Gambling could pay for road repairs

Springfield mulls repeal of ban on video gambling

Springfield could raise money for infrastructure improvements from video gambling if the city council approves a measure introduced last week. Springfield mayor Michael Houston introduced a proposal t

Panhandling defended

Don Norton of Springfield has been homeless before, and he expects to be so again. Norton and his partner, Karen Denene Otterson, live with a friend who is planning to get married, meaning their welco

SMTD sees change ahead

Transportation advocates involved in talks to improve service

Janice Smith of Springfield says the public bus system is her lifeline. She rides buses all over Springfield to work, to shop and to visit friends – in short, everywhere. She’s on a bus al

Illinois falls apart

State agencies scramble to avert crises as funding vanishes

Marc Miller has been an outdoorsman for as long as he can remember.Miller says he grew up in a family of hunters, anglers and camping enthusiasts, but also learned the value of protecting the land. He

Quinn reinstates early prison release

Program touted to save state money, increase public safety

Quinn still plans to close Tamms supermax

National attention focuses on solitary confinement

Gov. Pat Quinn is moving ahead with plans to close the state’s controversial “C-Max” prison at Tamms, Ill., despite a plan by state lawmakers to keep it open and convert it to a lowe

Hollywood, Illinois

Group brings major film productions to central Illinois

Springfield may not be the first place people think about when imagining locations to shoot movies or TV shows. But thanks to the efforts of one local group, this city and the central Illinois region

Early release worries understaffed parole agents

Caseload of ex-offenders already high, due to rise

As Gov. Pat Quinn mulls a bill to allow early release for inmates in state prisons, parole agents who monitor ex-offenders say the program would add to their already burdensome caseload.In late March,

Two Springfield couples fight for same-sex marriage

Lawsuit seeks to overturn state definition of marriage on constitutional grounds

Randy Walden did everything right, but it wasn’t enough.When Walden’s partner of nine years, Curt Sills, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Walden and Sills drew up documents giving Walden

Lawmakers vote to reinstate early prisoner release

Would require annual reports, include inmate evaluations

Illinois prison inmates may soon qualify for early release once more under a bill passed by state lawmakers last week. If approved by Gov. Pat Quinn, the move would address state prison overcrowding t