John Radich laughs as he recalls being “pulled over” by a state trooper on the highway in New Mexico. The police had gotten several calls that a man was running down the road, pushing a baby stroller. “I showed him there was no baby – it’s just my shoes, clothes and supplies in the baby […]
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
Feds censure state on farm waste
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Illinois fails to regulate manure from certain livestock farms, calling on the state to completely revamp its system of oversight or risk losing its enforcement authority. In a report released in late September, the U.S. EPA says the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has not fully implemented a federally mandated […]
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Springfield man celebrates 25 years with transplanted heart
For most people, taking second in a foot race would only be cause to try harder. For Ryan Louis of Springfield, it was a warning sign that would change his life. “My mom asked me what happened, and I just said that I had gotten tired,” says the 32-year-old Louis, recalling a race that he […]
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Traveling gold buyers play lowball
A group of traveling gold buyers visited Springfield last week, raising questions about their business practices and associations with a convicted fraudster. A group calling themselves “Estate Buyers Group” set up shop at the Ramada Springfield North, 3281 Northfield Drive, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2, in what it called the “original Buying Roadshow,” inviting […]
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Former Springfield firefighter sexually abused granddaughter
Her voice faltered and her arm shook slightly as she identified in court the man who touched her inappropriately and betrayed her trust. The 19-year-old college student wiped away tears as she described how, at age 12, her grandfather had fondled her breast after she confided in him an intimate and embarrassing secret. It was […]
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State sends local housing loans to national bank
The Illinois Housing Development Authority is saving money by consolidating loan servicing with a national bank, but Springfield-based banks are losing out, along with dozens of other Illinois banks. From March to August of this year, the state agency that provides home loans for low- and middle-income first-time homebuyers and veterans consolidated 7,037 housing loans […]
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There goes the neighborhood
A new playground in Springfield’s Gehrmann Park will serve as an anchor in a neighborhood that is revitalizing itself one step at a time. On Sept. 25, about 200 volunteers converged on Gehrmann Park in the Enos Park neighborhood of Springfield to construct a donated playground in a single day. Featuring what Derek Harms, director […]
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Candidates protest removal from election ballot
Two little-known political candidates in the coming general election are taking Illinois’ ballot access rules to court, comparing them to the segregationist Jim Crow laws of the nation’s past. Willie Boyd Jr. of Greenville, an independent candidate running for U.S. Senate, and Michael White of Lindenhurst, a Constitution Party candidate running for governor, have filed […]
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United Way grants to help Sangamon County’s needy
Two grants announced Sept. 14 will help supply computers and medical care for Springfield citizens in need. The United Way of Central Illinois gave the two grants totaling $46,000 to Springfield-based charities Computer Banc and the Sangamon County Medical Society to support new programs at both organizations as part of the United Way’s “Venture Funds” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hunger Challenge Days 4 & 5: Pols and parties
I’m not hungry today. The challenge has been pretty easy lately, which is completely the opposite of what I expected. I am definitely learning a lot about the cost of food, though. A lot of my favorite things, like hummus, cost a ton of money for ingredients that are relatively cheap, which signals to me […]
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Court denies pig farm’s damage claims
A Sangamon County judge has denied nearly $300,000 in damages for a local pig farmer who says an opposition group crippled his finances. Sangamon County circuit judge Leslie Graves ruled on Sept. 7 that Buckhart farmer Robert Young was entitled to $500 in damages from the Rochester Buckhart Action Group (RBAG), which temporarily halted the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hunger Challenge – Day 3: Cupcake Conundrum
Tracy Smith with Feeding Illinois poses this question for the day: The cupcake truck is outside your building, calling your name, but at $3.25 that decadent temptation is out of the question. What will you be snacking on instead to refuel? No sweat. I would (hypothetically) go with an old favorite: a spoon full of […]
