Illinois state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, testifies in support of his bill to regulate fracking before a legislative committee in May. The bill became law and is currently being implemented by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Illinois is preparing to allow the use of a controversial method of extracting oil […]
Illinois
Posted inOpinion
What they had to do
Illinois in the War of 1812 by Gillum Ferguson. University of Illinois Press, 2012. 333 pages, $34.95. Thanksgiving is the time of year when some white people serve up a heapin’ dish of guilt. The season reminds us all of the circumstances of the founding of the nation, when it was the white people who […]
Posted inNews
Help for demolishing abandoned homes?
A pile of trash sits covered by a tarp in front of the abandoned house at the corner of 12th and Cass streets. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A state law aimed at helping municipalities deal with abandoned houses has generated nearly $4 million by taxing banks that foreclose on homes, but the slice of that […]
Posted inNews
A decade later, still trying to clear his name
The Harbor Freight Tools parking lot where James Foster of Springfield was alleged to have sold a coworker one ounce of marijuana. Foster was acquitted of the charges, but lost his state job anyway. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE A decade ago, $100 apparently bought one ounce of marijuana. That’s how much pot James Foster of […]
Posted inNews
Retirees rankled over health benefits audit
A new package of health benefits for state retirees comes with a string attached: an audit to make sure every dependent on the new plans is eligible for coverage. But some retirees say the audit is skewed to kick people off of the rolls. Historically, most state retirees have paid deductibles and other costs for […]
Posted inNews
Officials calming fears over Common Core standards
As schools across Illinois prepare to roll out new educational standards, officials are working to battle negative perceptions by the public. The state’s new Common Core learning standards are benchmarks for what students should be able to do at each grade level. Leaders from business, labor and education spoke to a gathering of parents and […]
Posted inNews
Illinois approves same-sex marriage
The “score board” in the House shows votes on SB10, the same-sex marriage bill that passed the House today. Patrick Yeagle Gay and lesbian couples in Illinois will soon have the right to be married, following the passage today of a highly contentious bill that was years in the making. House sponsor Rep. Greg Harris, […]
Posted inNews
Marching for marriage
Supporters of same-sex marriage fill the intersection of Second Street and Capitol Avenue in front of the Illinois Statehouse, demanding passage of a bill lifting the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Supporters of same-sex marriage rallied at the Illinois Statehouse this week, demanding that the legislature pass a bill lifting the […]
Posted inNews
Coal ash ruling could mean new restrictions
A federal judge has ordered the United States Environmental Protection Agency to pass regulations on disposal of coal ash, which could have far-reaching implications for Illinois’ rebounding coal industry and coal plant operators like Springfield City Water, Light and Power. The Illinois-based environmental group Prairie Rivers Network participated in the lawsuit that prompted the decision […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Grave matters
This is a glimpse of a car trip flanked by billowy clouds, suspended raindrops on my car window and light brown soybean flats surrounded by palisades of corn. A hint of dark cast upon our prairie that day. Fitting for my destination to Abraham Lincoln and Vachel Lindsay‘s final resting place in Oak Ridge Cemetery. […]
Posted inOpinion
Pennies and nickels
For a lot of people in Springfield, Decatur is just a place to stop when you get hungry on the way back from a U of I game. But people live there too – at least some still do; the city has lost nearly 20 percent of its population since 1980. And it’s going to […]
Posted inNews
‘Green’ moves beyond recycling
Forget about recycling for a minute. Being “green” is more than just keeping glass out of the landfill. That was one message of the 10th Annual Green Symposium, a conference held in Springfield last week to promote sustainable business practices. Hosted by the American Institute of Architects and Resource One office furnishings of Springfield, speakers […]
