BAD IDEA
All the coverage of the protestors (outside Sean Grayson’s trial) just ensures the jury will be influenced. Guess the idea of innocent until proven guilty only applies to those protesting. It’s a sure way to have the whole case thrown out on jury-tampering allegations.
Dottie Unland Gholson
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
DATA CENTER PLANS
There’s been a lot of conversation lately about data centers – and that’s understandable. When something new and large-scale comes to our community, people naturally have questions and concerns. We want you to know that we hear those concerns and that the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance is committed to sharing clear, factual information about these developments as they take shape.
Over the past several years, SSGA has been working to prepare Sangamon County for potential investment in data infrastructure, and that groundwork has paid off. CyrusOne has announced plans to build a 300-acre data center campus in southwest Sangamon County, marking a major milestone for our region’s growth.
We’re grateful that Illinois Times recently published a thoughtful, detailed and accurate article about the project. It highlights some of the key details that help separate fact from fiction, including:
Water use: The campus will use a closed-loop cooling system, meaning it won’t draw from local lakes, wells or water sources.
Power reliability: The project has already undergone review by MISO, the independent electric grid operator, which confirmed that it will not negatively affect other users on the grid.
Energy costs: While energy prices are rising nationwide, they are driven by broader market forces – not by any one facility. Data centers have a strong incentive to keep electricity prices stable and affordable.
Infrastructure costs: Under Illinois law, ratepayers are protected. All new infrastructure needed to power this facility will be paid for by the developer – not the public.
We know that data centers haven’t always had the best reputation in the past. But technology, best practices and accountability measures have evolved significantly. Our goal is to make sure everyone in our community has access to the facts and can see how much progress has been made in sustainable design, infrastructure planning and economic benefit.
This project represents an exciting new chapter for Sangamon County – one that showcases what’s possible when a community works together with vision and collaboration. We’ll continue to share updates and resources to help our residents stay informed and engaged as this opportunity moves forward.
Ryan McCrady
President and CEO, SSGA
FOCUS ON WELLNESS
We’ve created a monster and it’s time we stop feeding it (“Losing health care coverage,” Oct. 2). In order for hospital systems to grow, more people have to be sick. A healthier community means the hospitals are reduced. The hospital is not the place for health care; it’s a place for medical attention. The doctor’s office is not the place for wellness, it’s a place for diagnosis and the treatment of illness. Without correcting the problem, the illness hangs around and becomes disease. Health is a state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social well-being.
Doctors care for illness. People have to care for their health. Germs are the only thing that thrives in a poorly cared for body. We have to learn to eat better, live better and relate better. We have to take care of ourselves and each other. Life is about people and connection. People are not machines and they are not meant to spend their lives working as if they are.
The doctors are just as overworked as the patients are. But the difference is that it doesn’t matter how hard the doctors work, it won’t make people healthier – only the patients can do that.
Kendra Barlow-Johnson
Springfield
This article appears in October 23-29, 2025.
