Something wasn’t right when Cynthia Czapski picked up her 10-month-old son, Matthew, from a Bartlett, Ill., day care on Aug. 11, 1994. The child seemed to be sleeping, but she couldn’t wake him up. Matthew was taken to the emergency room and then to another hospital, where doctors worked to relieve bleeding and swelling in […]
Illinois
Posted inArts & Culture
1937 – INCHES KEEP FLOOD FROM CAIRO
Flood waters have begun to recede in Southern Illinois in and around Cairo following concentrated efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others, but plenty of work remains to be done. (More info and background here: http://thesouthern.com/news/national/article_56caf9fc-feea-5bb3-9f49-1f85096096ca.html) In an interesting coincidence, Illinois Times editor Fletcher Farrar recently found some old newspapers from 1937 […]
Posted inNews
State Police can’t keep track of their stuff
An audit of the Illinois State Police released April 7 shows problems with inventory control, information security and more, but ISP says it lacks the resources to address some problems. Meanwhile, a report on the University of Illinois released the same day shows recurring problems with oversight of credit cards issued to university employees, among […]
Posted inNews
Minorities press for representation in redistricting
Minority groups in Springfield and statewide are calling for better representation as the Illinois legislature mulls redistricting plans. At an Illinois Senate Redistricting Committee hearing April 4, groups representing African Americans, Asian Americans and Muslims shared concerns about “packing, cracking and stacking” – gerrymandering tactics that dilute minority voting power. Illinois draws new electoral districts […]
Posted inNews
State’s power buyer under fire
The state agency responsible for buying Illinois’ electricity is under fire after an annual audit showed numerous problems with accounting and transparency. A March 24 report by Illinois Auditor General William Holland says the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) needs to correct 35 “weaknesses” in financial transparency, rulemaking and more. The report admonishes IPA for storing […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Accents of Americana
World-famous folk songwriter and songster Arlo Guthrie performs March 16 in Springfield on his Journey On Tour with special guests The Burns Sisters. Listen to well-known classics such as his 1967 hit, “Alice’s Restaurant,” and the ’72 rendition of “City of New Orleans.” An accomplished musician who plays piano, six and twelve-string guitar, harmonica and […]
Posted inNews
Advocates: ‘Don’t prosecute teens for consensual sex’
If Romeo were alive today, he would be a sex offender. That’s the situation with Illinois sex offender laws, say reformers calling for changes to laws they say unfairly stigmatize low-risk teenage offenders. Illinois law criminalizes so-called “Romeo and Juliet” relationships, in which two consenting teens have sexual contact but one is under the age […]
Posted inNews
Planning a one-stop shop for health insurance
Flash forward to the future: The year is 2014, and Illinois residents are buying their health insurance in a new way. Instead of fumbling with numerous complex health insurance plans, they have the option of buying pre-approved, comprehensive plans through a state-administered website. That’s how a state council on health reform envisions it. The Illinois […]
Posted inNews
Illinois health reform continues
Illinois is moving ahead with health care reform, despite a Republican-led movement in Congress to repeal the federal law. The state continues to implement provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including a new high-risk insurance pool and consumer protection against unreasonable rate increases. Every Republican and three Democrats in the U.S. […]
Posted inNews
Springfield blogger cleared of electronic harassment charges
The pen is mighty, says Scott Humphrey of Springfield, but he’ll be more cautious when he uses it from now on. The 58-year-old construction worker and blogger learned that lesson after his recent acquittal on charges of making threats on the Internet. Humphrey’s case is among the first local tests of a 2008 Illinois law […]
Posted inNews
Victory in court nears for developmentally disabled
Rick Wilson of Springfield never thought it was asking too much for his daughter, Jennifer, who has cerebral palsy, to live in a comfortable environment. But when the Wilsons asked the State of Illinois to place Jennifer in a supportive living arrangement for adults with disabilities – instead of an institution – they were repeatedly […]
Posted inNews
State union accepts halved raises
The largest union of state employees has ratified an agreement with the State of Illinois for the state to save upwards of $50 million in exchange for a promise of no layoffs. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 signed an agreement with Gov. Pat Quinn in November to implement […]
