Scott Reeder

Imagine being a police officer racing to an emergency at a school or business and being able to see what is happening inside the building while you’re driving to the scene. A new program adopted this year by the Springfield Police Department can transmit live images from security cameras across the city to computer screens […]

Billie Dent was waitressing at Sweet Basil Café last month when she and about 20 coworkers learned they were out of work the hard way – Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies arrived and evicted the restaurant from the building. “We had one table of customers in there at the time; we asked if they could finish […]

Seven finalists, all of whom are or have been police officers, are in the running to serve as the next Sangamon County Sheriff. A bipartisan committee chaired by retired Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley is interviewing finalists for the position and is expected to make a recommendation to Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter by […]

Like many Springfield teachers, K.J. Reid returned to school last month after a long break, but in his case, much of his time off was spent fighting for his life and trying to recover from a sudden illness that nearly killed him. In February 2023, the respected 17-year-veteran science teacher at Springfield High School was […]

Two numbers that concern Melissa Hostetter are 76% and zero. The first is the percentage of fourth-graders in Springfield School District 186 who aren’t proficient in reading. The second is the number of librarians in the district’s elementary schools. Hostetter, who chairs the Springfield Education Association’s literacy task force, believes there is a strong correlation […]

The 911 call came in at 10:29 a.m. June 19 – someone in one of the apartments near Café Moxo smelled smoke. Two Springfield firefighters arrived and wandered about the apartment but couldn’t detect anything of concern. They ended up leaving after 20 minutes. About 45 minutes after the initial call, the building at 413-415 […]

Southern Illinois University has committed to expanding its pilot-training program to Springfield, enabling future aviators to earn bachelor’s degrees without leaving the capital city, SIU President Daniel Mahony told Illinois Times. “Aviation is one of our most popular programs, but because of the space issues we have (in Carbondale) we really can’t expand that program. […]

On the 116th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, which devastated the city’s Black community, President Joe Biden designated the site of the tragedy as a national monument. “We can’t let these things fade,” Biden said before signing the proclamation at a White House ceremony held Aug. 16. He added, “I know this may not […]

A member of Congress who represents portions of Sangamon County is sponsoring legislation to define, in federal law, what is a male and a female. The move by U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, stirred consternation among LGBTQ advocates and cheers from those skeptical of the concept of gender fluidity. Miller proposed the Defining Male and […]

The federal government is cutting Springfield Mass Transit District a check to the tune of $17.8 million to provide the city with buses that pollute less and are more efficient to drive. The transit district will be adding 12 hybrid buses that are powered by a combination of diesel fuel and batteries, along with seven […]

The two members of Congress who live in Springfield are calling for toning down the political rhetoric in the wake of the assassination attempt on GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. “It is a miracle that Donald Trump is alive today,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said. “If you saw that scene, and many of us […]