Two months ago, in the midst of a special City Council meeting, Mayor Karen Hasara made an unusual plea: She begged to be sued. “We’re going to be in court. We want to be in court!” she said. Furthermore, she wanted this lawsuit to be filed posthaste. “I hope the Black Guardians will hurry up […]
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Cop Out 3
Illinois Times’ October 31 cover article revealed the truth behind a story that had been repeated scores of time in the local media over the past year: Springfield Police Department was reported to be conducting an internal investigation into whether rookie officer Renatta Frazier failed to prevent the rape of another officer’s daughter. Frazier subsequently […]
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Cop Out: The Aftermath
City responds with nothing, then everything The revelations of last week’s cover story, “Cop Out,” inspired a special city council meeting last Monday at which Springfield Police Department Chief John Harris was the guest of honor. Aldermen Frank Kunz and Frank McNeil repeatedly asked the chief and the SPD’s legal counsel, William Workman, how they […]
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A Town Without Pity
At around 5 AM, every member of my family was asleep. Everyone except my mother, Renatta Frazier. She was just arriving home from another long night as a Springfield police officer, another night full of drama and upset. Crying, exhausted, and cold, she stumbled into our townhouse and exhaled, dropping her bag and belt at […]
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Disturbing the peace
Sheila Walk was puzzled when she showed up for the Heartland Peace Center’s annual meeting in January. It was supposed to be held at the Space on Super Bowl Sunday. For years, the Heartland Peace Center’s annual meeting has always been on Super Bowl Sunday. This year was supposed to be no different; Walk, a […]
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More med district maneuvers
Duane Schlueter wanted to make some money from Springfield hospitals, family members say, but his refusal to visit one put an end to his plan. Schlueter, who died on Saturday, January 18, at the age of 62, owned a couple of lots in Enos Park near the southwest corner of Third and Carpenter. “He was […]
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Georgeart
George Colin doesn’t exhibit at the Old Capitol Art Fair. He doesn’t need to. The 74-year-old Colin has become a folk-art phenomenon since he retired in 1977 from Pillsbury Mills, where he sacked flour for 30 years. Actually Colin did show some paintings at the very first Old Capitol Art Fair in 1962, but one […]
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Perfect Match
Patty Hoffman, a trim, 57-year-old redhead with sensible Aunt Bea shoes, a ready smile, and an encylopedic knowledge of the city’s streets, has been driving a bus for the Springfield Mass Transit District since October 1, 1977. Over the years, she has safely delivered thousands of riders to their destinations with nary a mishap or […]
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Dr. Elamin Elamin
Dr. Elamin Elamin came to Illinois from Egypt 16 years ago. He is now director of the Critical Care Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine. In 1999 he joined millions of Muslims on the spiritual pilgrimage known as the Hajj. The pilgrimage is one of five Pillars of Islam, and […]
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“I Saw You”
Fairy tales usually have happy endings, especially the ones involving love at first sight. Cinderella and Snow White both snared their princes with just one look. It would seem only fitting if the following story ends as happily. To protect this subject’s privacy, we’ll call our prince “Lance.” Readers might know him better as the […]
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Not in my public housing complex
Times are not good for the Springfield Housing Authority. About 25 percent of all SHA units are empty and federal funding has plummeted over the past five years, according to SHA director Willis Logan. The feds briefly took over the SHA in 1996, as the agency struggled with financial woes and high vacancy rates. The […]
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Between the lines
For a moment, it looked like the Black Guardians might have a point. The group of black cops had been complaining (some say whining) for years about discriminatory testing, uneven discipline, and other indignities they say added up to a hostile work environment at the Springfield Police Department. But in this era of subtler racism, […]
