Dilpreet Raju

The city of Springfield’s Police Community Review Commission approved an extension of the window that citizens can file complaints from 15 days to 30 days – though the city council will also have to approve the change – during its final meeting of the year on Nov. 6. In addition, Sunshine Clemons, co-founder of the […]

The Springfield City Council once again shot down the idea of a landlord registry during a chaotic Nov. 18 meeting, voting not to place an advisory referendum on the March ballot for voters to decide whether the city should compile a list of landlords and monitor their rental properties. The ordinance failed despite a 5-4 […]

A second commission formed by the Sangamon County Board has run its course, with the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission wrapping up its final meeting on Nov. 5 – one week after the Massey Commission held its final public meeting. The Mental Health Commission unanimously voted to approve language for a March referendum asking Sangamon […]

Experts in overdose response told Illinois Times they’re skeptical of Springfield’s capacity to treat people in need, despite the recent announcement that the city will use its share of opioid settlement funds to launch a crisis response team to aid people experiencing an overdose or mental health crisis. Last month, Mayor Misty Buscher announced the […]

Fatal overdoses have increased locally despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reporting the largest decline of annual overdose deaths the country has ever seen, and the city of Springfield plans to roll out a special 911 response team to aid those experiencing an overdose. Unlike much of the country, Sangamon County has […]

The roof was nearly entirely removed from the former Pillsbury Mills plant while piles of wreckage and broken equipment littered what was once a workplace for hundreds of Springfield residents when Gov. JB Pritzker stopped by the site on Oct. 30. Environmental cleanup efforts have been underway at the 18-acre site for the past several […]

The Massey Commission held its final full meeting Oct. 27, approving a list of calls to action. They include police reforms and expanding behavioral health systems while inviting participation from all facets of the Springfield community. The Massey Commission was created by Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter and State Sen. Doris Turner to […]

Chicago-based nonprofit Envision Unlimited will be hosting a grand opening for its Springfield community mental health center, at 1306 S. Sixth St., Oct. 30. Services offered are geared toward people with mental health challenges and disabilities. The center will accept both Medicaid and Blue Cross patients. Envision Unlimited already owns and operates the Hope Springs […]

More electric vehicle charging stations are coming to Springfield in the near future. City, Water, Light and Power presented a grant-funded plan to the Springfield City Council’s Committee of the Whole Oct. 14 detailing the proposal for 40 charging ports across nine locations, mostly downtown. The Community Charging infrastructure grant provides funding from the U.S. […]

The Sangamon County Board approved a resolution last month to settle its 2020 lawsuit against more than three dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers for racketeering and corruption in incentivizing the overprescribing of opioids and resulting fatal overdoses. Sangamon County will receive about $620,000 over 15 years from the latest settlement before attorney fees are […]