Michael Gardner, a software specialist with the Springfield Police Department, downloads videos filmed by police officers demonstrating the department’s new body cameras. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Body cameras aren’t a panacea, warns Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow. Still, he believes the cameras will reinforce the fact that his officers perform their duties well. Winslow invited […]
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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Pension ‘spikes’ exposed to sunshine
It’s been a not-so-secret secret in Illinois for decades, and state lawmakers are trying to drag the infamous “pension spike” into the sunlight – at least among local governments. A law signed by the governor last week requires local governments to disclose at a public meeting any pay raises for employees about to retire. The […]
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Gill challenges signature barrier to ballot
A perennial candidate for public office is challenging Illinois’ signature requirements for gaining ballot access in elections, saying the requirements violate the U.S. Constitution. If the lawsuit succeeds, it would drastically lower the bar for candidates in Illinois to get their names before voters in elections. David Gill is a physician from Bloomington who previously […]
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Fixing the People’s House
Image courtesy of Vinci Hamp Architects. The Illinois Executive Mansion has fallen into disrepair before. At least this time, no one is trying to demolish it. The mansion has been the Springfield residence of Illinois governors stretching back to 1853, but it has been 44 years since the mansion was last renovated. A plan unveiled […]
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City settles pregnant stun gun lawsuit
Sgt. Edward Higginson, shown here at a Coffee with a Cop event on July 11, was accused of using excessive force in a lawsuit filed by a pregnant woman whom Higginson shocked with a stun gun in 2013 following a struggle. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE The City of Springfield settled a lawsuit last week filed […]
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Trying to get race right
Sunshine Clemons was in high school when she had one of those formative experiences nearly every black person has involving police. Clemons, who lives in Springfield, says she and a couple of her fellow black friends were pulled over while driving in southern Illinois, ordered out of the car, restrained with zip ties and forced […]
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Judge dismisses lawsuit over “racial profiling” traffic stop
Samuel Johnson PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging police illegally stopped a Springfield resident, even though the traffic stop was thrown out of state court. The case stemmed from a 2013 traffic stop that the lawsuit’s plaintiff claimed was racial profiling. One evening in November 2013, Samuel Johnson of […]
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Unshackling kids in court
Paul Cain remembers many of his clients. There was the 14-year-old boy with ADHD, accused of retail theft and possession of a stolen car. There was the 16-year-old girl who suffered from anxiety attacks after being having been molested for years; she was in court for running away from home in violation of her probation […]
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Curbing court costs
Court fees in Illinois are rapidly increasing, threatening the viability of the court system as a means of resolving disputes. That’s the conclusion of a state panel which is recommending sweeping changes to court fees in Illinois. The panel’s report, released in June, calls the current system “opaque and inconsistent,” calling on state lawmakers to […]
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Taking the sting out of Stingrays
Police departments across the nation have the technology to trick your smartphone into giving up mountains of information about you, and you may never know it happened. That could soon change in Illinois, due to legislation which would limit how police use cellphone spying technology. The bill passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously last month, […]
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State orders fixes to Viper Mine waste plan
A plan to dump coal ash waste near Elkhart needs significant work, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The proposal would create more room at an existing waste site for coal ash produced by Springfield’s municipal power plant, but neighbors who are opposed to the plan say DNR hasn’t addressed their concerns about […]
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Return of the residency requirement
Paul Moore, assistant business manager for IBEW Local 193, speaks against the residency requirement proposal to the Springfield City Council. Future city employees will have to live inside Springfield under an ordinance passed Tuesday by the city council. The controversial issue created a split among some unions, with police, fire and lineman unions opposing the […]
