When federal agents raided Rainbow Massage Spa in 2019, one of the two Asian females living and working at the Chatham establishment told investigators she didn’t know the name of the community where the spa was located and was warned by the owner not to go outside because it wasn’t safe. The alleged owner, a […]
Dean Olsen
Dean Olsen is a senior staff writer for Illinois Times. He can be reached at:
dolsen@illinoistimes.com, 217-679-7810 or @DeanOlsenIT.
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An odd business partnership
An Illinois State Police officer who jointly owned a Wabash Avenue building with a Springfield man charged with using the site for sex trafficking and prostitution didn’t know anything illegal might be going on there, according to his attorney. “He denies any wrongdoing,” Springfield lawyer Scott Sabin said on behalf of state trooper Nathan Shanks. […]
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City weighs whether to regulate “backyard breeders”
Anyone breeding dogs and cats for sale in Springfield would have to register with the city as part of an effort to reduce the number of unwanted animals ending up in the Sangamon County Animal Control Center. An ordinance proposed by Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley is designed to give city officials information about the […]
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A new direction
Sections of Adams and Fourth streets will transition from one-way to two-way from May 6 through May 10 as part of what Springfield officials called “ongoing efforts to improve traffic flow and enhance safety in our community.” The conversion also will include the installation of a new option – reverse-angle, back-in parking – in a […]
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Man arrested by FBI owns property with an Illinois state trooper
A 60-year-old man charged in federal court with operating six “houses of prostitution” in Springfield wants to transfer his ownership interest in an office building to an Illinois state trooper who jointly owns the building. Gregory L. Fraase of Springfield asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen McNaught for permission to transfer his interest in a vacant […]
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Additional raids on Asian massage parlors
Greg Fraase apparently wasn’t involved in the ownership of two massage parlors raided on April 11. And unlike the February raids of Fraase’s properties, which were conducted by the FBI, the recent raids were handled by the Springfield Police Department. A news release from the police department said search warrants served at Golden Relax at […]
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Firefighters lobby for city-operated ambulance service
The president of the union representing Springfield firefighters says he is encouraged by Mayor Misty Buscher’s plan to form a commission that will examine options for improving emergency medical services. Whether that group will make more progress than a panel with the same task under the previous mayor, Jim Langfelder, remains to be seen. Also […]
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Making downtown Springfield more marketable
Doubling the Bank of Springfield Center’s size would result in a similar increase in conventions coming to the capital city, and construction of a new 300-bed hotel adjacent to the center would maximize the expanded facility’s potential. Those were two of the major conclusions from a recently completed feasibility study of the potential impact of […]
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County bars to close earlier
The Sangamon County Board opted not to allow for more public comment and instead voted 21-5 on April 8 to eliminate 3 a.m. liquor licenses for bars in unincorporated areas outside Springfield and other municipalities. The decision will affect four taverns with 3 a.m. liquor licenses, effective July 1, and will require those establishments, if […]
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Sangamon County Board to vote on ending 3 a.m. liquor licenses
No taverns in unincorporated parts of Sangamon County would be able to stay open and serve alcohol until 3 a.m. under a proposal scheduled for a Sangamon County Board vote on April 8. A proposed resolution to eliminate 3 a.m. liquor licenses from the Sangamon County code’s alcoholic beverages section was approved March 20 by […]
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Talking trash
Dave Allen encounters familiar sights as he drives down alleys in Springfield’s Harvard Park neighborhood. Some alleys are relatively clean while others are filled with overflowing bins of garbage that haven’t been emptied for weeks, half-open bags of trash on the ground, trails of garbage blowing into yards and streets, discarded furniture and old mattresses. […]
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Photographing history
The date was Jan. 29, 2009, and Pat Quinn was sitting at his desk in the lieutenant governor’s office, writing notes for what would become his inaugural speech as governor while the state Senate, one floor above, considered voting to remove Rod Blagojevich from office. A few feet away, camera in hand, was Springfield resident […]
