A suspected pot dealer accused of causing a fatal March 13 accident on South Grand Avenue was fleeing police, according to reports released by Springfield police. Devin Hogan, 26, fled from a parking lot at the intersection of Spring Street and South Grand before Officer Demetrius Suggs, who was pulling him over for running a […]
Cap City
Posted inOpinion
ROOM TO GROW
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is seeking individuals and families who want to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. The department’s community garden is on the infield of the racetrack at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand in Springfield. There are 200 garden plots in all; 100 are for organic gardening and the rest are […]
Posted inOpinion
Sale pending on SJ-R building
The State Journal-Register building on Ninth Street has been taken off the market, pending an offer from an unidentified buyer. Sandy Hamilton, a local real estate broker, confirms that an offer is pending and says that she is no longer showing the building or considering offers. She said that she doesn’t know the name of […]
Posted inOpinion
ROCK THE FAFSA
A statewide campaign urges students to “Rock the FAFSA.” The Free Application for Federal Student Aid helps families identify resources to pay for college. High schools throughout Illinois are encouraged to hold workshops for students and families during the week of March 15-19. District 186 in Springfield traditionally holds FAFSA workshops in February. “The vast […]
Posted inOpinion
SCHEELS IN TROUBLE?
We built a freeway interchange. We extended MacArthur Boulevard through fields where corn still grows. Now, the city says, we need more public money for things to blossom across the street from Scheels, a privately held sporting goods company with a massive parking lot that looks pretty empty a decade after opening day. At Tuesday’s […]
Posted inOpinion
MORE DOSES
On Tuesday, March 2, President Biden promised enough COVID-19 vaccines for the entire U.S. adult population by the end of May. Also on Tuesday, Sangamon County announced the mass vaccination site on the Illinois State Fairgrounds now plans to distribute up to 1,100 doses daily, nearly double its previous daily capacity. Hours have been expanded […]
Posted inOpinion
POLITICS?
Roy Williams, Jr., would-be replacement for former Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner, was voted down 6-3 on Tuesday, March 2, by the Springfield City Council. Afterward, he said he’s not withdrawing his candidacy, and so the council is expected to take another shot on March 16, when a simple majority vote will be needed to […]
Posted inOpinion
AND THE WINNER IS…
Know a good teacher? Someone who stays – or Zooms – late to help struggling students learn the finer points of quadratic equations or the deeper meaning of Huckleberry Finn? And what about the principal who’s your pal and shows it by remembering everyone’s name, especially the kid who just transferred from another school, and […]
Posted inOpinion
BETTER NOW?
Contentious is a word that could describe Springfield Public Schools board meetings in recent months, as members continually debate policy and decisions related to COVID-19. Two weeks ago – on Feb. 2 – at his last meeting, former board president Scott McFarland told the board it needed “a lot of work on board governance.” That […]
Posted inOpinion
SCHOLARSHIPS RELIEVE STRESS
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is accepting applications for this year’s DCFS Scholarship Program. The scholarships allow “youth to concentrate on their studies and prepare for their futures without the stress of worrying about how they are going to pay for school,” Illinois DCFS acting director Marc D. Smith said in a […]
Posted inOpinion
POLITICS
We confess ourselves confused. How can Ward 3 Ald./state Sen. Doris “Huey Long” Turner hold two offices at the same time? After being picked to replace former Sen. Andy Manar over the weekend and being sworn in for her state gig, Turner on Tuesday participated in the Springfield City Council committee-of-the-whole meeting. As of press […]
Posted inOpinion
GANNETT ON A ROLL
Gannett, parent company of the State Journal-Register, got good news this week with refinancing of a loan used to close a 2019 deal that created the nation’s largest newspaper company – Gannett, formerly known as GateHouse Media, owns more than 260 publications, including 23 in Illinois. The $1.8 billion loan from Apollo Global Management, a […]
