Watch Public Meetings
Keep up on local governance by watching Springfield City Council and School Board Dist. 186 meeting sessions
Springfield 186 names new superintendent, plans bonds
The Springfield District 186 Board of Education meeting mixed big celebrations with big decisions. Highlights from the night: The biggest moment: the board announced its recommendation for the 36th superintendent of Springfield Public School District 186. The superintendent-elect spoke about faith, hard-earned life lessons, and treating the role as a responsibility to serve students, staff, […]
Animal Control scrutiny and accountability demands
The Springfield City Council meeting got tense over timelines, animals and accountability. Right before a final vote, one alderperson tried to lock in a firm deadline: a major city study would have to be finished and back before the council prior to next year’s budget talks. That simple amendment triggered confusion over which budget year […]
Springfield rail reassessment and Animal Control concerns
The Springfield City Council spent a lot of time on two things this week: trains and tails. On the long-running 19th Street railroad project, one alderperson pressed staff on why another feasibility study is needed after 15+ years of work and millions already invested. Timelines, grant dollars and promises to actually follow through (instead of […]
Springfield weighs cannabis grant barriers, Repair Commission
At the latest Springfield City Council meeting, a debate over cannabis grants turned into a much bigger conversation about fairness, barriers and the city’s history. Key moments in the video: If you care about how Springfield spends cannabis dollars, treats residents with records, or addresses historic injustice, this one is worth watching.
Basketball celebrations, e-learning changes and superintendent search updates
The Springfield District 186 Board of Education meeting started with a big win: the Lincoln Magnet and Ball Charter 8th grade girls basketball team brought home the 3A championship and will be honored at the next meeting. Right after that, the focus shifted to the citywide basketball tournament (Jan. 21–24) — not just games, but […]
Residents grade Springfield’s 2025 on housing and safety
The Springfield City Council just got its own version of “Spotify Wrapped” for 2025. One resident laid out a year-in-review using city data: But they also called out a few wins: Then another speaker followed with a blunt reality check: families evicted on Christmas Eve, unsafe housing that keeps slipping through the cracks, lopsided traffic […]
Audit clean; pension gap looms for Springfield
Springfield City Council covered a lot in one night. If you care about the budget, pensions, how meetings are run, local media or police transparency, this one’s worth a watch.
Bus accountability and superintendent search timeline
Springfield District 186 Board of Education packed a lot into this meeting — worth a watch if you’ve got students riding buses or heading to high school next fall. Highlights and key takeaways:– Celebrations: Students earned spots in the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State programs and will head to Peoria in January. Southeast’s Best Buddies […]
Massey commission report and data center debate
The Sangamon County Board handed the mic to the Massey Commission — then the room got real. The Commission kept Sonya Massey at the center, shared the work across nearly 50 community members and put forward 26 calls to action — 13 the county can move on now. What you’ll see: Related You’ll also hear […]
Massage parlor enforcement questioned; promoting downtown
Springfield City Council had a range of topics this week — from promoting downtown to confronting hard truths. If you care about downtown vitality and public safety, this one’s worth your time.
Urban League land purchase faces hold request
A proposed sale of eight city-owned lots to the Urban League hit pause — then came a pointed plea to keep it moving. Watch for the clash between urgency and process, and how “hold it” vs. “prove it” shaped the night.
