Troubled kids in Illinois spent weeks in psychiatric hospitals and emergency shelters unnecessarily over the past two years. That’s one of the problems at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services uncovered by an audit report released last week. DCFS struggles to place troubled children in appropriate settings and has trouble tracking those children, […]
Patrick Yeagle
Patrick Yeagle started writing for Illinois Times in September 2009. Originally from Farmer City, Ill., he graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a second major in journalism. He then graduated from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 2009 with a Master's degree from the Public Affairs Reporting program. In addition to Illinois Times, his work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, the Peoria Journal-Star, the Northern Star, the Parkland Prospectus and other publications. Yeagle writes about state government, the environment, energy, healthcare, elections, education, community issues, and more. He enjoys taking photos of news events, cityscapes, very small objects and wildlife. He enjoys running and has completed a marathon, three half-marathons, a 198-mile relay race and several shorter races. Other hobbies include cooking, gardening, making music and outdoor activities.
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CWLP seeks renewed Dallman permit
Don Hanrahan of Springfield remembers spending his childhood summers playing outside in Forest Park Hills subdivision, just across Spaulding Dam from the city power plant. He says that before City Water, Light and Power added pollution controls called “electrostatic precipitators” to the power plant in 1972, “there were days we could not play.” “Our eyes […]
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Springfield business wins copyright claim
A Springfield-based home décor company won its copyright claim last month against two prominent retailers. Although there are still a handful of issues to resolve, the lawsuit dealing with an alleged knockoff of a decorative clip could become a legal landmark. Design Ideas, a Springfield design firm owned by Sangamon County Board chairman Andy Van […]
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A budding industry
Marijuana seedlings grow beneath lights at Revolution Cannabis, a cultivation center in Illinois’ medical cannabis pilot program. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE See more photos in the slideshow at bottom. Aside from the barbed wire perimeter, you’d never know from its appearance that this low, gray warehouse on a rural road lined with soybeans is anything […]
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Levine and the divine
Amy-Jill Levine is Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee. If religion were based on logic, it would be Sudoku. “In Sudoku, everybody can get the same answer if you’re patient enough, if you’re smart enough and if you have an eraser,” said Amy-Jill Levine, a celebrated Jewish scholar who […]
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Health insurance rates increase on public exchange
The Illinois Department of Insurance released premium rates last week from the six insurers on the public health insurance exchange, revealing that many plans will probably cost significantly more in 2017. For some people, however, the increased cost may be offset by a federal subsidy. The federal Affordable Care Act of 2010 – nicknamed “Obamacare” […]
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Coup in battle over ballot access
A candidate for the U.S. House seat covering Springfield scored a coup today as he attempts to get the state’s signature requirements for ballot access struck down. U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough today granted David Gill of Bloomington a preliminary injunction against the Illinois State Board of Elections, preventing the board from enforcing the signature […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Tune in to fall
As the echoes of summer fade, autumn brings its own tune. There’s plenty of excellent live music in Springfield this time of year, from thrilling a cappella to the soulful oldies. Here’s the skinny on shows at some of Springfield’s biggest and most unique venues. The Classic Nashville Roadshow brings all the twang of Johnny […]
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Rauner signs criminal justice reforms
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a suite of bills into law this week focused on criminal justice reforms, including one which limits how much prisoners pay for phone calls. The laws come as Rauner seeks a 25-percent reduction in Illinois’ prison population by 2025. The signing of the bills coincides with the release of a new […]
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Battle over services to seniors and disabled
A yearlong battle between the state and home care workers came to a head this month, with the state rescinding an unpopular policy and the governor vetoing a bill preserving the programs in their current form. The union covering home care workers says Gov. Bruce Rauner is trying to dismantle programs for seniors and people […]
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Illinois decriminalizes pot
Possessing small amounts of marijuana is no longer a crime in Illinois, thanks to a new law which took effect in July. State lawmakers also recently loosened the rules governing the Illinois medical marijuana program. The two developments mean Illinois is following the national trend of rethinking a long demonized plant. On July 29, Gov. […]
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Maybe this time?
By most accounts, Aug. 3 was an auspicious day for school funding reform in Illinois. It marked the first meeting of the Illinois School Funding Reform Commission, a bipartisan group which aims to devise a more equitable and effective formula to distribute state education dollars among Illinois school districts. However, the new group is likely […]
