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Saving big money (eventually) at Menards

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement this week with Menards to resolve a suit Raoul and nine other attorneys general filed claiming the home improvement chain violated consumer fraud laws by deceptively marketing its 11% rebate program as a way for customers to save money when they were really receiving future store credit. […]

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The cost of free speech

Larry Criscione has it pretty good by most people’s standards. He’s a nuclear engineer who paid off his house many years ago. The Springfield resident owns 17 rental properties in the area and, at the age of 57, recently took an early retirement pension package from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at $3,350 a month. That […]

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From planning to implementation

Imagine a vibrant town center that serves as a hub of cultural and social activity. There’s a beautiful, tree-lined roundabout and plaza in the middle of it all, with a water feature that serves as a splash pad for children on a summer day, and a nice spot to read a book or to catch […]

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More state funds to help Springfield’s unhoused

Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to more than double state funding for programs designed to reduce homelessness in Sangamon County will help the community make meaningful progress and blunt a potential reduction in federal funding from the Trump administration, Springfield officials say. “We’re just not used to this type of investment,” Josh Sabo, executive director of […]

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Illinois leaders ‘won’t back down’ following Trump’s order limiting AI regulation

Illinois lawmakers vowed to keep fighting for protections against artificial intelligence after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Dec. 11 to shield tech companies from state laws. Trump’s order targets state regulations, including several in Illinois, that he said are inconsistent with national policy on AI. Critics said Illinois will not be swayed by the influence […]

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Pritzker signs ‘medical aid in dying’ bill amid religious opposition

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Dec. 12 that will allow terminally ill adults in Illinois to take life-ending medication prescribed by physicians. The controversial bill overcame strong opposition from religious groups and some disability rights advocates who feared it could endanger Illinoisians with disabilities. Critics call the practice “assisted suicide,” while those who support the law […]

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Springfield gets a city planner, again

The city of Springfield has hired Suraksha Bhandari as its new professional planner, bringing a blend of international experience, architectural training and research-driven urban planning to city hall.  Bhandari comes to Springfield from Salt Lake City, where she completed a master’s degree in city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah and worked in […]

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Coach and caregiver connect

Latasha Friarson is a caregiver with Abcor Home Health. For the past several months she’s been assisting Mike Suhadolnik, a health and fitness coach, to be more independent after a fall a year ago. Friarson goes to Suhadolnik’s home Monday-Friday, three hours each day. Having a caregiver does not come naturally for Suhadolnik, and he […]

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Old friends

George King and Dick Bilinsky didn’t know each other until they and their wives moved into Concordia Village around the same time in 2023. The couples happened to join each other at dinner one night and, as George says, “We just clicked.” Bilinsky adds, “I knew we were going to be friends when George revealed […]

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