Springfield’s doctors want to know what’s making you sick. An upcoming survey will give residents a chance to sound off about health issues in the capital city and surrounding area, and those comments will help set the priorities of Springfield’s medical community for years to come. The Sangamon County Healthy Community Survey is a joint […]
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.
Posted inNews
Building a toll road to nowhere?
Plans for a proposed toll road between Illinois and Indiana appear to be moving forward, despite a lack of funding and environmental concerns. The Illiana Expressway, which would connect Interstate 55 south of Chicago with Interstate 65 in northwestern Indiana, is one of Gov. Pat Quinn’s top priorities, but critics say the road is unnecessary […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Cut your energy bill with a home energy audit
A professional blower door test provides readings on air leaks into a home. Most people don’t turn to Gary Hurley until it’s too late. Hurley is energy services manager for Springfield City Water, Light and Power, and he oversees the utility’s home energy audit program. Hurley says CWLP has conducted about 110 energy audits so […]
Posted inNews
Hope Institute rebounds with innovations for better care
KAREN PHOTO BY Terry Farmer, AMANDA PHOTO COURTESY The Hope Institute Karen G. Foley and Amanda Brott A Springfield school for children with developmental disabilities is making big changes following two incidents of abuse in November 2013. The Hope Institute for Children and Families was already planning changes before the isolated abuse came to light, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jekyll & Hyde grapples with good and evil
D.J. Schultz as Edward Hyde. PHOTO BY DONNA LOUNSBERRY The mercurial weather on what would have been Jekyll & Hyde’s opening night at the Springfield Municipal Opera mirrored well the play itself. A violent, Hyde-like thunderstorm forced a cancellation of the Sept. 5 showing, but the following evening was calm and cool, with the nearly […]
Posted inNews
Illinois DNR revises fracking regulations
State regulators have released new regulations for a highly controversial oil and gas extraction technique. Environmental groups in the area that will be affected say the new protections aren’t enough, while energy companies say the new rules are too burdensome. The Illinois General Assembly in June 2013 passed a law allowing high-volume hydraulic fracturing, which […]
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Unraveling the mystery of Edwards Place
Erika Holst (second from right), curator of collections at the Springfield Art Association, shows visitors to Edwards Place a section of 1860s wallpaper that was uncovered during the mansion’s restoration. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE For three years, Erika Holst has been squirming into tight spaces that probably haven’t seen daylight in more than 100 years. […]
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A fight against forgetting
Dr. Thomas Ala, interim director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (CADRD) at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, is heading a trial of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug as part of a larger study nationwide. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE More than 100 years after it was first medically recognized, Alzheimer’s disease still […]
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300 million years ago
Scientific illustrator Mary Parrish of the Smithsonian Institution created this painting of what the Danville area would have looked like 300 million years ago using real fossils for reference. Parrish worked under the direction of Smithsonian paleobiologist Bill DiMichele. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution. Painting by M. Parrish. A warm, moist breeze blows through the swampy forest […]
Posted inNews
Obamacare enrolls 622,000 in Illinois
More than 622,000 previously uninsured people in Illinois now have health coverage, thanks to the federal reforms known as “Obamacare.” That accounts for about 51 percent of the estimated 1.2 million people in Illinois who didn’t have health insurance prior to the reforms. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nicknamed “Obamacare,” was enacted in […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Fall curtain call
The Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield finishes its run of The Mikado on Aug. 29, 30 and 31. PHOTO COURTESY HOOGLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS A good actor isn’t afraid to be emotionally naked in front of an audience. From the silver screen to Broadway, talented thespians figuratively bare themselves to the public. […]
Posted inNews
Faith Coalition presses Quinn for rail jobs
Linda Byrd (right) of Springfield asks Sen. Andy Manar (left), D-Bunker Hill, to continue pushing for reform of the state’s education funding formula, which leaves many high-poverty schools with inadequate resources. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE In an East St. Louis church, just 12 miles from Ferguson, Missouri, where people are protesting the killing of a […]
