COVER Photo by Exelon via Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Illinois has a long history with the atom. The world’s first nuclear reactor began operating in 1942 beneath a football field at the University of Chicago, where scientists with the secret Manhattan Project were developing the atomic bomb. Illinois now has 11 commercial nuclear reactors generating electricity […]
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
Return of the residency requirement?
Future city employees may soon have to live within the limits of Springfield, per a proposal to reinstate the city’s previous residency requirement. During his campaign, Springfield mayor Jim Langfelder promised to push for a residency requirement for city employees, and the mayor has now proposed such an ordinance for consideration by the Springfield City […]
Posted inOpinion
Bargains on bad boy’s bling
A diamond-encrusted fish brooch seized by federal Marshals from James “Whitey” Bulger Photo by Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers This is the pretty side of decades of extortion, corruption and murder. The former belongings of notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger and his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, are being auctioned off by the U.S. Marshals […]
Posted inNews
Battling over workers’ comp
The state workers’ compensation system is being eyed for changes as part of a possible resolution to Illinois’ budget crisis, setting up a battle between employers, injured workers and the doctors who treat them. A recent report says the cost of workers’ compensation for employers decreased because of changes made in 2011, but business groups […]
Posted inNews
Slow heist
George Dinges trusted Susan Satterlee with every aspect of his Springfield-based business when he hired her 10 years ago as his operations manager. He would later find out she stole $2.5 million from his business over the course of more than five years. “I placed a lot of trust in Susan,” Dinges said. “That violation […]
Posted inNews
Repreive for historic Ridgley village hall
Jeremy Mann stands in front of the 1885 building he’s trying to save on Peoria Road in August 2015. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A 131-year-old building on Springfield’s north side won’t be torn down after all – at least not yet. That’s because a Sangamon County judge vacated his earlier order of demolition for the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Revel in the great outdoors with a summer race
Dave Hupke (left) and Andy Look paddle a canoe Hupke built. The pair won the Wooden Boat category in the 2015 Abe’s River Race. PHOTO BY DAN WILLIAMS There’s something timeless and pure about pushing the limits of our bodies while surrounded by the majesty of nature. It satisfies that primeval urge to test our […]
Posted inNews
Challenging ‘junk science’ in arson case
A Naperville man is asking a judge to overturn his murder conviction on the grounds that the prosecution’s case was built on junk science. William Amor spent the last 21 years behind bars for the death of his mother-in-law in a 1995 condo fire that investigators ruled as arson. His exoneration bid hinges on convincing […]
Posted inNews
Teaming up for environmental justice
Coal-powered electricity production is one of many concerns of environmental justice. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE The NAACP released a report last week calling for racial justice in Illinois’ environmental policy, prompting a new alliance between groups concerned with civil rights, labor rights and pollution. A meeting held in Springfield to release the report illustrated the […]
Posted inNews
Prison phone bill targets pricing
The Illinois Department of Corrections benefits from a private contractor fleecing prisoners and their families by controlling phone services, according to three state lawmakers pushing legislation to limit what prisoners pay for phone calls. However, IDOC says the money it receives pays for certain inmate health care treatments. Meanwhile, the private contractor recently settled a […]
Posted inNews
Downtown Y adding tech-driven kids’ room
Kevin Mac trains on the punching bag at the Springfield Boxing Club. Springfield’s Downtown YMCA is preparing a new exercise room that incorporates technology instead of competing with it for kids’ attention. The new space blurs the line between mere exercise and actual fun. On April 27, the Downtown YMCA began converting one of its […]
Posted inNews
City aims to demolish historic Ridgely village hall
Jeremy Mann stands in front of the 1885 building he’s trying to save on Peoria Road in August 2015. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A historic building on Springfield’s north end faces demolition, but the owner is fighting to keep the structure standing and turn it into a hydroponic community garden. The situation pits preservation efforts […]
