Incidents of assault at a Springfield nursing home highlight safety concerns as a state task force on nursing home reform calls for sweeping changes. In 2009, Springfield police were called to Springfield Terrace nursing home, located at 525 S. Martin Luther King Drive, for a variety of incidents involving residents with mental illnesses and criminal […]
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
ILLINOIS PRISONS: Standing room only
They were imprisoned for prostitution, robbery and drug trafficking. They were dog fighters, arsonists, sex offenders and repeat drunk drivers. Almost 2,000 criminals of nearly every stripe short of homicide were released early from Illinois prisons between September and December 2009. In Sangamon County alone, at least 13 inmates were released early, many serving just […]
Posted inArts & Culture
April showers bring hardcore racers
April is fast approaching, and it’s going to be a busy month for a couple of us in the Illinois Times office. Amanda Robert and I are running three races in April, back-to-back-to-back, and we’re pretty excited. We’ve been training officially since January, though we started running in November or December as a sort of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Here’s to stairs!
Now that my legs have returned from the jelly-like state induced by the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Stair Climb on Feb. 20 at the Hilton Hotel in Springfield, I’ve had a chance to chat with a few other people involved in the event. Lori Younker, director of Program Services and Development at the […]
Posted inNews
Rail study seeks public input
Research on rail improvement proposals in Springfield has begun, and the public now has a say in the study’s focus. Springfield-based Hanson Professional Services Inc. has begun an environmental impact study to weigh options for a rail expansion in Springfield that will carry an increased number of freight and passenger trains through the city. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The final round
On a warm October day at the Harriet Tubman Susan B. Anthony Center on Springfield’s east side, 30 to 40 young men and boys dressed in gym clothes amble into a narrow room that seems to double as storage space. Though they range in age from about 10 to 30 years old, they laugh and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Onward and Upward
As I rounded the corner to the stair well, the radio-controlled timer reacted to the tag on my shoe, reminding me with a loud “BEEEEEP” that there was no turning back. I was participating in the American Lung Association’s Fight For Air stair climb at the Hilton Hotel in Springfield, and all I could think […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Polyphemus
Staring upward from the feet of Polyphemus, I feel a twinge of vertigo overwhelm me. The arrogant, towering cyclops seems to lean over me, mocking me and threatening to crush me. He is unmoving, yet he seems ready to raise his club and end me. A blink and a deep breath reveal Polyphemus to be […]
Posted inNews
Don’t just stand there, create a commission
Many of Illinois’ 310-plus state commissions and task forces are rendered ineffective by vacancies and the state’s often lax response to their recommendations. When Illinois faces a problem or controversy, the solution is often to create a commission, task force or panel to study the issue. But many of the state’s numerous panels have multiple […]
Posted inNews
Throwing insurance reform out with the bath water
The Illinois Supreme Court last week struck down a law limiting awards in medical malpractice cases, but the decision also does away with profit reporting requirements for insurance companies and numerous other rules. In a 4-2 decision released Feb. 4, the state’s highest court called the 2005 “tort reform” law unconstitutional under the state constitution’s […]
Posted inNews
Stimulus money slow to get here
Sangamon County stands to gain $666.5 million in stimulus funds under the year-old American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but little of that money has arrived. The county’s share of economic recovery funds rank it third in the state behind Cook and DuPage counties, according to records from the state stimulus Web site. But as of […]
Posted inNews
The hole next door
The dilapidated eight-unit tenement at 805 S. Fourth St. sits forlorn and dejected – once a striking Greek Revival home, now a bleak shadow of its former glory. Just steps from Springfield’s historic Dana-Thomas House, piles of garbage – old televisions, a tire and bags of who knows what – litter the ground beneath cracked […]
