Dean Olsen

Opponents of a proposed $500 million data center in southwestern Sangamon County went away disappointed and angry but unbowed, while officials from a Dallas-based company left smiling, after a pair of nonbinding votes by county officials Feb. 19. “This is a long-term catalyst for the labor and construction industry,” Bradd Hout, location and power strategy […]

Several of Springfield’s city council members voiced concern that the city’s rate of spending could lead to future shortfalls, but a majority still approved a new fiscal year budget of almost $203 million. The new corporate fund budget for fiscal 2027, which supports most city functions, such as road repairs and police and fire protection, […]

The former Sangamon County sheriff – who refused calls for his resignation after Sonya Massey’s 2024 murder, then abruptly retired, citing stress on his family and the sheriff’s office – recently defended the office against recent allegations of “institutional shortcomings.” Jack Campbell, 61, responded to questions from Illinois Times after Sangamon County deputy Travis Koester […]

The president of the union that represents deputies in the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office pleaded with a judge to be lenient in sentencing former deputy Sean Grayson for the murder of Sonya Massey. Sangamon County Deputy Travis Koester was ultimately unsuccessful but told Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin in a letter that Grayson, 31, deserved mercy […]

The only Democrat whose name will be on the March 17 primary ballot for Sangamon County sheriff decided Feb. 9 to withdraw from the race. Springfield resident Marc Bell, the lone Democrat on the ballot, posted on his campaign’s Facebook page that a lack of financial support from the Democratic Party was the reason for […]

Members of Sonya Massey’s family, who declared victory with the recent sentencing of her killer to a 20-year prison term, say they hope her tragic death leads to policy changes in Sangamon County and nationwide.  The sentence, which likely will be appealed to a higher court by lawyers representing former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean […]

Plans for a $500 million data center to be built by Dallas-based CyrusOne in rural southwest Sangamon County could receive final zoning votes from county officials later this month and in March. A public hearing on CyrusOne’s plan to build a 636-megawatt data center complex covering 1.4 million square feet on 230 acres of farm […]

A woman who almost lost her life because of a crash caused by Michael Egan said the 90-day jail sentence he received Jan. 30 for drunken driving was too lenient, but because of the criminal justice system’s inherent bias toward police, not surprising. “Unfortunately, I was expecting him to skate out easy because he’s a […]

A Sangamon County judge on Jan. 29 gave former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson the maximum sentence – 20 years in prison – for the July 2024 murder of Sonya Massey, culminating a nationally publicized case that led to ongoing discussions and action locally to bridge racial divides. A cheer went up in the courtroom and […]

The woman appointed as the new Sangamon County sheriff in the wake of the July 2024 murder of Sonya Massey says her experience, education and determination make her worthy of being elected to a four-year term. “I just feel like we started moving in the right direction for improvements,” Paula Crouch told Illinois Times when […]

Generous raises granted in collective bargaining contracts such as those negotiated for police and firefighters, coupled with a rise in headcount and increases in pension costs, threaten to push the city toward a fiscal cliff in three or four years, Springfield’s immediate past budget director says. Without tax increases or cuts in services, the city’s […]