Cover Story

An exciting tale is told in a new $73,000 state-funded video presentation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The animated production brings to life the story of Robert Smalls, an enslaved man who purloined a Confederate boat, picked up other enslaved people, and piloted the boat to freedom as they reached the Union naval blockade […]

This story is a collaboration between Illinois Answers and the Chicago bureau of MindSite News.  Bloomington native Shayla Woodworth had struggled with mental illness and addiction since she was a teen and spent time in jail in three states. She’d heard of mental health courts before but didn’t know much about them, and assumed they were something of […]

A sharp cough came from the BearCat’s engine as it struggled to start. After another try, the massive bulletproof vehicle outfitted with a turret booth and remote battering ram for bashing in doors and windows came to life. The driver, who asked not to be identified or photographed because he is “working in an undercover […]

From his view on East Adams Street, Prairie Archives owner Robb Paul has witnessed firsthand how downtown Springfield has evolved. His secondhand bookstore at 522 E. Adams St. has been in the same spot since 1992, straight across from the Old State Capitol and just a couple doors down from Abraham Lincoln’s old law office.  […]

Two years after Sara Bowen-Lasisi began working for the Phoenix Center, she realized the Springfield nonprofit appeared to be overbilling the state for grant-supported HIV testing. But Bowen-Lasisi said the questionable practice was openly admitted and encouraged by the former executive director, Jonna Cooley. According to Bowen-Lasisi, Cooley said, “‘We were doing the work, so […]

Historic buildings in downtown Springfield have been put on the market. Several properties along South Second, as well as on Capitol Avenue and Seventh Street, are ready for new owners, while two others have recently changed hands.  Court and Karen Conn of Conn’s Hospitality Group are known for their outstanding historic preservation work, owning many […]

The air inside the sanctuary was thick with incense. A priest in embroidered vestments chanted ancient prayers as parishioners stood shoulder to shoulder. Some bowed deeply before painted icons of Jesus of Nazareth and the saints. Others crossed themselves repeatedly as voices rose together in ancient hymns sung a cappella. It’s a scene one might […]

Long waitlists to obtain mental health care may shorten if supporters of a mental health board are successful during the March 17 primary election. A wide range of community leaders, along with every hospital and health care organization in Sangamon County, have voiced support for the referendum that would use revenue from a limited sales […]

When Illinois Times last wrote about environmental engineer Michael Keebler in August 2015, his situation was grim. The U.S. government had filed seizure notices for multiple assets, including his home, around the same time he was sentenced to five years in federal prison for defrauding the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency out of $13 million. The […]

A Black alderperson called a white alderperson racist, then suggested they settle their differences “outside.” Depending on your point of view, this might have been upsetting or entertaining to those sitting in the audience or watching online during the Springfield City Council’s Feb. 3 meeting.  But Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory told Illinois Times that […]