A proposed 1,730-acre solar development south of New Berlin is drawing growing opposition from residents, local officials and business owners who fear the project could permanently alter the rural character of western Sangamon County, even as developers argue the project could provide clean energy, stable tax revenue and economic diversification for farmers. The project, which […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inNews
Early intervention
One by one, boys walked to the front of the courtroom May 5 to receive certificates marking the completion of Sangamon County’s new youth mentoring and diversion program. Mentors stood beside them for photographs while judges, prosecutors and community leaders applauded from the audience. But before the ceremony began, Associate Judge Karen Tharp told the […]
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“It didn’t have to end like that”
A federal jury in the Central District of Illinois has awarded $3 million to the family of a man who died while incarcerated at Jacksonville Correctional Center, concluding that a prison doctor and a private medical contractor were negligent in failing to treat a life-threatening condition. The verdict followed a weeklong trial in U.S. District […]
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EMT takes plea deal
A plea deal in the death of Earl L. Moore Jr. is drawing mixed reactions from family members and civil rights advocates, who say it delivers a measure of accountability but falls short of full justice. Peter J. Cadigan, 53, a former emergency medical technician with LifeStar Ambulance, pleaded guilty April 24 to involuntary manslaughter […]
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Tackling chronic absenteeism
A new joint initiative between the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Regional Office of Education is taking a tougher, more coordinated approach to chronic truancy. It combines social services with a stark warning: get children back in school or face legal consequences. The effort, spearheaded by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser and Regional Superintendent Shannon […]
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Ancient roots, modern future
The air inside the sanctuary was thick with incense. A priest in embroidered vestments chanted ancient prayers as parishioners stood shoulder to shoulder. Some bowed deeply before painted icons of Jesus of Nazareth and the saints. Others crossed themselves repeatedly as voices rose together in ancient hymns sung a cappella. It’s a scene one might […]
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The end of an era
For 116 years, St. Patrick Catholic School has been an educational cornerstone on Springfield’s east side – a small school with big ambitions for the children it has served. At the end of this school year, its classrooms will fall silent. School leaders announced this month that St. Patrick Catholic School, founded in 1910, will […]
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Valente versus Cahnman
Miguel Valente, a 25-year-old budget analyst in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is running in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Sangamon County Board’s 18th District, pitching himself as a fiscally minded candidate focused on affordability, transparency and government efficiency. Despite Valente being on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff, his opponent […]
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Court case settled for AZ-T-CA owners
Criminal charges have been dropped against Nicolas Paz, a Springfield restauranter who had been accused of defrauding the state of more than $100,000 in sales tax revenue. But his wife, Amanda Paz, has pleaded guilty to sales tax evasion. According to court records, Amanda Paz has already paid the state the money it was owed […]
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New manufacturer for Springfield
An international crane manufacturing firm is opening a plant in Springfield that will likely employ more than 100 people on the city’s west side. In addition to the blue-collar jobs assembling cranes, the firm will employ a host of professional positions as it plans to make Springfield its first manufacturing site in the U.S., Dominic […]
Posted inRemembering
FRANK COBLE
A legacy of care for animals Frank Coble was a second-generation Springfield veterinarian who radically changed how animals are cared for in the community by instituting advanced treatment techniques, establishing an emergency clinic and training a new generation of animal doctors. Coble died Sept. 8 at the age of 80 after battling dementia for several […]
Posted inRemembering
GEORGE HOMER RYAN
He cleared Illinois’ death row George Ryan was a cigar-chomping, salty-tongued Illinois pol whose political career pinnacled in the governor’s mansion and ended in a prison cell. The state’s 39th governor died May 2 at the age of 91 in his hometown of Kankakee. Ryan was a product of the Kankakee political machine, which was […]
