A man accused of putting out a $10,000 contract to have a Collinsville woman killed may find it difficult to fulfil his own contract with the city of Springfield – to raze 38 dilapidated houses. Sammy J. Shafer Jr. owns S. Shafer Excavating, a company based in Pontoon Beach that does work throughout the Metro […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inNews
More vacant buildings burn in winter
Those who knew Cory Beebe worried about him. They worried about his long history of abusing drugs and about the unhoused man staying warm on frigid winter nights. But on Jan. 17, it wasn’t the cold or the dope that took his life. Fire claimed the 37-year-old man, who was found in the attic of […]
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City Council to consider changes to appointment process
After this month’s verbal kerfuffle over filling the city clerk position, Springfield City Council members may revamp how they fill future vacancies. And community activist Calvin Christian III has filed a lawsuit seeking to undo the appointment of Chuck Redpath to the clerkship. On Jan. 7, Redpath, a longtime Springfield alderperson, was appointed clerk by […]
Posted inNews
Monster Pawn raids result in multiple charges
A chain of central Illinois pawn shops with two Springfield locations functioned as a criminal enterprise, fencing stolen goods and buying silver bullion to launder the proceeds, the Illinois attorney general alleges. The owners of Monster Pawn and some employees appeared in court Thursday in Sangamon County. Charged were Monster Pawn’s owners, Edwin Pierce, 65, […]
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Morgan County to pay $6M settlement
Julie Downs hopes that no one else dies the way her son, Brian, did – vomiting on a jail cell floor as Morgan County Jail personnel watched. Morgan County is being walloped with a $6 million settlement in federal court for negligence in the 2022 heroin withdrawal death of 40-year-old Brian Downs. Parties in the […]
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Postal problems
Springfield postal workers are bracing for bad news as federal officials ponder moving some functions of Springfield’s packaging and distribution center to St. Louis. The move would be part of a national effort to consolidate functions within the nation’s mail system. In May, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy paused plans to consolidate centers until January 2025 […]
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Olde Towne demolitions on hold
Demolition of several uninhabitable Springfield apartment buildings is on hold despite a local judge giving the green light to raze the structures. The five structures are part of the 23-building Olde Towne apartment complex, located at the corner of Jefferson Street and Bruns Lane. Shortly after a judge ruled in the city’s favor, the financial […]
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Stepping out in faith
A Springfield priest experiencing renal failure is receiving a new kidney from a donor living in North Carolina, who he has never met. Antoinette “Nettie” Pinell said it is her Christian faith that is motivating her to give a part of herself to Father Andy Hook, who has led the congregation of Cathedral Church of […]
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SPD officers going to D.C.
The Springfield Police Department will send 11 officers to Washington, D.C. to protect Donald Trump during the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Police Chief Ken Scarlette, who received the invitation while attending a law-enforcement conference in Minnesota last month. “I made a contact with a couple of high-ranking individuals from the […]
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Making the county health building a one-stop shop
The Sangamon County Department of Public Health’s building on Springfield’s east side is on the brink of a multimillion-dollar renovation that could make services more accessible to residents. “We hope it’s a $6 million project,” said Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter. “And we hope that we will be able to do it entirely […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
BOB GRAY March 22, 1940-Sept. 23, 2024
“Bob always wanted to talk about issues and, frankly, he took an interest in the local political scene, too,” said his longtime friend Taylor Pensoneau, a retired Statehouse reporter and lobbyist. “He always wanted to discuss individuals, political movements and people that he considered to be on the right side of things, and then there […]
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Frank Lesko has two jobs, for now
Volunteers investigating one of the closest elections in area history have chronicled ballot irregularities to try to convince a judge that every vote cast in the Sangamon County recorder’s race should be recounted. With more than 100,000 votes cast, Republican challenger Frank Lesko edged out Democratic incumbent Josh Langfelder by a mere 31 votes. “What’s amazing is […]
