Maria Gardner Lara

The repercussions from the Aug. 27 water main break along Monroe Street in downtown Springfield continue to be felt as businesses seek to recoup losses and move past the day’s events. The building at the corner of Fifth and Monroe streets received the brunt of the flow of water when a 12-foot section of the […]

The Springfield City Council postponed a decision on whether to renew its ShotSpotter contract as the mayor pursues tweaks to the agreement and Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory said he plans to introduce an amendment to the ordinance. The City Council voted Sept. 1 to withdraw the ordinance for a $1.1 million, three-year contract for […]

The Springfield City Council is slated to vote Sept. 1 on extending the Springfield Police Department’s use of ShotSpotter, a surveillance technology used to detect gunshots. At the Aug. 25 committee of the whole meeting, Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory moved to place the ordinance on the debate agenda, calling for further discussion before a […]

City officials said Friday afternoon a faulty pipe may have been the cause of the main water line break that shut down water and electricity for numerous businesses in downtown Springfield on Thursday evening. The city’s water division manager, Todd LaFountain, said he was alerted by the water purification plant  around 5:30 p.m. of “some […]

On Women’s Equality Day, Springfield residents joined one woman’s relay to Washington, D.C. to draw attention to the progress still needed for justice for women to be achieved. Emily Waugh walked with a steady pace and carried one end of the banner that read “Women’s Walk Across America.” The 40-year-old and mother of two began […]

A downtown Springfield business has been forced to postpone its grand opening plans after a water main break flooded the intersection of Fifth and Monroe streets on Thursday evening. This spring, Zac Lowman (who goes by Vinal Luciano) and Troy Minton announced plans to open The Bus Stop, a bar and live music venue, in […]

The Springfield Park District Board has approved issuing bonds to help pay for a major solar energy upgrade that’s already begun at two of its facilities. Bonds totaling $1.8 million, along with state and federal funding, will cover the costs of replacing the roofs on the Nelson Center and the Fun Shop building and the […]

“Happy Republican Day!” House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, greeted the crowd gathered Aug. 20 on the Illinois State Fair Director’s Lawn. McCombie, like the other speakers, focused her messaging on affordability and ethics, while staying silent on President Donald Trump, during the annual party rally. “The summer of corruption has shown us exactly where […]

Volunteers were all smiles as they took payments from drivers entering the parking lot at one of the gates at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on a recent cloudy and muggy day. An older gentleman, wearing a polo with the American Business Club logo, placed a parking pass inside the dashboard of a vehicle window as a Springfield […]

Governor’s Day brought Democratic party leaders and supporters to the State Fair on Wednesday to rally as campaigns gear up for the last sprint to the November election. “We’re already kicking off phone banking, but I think the fair really officially kicks off the campaign season. It’s just a great time for Democrats all over […]

 About a hundred people gathered in the Old State Capitol on Saturday afternoon for the “Democracy Rising Rally” organized by Capital City Illinois Indivisible. The group is a local chapter of Indivisible, a national network formed in response to Donald Trump’s 20216 election. Karen Broquet, one of the organizers of the rally, said the driving […]