Dean Olsen

The total 21% increase in pay that Springfield police will see by the end of a new four-year union contract – including a 13% raise in the current fiscal year – will help recruit and retain officers and put their salaries more in line with comparable Illinois cities. That was the consensus of representatives from […]

Mentoring, recreation, financial literacy and employment-readiness training for children and young adults on Springfield’s east side are among activities that could be funded with $645,000 in grants approved in November by the Springfield City Council. The three organizations in line to receive the grants – part of $3 million in special state funding for the […]

A German renewable energy company plans to file applications with Montgomery and Macoupin county officials early in 2024 for approval to construct the first phase of a multi-county, $450 million wind farm development known as Grand Prairie Energy Park. UKA Group’s North American Affiliate, based in Stuart, Florida, would build about 60 wind turbines in […]

A tourism improvement district that would finance a $100 million expansion of Springfield’s downtown convention center cleared a major hurdle recently, with the proposed district – and a future surcharge on room rates – receiving majority support from the city’s hotels. “It’s a big step,” said state Rep. Mike Coffey, R-Springfield, a downtown restaurant owner […]

Kayla Graven looks forward to broadening the focus of her economic development expertise to all of Springfield. Graven, 34, told Illinois Times that the “opportunity to grow as a professional” attracted her to Springfield city government after working since 2018 at Downtown Springfield Inc., where she has been the nonprofit organization’s executive director the past […]

A third fine in fewer than two years for Illinois’ largest health insurance company proves that stronger regulations are needed to prevent insurers from promoting “ghost networks” of providers, state Rep. Sue Scherer says. “The fines are not solving the problem,” Scherer, D-Decatur, said in response to the Illinois Department of Insurance’s $231,900 fine announced […]

Springfield officials are pushing back against assertions that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dealt a blow to a proposed second lake for the city’s future water needs. Don Hanrahan, a lawyer and rural Springfield resident, told Illinois Times the EPA’s latest recommendation that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deny a permit for construction […]

The former chief financial officer for the Illinois State Police Merit Board and former volunteer in JB Pritzker’s first gubernatorial campaign pleaded guilty Nov. 3 to forgery resulting in undeserved overtime pay and was sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge. Jenny Thornley, 43, of the 2800 block of Hilltop Road in Springfield, pleaded guilty […]

Some recipients of business grants funded with a portion of Springfield’s share of sales taxes on adult-use cannabis are upset their businesses were mentioned in an independent audit critical of the new program. Meanwhile, city officials are considering changes to the program in coming months to create a more consistent system for disbursing and monitoring […]

A residency requirement for Springfield city government employees that first took effect in 1976, was abandoned in 2000 and then reinstated in 2017, could be suspended under a moratorium proposed by Mayor Misty Buscher and two alderpersons. Supporters of the measure say suspending enforcement of the requirement is needed – at least for a year […]