Feature

Patty Hoffman, a trim, 57-year-old redhead with sensible Aunt Bea shoes, a ready smile, and an encylopedic knowledge of the city’s streets, has been driving a bus for the Springfield Mass Transit District since October 1, 1977. Over the years, she has safely delivered thousands of riders to their destinations with nary a mishap or […]

Miss Vernon rents her guest-room by the night To tourists passing through. Imagine that! Complete strangers, maybe a squalling brat, Sharing your bath. Somehow that don’t seem right. There’s mighty few in town that I’d invite To stay–much less offer the welcome mat. But yesterday when I stopped by to chat And heard how much […]

Even people who aren’t supporters of Karen Hasara will admit she’s done a lot of good during her two terms as Springfield’s first woman mayor. She’s furthered the development of downtown and helped to build the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. She’s brought in outside experts to suggest ways to beautify the city. […]

Three pieces of legislation were debated a few weeks ago at a low-key hearing of the Illinois House’s civil-law committee. One bill would allow trusts for pets. Another would grant elderly victims of crimes the right to give depositions at home. Both proposals were sent to the full House with no objections, 18 to 0. […]

Before the United States was thrown into uncertainty and grief on September 11, 2001, Springfield residents were the target of a terrorist attack. In the spring of 2001, only months before the World Trade Center tragedy, a group of terrorists were discovered on the Illinois Sate Fairgrounds during a defense department exercise. They were mixing […]

Overshadowed here by legislative debate over possible death-penalty reforms, a milestone in the history of the American death penalty has been sneaking up on us. Nebraska’s legislators are expected to vote this spring to quit using the electric chair, sanctioning a switch to lethal injection as the state’s execution method of choice. Nebraska will be […]

The homemade flyers appear all around town like a tragic folk art series. Some feature a snapshot of three smiling boys–a young father holding his two little sons. Some feature a morbid photo of that same father, bruised and bleeding, sustained by a ventilator and IVs. The text below the picture is always something sensational […]

The revolution is manifest in the decor of the spacious corner office overlooking Monroe Street. The centerpiece is a rocking chair on a colorful rug. The credenza holds a handmade pottery tea service. A trio of colorful papier mache birds perches on the window sill. And the bookshelf brims with volumes by Maya Angelou, Alice […]

Jim Leach was just a youngster, no older than eight, when he saw Bob Murray doing a radio broadcast in front of the K-Mart on Clear Lake. Murray had a portable deejay booth–turntables and microphone–and little Leach was instantly enthralled. He realized he now had the answer to every adult’s favorite question, “Hey kid, what […]