William “Sam” McCann, former state senator and failed candidate for governor, has been indicted by federal prosecutors who say that he used campaign funds as a personal piggybank, with thefts running into the six figures. Charged with fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, McCann for years dipped into campaign accounts to buy vehicles and pay […]
Breaking News
Posted inNews
Pot garden and dispensary proposed for west side
A marijuana dispensary, and pot-growing facility, might be coming to a shuttered movie theater on Springfield’s west side. Opening a dispensary is the first step, according to Chris Stone, a real-estate investor and lobbyist who is helping put the deal together. If all goes as planned, Maribis, which has dispensaries in Grandview and Chicago, would […]
Posted inNews
Teachers union president arrested after domestic incident
Aaron Graves, president of the union representing Springfield School District 186 educators, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of domestic battery. Details of the incident were not immediately available from Springfield police, who responded to Graves’ home on South Park Street shortly before 2 a.m. After being booked by police, Graves was released after posting $300 […]
Posted inNews
There was no arrest, Speaker Welch claims
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is claiming that he neither hit a woman nor was arrested in a 2002 incident. The speaker’s claims are contradicted by police reports and by a 2012 opinion from the state attorney general’s office, which ruled that Welch had been arrested and so police reports must be released. According to […]
Posted inNews
Restaurant, bar owners say reopening rules too strict
Sangamon County’s decision to allow indoor service at bars and restaurants beginning Sunday doesn’t go far enough for some proprietors. Meanwhile, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder in a written statement issued this afternoon criticized the county’s plan, saying it’s too soon to resume indoor service. While the city will allow bars with commercial kitchens to open […]
Posted inNews
Bars, restaurants to reopen on Sunday
Restaurant and bars will reopen on Sunday under measures approved by the Sangamon County Department of Public Health. The reopening comes despite the health department acknowledging that fewer than 20 percent of intensive care unit beds have been open. National experts also warn that travel over the holidays could spread the virus. In Colorado and […]
Posted inNews
Criminals stay busy
Assaults, batteries, arson and commercial burglaries are up this year in Springfield, according to an email sent Tuesday to members of the city council by police chief Kenny Winslow. Overall, the number of crimes that the department reports to the state and federal governments has fallen by seven percent this year, as of Nov. 30, […]
Posted inNews
Fraudster sentenced to prison
Chase Brown, a former Rochester High School football player who played on a state championship team, then bilked people and companies throughout the nation, is headed to prison for three years. Brown, 21, already was on state probation for writing $17,000 worth of bad checks in Sangamon County when he went on the spree last […]
Posted inNews
Mayor offers raise to keep Winslow
Mayor Jim Langfelder says he’s offered a 5% raise to keep police chief Kenny Winslow, who has accepted an offer to become a deputy chief in Franklin, Tennessee. Langfelder said that it would amount to a $7,000 raise, the maximum allowable without city council approval. Winslow, who wasn’t available for comment, earned $145,433 last year. […]
Posted inNews
Winslow quits Springfield police
Springfield police chief Kenny Winslow is departing for Tennessee, where he will be a deputy police chief in Franklin beginning next month. The Williamson Herald in Tennessee broke the story last Thursday. According to the Herald, Winslow was one of 78 applicants and will start work on Jan. 19 overseeing field operations and special operations […]
Posted inNews
State buys former Sears space at White Oaks
White Oaks Mall has a new anchor tenant: the state of Illinois. After purchasing space formerly occupied by Sears for $3.5 million last August, the state now plans to move Illinois Environmental Protection Agency headquarters from North Grand Avenue to the mall. The complex now occupied by IEPA is slated for demolition to make room […]
Posted inNews
Public access reduced at city hall
Mayor Jim Langfelder announced today that appointments will be required to meet with any department at city hall starting Monday. “With the potential increasing spread of COVID-19 because of Thanksgiving Day travel and gatherings, we are taking additional precautions while continuing our services to the public,” Langfelder said in a written statement. “The decisions we […]
