Sgt. Kathy Krusz has been an Illinois conservation agent for 26 years. Her life’s work is protecting the state’s abundant natural resources, including its wildlife. She’s dealt with some of the wiliest and dumbest creatures ever seen. By her account, she’s had plenty of close encounters. “Think of the stupidest things human beings can do, […]
John Jermaine
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The Return of the Roxy
Bob Boarman has 16 grandchildren of his own, but to hear him talk, he’s the surrogate grandfather of all the kids in town. And it bothered the 62-year-old businessman that all of his kids had to leave town to have a good time. It was a marked difference from when he was a young man […]
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The burger king and queen of Mattoon
Gene and Betty Hoots bought a successful ice-cream stand in Mattoon in the early 1950s. A few years later, the young couple decided to expand the business by adding hamburgers, french fries and other items to the menu. So they fixed up a two-car garage behind the Frigid Queen, adding a grill and a counter […]
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The lingering storm
The afternoon of May 9, 1995, was clear, hot, and humid. A tornado watch had been issued, but Charles Bishop, an engineer at Garrett Aviation, continued to mow his lawn. At 4:45 p.m. he suddenly saw a funnel cloud across the road from his house four miles southwest of Cantrall. Bishop, 44, told writer John […]
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The need for speed
Donnie Beechler knows what it’s like to whip past a cheering crowd at 200 miles per hour. In the basement of his Springfield home, the three-time Indy 500 veteran has a mini museum documenting his racing career: Fire resistant suits stand next to Indy 500 helmets on pedestals. A coin-operated racing simulator allows guests to […]
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Homeless in winter
The homeless are often called “lazy” or “crazy.” Writer John Jermaine spent last weekend in the freezing cold, talking to homeless people as they tried to stay warm. He says there is no one type. “I have discovered men who defended this country, people who do volunteer work, and those driven to the streets by […]
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War stories
“War is Hell,” according to William Tecumseh Sherman. Ovbiously, he knew what he was talking about. Watching the invasion of Iraq on television, writer John Jermaine wondered about the naivete of the young soldiers under fire. What did they expect before they entered battle? He decided to visit with three older veterans of foreign wars […]
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Highwayman
Writer John Jermaine has long heard about speed traps in the towns of Edinburg and Rochester, located south of Springfield on Route 29. With the route expanding from two to four lanes, the highway will now skirt around Edinburg. Jermaine decided to check in with Officer Dennis Greenwald, chief of the Edinburg Police Department for […]
