The new season for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra brings not only new management, but also a recent announcement that musicians have voted to officially unionize. On Oct. 20, representatives from the National Labor Relations Board sub-regional office in Peoria counted 64 ballots that were mailed in by ISO musicians. (The NLRB sent ballots to 107 […]
Amanda Robert
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Conservation Congress
After a five-year hiatus, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will reconvene its Conservation Congress, a two-day conference that brings conservationists and recreation advocates together to discuss future opportunities for the agency and for the state. This weekend, on Oct. 24 and 25, anyone with a stake in conservation and recreation — from preservationists and […]
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Free cell phones and service
As many as 20,370 low-income households in Sangamon County could qualify for a free cell phone and 60 minutes of free monthly talk-time, according to a spokesperson with TracFone Wireless, Inc., a national prepaid cell phone provider. Jose Fuentes, TracFone’s director of government relations, announced earlier this month that the company would add Illinois to […]
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Blogger busted
On April 2, Scott Humphrey was visiting his next-door neighbor Sandy when she looked out her kitchen window and noticed that an unfamiliar man and woman were standing on his front porch. Humphrey stepped outside and called across the yard to them, and the man replied that they had been looking for him. When Humphrey […]
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Stimulus funds boost electronic health records
The national health care debate continues on Capitol Hill, but that won’t stop Springfield medical leaders from injecting innovation into the local health care scene. Last week U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin and Roland Burris, D-Ill., announced that the United States Department of Health and Human Services would award $750,000 to the Illinois Primary Health Care […]
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Domestic violence programs need more funds, better services
From July through early September, Sojourn Shelter and Services could only offer emergency shelter beds to 16 women and children fleeing domestic violence — a dramatic decrease from the 32 the local nonprofit provided before the summer’s state budget scare. Candi Clouse, Sojourn’s prevention and development coordinator, says the organization is now “getting back to […]
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Educator: Springfield needs more charter schools
Dr. Patrick Hardy, chief academic officer for Rockford Public Schools, visited Springfield last week to encourage educators and community members to consider offering more alternatives to traditional public education. During a presentation hosted by the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research and education organization, Hardy contended that charter schools — open-enrollment public schools usually operated […]
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Redesigning high schools from the inside out
While the Springfield School District plans to renovate its three high schools, and possibly build a new one, it has already embraced a new design for secondary teaching and learning. “Small learning communities,” also called academies or pods, will be built around specific career interests in each school. Students will pick a community and remain […]
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How will people with disabilities get to Southwind?
When United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln surveyed its clients recently, the organization found that people with disabilities need better access to recreational and social activities. Bridget Gilliam, UCP’s children’s services manager, says that many families are eager to explore Southwind Park, an 80-acre “all-abilities” venue near the intersection of Interstate 55 and Toronto Road […]
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After prisoner’s death, supermax reforms promised
As Tamms Year Ten and other human rights organizations stepped forward to speak for Robert Foor, a 33-year-old who died in June after nearly 11 years in isolation at the Tamms Closed Maximum Security Unit, the Illinois Department of Corrections announced its plans to reform the southern Illinois “supermax” prison. Last week, IDOC director Michael […]
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Federal energy bill creates jobs and reduces pollution
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 would create 20,000 new jobs in Illinois and save its average household $193 a year by 2020, according to a new report released by Environment Illinois and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The federal bill, which passed the House of Representatives in June and […]
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More than able
Finding a job has never been an easy feat for Kerry Jennings. Nine years ago, while living in southern Illinois, Jennings sent out nearly 150 resumes. Even though he touted a bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and an extra dose of confidence, he was still turned down. Jennings, who was […]
