Scott Reeder

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 […]

Ashley Peden wants Illinois law changed to protect students because she says her daughter was sexually assaulted by someone attending the same school and she shouldn’t have to continue to see her assailant. The assaults, which allegedly happened in late January and early February 2024 on a school bus and at a bus stop serving […]

A manufacturer with more than 100 workers is closing two of its Springfield facilities and moving operations to Clinton after a dispute with the city over building-code violations. Mike Hoyle has owned Kwik-Wall for 19 years, a company that makes movable partitions for conference and convention facilities. Hoyle used an LLC to purchase the former […]

A six-year legal battle recently came to an end with longtime GOP powerbroker Don Tracy claiming victory. In 2019, the Illinois executive inspector general found the Springfield lawyer engaged in a prohibited political activity by making a $1,000 campaign contribution to a legislative candidate while serving as chair of the Illinois Gaming Board. But Tracy […]

Dani Clark began this year with a newborn daughter and a need to find a day care spot to enable her to return to work. What she learned left the new Springfield mom stunned. “Most of the day cares have been pretty good about getting back to me,” she said. “But they all tell me […]