Nehemiah Dawson is five years old, he is third in his kindergarten class for spelling and he has Autism Spectrum disorder. But the program that his parents credit with most of his success might not have a future. The Autism Program (TAP) is one of several state programs that lost all funding as part of […]
Alan Kozeluh
Posted inNews
Show me the pension
Two prominent Democratic lawmakers are calling on Gov. Bruce Rauner to release the long-awaited details his pension proposal so they can figure out what it means for the state’s budget. State Senator Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, and Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D–Northbrook, said on Tuesday they have some concerns over the changes to the pension system at […]
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Car trouble
Business and labor groups are at odds over a bill that would restrict which vehicles state and local governments could buy. Illinois State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, sponsors House Bill 3438, which would restrict the state of Illinois and local governments to buying vehicles assembled in the U.S. or Canada, but not Mexico. The actual […]
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Street fight
Illinois lawmakers used $300 million meant for roads to plug a budget hole earlier this year, so now they’re considering replacing the money with a higher tax on motor fuels. The proposal would eliminate the sales tax on gasoline and diesel fuel, instead raising the separate motor fuel tax. A group of oil industry interests […]
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Watching the watchers
A patrol car equipped with a roof-mounted camera that constantly photographs passing license plates. PHOTO BY RICK LOOMIS/TNS Police departments across the nation are obtaining a device that takes a picture of your license plate, stamps the location, time and date on it, and sends it to a database. The devices could be in parking […]
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Heating assistance wins reprieve
ILLUSTRATION BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION It was like a bad April Fools’ Day prank, only a few days early. Springfield resident Tara Lybarger, a 42-year-old cashier at a laundromat, had been waiting since December to get signed up for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). On March 24, a few days before the […]
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Political newcomers face off in Ward 10
Phil Chiles and Ralph Hanauer Former Gov. Jim Edgar has come out in favor of one of the candidates for Ward 10 alderman. Edgar, in a press release put out Monday, gave his endorsement to Phil Chiles, former president of the Illinois Association of Realtors “He performed capably and effectively when we worked together in […]
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Three for Ward 4
Dave Varner, John Fulgenzi and Scott McFarland Stacks of mailers and campaign literature sit next to a rolled-up map of Springfield’s wards on a table in the dining room of Fulgenzi’s Pizza and Pasta. Owner, operator and candidate John Fulgenzi, 67, spends a few minutes on the phone ordering food and supplies for his restaurant […]
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Child care groups fear closure
More than 1,200 people signed up last week to testify in support of legislation to fund an important state child care program, expressing opposition to deep cuts proposed by Gov. Bruce Rauner. The House Human Services Committee met March 19 to consider additional funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) through the end of […]
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Prescription lockdown
For recovering addict Nick Gore, the cost of heroin abuse is all too real. “In my three years that I’ve been sober, I’ve lost 16 friends to overdose,” Gore said. “Those 16 people that died all started with prescription narcotics; that is where their addiction started.” Gore spoke to state lawmakers last week at a […]
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Supreme Court hears pension arguments
The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments last week on whether a controversial law cutting public pension benefits was constitutional. The high court’s decision will play a pivotal role in determining how Illinois deals with its growing unfunded public pension liability, especially as Gov. Bruce Rauner seeks to further cut pensions to close a massive budget […]
Posted inMusic
Mostly Mozart By Illinois Symphony Orchestra
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra is putting on a “Mostly Mozart” Concert at six and eight PM, Friday March 20 at the First Presbyterian Church, 321 S Seventh St. It is “mostly” Mozart because in between the two Mozart Pieces they will be priemiering a brand new piece, “Musica Nostalgia” by Uzbekistani Composer Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky. This […]
