We have two new staff writers reporting for Illinois Times. Scott Reeder and Kenneth Lowe have been contributing articles occasionally; now their work will appear weekly in these pages. Reeder, a resident of Sherman, is a veteran Statehouse reporter, having worked for several news organizations, including the Small Newspaper Group and Illinois News Network. His weekly opinion column, which appears regularly in many Illinois newspapers, becomes a regular feature of the expanded IT opinion section. Kenneth Lowe of Springfield, who has been a reporter for the Decatur Herald and Review and Bloomington Pantagraph, has spent recent years employed in communications and media relations, first for Lieutenant Gov. Sheila Simon, then for the office of the Illinois Senate President. We urge our readers to take note of these new bylines, and to engage with the journalists behind them.
We note the passing of Adlai Stevenson, who dropped the III after he'd earned the name. As state representative, Illinois treasurer, U.S. senator for 10 years and two-time candidate for governor, Stevenson represented the best traditions of Illinois politics and ethics. His crafted speeches filled the 1970s with possibilities. His kindness and friendship inspired this reporter. – Fletcher Farrar, editor
