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llinois and the four other Democratic-led states that were subject to the Trump administration’s freeze on $10 billion in federal funding for child care and family services secured a restraining order on Friday in their lawsuit seeking to block the move. The restraining order, issued by Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, means […]

The Springfield City Council unanimously approved a new liquor license classification Jan. 6 that is designed to allow businesses to sell alcohol at the new SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. The ordinance allows “restaurant licensees to sell alcoholic liquor at retail for consumption on the premises and will also allow the sale of” packaged […]

One immediate result of the Massey Commission’s year-plus spent investigating the county’s response to mental health emergencies is a Springfield-area resource guide that lists more than 100 services available to residents who may need help with anything from mental health crises to accessing transportation and more. The guide, developed by Brian Wojcicki of Illinois Capitol […]

The Trump administration announced late Tuesday that it was freezing distribution of about $10 billion in federal child care and family assistance funds to five Democratic-led states, including Illinois. It will now require those states to submit detailed justification and documentation before any of the federal funds are released. The action applies to three programs […]

An international crane manufacturing firm is opening a plant in Springfield that will likely employ more than 100 people on the city’s west side. In addition to the blue-collar jobs assembling cranes, the firm will employ a host of professional positions as it plans to make Springfield its first manufacturing site in the U.S., Dominic […]

Most of the 250 people who turned out at a public meeting Jan. 5 in Lincoln to hear a Florida-based company’s plans to build a $5 billion data center in rural Logan County clapped, chanted, stood and yelled in opposition. “Who asked for this future for Logan County?” Mount Pulaski resident Sebastian Scassiferro said in […]

When a progressive Chicago alderperson scolded Gov. JB Pritzker in November over his opposition to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failed proposal to tax large corporations $21 per employee, Illinois’ billionaire chief executive was quick with a retort defending his progressive bona fides. “What we need is a progressive income tax, a graduated income tax in this […]

Preventable pregnancy-related deaths rose and stark racial disparities remained in the Illinois Department of Public Health’s most recent maternal mortality report. The report studied 219 deaths that occurred in Illinois in 2021 and 2022 during or within one year of pregnancy. The two committees that reviewed the deaths determined 94 to be related to pregnancy. This […]

A public outcry and inaccurate information on social media about a proposed data center in rural Logan County have prompted officials to delay votes on zoning necessary for the project until at least February. In the meantime, representatives of Miami-based Hut 8 Corp. plan to make a presentation and answer questions about the company’s proposal […]

Illinois’ statewide 1% grocery tax will go away on Jan. 1, though many people will continue to pay it at the local level. Data compiled by the Illinois Municipal League shows that 656 municipalities — a little more than half of the state’s municipalities — have passed an ordinance establishing their own grocery tax. Those communities […]

Mark Hanna knew the first question at the Citizens Club of Springfield’s Dec. 19 public policy forum regarding the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport would be something along the lines of, “Any new commercial airline routes coming soon?” Not much to report, Hanna said, although there have been some preliminary talks about possible Allegiant Airlines routes […]

Construction for Springfield’s Rail Improvement Project began in 2014 with construction of an underpass at Carpenter and 10th streets and the final phase will begin next month.  Over the last decade-plus, new railroad bridges have been constructed at Fifth, Sixth, Ash, Laurel and Cook streets and South Grand Avenue with underpasses constructed at Madison and […]