The trend in special elections around the country for the past several months has shown spiking Democratic voter turnout and tanking Republican turnout. And some preliminary primary election results from earlier this month show the same trend here. What follows is a quick look at governor’s race turnout in the state’s five most populous counties. […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Explanation for first responder hiring challenges
Thank you to Illinois Times for covering the city of Springfield’s annual budget (“An overview of Springfield’s finances,” March 4). Now that the budget has passed, I want to make four factual points to address misstatements made in the recent Guestwork by police union negotiator David Amerson (“Saving money on police costs safety,” Feb. 19). […]
Posted inEditor's Note
Editor’s note
This is a milestone to celebrate – hiring our new CEO, naming a new editor and changing to a nonprofit company. It’s good, and brave, of Kate McKenzie to join us on our journey, and I thank my colleague, Michelle Ownbey, for taking on new challenges as executive editor. I’m grateful to both for taking […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor
HIGHER STANDARDS Thank you for the in-depth story about Leland Grove Police Chief Dan Ryan’s recent arrest (“Leland Grove police chief granted pretrial release,” Feb. 6). This is clearly a case of “he should have known better.” He is the police chief, and there is absolutely no excuse for his conduct. While some may argue […]
Posted inRich Miller
Big spending doesn’t guarantee victory
One of the biggest stories to come out of election day was that several candidates with the most money came up short. The obvious example is the race for U.S. Senate, where U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi reportedly spent $29 million on TV ads and benefited from another $10 million spent by the crypto industry against […]
Posted inJames Krohe Jr.
Pick of the litter
“Company’s coming!” Caseworker, health inspector, church lady – whoever is coming, it means get the pizza boxes off the coffee table and pick up your dirty socks. For the City of Springfield, the company is out-of-town visitors. Mayor Misty Buscher says that 2026 might be a record-breaking tourism year for Springfield thanks to celebrants of […]
Posted inEditor's Note
Editor’s note 3/19/26
It’s good that the community mental health board referendum won approval on its first attempt, shortening the time when public funds will help to repair a broken system. Many helped to win passage for the ballot measure, but it was the Massey Commission, formed in September 2024, in the wake of Sonya Massey’s killing in […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor 3/19/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. PEOPLE OVER PROFITS The proposed CyrusOne data center appears set to receive the Sangamon County Board’s blessing on March 23, as promised tax receipts and jobs seem to outweigh any concerns about energy use, pollution […]
Posted inUncategorized
Independent campaign expenditures rise
Independent campaign expenditures have skyrocketed this year in state legislative races. All of these numbers were current as of 4:20 p.m. Friday, March 13, when I finished writing this column. Independent expenditure committees are not allowed to coordinate their spending with candidates, ergo the “independent” label. As with the federal level, they are also not […]
Posted inOpinion
This is what opportunity looks like
It’s not every day that a $500 million private investment comes along – especially one with the potential to reshape the economic future of Sangamon County. The proposed CyrusOne data center campus represents exactly that kind of opportunity: hundreds of jobs, a strengthened tax base, and long-term benefits for families across our region. Economic development can […]
Posted inEditor's Note
Editor’s Note
Mandy Eaton, the president and CEO of Memorial Health, said Wednesday, March 11, the hospital system is working to increase access to outpatient mental health care, “but there are gaps” in the care system. Those gaps “shift pressure” to the emergency room and law enforcement. Dr. Ted Clark, an emergency room physician and vice president […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
MY HEART IS DOWNTOWN I’m encouraged to see the hearts downtown. Let’s keep that spirit alive by generating local economic growth versus economic growth for non-local corporations. As a reminder, the rest of the country remembers us for some of our more progressive times in history: freeing slaves during the Underground Railroad, being the home […]
