Former Petersburg street superintendent Jim Nimmo, shown here in his booking photo, got 60 days in jail for pot last week. Photo courtesy of Menard County Sheriff’s Office. Former Petersburg street superintendent Jim Nimmo (right) got 60 days in jail for pot last week. Photo by City of Petersburg.The former street superintendent for the City […]
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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Black behind bars
In 2013, one out of every 266 people in Illinois was in prison. For African-American residents, it was one in every 68 people. That’s just one of the shocking facts illustrating the serious racial disparity in Illinois’ criminal justice system. About 60 percent of the state’s prison population is black, despite African-American people making up […]
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Cruz, Rubio eligible for president, state election board says
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz. PHOTO BY OLIVIER DOULIERY/TNS For presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, Feb. 1 was a good day. Not only did the Republican from Texas top presumed front-runner Donald Trump to win the influential Republican primary in Iowa that day, but Cruz also won a favorable ruling in Illinois saying he’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Not so sweet after all
Molly Suhadolnik: “A lot of people don’t have as hard of a time getting motivated to get into the gym as they do to eat better.” PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Molly Suhadolnik hates sugar. The Springfield fitness trainer is on a mission to make people think about what goes into their bodies, and sugar is […]
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Is Ted Cruz eligible to run in Illinois?
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz. PHOTO BY OLIVIER DOULIERY/TNS Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio face challenges in Illinois over their eligibility to be president, mirroring similar challenges in other states. Filings with the state election board earlier this month allege the two U.S. senators are not natural born citizens. If successful, […]
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School choice, another Statehouse battlefront
Ball Charter School PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Gov. Bruce Rauner loves school choice so much he devoted an entire week to it. Rauner named Jan. 24 through 30 “School Choice Week” in Illinois to promote a popular concept in education reform, but the push for school choice leaves public schools nervous. “School choice” refers to […]
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Rail funding optimism
A federal transportation funding bill passed in December gives Springfield’s rail relocation project a more certain future. Although funding for the rail project isn’t secured yet, the federal bill means more money for rail-specific programs and for Illinois transportation overall. “This gives us a pot of money to draw from that we didn’t have before,” […]
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Education reform leaves states in charge
A federal education reform law passed in December has educators cautiously hopeful for more local control. The new law, which replaces a prior unpopular law, scales back federal control of education but leaves many unanswered questions about how the reform will affect Illinois schools. President Barack Obama acknowledged after signing the new law on Dec. […]
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Streamlining or steamrolling?
Illinois Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti A task force headed by Illinois’ lieutenant governor last week called for streamlining of local governments and reducing “unfunded mandates” from the state. While the group’s suggestions to consolidate local governments may get some traction in the Statehouse, its recommendations on unfunded mandates spell trouble for unions. “Unfunded mandate” describes […]
Posted inArts & Culture
He made things that made a difference
Ronald L. Earley The first thing many people noticed about Ron Earley was his lighthearted sense of humor, but spending more than a couple of minutes with him revealed a whirring intellect and a passion for making the world a better place. “I had only one rule with Ron,” said his wife, Maureen. “No jokes […]
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He lived his faith every day
Dr. H. Brent De Land Jr. Brent De Land lived his life with such care and compassion that his work will likely live on for generations. He was best known for his extensive humanitarian work in Haiti, and the rest of his life reflected that same strength of conviction. Dr. H. Brent De Land Jr. […]
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‘Millennials’ report contains advice for local leaders
Everybody has an opinion on Millennials, says Norm Sims, and most are unflattering. He says the facts paint a different picture than a generation supposedly defined by laziness and entitlement. “There’s all this negative stuff out there,” Sims said, “but I just don’t find that in the data anywhere.” Sims, who serves as executive director […]
