Scott Reeder

In the wake of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield, there are recriminations and explanations. On May 7, Noem visited Springfield and held a news conference near the home where community activist Emma Shafer was slain in July 2023. Police believe her former boyfriend, Gabriel Calixto-Pichardo, whose mother brought him to the U.S. […]

Mayor Misty Buscher’s picks to lead the Springfield police and fire departments are receiving high marks from members of the city council. Buscher is recommending the promotion of Assistant Fire Chief Nicholas Zummo to fire chief and Assistant Police Chief Joseph Behl to police chief for the city of Springfield. The promotions need to be […]

A tragedy became a backdrop for political theater Wednesday as Kristi Noem, part ofPresident Donald Trump’s cabinet, spoke near the home of Emma Shafer, a womanpolice believe was killed by a Mexican immigrant. “Governors like JB Pritzker don’t care if gangbangers, if murderers, rapists and pedophiles roll free in his state,” the Homeland Security secretary […]

A Sangamon County judge has dealt a blow to efforts to unseat City Clerk Chuck Redpath from his post, which opponents say he obtained through an illegitimate city council vote. The longtime Springfield City Council member was appointed clerk Jan. 7 by a divided council after a tumultuous, two-hour meeting amid allegations the process was […]

“It’s in transition.” That description of the city’s central business district was often repeated during the first of a series of public meetings held by Downtown Springfield, Inc.  The downtown’s current challenges are well-known: the departure of state office jobs, a devastating fire last June, vacant business fronts and the recent closure of the Wyndham […]

A new Illinois law prohibits discrimination against individuals based on their position on abortion, but Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield is challenging its constitutionality. “States can’t force religious groups to violate their faith by affirming and accepting employees who violate their religious beliefs,” said Paprocki, who has made a name for himself as one […]

Imagine being owed $1 million and going years without collecting. Emails are sent, with no response. Phone calls aren’t returned. Knocking on the door doesn’t do any good because no one seems to ever be in the office. As a last resort, a note demanding payment is slipped under the deadbeat’s door. But still, no […]

It’s said one person’s junk is another’s treasure. In that vein, a budget proposal before Illinois lawmakers would use $500 million to turn some of Illinois’ biggest state-owned eyesores into economic development opportunities. Abandoned, dilapidated facilities in Lincoln and Jacksonville are among five across Illinois that are targeted in the “Surplus to Success” program being […]

Lilly was a bright-eyed Labrador retriever who brought joy to her family and smiles to her neighbors. On a sunny afternoon Feb. 27, her owner, Kimberly Sharpe, took her for a walk from which she never returned. While in a crosswalk, a car grazed Sharpe and ran over Lilly. In the weeks that followed, tears […]

The Springfield Police Department has a new tool in its fight against crime – cops without guns. They were once known as traffic wardens but have been redubbed “community service officers” and given an expanded job description. The idea is to free up armed, sworn officers to handle more serious offenses by assigning less dangerous […]