Officials at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln have ignored sexual misconduct involving guards and other employees, according to three lawsuits filed since last November. Two of the lawsuits, including one filed this week, are buttressed by criminal charges filed against accused employees. Furthermore, in an apparently unrelated case, Jeffrey Dozier, a prison employee assigned to […]
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Young activists host advocacy summit at UIS
Glenwood High School senior Clare Farnsworth, 18, became interested in political activism after witnessing news reports of the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February, where 17 were killed and several more injured. Taking her cue from the Parkland survivors who became high-profile activists for gun regulation, she got involved with […]
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County sales tax would improve old Springfield school buildings
In November, Sangamon County voters will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed one percent increase in sales tax. In District 186 the proceeds would be used exclusively to make improvements to the aging school buildings in Springfield. If approved, the new tax would be countywide, so all the public school districts in the […]
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Federal judge may face inquiry
Authorities won’t say what, if any, steps are being taken to determine whether a federal judge deserves punishment for conversing about a pending case with a paralegal in the U.S. attorney’s office. U.S. District Court Judge Colin Bruce last month was removed from criminal cases after Illinois Times reported that the judge, while presiding over […]
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Vachel getting plenty of attention in 2018
On Friday, Sept. 7, the Springfield Art Association held an opening reception for Vachel Lindsay: Poet, Artist, Visionary, an exhibit featuring original works and memorabilia by the celebrated early 20th century Springfield denizen whose epic novel, The Golden Book of Springfield, celebrates its centennial this year. The show represents a collaboration between the SAA, the […]
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New laws streamline mental health and addiction treatments
Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law a package of bills to improve treatments and medical access for mental health and substance use disorders. At a press conference at the Memorial Center for Learning & Innovation in Springfield, Rauner, mental health experts and substance abuse treatment advocates discussed the bills, while stressing the importance of adequate […]
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Explore the world from Springfield
Springfield-area residents can learn firsthand about U.S. foreign policy and global economic issues through free programs presented by the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (WACCI). This civic organization hosts a speaker series with experts on a wide range of topics that are important globally and also have a local impact. The first program of […]
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Pillars of salt
St. Louis-based artist Amanda Bowles’ current exhibit at the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is entitled “digital dusk shadow storage,” a multimedia installation which combines striking sculptures made from crystallized salt along with a large oil painting and re-contextualized pieces of computer technology. “The objects made from salt take many years to grow,” […]
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SPD fights gun violence with tough love
Springfield Police Department Chief Kenny Winslow spoke at the Citizens Club of Springfield’s August policy breakfast, held at Hoogland Center for the Arts on Friday, Aug. 24. His subject was gun violence in Springfield, specifically the SPD’s recent adoption of a “focused deterrence” policy where offenders are identified and offered two options: either go to […]
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CLIMATE MARCH IN DECATUR
Macon County activist group SONA (Save Our National Areas, a subcommittee of the nonprofit Community Environmental Council of Macon County) will lead the “RISE for climate, jobs and justice march” on Sept. 8, part of a nationwide RISE initiative of demonstrations in hundreds of communities that day to encourage local leaders to “invent strategies and […]
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Pritzker galvanizes supporters in Democrat Day speech
J.B Pritzker, D-Chicago, rallied supporters as he presented his case to be the next governor of Illinois on State Fair Democrat Day, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield on Aug. 16. Pritzker was in the midst of a four-day, 20-stop bus tour across Illinois, where he stumped for statewide candidates alongside […]
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State: Sidney Watkins shouldn’t live with mom
While Sidney Watkins attended her first day of school as a sixth-grader last week, her mother, Jennifer, had a bad day in court in the latest chapter of a custody battle that began a decade ago. One person, Sidney’s father, Steven, is dead. He was gunned down in 2008 when he went to pick up […]
