The last Clay County farmer elected governor was John Riley Tanner in 1896, but Darren Bailey hopes to be the second. In fact, Bailey took the doorway from what was Tanner’s house and made it the entryway to his living room. One way or another, through that portal, a governor will have walked. Earlier this […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inOpinion
Beating the system
Should it take more than eight years to fire state employees involved in the beating of a disabled patient in an Illinois state facility? It’s a question that begs to be asked in the wake of an investigation conducted by several news organizations: Capitol News Illinois, Lee Enterprises and ProPublica. Here is the set up […]
Posted inNews
A trade school for Catholics
The Catholic Diocese of Springfield wants to create a trade school in the city to provide vocational and spiritual training for young people interested in working with their hands and learning in an environment of contemplation and prayer. While the first stage of the project is to teach skills such as carpentry and plumbing, the […]
Posted inNews
Drag queens, scripture and division
The United Methodists are not so united these days. The nation’s third-largest denomination is teetering on a schism over the role of the LGBTQ community. At the center of this maelstrom of discontent is Isaac Simmons, a drag queen lay preacher in Bloomington, which is part of the Great Rivers Conference encompassing Springfield and much […]
Posted inOpinion
The real cost of a college education
When I first met my wife 21 years ago, her mother wasn’t so sure about me. After all, I was a decade older than her daughter, and we were engaged to be married within five weeks of meeting. So, she tried to come up with things that might scare me off. “Has Joan mentioned that […]
Posted inNews
Driving while Black
As Billie Dent drove her Dodge Charger down East Cook Street in Springfield three weeks ago at dusk, she saw a police car do a U-turn behind her. The Virden woman checked her speedometer, but she wasn’t speeding. Her Dodge Charger was souped up with fancy wheel rims and a custom paint job. But she […]
Posted inOpinion
One nation under God?
A new term is seeping into the American lexicon called “Christian nationalism.” It’s a misguided belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. I’ve read the original writings of many of our founding fathers, and this notion is just nonsense. Thomas Jefferson used his razor to redact portions of the Bible that […]
Posted inNews
The growing GOP gap
To win the Illinois governorship, Republican candidate Darren Bailey needs to capture the votes of moderate and independent voters, particularly in the suburbs, and there is serious doubt whether he can accomplish this, former Gov. Jim Edgar told Illinois Times. “There really aren’t many moderates left in the Republican Party. So, when you talk about […]
Posted inNews
Sign of the times
An Italian saint who has become a touchstone in the culture wars over abortion will have a massive shrine and education center erected in her honor in Springfield on the grounds of the former Chiara Center. The site at 4875 Laverna Road will be located near what has been the motherhouse of the Hospital Sisters […]
Posted inOpinion
A journalist who did what was right
Who would sacrifice a job they loved to reveal a wrong committed against a child? Very few would. In fact, in my 35 years in journalism, I’ve met only one such person. Just one. In our society we talk a good game about how much we treasure children. But it’s a lie. Kids are violated […]
Posted inOpinion
Crossing the line
There is little sympathy for a rat. On July 25, a giant, inflatable rat rose 15 feet in front of Staab Funeral Homes in Springfield, and a woman came out of the business and repeatedly stabbed the rodent with a knife. The rat is intended to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. John […]
Posted inNews
Crime and punishment
It was an odd theft and even odder punishment. After the wife of a Springfield orthopedic surgeon stole a $273 set of pajamas from a boutique while on vacation in Florida and was arrested for retail theft, a Florida judge came up with a unique punishment: publication of her photo, along with the offense she […]
