

Prosecution moves to retest DNA in controversial 1986 double murder

In 1986, newlyweds Dyke and Karen Rhoades were murdered and their bodies burnt in their Paris, Ill., home. Police arrested Randy Steidl and Herb Whitlock for the murders, and the two men each spent ma

Court blasts VA for mental health failings

Orders Veterans Affairs to address weeks-long delays in suicide, PTSD treatment

Every day, 18 veterans in the United States commit suicide, while another 1,000 attempt suicide each month.That’s according to a federal district court which recently ordered the U.S. Department

Medicaid cuts threaten nursing home staff, services

$70 million in cuts under debate in Illinois budget talks

John Riech of Athens speaks softly as he puts his hand on the shoulder of his wife, Phyllis. She is sitting in a wheelchair, slowly petting her small white dog, Sassy.    “We were