Despite the handful of businesses near the intersection of South Grand Avenue East and 11th Street – restaurants, a beauty supply store, a furniture shop – the sidewalks are mostly empty on an average weekday afternoon. Dominic Watson imagines a different future for the area known as South Town and the east side at large. […]
Mary Hansen, NPR Illinois
Posted inNews
Can cops say that?
Facebook posts by two Springfield police officers last year harmed police operations and community relations. That was the conclusion of internal affairs investigations by the city police department, as well as reactions from capital city activists working to improve the relationship between law enforcement and the people they serve. In a widely reported incident last […]
Posted inNews
County quietly changed policy for leftover vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health has a new process for giving out doses left at the end of each day, department director Gail O’Neill confirmed March 8. For about the last week and a half, the first nine cars lining up at 2 p.m. at the health department’s […]
Posted inNews
Sangamon County quietly changed leftover COVID vaccine policy
The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Sangamon County Department of Public Health has a new process for giving out doses left at the end of each day, department director Gail O’Neill confirmed Monday. For about the last week and a half, the first nine cars lining up at 2 p.m. at the health department’s building […]
Posted inNews
Not getting their shot
Illinois has given more than two million vaccinations. But Black residents are less likely to get the shots than their white peers, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data. As of Feb. 22, 4% of Sangamon County’s vaccine doses have gone to Black residents, who make up 13% of the county’s population, according to […]
Posted inNews
Springfield designates BLM Solidarity Day
The Springfield City Council approved an anti-racism, anti-violence and anti-hatred resolution that declares May 31 BLM Solidarity Day. That was the day thousands of people participated in a vehicle procession organized by Black Lives Matter Springfield in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. The resolution also requires anti-racism and cultural competency training […]
Posted inNews
Grocery shopping during the pandemic
At the entrance to the County Market on Monroe Street, an employee is wiping down carts with a bleach solution. He said he usually works in the deli – which is temporarily closed – and is now sanitizing carts. “They’re (sanitizing them) so the customer sees – they just did this. So it’s another source […]
Posted inNews
Will something be done about parking?
Downtown Springfield is jammed with parking problems. Shoppers and tourists complain about a lack of nearby spots, while study after study shows occupancy rates for spots remain low. Outdated meters only accept coins, and it’s getting harder to repair broken ones. The company that made them discontinued the model Springfield has and stopped servicing them. […]
