Same-day and next-day deliveries of pet food, diapers, makeup, hair gel, breakfast cereals and other common household items will be available in the Springfield area by late-October or early November with the recent opening of Amazon’s new distribution hub, a company official says. The 71,000-square-foot warehouse, so far employing 75 part-time, entry-level workers and about […]
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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Sangamon County Sheriff’s union endorses David Timm
The union representing Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department deputies, correctional officers and court security staff says its membership overwhelmingly endorsed recently retired deputy David Timm to be the next sheriff over incumbent Sheriff Paula Crouch. Timm, 50, a Republican from rural Pleasant Plains, is collecting signatures on petitions to challenge Crouch, a Republican from rural Williamsville, […]
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City Council expresses surprise at TIF agreement
Springfield City Council members who said in September they were unaware of a previous mayor’s promise to send $100,000 a year to School District 186 from funds collected for two of the city’s tax-increment financing districts have no reason to plead ignorance, former mayor Jim Langfelder told Illinois Times. Langfelder, who lost his bid for […]
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Losing health care coverage
Dr. Janet Albers is sad that thousands of Springfield-area patients could lose Medicaid coverage and delay care because of Republican President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Albers, a family physician, told Illinois Times that she saw many previously uninsured patients get screened for cancer and chronic health conditions, then obtain lifesaving treatment, after the […]
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Dr. Jerry Kruse announces retirement from SIU School of Medicine
Dr. Jerry Kruse, dean and provost of Springfield-based Southern Illinois University School of Medicine for the past nine years, plans to retire in summer 2026. Kruse, 72, a family physician and member of the medical school’s faculty for more than 40 years, announced his retirement to the SIU Board of Trustees at its meeting Sept. […]
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Grayson’s background ruled irrelevant for trial
Jurors at former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson’s murder trial won’t hear potentially disturbing details from Grayson’s military service and previous jobs in law enforcement even though the revelations led to new requirements for background checks of police statewide. Sangamon County Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin on Sept. 12 agreed with Grayson’s defense lawyers that […]
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Springfield Clinic seeks new west-side location
Springfield Clinic wants to use the former site of Ashley Furniture Outlet and Barney’s Furniture on Springfield’s west side for storage and eventually for retail sales of medical equipment and devices. The multispecialty physician group’s request for zoning to allow for those plans at 1987 Wabash Ave. will be considered Sept. 17 by the Springfield […]
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Trump’s trans ban affects Chatham resident
To Dahlia Dahl, President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military – more expansive than the one that eventually took effect during the Republican’s first term – is unfair and unwise. Dahl, 22, a Chatham resident and the daughter of Dave and Corrina Dahl, enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in […]
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Insurance company alleges Wyndham owner caused damage
The owner of the Wyndham Springfield City Centre conspired to cause the extensive water damage that rendered the 369-room hotel inoperable on March 27, an insurance company alleged in documents filed Aug. 25 in federal court. Tower Capital Group general manager Al Rajabi attempted to fool Affiliated FM Insurance Co. to get the company to […]
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Health workers help address disparities
An apartment fire put Willie Taylor out of his home two years ago on Springfield’s east side and threw his life into chaos. A survivor of two strokes who deals with high blood pressure and other health problems, Taylor, 71, is on more stable footing these days. He attributes the improvement to Derek Rimelspach, a […]
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Combating homelessness
There are signs of progress, as well as frustration, in the efforts to reduce homelessness in Springfield. Advocates say more work is needed to expand housing options and street-level outreach to help people who cycle in and out of homelessness amid a 40% increase in rental costs in Illinois since 2020 and a lack of […]
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City Council approves third round of cannabis grants
Former Ward 2 Ald. Frank McNeil, lead plaintiff in a federal court case that resulted in Springfield switching to the aldermanic form of government in 1987 and electing its first Black members of the City Council, wants to restore the city’s first Black-owned doctor’s office. “I look at this as a community enrichment project,” McNeil, […]
